Undervalued RB's

[Derrick 0]

1. Maurice Jones-Drew - Holdout, Shmoldout. This guy led the league in rushing yards last year, and he is averaging around 1400 yards and 9 rushing td’s a year over the last three. Not to mention he’s usually good for around 40 catches a year. Everyone is going to worry about the lockout, but I think that eventually both sides will kiss and make up and hand him the ball 300+ times again. His production with no QB play and no talent around him was quite impressive. Now, he has an improved Gabbert (he can’t get worse) along with Laurent Robinson and Justin Blackmon to free up some room for him. Also, if he were to get traded (which I doubt), he could end up with Cincy, Detroit, or Denver to name a few where he would have to be considered a top 6 pick. Lock him up and grab him in the second round while everyone else is worrying about the hold out.

 

2. Doug Martin – Martin finally gets revenge on Legarrette Blount for when he punched Martin’s teammate a few years back by stealing his job. I remember watching Boise when Martin was a freshman, and saying, “Wow. This kid can play.” I still think that, and I view him as a complete back that will have a very good year. I can see him ending up in the top 10 when the season ends. The rb situation this year is so foggy, so seeing a rookie shoot all the way up to the top 10 would not surprise me one bit. I think he is worth a late 3rd rounder or early 4th round pick.

 

3. Michael Turner – The Falcons will score a lot this year. Turner will be getting the goal line carries. That should be the end of the argument right there. He has been dropping in all the mocks I have been doing lately, but I do not agree with that. He is going to end up with 1100 yards and 12-15 tds. Not to mention his schedule against the run looks very nice. Do not be fooled by his age. Even though he is 31, he has only had 3 full seasons of work. He should be in the top 10 at the end of the year.

[tanatastic 2,061]

I agree on Martin and turner. Mjd is another story, the holdout prob goes into the season and he will have zero game action and vulnerable to suckiness or injury. And on a crap team to boot so he needs to have the drive to carry the whole team.

[Derrick 0]

I agree on Martin and turner. Mjd is another story, the holdout prob goes into the season and he will have zero game action and vulnerable to suckiness or injury. And on a crap team to boot so he needs to have the drive to carry the whole team.

 

 

I had that feeling too, but we were worried about his groin injury last year and he led the league in rushing. Plus, I do not think Jennings can carry the load. MJD can be a solid RB1 IMO.

 

@FFootballBros

[Busted by the Feds 9]

Was able to snag Martin in the 5th round ( # 50 spot in a 10-teamer ). May your forecast come true .

[Derrick 0]

Was able to snag Martin in the 5th round ( # 50 spot in a 10-teamer ). May your forecast come true .

 

Not too bad at all. Sounds like your team must be pretty solid if you were able to get him there. Best of luck!

 

@FFootballBros

[Smileseers 54]

 

 

2. Doug Martin – Martin finally gets revenge on Legarrette Blount for when he punched Martin’s teammate a few years

 

A book could be written about the aftermath of that game. I do not fault Blount for that at all. Martin's teammate deserved the instant karma IMO. I really like Martin and plan on targeting him in my redraft if he falls to late 4th or early 5th.

 

MJDrew has a new offense to learn and time has run out for him to know the system, and for the Jags offense to run well with him in it. His time away scares me like Chris Johnson's time away from the team last season, and not being there to learn a new offense with new coaches.

 

I think Turner's time on the field will decrease with an increased role for Jaquizz Rodgers. There will be more emphasis on Ryan and his WRs.

 

 

Another RB who is undervalued is Cedric Benson. He's never seen so few d-men in the box before in his NFL career.

[eagle30 0]

Has Martin actually beat out Blount? I'm hearing is still not a done deal. I'm up and down on Turner. I may draft him as a #2 runningback but thats more of a lack of runningback depth this year than confidence in him.

 

Anyone else been nabbing Royster in the late rounds. I know its crazy Shanahan but a possible starting in 15th round. Worth a shot as everything there is a longshot anyway.

