RB MICHAEL BUSH, Raiders
Darren McFadden and Justin Fargas might have been the more familiar names occupying Oakland's backfield, but it was Bush who ended up leading the Silver & Black in rushing last year.
Granted, it was a paltry 589 rushing yards, but still - Bush averaged a more-than-respectable 4.8 yards a carry while getting nothing close to regular playing time in 2009. The Raiders would be wise to let Bush, a tough, inside-the-tackles runner with speed, play a bigger role this year. And all indications are they will do just that, with Fargas getting released in the offseason and the disappointing McFadden nursing injuries again this preseason.
We're probably looking at a timeshare here, unfortunately, with the quicker McFadden serving as a complement to the 247-pound Bush. But with Fargas out of the way I could see Bush getting a few more goal-line looks, and with Jason Campbell under center instead of a JaMarcus Russell/Charlie Frye combo the Raiders should at least have a more respectable passing game to keep opponents from stacking the box. I like Bush as an underrated RB4 who might be able to come close to 800 or 900 yards and 5 or 6 TDs.
Showing posts with label JaMarcus Russell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JaMarcus Russell. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hot pickups: Week 2
FIVE STARS (Out of five)
- RB CADILLAC WILLIAMS, Bucs: Finally healthy (for now) and getting first crack at carries. Ride him while he's hot and as long as his legs hold up.
- RB FRED JACKSON, Bills: Was a more effective weapon for Buffalo than Terrell Owens against the Patriots (15 carries, 57 yards; 5 catches, 83 yards, TD). With Marshawn Lynch suspended for two more games, Jackson gets to continue his starring role against a Bucs D that was steamrolled by Dallas for 462 yards of total offense.
FOUR STARS
- QB JOE FLACCO, Ravens: Worried about Donovan McNabb's status in Week 2? Why not go whacko for Flacco? He lit up the Chiefs for 307 yards and 3 TDs and should have some success against the Chargers this week.
THREE STARS
- TE TODD HEAP, Ravens: Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated (5 catches, 74 yards, TD in Week 1). If oft-injured replacement L.J. Smith can't get on the field, Heap might prove he still has something left.
TWO STARS
- WR LOUIS MURPHY, Raiders: The former Florida Gator caught a TD in Monday's opener against San Diego and had another score taken away on a controversial ruling. The rookie may prove to be JaMarcus Russell's favorite target this year - but just how valuable that makes him for fantasy purposes is in the eye of the beholder. There are sure to be bumps all the way, but there might be a few more bombs awaiting him.
- RB CADILLAC WILLIAMS, Bucs: Finally healthy (for now) and getting first crack at carries. Ride him while he's hot and as long as his legs hold up.
- RB FRED JACKSON, Bills: Was a more effective weapon for Buffalo than Terrell Owens against the Patriots (15 carries, 57 yards; 5 catches, 83 yards, TD). With Marshawn Lynch suspended for two more games, Jackson gets to continue his starring role against a Bucs D that was steamrolled by Dallas for 462 yards of total offense.
FOUR STARS
- QB JOE FLACCO, Ravens: Worried about Donovan McNabb's status in Week 2? Why not go whacko for Flacco? He lit up the Chiefs for 307 yards and 3 TDs and should have some success against the Chargers this week.
THREE STARS
- TE TODD HEAP, Ravens: Reports of his demise have been greatly exaggerated (5 catches, 74 yards, TD in Week 1). If oft-injured replacement L.J. Smith can't get on the field, Heap might prove he still has something left.
TWO STARS
- WR LOUIS MURPHY, Raiders: The former Florida Gator caught a TD in Monday's opener against San Diego and had another score taken away on a controversial ruling. The rookie may prove to be JaMarcus Russell's favorite target this year - but just how valuable that makes him for fantasy purposes is in the eye of the beholder. There are sure to be bumps all the way, but there might be a few more bombs awaiting him.
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Is there a Draft in here?
