#Digging deep for running back value

It doesn’t matter if you have already locked in a playoff spot or if you are fighting to get your fantasy football team into the big dance, you can never have too many running backs in your arsenal.

Injuries have ravaged the position, and too many coaches have gone the route of a multi-headed monster coming out of their backfield. Finding a true bell-cow back on your waiver wire is a near impossibility, but if you dig deep enough, there just might be a few usable bodies to get you through the next few weeks.

If Miami running back Salvon Ahmed is a free agent in your league, grab him. The Dolphins haven’t openly discussed when they expect Myles Gaskin to return from injured reserve, but the three-week estimate passes this week, and he doesn’t appear any closer in his recovery now than he did two weeks ago.

Ahmed, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Washington, has been strong enough that the team released Jordan Howard while keeping both Matt Breida and Patrick Laird on the bench. Ahmed has seen at least 65 percent of the snaps over the past two weeks, and as we’ve seen from head coach Brian Flores and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, the preference is to have one lead back. Even if Gaskin does eventually return, Ahmed could have a full stranglehold on this job.

Kalen Ballage is far from being a world-beater, but when Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn referred to him as the team’s “primary back” and mentioned he wants to “scheme more looks” for Ballage, fantasy owners have to take notice. Ballage has been kicked around by a few organizations with few prospects, but seems to be a fit for the team while it waits for Austin Ekeler to return. Three straight weeks with 15 carries and an increasing target share in the passing game leaves him a viable starter as second running back or potential flex play.

Depth is going to be very important over the next few weeks. Two teams have a bye in Week 13, and players are continuously dropping like flies. Protect your roster with depth and let it carry you to a championship.

Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football advice.