Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure should be able to complement each other very well in the Detroit Lions' backfield this season. It stands to reason that those two players would share carries since Best is a fast, game-breaking perimeter runner but lacks the size that Leshoure possesses to handle 20+ touches every game. But Lions head coach Jim Schwartz has hinted at an extra wrinkle in the duo's on-field relationship. He said Monday that not only is a backfield timeshare "definitely a possibility," but also that the roles those two players play may change from week to week, depending on injuries or the upcoming opponent. "There's a lot of different things that happen in our division," Schwartz told the Detroit Free Press. "We see a 4-3 team like the Chicago Bears, we see a 3-4 team like the Green Bay Packers. That's a different style of running back. You play 3-4 teams that are two-gapping, you need a big back who can run through some arm tackles. You want to get guys matched up on different teams, you need guys who can match up and beat linebackers and people that want to play man and trick coverage up for a certain player."

Fantasy Analysis:

So, if we are to believe Schwartz, we're going to be dealing with Best and Leshoure not only sharing carries but entering each game with uncertain workloads. That's not what fantasy owners want to hear. Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan refused to speculate about how the carries will be split, percentage-wise. Best is the better RB at this point, but Leshoure is already expected to cut into his value through the theft of goal-line carries. Now this possibility presented by Schwartz deals another gut shot to Best's fantasy prospects.