They say it can take a few years to really analyze an NFL Draft, but in fantasy, we don't have that luxury. We've got to identify the impact players right away in preparation for our own draft. Here are some of the big names taken this year and how they'll fit into your fantasy plans in '07:
• QB JaMarcus Russell to Raiders: Best-case scenario, Russell is a quick learner, takes the starting job early in the season and makes a Vince Young-type impact. Worst-case scenario: he struggles to adjust or, more likely, he gets thrown into the fire but that offensive line crumbles again. Russell is a nice speculative pick as a No. 2 QB for now, but you'll want a proven starter ahead of him.
• WR Calvin Johnson to Lions: Johnson may make the biggest fantasy impact of this rookie class, but take that with a grain of salt. Rookie WRs are anything but a sure but, and Marques Colston is the exception, not the rule. I'm a little more excited about the boost Roy Williams and, to a lesser extent Jon Kitna, will get from adding Johnson to the lineup. Still, Mike Martz will find ways to get Johnson the ball, so that makes him a No. 3 fantasy WR with a ton of upside. He's an obvious target in keeper leagues.
• RB Adrian Peterson to Vikings: Here's another keeper league no-brainer. The bad news is he'll most likely split carries with workhorse Chester Taylor. While the two-back platoon didn't hurt 2006 rookies Laurence Maroney or Reggie Bush that much, the Vikings' offense (perhaps led by Tarvaris Jackson) won't match the Patriots' last year, and Peterson won't contribute in the passing game the way Bush did. Don't get me wrong, I think Peterson will be a star in due time, but factor in a lingering collar bone injury and he might not have a ton of value in 2007 (unless Taylor goes down). For now, treat him as a third or fourth RB.
• WR Ted Ginn Jr. to Dolphins: Wow, Fins fans really weren't happy with this pick, huh? The reason is it's hard to envision Ginn as a stud No. 1 NFL receiver (like, say, Chris Chambers) - he just hasn't demonstrated those skills yet. Miami likes his raw talent and speed and hopes he can make a Devin Hester-type impact on special teams, but that isn't exactly helpful in fantasy terms. He's also been slow to recover from an ankle injury suffered in the BCS title game. Throw in the real possibility we'll see a whole lot of Cleo Lemon under center this year, and Ginn is nothing more than a late-round flier for now.
• RB Marshawn Lynch to Bills: Buffalo had a glaring need in its backfield after dealing Willis McGahee to Baltimore, and it filled that need by making Lynch the second RB taken in the draft. Lynch might not be as talented as draftmate Peterson, but he has the potential to be the more valuable fantasy rookie RB in 2007. That's because he has a good chance of supplanting Anthony Thomas as the Bills' feature back with a good showing in training camp, or at the very least getting a majority of the carries in a platoon system.
• QB Brady Quinn to Browns: Cleveland got its man, albeit later than most draft gurus predicted. Many of those same gurus seem to think Quinn has the skills to compete right away in the NFL. It remains to be seen if he can beat out Charlie Frye for the starting gig, but you have to figure we'll see Quinn starting at some point in '07. The addition of RB Jamal Lewis and rookie OL Joe Thomas will help boost what had been a dismal offense, and TE Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards are also exciting pieces. If everything goes right, Quinn might be able to make the same kind of impact Matt Leinart did last year, so he'd be an intriguing fantasy backup.
• TE Greg Olsen to Bears: Olsen could eventually be a serious receiving threat in the mold of Todd Heap and fellow Miami product Jeremy Shockey. He has the size (6-4, 250) and speed (4.5 in the 40) to really help QB Rex Grossman, but it will take him time to adjust to the NFL, and Desmond Clark will probably still take plenty of snaps at TE. It's a pretty deep position, so consider Olsen a No. 2 with some upside.
• WR Randy Moss to Patriots: He's not a rookie, but he stole the headlines at the draft when Oakland dealt the malcontent for a fourth-round pick. Moss' days out West were disastrous at best, and he'll try to resurrect his career in New England. I could see this going either way: A) Moss is motivated and happy and flourishes with a living, breathing QB throwing him the ball, gets 1,000 yards and becomes a model citizen in the hopes of winning a championship; or B) isn't happy about sharing the ball with Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell and Troy Brown and Ben Watson, and those nagging injuries and negative tendencies pop up again. So you can roll the dice by taking Moss as your No. 2, just recognize the risks and rewards involved.