 

I'm also hearing, atleast from some ESPN guys that Ryan Williams may beat out Beanie Wells in Arizona. I've been getting him in around 9/10th round.

 

2 more I've started liking are Kevin Smith who is the only healthy back in Detroit right now and Cedric Benson. I know Green Bay throws alot but 1000 and 8-10 TD's are possible. Those were Ryan Grant #'s when he was healthy.

[steel827 2]

I'm staying away from MJD. Been burned too often with holdouts. The other problem with a RB holdout other than not knowing new plays is that they are babied the first few weeks until they get into football shape. Coaches ease them back in. No way does MJD come out and get 25 touches week 1 without a camp. They are also more apt to have nagging injuries like hammy's. It will be tough to pass on his talent, but history has shown they are not worth it.

[montana 89]

K.Smith - for reasons mentioned & he can catch well enough to make a difference in PPR.

 

R.Williams - nothing has changed much in the desert. Although Wells decided to play through injuries, including that nasty hang nail, I don't think he does it again. Word from camp is he's still having trouble cutting (Wells). We'll get to see both the next preseason game but my $ is on Williams to fully take over when Beanie ends up with a sprained ankle of the torso.

[Derrick 0]

Has Martin actually beat out Blount? I'm hearing is still not a done deal. I'm up and down on Turner. I may draft him as a #2 runningback but thats more of a lack of runningback depth this year than confidence in him.

 

Anyone else been nabbing Royster in the late rounds. I know its crazy Shanahan but a possible starting in 15th round. Worth a shot as everything there is a longshot anyway.

 

I'm also hearing, atleast from some ESPN guys that Ryan Williams may beat out Beanie Wells in Arizona. I've been getting him in around 9/10th round.

 

2 more I've started liking are Kevin Smith who is the only healthy back in Detroit right now and Cedric Benson. I know Green Bay throws alot but 1000 and 8-10 TD's are possible. Those were Ryan Grant #'s when he was healthy.

 

I agree with Royster just based on value. I was able to get him in the 12th in a recent mock draft as my RB5, so he's definitely great value. I don't really like K. Smith. Maybe as a filler for the beginning of teh year but by week 7 there's gonna 3 rb's in that backfield. Martin has not officially beat him out, but it's inevitable in my mind. I don't know about Benson he has never shown much but he's on a much better team so there is a chance for similar numbers to what you mentioned, plus Starks may get cut.

[kmbryant09 1]

Disagree strongly about Turner. Have you seen him play this season?

 

He honestly looks like he's a 40-year-old with bad knees and 30 pounds overweight.

 

He has 11 touches for 25 yards in the preseason - and that's WITH Atlanta's offense looking ridiculous. That doesn't always translate into the regular season.

 

I honestly think J. Rodgers outperforms Turner this year.

[Skinny_Bastard 154]

1. Maurice Jones-Drew - Holdout, Shmoldout. This guy led the league in rushing yards last year, and he is averaging around 1400 yards and 9 rushing td’s a year over the last three. Not to mention he’s usually good for around 40 catches a year. Everyone is going to worry about the lockout, but I think that eventually both sides will kiss and make up and hand him the ball 300+ times again. His production with no QB play and no talent around him was quite impressive. Now, he has an improved Gabbert (he can’t get worse) along with Laurent Robinson and Justin Blackmon to free up some room for him. Also, if he were to get traded (which I doubt), he could end up with Cincy, Detroit, or Denver to name a few where he would have to be considered a top 6 pick. Lock him up and grab him in the second round while everyone else is worrying about the hold out.

 

2. Doug Martin – Martin finally gets revenge on Legarrette Blount for when he punched Martin’s teammate a few years back by stealing his job. I remember watching Boise when Martin was a freshman, and saying, “Wow. This kid can play.” I still think that, and I view him as a complete back that will have a very good year. I can see him ending up in the top 10 when the season ends. The rb situation this year is so foggy, so seeing a rookie shoot all the way up to the top 10 would not surprise me one bit. I think he is worth a late 3rd rounder or early 4th round pick.

