Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis will not play today, as he is still recovering from a hamstring injury that saw him extremely limited in the team's Week 6 game against the Oakland Raiders.
Instead, Montario Hardesty will get the start at running back with Chris Ogbonnaya spelling him on third-downs and in passing situations. While this makes Hardesty the undeniable fantasy starter between the two, keep an eye on Ogbonnaya, especially if he breaks out against the Seattle Seahawks today.
Hardesty leads the league in dropped passes by a running back so far this season, with six, despite not being a full-time back for the most part. Browns head coach Pat Shurmur kicked Hardesty off of the practice field on Friday after yet another drop, and it's not likely you'll see him targeted very much in today's game.
That means if you're starting Hardesty in a PPR league, he's not going to be as useful as if he had been sure-handed. And considering how impressive Ogbonnaya played during the preseason when he was a Houston Texan, Hardesty could be in trouble of losing his standing with his team.
Certainly this does not mean you should quickly snap up Ogbonnaya and start him this week, but it does mean that you should temper your expectations about Hardesty. He has 40 carries for 143 yards and 10 catches for 86 yards on the season, with 35 of his rushing yards and 18 of his receiving yards coming in last week's start against the Oakland Raiders.
Granted, the Seahawks' defense, while underrated, is not as tough as Oakland's, and I expect his numbers to be more akin to those he put up in Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins: 14 rushes for 67 yards and three receptions for 19 yards.
The Browns are more interested in shoring up their stalling passing game, and with Hillis out, the offensive focus will likely shift to quarterback Colt McCoy and his arm instead of the ground attack.
Hardesty is certainly a smart start this week, considering both that Hillis is out and that a number of stud fantasy running backs are on the bye. He will certainly prove beneficial to your fantasy team this week, but don't expect him to be your team's top scorer.
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