Benny Cunningham busted out for a big game on Sunday against the Chicago Bears and could be a fantasy option in Week 13 depending on the health of Zac Stacy.
Stacy left Sunday’s game in the second quarter with a concussion, and it was all Cunningham after that. The undrafted back out of Middle Tennessee State piled up 109 yards on 13 carries, including a 9-yard touchdown to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter.
Much like Stacy before his concussion, Cunningham had a great average against the Bears, going for 8.4 yards per carry. Stacy had 7.3 yards per carry before leaving the game. Oh yeah, and Tavon Austin broke a 65-yard touchdown on a (reverse?) reverse in the first quarter.
The Bears’ poor rush defense — they entered Sunday’s game second-worst in the league in rushing yards allowed per game — had a lot to do with Cunningham looking good. But Cunningham clearly is second on the team’s depth chart behind Stacy, and he would be in line for a lot of work against a tougher San Francisco 49ers defense next week. Daryl Richardson was a healthy scratch for this one, so he would probably be activated next week if Stacy can’t play, but that would be in a backup role.
In other words, don’t get too excited about Cunningham’s prospects, but keep in mind he is an option if you need a running back to pick up.