 

3. Michael Turner – The Falcons will score a lot this year. Turner will be getting the goal line carries. That should be the end of the argument right there. He has been dropping in all the mocks I have been doing lately, but I do not agree with that. He is going to end up with 1100 yards and 12-15 tds. Not to mention his schedule against the run looks very nice. Do not be fooled by his age. Even though he is 31, he has only had 3 full seasons of work. He should be in the top 10 at the end of the year.

 

Any NFL running back that is on pace to get 18-23+ carries a game should be highly valued.

Barring injuries and shenanigans, all these 3 players should touch the ball 300+ times this season. They should be taken in rounds 1-3.

[Skinny_Bastard 154]

Disagree strongly about Turner. Have you seen him play this season?

 

He honestly looks like he's a 40-year-old with bad knees and 30 pounds overweight.

 

He has 11 touches for 25 yards in the preseason - and that's WITH Atlanta's offense looking ridiculous. That doesn't always translate into the regular season.

 

I honestly think J. Rodgers outperforms Turner this year.

 

 

This season hasn't started yet.

Did you see him play last season? 4.5 yards per carry despite only averaging 3.3 in December due to an injury.

 

Unless there's an injury, Rodgers outperforming Turner is wishful thinking.

[MDC 5,893]

I think Turner is slightly underrated. Any back who runs for 1,200 yards and double-digit TDs on a very good offense like the Falcons should not be going in the 4/5 range. And it's cheap enough to handcuff him with Jacquizz. I'd feel better about drafting him as a #2 if I covered my ass with a very solid 3rd RB. Incidently I see Gore going in roughly the same area of the draft and I think he's similarly underrated.

 

I think MJD is going right where he should be going - in the early / mid 2nd. Yes he's supremely talented and consistent, but it looks like the holdout will go right up until the start of the season so who knows what kind of shape he's in? Jennings is one of the best backups in the league and the Jags planned to get him more involved this year anyway. And JVille has nothing to lose. They're going to win no more than 5-6 games this year even with MJD, so it's not like his holdout is going to tank their season or force their hand. I'd take him in Round 2 at some point. I would not take him in Round 1.

 

If anything I feel that Doug Martin is over-rated. The Bucs struggled mightily on offense last year and I think they'll be better, but still not good enough to give a rookie back in a RBBC enough touches to really break out. The line is modestly improved. I think VJax is going to bust hard in Tampa - he's purely a deep ball receiver and Freeman is not much of a downfield thrower. Blount will be heavily involved. The O will not be generating a lot of goal line carries.

 

Best case scenario, I think Martin ends up with something like 1,100 total yards and 6 total TDs. That's worth a roster spot, but really I think he's going to be less valuable than guys who are going in roughly the same range, like Bradshaw, Greene, and maybe 5-6 receivers. He won't be on my teams.

[kmbryant09 1]

This season hasn't started yet.

Did you see him play last season? 4.5 yards per carry despite only averaging 3.3 in December due to an injury.

 

Unless there's an injury, Rodgers outperforming Turner is wishful thinking.

RB's fall off cliffs very quickly, no matter how talented they are.

 

LT went from stud to dud in 2 years, and out of the league the next year.

 

3 of the last 4 years Turner has been worked hard into the ground. The other year he got injured.

 

He doesn't catch passes.

 

His backup is known as a receiving back. The team is moving to a no-huddle, pass-happy approach on offense.

 

He's 30 years old.

 

He looks like complete sh!t in preseason. It's not even a matter of hitting the right holes, or breaking the right tackles. He looks like he'd run the 40-yard-dash in about 12 seconds, and couldn't juke his grandmother out. Maybe he's just saving himself

 

I know it's bold to predict Rodgers to outscore Turner, but I'll stick behind it. And when you factor in ADP's, it's a no-brainer who offers the better value. I just predict that Turner won't be productive, at all really.

[PackYourNut 47]

RB's fall off cliffs very quickly, no matter how talented they are.

