FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 1/10/2013 2:00pm et

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said it is too early to determine how much RB James Starks (knee) will play in the team's divisional playoff game. Starks practiced Wednesday, Jan. 9.

Huddle Up: Starks hasn't played since Week 13, and the Packers figure to lean heavily on DuJuan Harris, who impressed with 100 total yards on 22 touches in Saturday's wild-card win over the Vikings.

Posted: 12/19/2012 11:23pm et

Green Bay Packers RBs Alex Green (concussion) and James Starks (knee) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Dec. 19.

Huddle Up: Things are only growing murkier on the tundra as the Packers' ground fortunes may rest on the shoulders of Ryan Grant and DuJuan Harris this week.

Posted: 12/13/2012 10:32pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks (knee) and DE C.J. Wilson (knee) did not practice Thursday, Dec. 13.

Huddle Up: Starks is expected to miss his second straight game, leaving the backfield chores to Alex Green and DuJuan Harris, who combined for 100 rushing yards and a TD in Week 14.

Posted: 12/5/2012 2:38pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks (knee) did not participate in practice Wednesday, Dec. 5.

Huddle Up: The Packers did not seem optimistic about Starks after he injured his knee. If he sits, Alex Green will once again have a chance to disappoint fantasy owners. Green was relatively effective last week against the Vikings, but starting him would be a risky proposition.

Posted: 12/4/2012 11:06pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks suffered a knee injury in Week 13 against the Minnesota Vikings, and according to an NFL source, it is serious enough that he might not play again the rest of the season. The source said the team is mulling placing Starks on season-ending Injured Reserve. 'It's not an ACL,' the source said, adding that the early evaluation was that the injury would not likely require surgery.

Huddle Up: Starks is coming off his best outing of the season (82 total yards, TD), and this knee issue has sort of cropped up out of the blue. Regardless, it sounds fairly dire so look for Alex Green to take over as the clear No. 1 back until further notice.

Posted: 12/4/2012 1:39pm et

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy indicated Monday, Dec. 3, that he plans to ride the hot hand at running back going forward during games. 'We'll stay the course, probably. If you feel one's going a little better than the other, we'll lean that way,' McCarthy said. In Week 13, RB James Starks carried 15 times for 66 yards and a touchdown, while RB Alex Green had 12 totes for 58 yards.

Huddle Up: Both backs should continue to be low-end flex options, with Starks the more reliable of the two due to the extra touches he gets.

Posted: 11/20/2012 8:00pm et

The Green Bay Packers still plan to mix in RB Alex Green with RB James Starks heading forward, despite the fact that Starks saw his heaviest workload of the year in Week 11 with 25 carries for 74 yards. Green had no carries and was only in for six offensive snaps. The Packers felt Starks left some yards on the field. 'And frankly, Alex Green not getting carries was a poor performance by myself managing how we were running the ball. We'll continue forward working both James and Alex and get those guys ready in our preparation for the Giants,' head coach Mike McCarthy said. Two weeks ago, Green rushed 11 times and Starks had 17 carries.

Huddle Up: This sounds like just another split workload and another splitting headache for the fantasy owners of either RB. Starks still figures to see more carries, but that could change at any time if he's not getting the job done.

Posted: 11/15/2012 10:29pm et

Green Bay Packers running backs coach Alex Van Pelt indicated RB James Starks likely will start at running back until RB Cedric Benson (foot) returns. 'I think he was productive when he was in there the last couple of games with limited touches, and he has the most experience of the backs we have right now. I think he's earned the right to get in there and get some more touches,' Van Pelt said.

Huddle Up: Alex Green has been starting since Benson went out in, but he's done little with only 207 rushing yards on 75 carries over the past 4 games. Starks did get a season-high 17 carries to Green's 11 in Week 9, and it sounds like the Pack spent the bye week readying Starks as the No. 1 back.

Posted: 10/9/2012 7:23pm et

Green Bay Packers RB Alex Green is listed at the top of the running back depth chart ahead of RB James Starks.

Huddle Up: Team depth charts should be viewed with a grain of salt. The best guess here is that a RB by committee replaces Cedric Benson with Green, Starks, Brandon Saine and John Kuhn all thrown into a fantasy-frustrating mix.

Posted: 10/9/2012 2:08pm et

The Green Bay Packers are considering going to RB James Starks, who has been inactive for the first five games, with RB Cedric Benson (foot) out at least eight weeks. RB Alex Green had a big run in the team's Week 5 games, but the team is worried about his protection issues. 'Alex did some good things, and there's some things he'll definitely learn from,' head coach Mike McCarthy said. 'He obviously had the big run there, did a great job there and a nice job on the trap play. But there's some protection opportunities that we need to clean up and the course of certain runs. (He's) a young guy that took advantage of an opportunity, and this will be an opportunity for him and James and Brandon to play this week against Houston.' RB Brandon Saine could also be mixed in.

