Marshawn Lynch had the breakout fantasy season in 2011 that most owners have been waiting on for the past four years, ending spectacularly with six touchdowns in his final seven games.
Unfortunately, the 2012 season is already off to a rough start for Lynch. Ignoring his DUI arrest in the offseason, Lynch has struggled all preseason with back spasms, and those spasms are looking to put his Week 1 status in serious jeapordy.
Lynch was coming inas the ninth ranked running back in standard leagues and the 12th ranked back in PPR leagues during Week 1. The Arizona Cardinals, Lynch's Week 1 defensive opponent, were pretty friendly against the run last year, averaging close to 130 yards rushing on 4.2 yards per attempt.
Since it is very possible that Lynch will spend a good portion, if not the whole game, on the bench, Seahawks rookie running back Robert Turbin makes a good pick up as a player that should be available in most leagues. Head coach Pete Carroll lauded Turbin in the offseason for virtually being a clone of Lynch and was expected to get the ball on the reps when Lynch was on the sidelines.
Turbin showed more promise than Leon Washington in the preseason, including a stellar 93-yard performance on 14 carries in a preseason victory against the Chiefs. If you are the proud owner of Lynch in your league, Turbin could prove to be a useful handcuff as the season goes on as Lynch has often dealt with injury concerns each year.
Once Lynch recovers, he figures to be a must-start most weeks of the year in a Seattle offense where he should see the majority of carries.
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