Every year, fantasy football analysts preach the value of running backs. You can grab an elite wide receiver early if you like, but strong running backs are a must and you can never have enough of them.

The position gets touched up by injuries more than any other, so if you don’t have depth, you could be in trouble. Unfortunately, when you get to this point of the season, your waiver wire has been picked clean and there isn’t a running back to be had in sight. You need to dig deep to get the help you need.

When you head to your waiver wire this week, your focus needs to be on the Lions. The team put all its eggs into Kerryon Johnson’s basket when they dumped Zach Zenner and Theo Riddick. Then Johnson left Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

Johnson will miss some time and is considered week-to-week, according to ESPN. The team now realizes that complementary runners are going to be needed to help usher in a ground game that pleases both head coach Matt Patricia and offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. That puts both J.D. McKissic and Ty Johnson further into the fold and onto your fantasy radar.

If making waiver claims this week, the priority should land on Ty Johnson, a 2019 sixth-round pick out of Maryland. When Kerryon Johnson was forced from the game, the Lions immediately turned to the youngster, handing him 10 carries and four targets. The Vikings had pushed out in front causing the Lions into more of a pass-heavy, catch-up mode, but Ty Johnson was on the field plenty. Should Kerryon not return to action in Week 8, Ty will have a very favorable matchup with the Giants.

McKissic, an undrafted free agent who began his career in Seattle three years ago, should be your contingency pick, especially in PPR leagues. The former Seahawk has seen his snap counts and touches gradually increase over the past three weeks, and he has carved out a role as a third-down, pass-catching back, a position formerly held by Riddick. McKissic may not be the primary, but he does enough on the field to warrant attention, especially if the waiver cupboard is bare.

Adding depth at the running back position is difficult at this time of year. You not only need a player who will be given an opportunity, but one who plays on a team that will be competitive enough that the ground game won’t be abandoned in the first half. Otherwise, you might as well just add Mark Walton or some other Dolphins running back.