 

LT went from stud to dud in 2 years, and out of the league the next year.

 

3 of the last 4 years Turner has been worked hard into the ground. The other year he got injured.

 

He doesn't catch passes.

 

His backup is known as a receiving back. The team is moving to a no-huddle, pass-happy approach on offense.

 

He's 30 years old.

 

He looks like complete sh!t in preseason. It's not even a matter of hitting the right holes, or breaking the right tackles. He looks like he'd run the 40-yard-dash in about 12 seconds, and couldn't juke his grandmother out. Maybe he's just saving himself

 

I know it's bold to predict Rodgers to outscore Turner, but I'll stick behind it. And when you factor in ADP's, it's a no-brainer who offers the better value. I just predict that Turner won't be productive, at all really.

 

 

Agree 100%!

 

I live in Atlanta and the rumblings here are Turner is going to be very unhappy with his new role!

[timFFBA 0]

What about Cedric Benson?

[Runningriot1966 6]

Turner is on the do not draft list for me. He looks slow, old and way overweight. He might fall across the goalline a few times this season but I will let someone else take the chance.

[Giants Fan 85]

RB's fall off cliffs very quickly, no matter how talented they are.

 

LT went from stud to dud in 2 years, and out of the league the next year.

 

3 of the last 4 years Turner has been worked hard into the ground. The other year he got injured.

 

He doesn't catch passes.

 

His backup is known as a receiving back. The team is moving to a no-huddle, pass-happy approach on offense.

 

He's 30 years old.

 

He looks like complete sh!t in preseason. It's not even a matter of hitting the right holes, or breaking the right tackles. He looks like he'd run the 40-yard-dash in about 12 seconds, and couldn't juke his grandmother out. Maybe he's just saving himself

 

I know it's bold to predict Rodgers to outscore Turner, but I'll stick behind it. And when you factor in ADP's, it's a no-brainer who offers the better value. I just predict that Turner won't be productive, at all really.

 

So, all that being said, let's say there's a 50% chance Turner is a total bust this year. It's not like Rogers is expensive. If you can pick them both up relatively cheap, wouldn't one of them be bound to be a steal? Why not take both?

[travis_henrys_baby_momma 10]

K.Smith - for reasons mentioned & he can catch well enough to make a difference in PPR.

 

R.Williams - nothing has changed much in the desert. Although Wells decided to play through injuries, including that nasty hang nail, I don't think he does it again. Word from camp is he's still having trouble cutting (Wells). We'll get to see both the next preseason game but my $ is on Williams to fully take over when Beanie ends up with a sprained ankle of the torso.

 

Good call. We will hear from Ricky Williams before the season is over.

[Turf Nazi 0]

Turner is on the do not draft list for me. He looks slow, old and way overweight. He might fall across the goalline a few times this season but I will let someone else take the chance.

 

Turner will also be on the wrong side of the Dirk Koetter offense, which utilizes lots of passing to move the chains. His production will fall off, making Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Tony G's production to go up.

[GobbleDog 816]

Kevin Smith who is the only healthy back in Detroit right

I had high hopes for Kevin Smith when he came into the league back in '08. Four years later and he's amounted to absolutely nothing. 5th year's a charm.?. I doubt it. Based on his history in the league it's more likely that he'll be injured by week 6.

 

Sadly, I think Smith wore his body out breaking all kinds of rushing records in college. When he got to the NFL, it didn't seem like he had much left.

[Giants Fan 85]

I had high hopes for Kevin Smith when he came into the league back in '08. Four years later and he's amounted to absolutely nothing. 5th year's a charm.?. I doubt it. Based on his history in the league it's more likely that he'll be injured by week 6.

 

Sadly, I think Smith wore his body out breaking all kinds of rushing records in college. When he got to the NFL, it didn't seem like he had much left.

 

Until last year.

[JtmoneyJag 25]

I agree on Martin and turner. Mjd is another story, the holdout prob goes into the season and he will have zero game action and vulnerable to suckiness or injury. And on a crap team to boot so he needs to have the drive to carry the whole team.

