Notable Schedules:

Rashad Jennings (Giants) – The Giants did little to upgrade their backfield and Jennings will again take the lead.  The more successful he is, the more workload he will receive.  He faces only one bad venue – at the Steelers in Week 13.  Starting out the first three weeks at the Cowboys and then against the Saints and Redskins should set the tone and there’s every reason to expect a nice increase from the 1025 total yards and six touchdowns from 2015.

Doug Martin (Buccaneers) – While Jameis Winston has the worst passing schedule, Martin ends up with one of the easiest rushing slate of games.  If Winston does struggle to pass, relying on a tailback that can both run and catch makes sense. As an added treat, Martin ends the final four games of the fantasy season all facing bottom 20 venues – at the Chargers, at the Cowboys and both meetings with the Saints. The new coaching staff will also tend to rely on their productive running back.

Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys) – As if being the hottest hyped rookie back wasn’t enough, the Cowboys get one of the lightest running back schedules that should make the rushing even better for Elliott who already inherits a great offensive line. A rookie is still a risk but the stars are certainly aligning for Elliott.

Frank Gore (Colts) – It is not enough that Gore comes off  the worst full season of his career and only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. But the 33-year-old will go against the worst schedule for running backs while trying to defy the effects of time. His 2702 career carries are 321 more than any other active player. Gore faces no easy venues after Week 5 and yet is pitted against seven of the top 20 toughest from last year. If this is his swan song, it’s not likely going to end with a bang.