Matt Breida Begins Takeover of Kyle Shanahan’s Invaluable Backfield Gig

Matt Breida now leads the league in rushing, and is separating himself in this invaluable backfield gig.

Despite operating in a timeshare with Alfred Morris, Matt Breida looked truly special in the 49ers win over Detroit. He totaled 159 yards on just 14 touches, out-gaining Morris by 79 yards despite seeing two fewer touches. This included an incredible 66 yard TD sprint where he gashed the defense on an outside zone before cutting back and following his blockers to the promised land. Though this backfield should remain a committee in the near-term, Breida now leads the league in rushing (184 yards). His stellar play should help him cement featured work in this Fantasy Goldmine scheme sooner than later.

Kyle Shanahan‘s zone-blocking scheme is heralded for its ability to facilitate monstrous rushing outputs and fantasy performances every year. In fact, he’s yielded three-straight Top-10 RBs, and five of his last six have been Top-15. Prior to his ACL tearJerick McKinnon was expected to reap these benefits, but Breida now appears the next man up. The key traits for his runners are vision and patience, and, after struggling in both areas as a rookie, Breida excelled here all afternoon while carving up the Lions. He looked like a true difference maker, grading out as PFF’s Top RB of Week 2 while averaging an elite 5.0 Yards after contact.

Meanwhile, Morris looked his plodding self. Shanahan craves mismatches and explosiveness, and Breida is the only RB on this roster who brings both to the table. Expect his “Usage” to continue climbing following this performance, with a chance to emerge as a weekly RB1 if he can secure 20+ weekly carries.

 

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  • Founder of Roto Street Journal. Lover of workhorse backs, target hog wideouts, and Game of Thrones. Aspiring to be the "Brady" and "Leo" of the fantasy universe.

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