Huddle Up: It's not going to be one back stepping in for Benson, but Starks, who's been sidelined with turf toe, was the team's leading rusher last season and would be the logical choice as the team's starter if he's healthy. Still, epect Green and Saine -- and of course John Kuhn near the the goalline -- to get their share of carries as well.

Posted: 9/18/2012 11:52pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks (turf toe) and DE C.J. Wilson (groin) participated in the team's padded practice Tuesday, Sept. 18.

Huddle Up: Starks could be in line for his first action of the season after missing the Pack's first 2 games. In his absence, newcomer Cedric Benson has shouldered the load, tallying 29 of the team's 33 RB carries and gaining 99 yards. Green Bay has yet to score a rushing TD.

Posted: 9/11/2012 11:38pm et

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday, Sept. 11, that RB James Starks (turf toe) is 'doubtful' for the Week 2 game Thursday, Sept. 13, against the Chicago Bears.

Huddle Up: It's been a lost 2012 for Starks, who led the Packers in rushing last season with only 578 yards. Cedric Benson, who was the lone Green Bay RB to log a carry in Week 1, will once again start with Alex Green and Brandon Saine possibly rotating in.

Posted: 9/10/2012 7:37pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks (toe), DE C.J. Wilson (groin) and LB Terrell Manning (concussion) did not participate in practice Monday, Sept. 10.

Huddle Up: Starks didn't miss much with the 49ers' rugged defense stifling the Packers' ground game Sunday. It's a short turnaround, though, as the Pack plays Thursday night against the Bears, and starter Cedric Benson might have to shoulder the load again.

Posted: 9/5/2012 6:47pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks (toe) has been ruled out for Week 1.

Huddle Up: Good news for those fantasy GMs who are rolling with Cedric Benson and Alex Green this Sunday. They will get the majority of the carries in a high-powered offense, although they are going against the 49ers' formidable D.

Posted: 8/23/2012 12:08pm et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks could be released by the team. Starks has played just 16 games in his first two seasons, and he is currently battling a turf toe. At some point, his inability to stay on the field will cost him a roster spot.

Huddle Up: Starks doesn't fit the Green Bay offense, and now the Packers have Cedric Benson to do his job. Doesn't look good for Starks.

Posted: 8/19/2012 7:14pm et

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said RB James Starks (toe) is a few weeks away for returning because he is still dealing with turf toe.

Huddle Up: The fantasy stock of newly signed RB Cedric Benson is rising by the day. Keep him in your pre-draft queue for consideration after the first 20 or so backs come off the board.

Posted: 8/11/2012 10:54pm et

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said RB James Starks (toe) is considered week-to-week with turf toe.

Huddle Up: With Starks, Brandon Saine and Alex Green atop the Pack's depth chart, that explains the team's reported interest in free-agent Cedric Benson. Starks had 794 total yards and a TD last season sharing time last season with the since-released Ryan Grant, and appears on more than a few preseason sleeper lists. Definitely a situation to monitor with another big offensive season expected from the Green & Gold.

Posted: 7/6/2012 7:11pm et

Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Tom Clements said he believes there is a chance that RB James Starks can have a breakout season in 2012. 'You hope that every guy gets better every year,' Clements said. 'He has a lot of ability. He's powerful, runs hard, catches the ball out of the backfield pretty well. We're hopeful.'

Huddle Up: Starks is currently picked somewhere around the sixth round but if he's one of your prized sleepers you'll have to take him a round earlier.

Posted: 6/18/2012 2:22am et

Green Bay Packers RB James Starks is convinced he is ready to break out this season. "I believe I can and I believe I will," Starks said. Starks has a long history of injury problems, so counting on him for an entire 16-game season may be too optimistic. He has spent time during the offseason working on his flexibility and endurance with hopes of avoiding another injury-filled season. The Packers seem to believe Starks is ready to step up, too, based off of their lack of movement at the running back position during the offseason. However, they are taking a chance because the team has oft-injured, unproven players in the backfield. None of the team's backs - Starks, Alex Green and Brandon Saine - have proven they can handle a heavy workload, but if the team's pass-first offense continues to click they can get by with the group they have.

Huddle Up: Starks' confidence is admirable, but even if he manages to stay healthy there's no guarantee the pass-first Packers will trust him with enough of a workload to be a major fantasy factor. On the bright side, an 11th-round ADP as the 44th-ranked back leaves plenty of room for outperforming his draft position.