Market Share Report: Don't Give Up on Lamar Miller

Red Zone Market Shares

1. Don't Give Up on Lamar Miller

It has been a bloody, gruesome five weeks for the Lamar Miller lovers in the house. His carry total has declined in every week, and none of his 115 touches have wound up in the end zone. Given his DFS salaries and the high cost he carried in re-draft, this isn't what we signed up for.

Even though this is all painfully true, it's not time to abandon ship just yet.

Yes, Miller did lose carries to Alfred Blue in Week 5, but all six of Blue's carries came in the fourth quarter when the Minnesota Vikings had already buried the Houston Texans. Before that -- as it has been all season -- Miller was the lone ranger in the backfield, and he still has 75.4% of the team's rushing attempts this season. We shouldn't be concerned about his usage yet, and that translates to the red zone, as well.

Miller currently leads the league in red-zone carry market share at 87.5%. He just hasn't turned that into points yet because that amounts to a whopping seven carries. The team simply hasn't had many red-zone opportunities, and it's killing Miller's fantasy value. But now that left tackle Duane Brown is back after debuting in Week 5, and the team has better matchups on the horizon, we should be buying back into one of our preseason darlings.

2. Better Days Are Ahead for Julian Edelman

If you had known heading into Sunday that Tom Brady would gash the Cleveland Browns for 406 yards, how many would you have guessed would have gone to Julian Edelman? A modest 350, give or take?

Close, but no cigar, compadre. It was 35. Just a wee bit disappointing.

Thankfully, though, it wasn't all doom and gloom for Edelman in Brady's return. He led the team in targets with 10, and two of them came inside the 10-yard line. That was with both Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett healthy and operating at full function. Gronkowski and Bennett eat at each other's respective value, but it still seems that Edelman will manage to get looks close to the end zone despite their presence.

Edelman had the targets, and he had the red zone usage. He just didn't wind up getting tremendous results. Considering whom he has throwing him the ball now, though, it would be safe to assume that those results will come in due time.