The Green Bay Packers are coming off of two embarrassing losses, and they’ve decided to make a change at running back before Sunday’s contest against the Detroit Lions.
Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters the team has listed James Starks as the No. 1 back with Eddie Lacy taking a back seat.
“I would say James is our No. 1 back right now going into Detroit,” McCarthy said, per Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. “He’s earned that opportunity. I’m not a big believer in riding one back the whole season. We’ll stay with the one-two punch.”
Partly due to ankle and groin injuries, Lacy has struggled to a 3.7-yard average on 83 carries. His total yardage so far this year is a mere 308, and Lacy has only scored twice in eight games.
Fantasy football owners who drafted him in the first round didn’t want to hear this news after a disappointing first half of the season, but Lacy is on pace to finish 2015 with only 616 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
Compare that to his 2014 season with 1,139 yards and nine touchdowns, and it’s easy to see why McCarthy is calling for the switch.
Starks hasn’t been perfect but is carrying the ball at an average of 4.3 yards per attempt and appears to be more dependable in the lead role for Green Bay at this time.
The Packers host the Lions and their the 29th-ranked rush defense, so Starks should be successful in this favorable matchup.