LeSean McCoy

Week Seventeen Analysis: LeSean McCoy looked like his old self in his return from concussion. Although his 13 carries for 45 yards left a lot to be desired, he added nine catches for 77 yards, and Bryce Brown only touched the ball four times. It was McCoy's eighth straight game in which he scored and/or topped 100 total yards. The first game of that streak came against these same Giants, when he totaled 140 yards, and New York's bottom-10 run defense just gave up 293 total yards and a score to Baltimore backs. Feel free to elevate McCoy back to pre-concussion levels in this favorable matchup.

Week Sixteen Analysis: LeSean McCoy makes his long-awaited return to the starting lineup this week, but reports out of Philadelphia are that he'll share a healthy amount of work with Bryce Brown. Prior to his concussion, McCoy had scored or topped 100 total yards in seven straight games. In fact, his last game came against this same top-five Washington run defense, when he totaled 112 yards. And the Redskins have actually given up three rushing scores in the last two weeks. Still, between the concussion risk, the bad offensive line, Bryce Brown's role and the unpredictability of Andy Reid, you probably want to error on the side of benching McCoy if you can afford to.

Week Eleven Analysis: LeSean McCoy has scored or topped 100 combo yards in eight of nine games this season, but he's yet to do both in the same game. With third-round rookie Nick Foles under center, the logical assumption is that the Eagles will lean more heavily on McCoy this week. However, logic has never encroached on an Andy Reid rushing attack, and the entire offense will be at the mercy of an unproven rookie who is learning on the job. Washington ranks top-10 against opposing backs in both rushing and receiving yardage, but they've allowed four touchdowns to the position in their last three games. We can probably expect another solid-yet-unspectacular outing from McCoy.

Week Ten Analysis:While Andy Reid has a tendency to forget about LeSean McCoy for entire halves at a time, Shady has now scored or topped 130 combo yards in seven-of-eight games this year, including five straight. This week he'll face a once-stout Cowboys run defense that's taken a turn for the worse over the last month. Dallas has ceded five rushing scores in their last four games, and last week they gave up 161 combo yards to Falcons backs. McCoy's M.O. this season has been to deliver either big yardage or a touchdown—but never both. You can probably expect more of the same this week, with the touchdown feeling more likely than the yards.

Week Nine Analysis: Early this season, LeSean McCoy was putting up big yardage numbers, but failing to score. Now, he's scored four times in his last three games, but he's averaged just 65 combo yards and 2.6 yards per carry. Fantasy owners, you've been waiting for him to put it all together, and this should finally be the week. Against opposing running backs, New Orleans ranks 31st in rushing yards per game, 27th in receiving yards per game, and 30th in touchdowns with 10. Three straight starting backs have both scored and topped 120 combo yards against the Saints, so McCoy is a lock for a big game.

Week Eight Analysis: In the six games prior to Philadelphia's bye, LeSean McCoy left his owners wanting more. His three touchdowns are a far cry from the eight he'd scored at this point last year, and he's also experienced a slight dip in both rushing and receiving yards per game. He'll look to get back to his elite-level production this week against an Atlanta defense that's given up 154 combo yards per contest to opposing backs, as well as five touchdowns in six games. A fresh McCoy rolled up 200 yards and two touchdowns in the week following last season's bye, and he should be good for at least half that in a favorable matchup.

Week Six Analysis: After watching Michael Vick fumble away the ball multiple times last week, perhaps Andy Reid will finally just give LeSean McCoy the ball in the red zone. Of the 18 plays the Eagles have run from inside the opponent's five yard line, LeSean McCoy has touched the ball just four times.  In those four carries, he's averaging zero yards.  Frank Gore is the only back to score against Detroit this season and Adrian Peterson is the only back to top 100 yards rushing against them, so temper your expectations for McCoy this week.

Week Five Analysis: Through the first quarter of the season, LeSean McCoy's 443 combo yards are virtually identical to last season's 446. However, despite an extra 14 touches, his one touchdown is five fewer than he had through four games last year. Pittsburgh's stout run defense hasn't been as impenetrable as usual, as they've given up two rushing scores and 4.3 yards per carry through three games. However, dating back to 2004, the best rushing day any running back has had against a Pittsburgh team coming out of a bye has been 62 yards. You're still starting McCoy, but you'll probably have to keep waiting for that breakout game.

Week Four Analysis: A handful of times each season, Andy Reid falls of the wagon and completely abandons the run game. Naturally, these lapses come at the expense of LeSean McCoy owners—after carrying 45 times through two games, he got just 13 attempts last week. McCoy hasn't been bad, but his offensive line is very shaky, and he's having to make his own yardage, which caps his upside. The Giants have been a very ordinary run defense through three games, and McCoy totaled 256 yards and a touchdown in the teams' two meetings last year. I expect him to be a much bigger part of the game plan this week.

Week Three Analysis: While LeSean McCoy has yet to explode, it's hard to complain about 136 combo yards in the opener, or 89 yards and a score against Baltimore. In those two games, McCoy collected 26 and 27 touches, which is encouraging considering that he reached 26 touches just five times all of last season. He'll need all the work he can get this week against an underrated Arizona defense. The Cardinals are allowing less than 3.6-yards per-carry, and they've held both Marshawn Lynch and Stevan Ridley scoreless and under 100 combo yards. McCoy tallied 93 combo yards and a score in last year's meeting, and we can probably expect something similar this week.

Week Two Analysis: After tallying a league-high 20 touchdowns last season, LeSean McCoy's scoreless, 136-yard effort against the hapless Browns felt oddly disappointing. McCoy also lost a rare fumble, but he logged a healthy 20 carries, and his six catches matched last year's season-high. BenJarvus Green-Ellis put a dent in Baltimore's perennially stout run defense last week with 91 yards and a score, so while it's far from an optimal matchup, the multi-faceted McCoy should be just fine. After all, McCoy has karma on his side—he's scored five touchdowns in his last two Week 2 games.

Week One Analysis: In addition to his lethal combination of versatility and vision, LeSean McCoy rocks more wiggle than a Kate Upton YouTube video. The dynamo led the league with 20 touchdowns last season, which represented the highest mark for a back since DeAngelo Williams in 2008. Over the last two seasons McCoy has tallied 126 catches to go with his 5.0-yard per-carry average, cementing his status as a premiere dual-threat back. Only Tampa Bay allowed more rushing yards to opposing backs than the Cleveland Browns last season, so McCoy should pick up right where he left off.

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