 

I think you are wrong here. He will show up before week 1. Book it!

[knuckleballah22 0]

Doug Martin is my pick for sleeper of the yr

[GobbleDog 816]

The only two RB sleepers that jump out at me are Shonne Greene (ranked 26th) and Roy Helu (ranked 41st).

 

Last year Greene finished 20th in my league and I expect Greene's receptions to increase significantly now that LT's gone. Entering his 4th year with little tread, no real competition, and lots of game experience, he's got a great opportunity to shine. It helps that the Jets are known for playing D and conservative offense. Tebow will obviously vulture some goal line TDs, but probably no more than LT did.

 

Helu is a little more of a gamble, but heck it won't take much for him to finish better than his 41st ranking. His receptions will pretty much guarantee that and rookie QBs tend to do a lot of check-down dump offs. In his rookie year Helu finished 25th in my league so I'm a little surprised by his low ranking. I guess people expect a healthy Hightower and RG3's running ability to eat into his points, but I don't think it'll be all that much. Coach Shanahan has been known to kill RB value with too much RBBC, but he's also been known to create superstars with well-coached running schemes. Ranked 41st, it's no risk and all potential reward.

[Giants Fan 85]

The only two RB sleepers that jump out at me are Shonne Greene (ranked 26th) and Roy Helu (ranked 41st).

 

Last year Greene finished 20th in my league and I expect Greene's receptions to increase significantly now that LT's gone. Entering his 4th year with little tread, no real competition, and lots of game experience, he's got a great opportunity to shine. It helps that the Jets are known for playing D and conservative offense. Tebow will obviously vulture some goal line TDs, but probably no more than LT did.

 

Helu is a little more of a gamble, but heck it won't take much for him to finish better than his 41st ranking. His receptions will pretty much guarantee that and rookie QBs tend to do a lot of check-down dump offs. In his rookie year Helu finished 25th in my league so I'm a little surprised by his low ranking. I guess people expect a healthy Hightower and RG3's running ability to eat into his points, but I don't think it'll be all that much. Coach Shanahan has been known to kill RB value with too much RBBC, but he's also been known to create superstars with well-coached running schemes. Ranked 41st, it's no risk and all potential reward.

 

Was LT there last year? I honestly don't remember. Fact is, Greene has been overvalued for years. He's never produced on the level that he was expected to. C-Mart he is not.

 

Go ahead ... draft a Wash RB. Apparently you have never owned a Shanihan RB. Fantasy seasons have been RUINED trying to guess who he's going to start/play.

[waxg 3]

The only two RB sleepers that jump out at me are Shonne Greene (ranked 26th) and Roy Helu (ranked 41st).

 

Last year Greene finished 20th in my league and I expect Greene's receptions to increase significantly now that LT's gone. Entering his 4th year with little tread, no real competition, and lots of game experience, he's got a great opportunity to shine. It helps that the Jets are known for playing D and conservative offense. Tebow will obviously vulture some goal line TDs, but probably no more than LT did.

 

Helu is a little more of a gamble, but heck it won't take much for him to finish better than his 41st ranking. His receptions will pretty much guarantee that and rookie QBs tend to do a lot of check-down dump offs. In his rookie year Helu finished 25th in my league so I'm a little surprised by his low ranking. I guess people expect a healthy Hightower and RG3's running ability to eat into his points, but I don't think it'll be all that much. Coach Shanahan has been known to kill RB value with too much RBBC, but he's also been known to create superstars with well-coached running schemes. Ranked 41st, it's no risk and all potential reward.

 

Both are on my do not draft list

[Cuse9 128]

This season hasn't started yet.

Did you see him play last season? 4.5 yards per carry despite only averaging 3.3 in December due to an injury.

 

Unless there's an injury, Rodgers outperforming Turner is wishful thinking.

