You used to see it all the time in Hollywood. The young, gorgeous actress slowly steals screen time and dialogue from the somewhat older, more seasoned female lead. Suddenly, the known star is replaced by the young upstart and there is a new pecking order. It's tragic, but not uncommon.
Surprisingly enough, the same occurs in fantasy football.
The Chicago Bears, for all of their woes, have discovered a nifty one-two punch at running back. Matt Forte is the established veteran who can do it all, but fourth-round rookie Jeremy Langford has emerged as an effective option as well. With Forte, 30, having missed the last four games due to injury, many fantasy football owners are worried he won't get his starting gig back once he returns. Fortunately, ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Mike Clay doesn't believe that will be the case.
"Jeremy Langford filled in admirably for Matt Forte over the past month, but the veteran is due back for Chicago's Thanksgiving duel with Green Bay," Clay wrote. "From Weeks 1-6, Forte played six complete games and racked up 126 carries and 30 targets. Only Devonta Freeman registered more fantasy points. During his three starts spanning Weeks 9-11, Langford handled 51 carries and 18 targets and paced all running backs in fantasy points. Moving forward, we should expect roughly 20 touches per game for Forte and eight per game for Langford. The rookie remains a strong dynasty asset, but won't be a reliable flex play as long as Forte is healthy. Forte, meanwhile, should be fired up as a RB1 against Green Bay."
That should put some of your minds at ease for the time being. Langford's emergence has more to do with his scoring prowess (five total touchdowns over his last five games) than his actual running ability (3.2 YPC). Though Langford has a nice pair of hands and has a nose for the end zone, Forte is still the No. 1 guy in Chicago by a long shot. When healthy, the veteran averaged 127.8 yards from scrimmage this season and had scored three total touchdowns.
Don't worry about the workload, Forte is going to be just fine.
