Bears starting running back: Health ultimately came into play in this battle, and Thomas Jones simply had the advantage due to his appearing in two preseason games compared to Cedric Benson's none. Whether Bears management really wanted Benson to be the starter in Week 1, as it said early in the preseason, we'll never know. What counts is that Jones will get the start on Sunday, and based on this having been termed a battle, it might be easy for some people to forget that he ran for 1,335 yards and nine scores in 2005, each of those top-10 numbers in the league. He's well worth No. 2 RB consideration, though with Benson's shoulder apparently healthy enough to allow him to play in Week 1, we might not yet have heard the last of this competition. Jones owners should look to handcuff him with Benson just in case of a potential switch.
Colts starting running back: The Indianapolis Star reports that Dominic Rhodes enters the season as the Colts' starter, though rookie Joseph Addai clearly will be worked in depending on both players' level of effectiveness. Neither was particularly impressive in the preseason, though let's not forget that Rhodes is only five years removed from a 1,104-yard, nine-TD season in place of an injured Edgerrin James, the man he's now replacing. I wouldn't be surprised if this position develops into one in which Rhodes gets the goal-line and short-yardage work, while Addai carries the load between the 20s, so don't expect either back to be more than a No. 2 RB for fantasy unless one clearly steps forward early.
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