I've had this arguement 1000 times and won everyone. Turner is 30. That's it, the end. Too many carries over too many years. I fully expect Jacquizz Rodgers to take more carries each game. Turner should be drafted about where he's getting drafted. 6th-8th round as a RB3. Rodgers catches the ball, makes bigger plays, faster...it's his time to shine. Turner fits the offense well, so it's his job for now, but it's coming to an end....sooner than later.

 

If anything Rodgers is the undervalued RB.

[GobbleDog 816]

Was LT there last year? I honestly don't remember. Fact is, Greene has been overvalued for years. He's never produced on the level that he was expected to. C-Mart he is not.

 

Go ahead ... draft a Wash RB. Apparently you have never owned a Shanihan RB. Fantasy seasons have been RUINED trying to guess who he's going to start/play.

 

LT was there and he had 40 receptions while Greene had 30. It's a lock that Greene's receptions easily eclipse 40 catches this year. Agreed, he has been over-valued for years, which is why his ADP has sunk so low, but IMO it's too low at this point. Even sharing time, Greene still ran for 1,054 yards last year and averaged 4.2 per carry. Not too shabby. And in Greene's first two years, he wasn't given much of a chance to do anything with a whopping total of 2 starts.

 

Yes, I know the pain of being screwed by Shanihan's RBs in the past. But we're talking about a 41st ranking here. There's no risk there.

[southcarolina 166]

 

 

If anything I feel that Doug Martin is over-rated. The Bucs struggled mightily on offense last year and I think they'll be better, but still not good enough to give a rookie back in a RBBC enough touches to really break out. The line is modestly improved. I think VJax is going to bust hard in Tampa - he's purely a deep ball receiver and Freeman is not much of a downfield thrower. Blount will be heavily involved. The O will not be generating a lot of goal line carries.

 

Best case scenario, I think Martin ends up with something like 1,100 total yards and 6 total TDs. That's worth a roster spot, but really I think he's going to be less valuable than guys who are going in roughly the same range, like Bradshaw, Greene, and maybe 5-6 receivers. He won't be on my teams.

 

I watched the Bucs a few times last year and i thought their O Line was horrible. No push. No holes. They got manhandled more often than not on short yardage plays. Its no wonder a back like Blount was so ineffective. Maybe Martin can generate his own space to run, but even with the upgrade Carl Nicks brings to the O line, they still have the other 4 guys from last year back. I wont touch either RB until late. Very late.

[Giants Fan 85]

I actually drafted Helu last year, thinking I could trade him. No takers, all year, I waived him then he broke out. I also had Torain, think I even started him a few times. Once Run DMC went down, I was scrambling for RBs.

[remote controller 133]

I'm loving the Donald Brown snag as a #3 Rb. He has been explosive, and they are treating him like fine china after he impacts a game,and sitting him. This Ballard hype is comical. He might look like he's busting his a$$ out there but he has yet to reach 4 ypc. He will give Brown a blow now and then, but Brown seems to have grabbed the job.

[remote controller 133]

Benson is in a great position and has looked real fresh tonight.

[ironmonkey 0]

What your thoughts on BGE???.....He'll be the main back for what should be a pretty good Bengals offense.

 

Kendell Hunter??? Gore is often injured and seems like he'd be the backup?

[Giants Fan 85]

Benson is in a great position and has looked real fresh tonight.

 

Is he facing any suspension this year?

[ThatDude 9]

I'm loving the Donald Brown snag as a #3 Rb. He has been explosive, and they are treating him like fine china after he impacts a game,and sitting him. This Ballard hype is comical. He might look like he's busting his a$$ out there but he has yet to reach 4 ypc. He will give Brown a blow now and then, but Brown seems to have grabbed the job.

 

Completely agree. Everyone also seems to be sleeping on SJax but this guy will be a bargain this year if you snag him rounds 3 or later

[remote controller 133]

Is he facing any suspension this year?

Not that I'm aware of??

[Giants Fan 85]

Not that I'm aware of??

 

Have you looked into it at all? I'm honestly curious.