The high rate of running back involvement in the passing game may have won or lost you a fantasy football matchup in Week 1. And it wasn’t just the usual suspects. Several players who led the position’s charge through the air are not typical targets.
Call it the Cordarrelle Patterson Effect. Patterson was a receiver the first eight years of his career. When he moved to running back last season, he had his best receptions total (52) in five years – and he was not just getting dump-offs; he was running routes. An interesting example of the Cordarrelle Patterson Effect last week was Tennessee’s Dontrell Hilliard. The Titans back averaged 4.6 yards on 19 catches last season. Last week, Hilliard caught three passes for 61 yards and two scores.
