Sep 5, 2012
The Kansas City Chiefs brought in Peyton Hillis this off season and it is now clear why. The Chiefs depth chart has he and the incumbent Jamaal Charles both listed as starting running backs against the Falcons this Sunday. This shouldn’t worry Charles’ fantasy owners, as he is not a work horse type of back that was going to get 20+ carries on a consistent basis any way. But Hillis owners should be ecstatic, as 10-15 touches per week would make him a solid Flex play weekly.
My bold prediction at the beginning of preseason was that Hillis would rush for 1,000 yards and score enough touchdowns to make him a top 25 RB more often than not; that’s my story and I am sticking to it. He is a more powerful version of Thomas Jones, who was able to produce useful fantasy numbers during Charles’ breakout campaign.
That being said, this could be a tough week for both Kansas City running backs as they face the Falcons. Atlanta ranked 6th in the league last year against the run (97 yards allowed per game) and their dynamic offense could force the Chiefs to rely on the aerial attack. Kansas City faces very few elite run defenses and they will benefit from playing in a division where all the teams ranked in the bottom 37% of the league in stopping the run.
