On the same day Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy announced that running back James Starks
has a case of turf toe, the team picked up some insurance. The Packers have inked running back Cedric Benson to a one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Benson ran for 1,000 yards in each of his final three seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Meanwhile, McCarthy said Starks is considered to be "week to week."
Fantasy Analysis:
Aside from Starks' toe problems, Brandon Saine has a hamstring injury, and Alex Green
is coming off ACL surgery. So the addition makes a lot of sense for a squad that ranked 27th in rushing yards per game last season. With that said, we know what Cedric Benson is. He's not real shifty. He's a straight-ahead grinder. He won't amaze you, but he'll get the job done. He's serviceable. Maybe that's all the Packers need. For fantasy purporses, I'd like to see what Benson has left at the age of 29 and after close to 900 carries through the past three years. He should get the opportunity to close out Green Bay victories, but he's just a flex option who will have to share the work with Starks when both are healthy.
