Backup RBs - NFC East
By Skeller Section: Football
We move to the NFC for a review of their backup running backs. First up is the NFC (Mostly) East. Does the fact that Philly is the only team in the division without a RRBC give them an advantage or a disadvantage?
Dallas (#1 - Julius Jones) - Can you really call a guy that scored 14 touchdowns a #2 running back? You can if you're talking about Marion Barber and the circus that is the Dallas Cowboys. Barber may take over the starting job from Jones so he'll be a hot fantasy commodity in his own right. Or maybe he won't. Barring injury, it should be the maddening RRBC we saw last season. If you have Jones you want to draft Barber, though you probably won't get him and even if you did, you'd go crazy trying to decide which one to start.
New York (#1 - Brandon Jacobs) - Brandon Jacobs is a hot commodity in fantasy football circles right now with many people, maybe most people, thinking he's going to be the sole #1 running back on the Giants. I'm not in that group. I think the #2, Reuben Droughns, is going to take a lot of carries and provide the Giants with a great one-two RB punch. Droughns has proven that he can rush for over 1000 yds with a great offensive line (Denver) and a terrible offensive line (Cleveland) -- Jacobs has not proven that (yet). With the Giants and their above-average offensive line, Droughns is a decent fantasy choice as a #3 RB or flex player, though he'd move way up if Jacobs got hurt or lost the starting job.
Philadelphia (#1 - Brian Westbrook) - The backup to Westbrook is always an interesting fantasy option since Westbrook always seems to be one play away from one of those horrible injuries where the knee gets bendy the wrong way. Ugh. Usually that backup is Correll Buckhalter who has made a fantasy career out of being a handcuff but is often hurt himself. This year we have two more contenders for the Westbrook Handcuff, third year back Ryan Moats and the local rookie out of Penn State, Tony Hunt. Mark down Buckhalter as the #2 and a necessary handcuff if you draft Westbrook. Hunt has some potential too and should take the #3 slot coming out of camp. Injuires to both Westbrook and Buckhalter means the rookie would be en fuego fantasy-wise.
Washington(#1 - Clinton Portis) - Hey, does anybody remember Ladell Betts? You know, he rushed for over 1100 yards last season, including five straight 100+ yard games? Tore the Eagles apart in a 171 yard mauling? That guy? Yeah, he's not the #1. Although Betts is #2 on the depth chart, the Redskins will be running both he and Portis in a running back committee. Betts will be drafted in his own right so you won't get him as a handcuff to Portis. Obviously, you know what he can do when he gets the chance. If Jason Campbell is adequate, and with these two pounding the ball, the Redskins offense is going to surprise a lot of people.
We move to the NFC for a review of their backup running backs. First up is the NFC (Mostly) East. Does the fact that Philly is the only team in the division without a RRBC give them an advantage or a disadvantage?
Dallas (#1 - Julius Jones) - Can you really call a guy that scored 14 touchdowns a #2 running back? You can if you're talking about Marion Barber and the circus that is the Dallas Cowboys. Barber may take over the starting job from Jones so he'll be a hot fantasy commodity in his own right. Or maybe he won't. Barring injury, it should be the maddening RRBC we saw last season. If you have Jones you want to draft Barber, though you probably won't get him and even if you did, you'd go crazy trying to decide which one to start.
New York (#1 - Brandon Jacobs) - Brandon Jacobs is a hot commodity in fantasy football circles right now with many people, maybe most people, thinking he's going to be the sole #1 running back on the Giants. I'm not in that group. I think the #2, Reuben Droughns, is going to take a lot of carries and provide the Giants with a great one-two RB punch. Droughns has proven that he can rush for over 1000 yds with a great offensive line (Denver) and a terrible offensive line (Cleveland) -- Jacobs has not proven that (yet). With the Giants and their above-average offensive line, Droughns is a decent fantasy choice as a #3 RB or flex player, though he'd move way up if Jacobs got hurt or lost the starting job.
Philadelphia (#1 - Brian Westbrook) - The backup to Westbrook is always an interesting fantasy option since Westbrook always seems to be one play away from one of those horrible injuries where the knee gets bendy the wrong way. Ugh. Usually that backup is Correll Buckhalter who has made a fantasy career out of being a handcuff but is often hurt himself. This year we have two more contenders for the Westbrook Handcuff, third year back Ryan Moats and the local rookie out of Penn State, Tony Hunt. Mark down Buckhalter as the #2 and a necessary handcuff if you draft Westbrook. Hunt has some potential too and should take the #3 slot coming out of camp. Injuires to both Westbrook and Buckhalter means the rookie would be en fuego fantasy-wise.
Washington(#1 - Clinton Portis) - Hey, does anybody remember Ladell Betts? You know, he rushed for over 1100 yards last season, including five straight 100+ yard games? Tore the Eagles apart in a 171 yard mauling? That guy? Yeah, he's not the #1. Although Betts is #2 on the depth chart, the Redskins will be running both he and Portis in a running back committee. Betts will be drafted in his own right so you won't get him as a handcuff to Portis. Obviously, you know what he can do when he gets the chance. If Jason Campbell is adequate, and with these two pounding the ball, the Redskins offense is going to surprise a lot of people.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:53 AM
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