• QB JaMarcus Russell to Raiders: Best-case scenario, Russell is a quick learner, takes the starting job early in the season and makes a Vince Young-type impact. Worst-case scenario: he struggles to adjust or, more likely, he gets thrown into the fire but that offensive line crumbles again. Russell is a nice speculative pick as a No. 2 QB for now, but you'll want a proven starter ahead of him.
• WR Calvin Johnson to Lions: Johnson may make the biggest fantasy impact of this rookie class, but take that with a grain of salt. Rookie WRs are anything but a sure but, and Marques Colston is the exception, not the rule. I'm a little more excited about the boost Roy Williams and, to a lesser extent Jon Kitna, will get from adding Johnson to the lineup. Still, Mike Martz will find ways to get Johnson the ball, so that makes him a No. 3 fantasy WR with a ton of upside. He's an obvious target in keeper leagues.
• RB Adrian Peterson to Vikings: Here's another keeper league no-brainer. The bad news is he'll most likely split carries with workhorse Chester Taylor. While the two-back platoon didn't hurt 2006 rookies Laurence Maroney or Reggie Bush that much, the Vikings' offense (perhaps led by Tarvaris Jackson) won't match the Patriots' last year, and Peterson won't contribute in the passing game the way Bush did. Don't get me wrong, I think Peterson will be a star in due time, but factor in a lingering collar bone injury and he might not have a ton of value in 2007 (unless Taylor goes down). For now, treat him as a third or fourth RB.
• WR Ted Ginn Jr. to Dolphins: Wow, Fins fans really weren't happy with this pick, huh? The reason is it's hard to envision Ginn as a stud No. 1 NFL receiver (like, say, Chris Chambers) - he just hasn't demonstrated those skills yet. Miami likes his raw talent and speed and hopes he can make a Devin Hester-type impact on special teams, but that isn't exactly helpful in fantasy terms. He's also been slow to recover from an ankle injury suffered in the BCS title game. Throw in the real possibility we'll see a whole lot of Cleo Lemon under center this year, and Ginn is nothing more than a late-round flier for now.
• RB Marshawn Lynch to Bills: Buffalo had a glaring need in its backfield after dealing Willis McGahee to Baltimore, and it filled that need by making Lynch the second RB taken in the draft. Lynch might not be as talented as draftmate Peterson, but he has the potential to be the more valuable fantasy rookie RB in 2007. That's because he has a good chance of supplanting Anthony Thomas as the Bills' feature back with a good showing in training camp, or at the very least getting a majority of the carries in a platoon system.
• QB Brady Quinn to Browns: Cleveland got its man, albeit later than most draft gurus predicted. Many of those same gurus seem to think Quinn has the skills to compete right away in the NFL. It remains to be seen if he can beat out Charlie Frye for the starting gig, but you have to figure we'll see Quinn starting at some point in '07. The addition of RB Jamal Lewis and rookie OL Joe Thomas will help boost what had been a dismal offense, and TE Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards are also exciting pieces. If everything goes right, Quinn might be able to make the same kind of impact Matt Leinart did last year, so he'd be an intriguing fantasy backup.
• TE Greg Olsen to Bears: Olsen could eventually be a serious receiving threat in the mold of Todd Heap and fellow Miami product Jeremy Shockey. He has the size (6-4, 250) and speed (4.5 in the 40) to really help QB Rex Grossman, but it will take him time to adjust to the NFL, and Desmond Clark will probably still take plenty of snaps at TE. It's a pretty deep position, so consider Olsen a No. 2 with some upside.
• WR Randy Moss to Patriots: He's not a rookie, but he stole the headlines at the draft when Oakland dealt the malcontent for a fourth-round pick. Moss' days out West were disastrous at best, and he'll try to resurrect his career in New England. I could see this going either way: A) Moss is motivated and happy and flourishes with a living, breathing QB throwing him the ball, gets 1,000 yards and becomes a model citizen in the hopes of winning a championship; or B) isn't happy about sharing the ball with Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker and Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell and Troy Brown and Ben Watson, and those nagging injuries and negative tendencies pop up again. So you can roll the dice by taking Moss as your No. 2, just recognize the risks and rewards involved.
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