Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Your Get Real Fantasy Football guru here and today we are talking some running backs…well in fantasy that tends to happen a lot.
Lets talk about the AFC East which has a bunch of guys at the position that could be big time players if they aren’t already.
Of course you know CJ Spiller from the Buffalo Bills, who is going to be huge this season. He is a #1 RB for any team with his rare speed and incredible catching ability, he should go in round 1 but could slip to round 2 if he is passed on for someone like Alfred Morris.
What you have to be concerned with with Spiller is his backup, Fred Jackson.
He is going to take a lot of carries which lowers Spiller’s stock as Jackson is a very good player when healthy. If you are going to take Spiller, I suggest you handcuff him with Jackson.
Going to the New England Patriots who are in a great situation at Running Back with 1,200 yard rusher Stevan Ridley who had 12 touchdowns and was unstoppable in the red zone. I am conflicted if he is a #1 runner but surely has the potential to be one. He might fall to the third round but if you could get him as your #2 back, you should have a very good team but just like Spiller and Fred Jackson, you need to handcuff him with Vareen who is the pass catcher as Ridley only had 6 total catchers last year. Shane Vareen is going to take full on Danny Woodhead roll this year with Woodhead on his way to San Diego which will help fantasy owners who have both Ridley and Vareen.
The Dolphins and the Jets have two breakout potential guys, but are not proven in Lamar Miller and Chris Ivory. I see both of them as #3 running backs but Miller could be huge, if Reggie Bush broke over 1,000 yards twice then I think with Miller’s talent that he can be just as good as David Wilson and the other second year backs, but he needs the touchdowns as well which is a concern you should keep in mind with Daniel Thomas still in Miami.
Chris Ivory is finally in a situation that he can flourish in, when in New Orleans he was in a crowded backfield and couldn’t get the ball. To have Ivory you may need some better depth as he is prone to injuries but I think if Shonne Green could be a top 15 fantasy back last year with his skill, then Ivory is going to be very good.
The East is a very good division for running backs and you will not regret having any of these guys on your roster.
Related articles
