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          NFL Nation

          What James Starks' promotion means for Eddie Lacy fantasy owners

          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterNov 11, 2015, 08:10 PM
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              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
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          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Mike McCarthy just made it easy for you if you’ve been holding out hope that Eddie Lacy would come out of his slump and finally help your fantasy team.

          The Green Bay Packers coach said Wednesday that James Starks will be his No. 1 running back come Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions.

          And it’s not injury-related, given that Lacy practiced shortly after McCarthy made the announcement. Maybe injuries are the major reason Lacy’s productivity has nose-dived this season -- he’s on pace for just 616 rushing yards after posting consecutive 1,100-yard seasons. He had an ankle injury in Week 2 and dropped out of last Sunday’s loss at Carolina because of a groin injury.

          But even before the latest injury, Lacy was ineffective. He managed just 10 yards on five carries and lost a fumble against the Panthers.

          The reality is that Starks has been the Packers’ No. 1 back, at least in terms of productivity, for weeks now.

          "I think this is great news for fantasy owners because we finally have some clarity on the Green Bay running back situation," ESPN senior fantasy analyst Matthew Berry said. "Mike McCarthy has come to the conclusion that, honestly, anyone watching the games has known for a while -- James Starks has been the better running back this year."

          During the past three games, Starks has 25 carries for 160 yards (a 6.4-yard average) with one rushing touchdown. He also has nine catches for 97 yards and two receiving touchdowns. His lone fumble this season came in Week 2.

          In the same stretch, Lacy has 20 carries for 51 yards (2.6-yard average) and three catches for 26 yards with no touchdowns rushing or receiving. He also has three fumbles in the past three games (one lost fumble).

          It’s no wonder McCarthy said Starks has "earned that opportunity" while adding that he will still use a one-two punch with Starks and Lacy.

          "The positives here are that the matchup is great with Detroit," Berry said. "The Lions are 31st against the run over the past five weeks and surprisingly, Starks is still available in about 30 percent of ESPN.com leagues."