Welcome to the bizarro world. Here, we stop, roll and drop. We leap before we look. And we donât have to start our fantasy draft by picking a pair of running backs.
You can thank (or blame) any number of factors for this change in status quo â a thinning talent base, more running back-by-committee teams, offenses that increasingly rely on the pass, leagues that start more receivers than backs. But the fact is, if your second pick falls in the middle of the second round or beyond, you can get better value out of a top receiver of quarterback.
OFF THE MARTZ
Telling new San Fran offensive coordinator Mike Martz to run the ball is like telling A-Rod to bunt â it just isnât going to happen. Thatâs not good news for Frank Gore. Remember this, too: The Niners added DeShaun Foster, defenses will stack the box because San Fran lacks a respectable passing game, and weâve been burned by high expectations for Gore before. Knowing all this, do you really want to waste a late first-round pick on Gore? We sure donât.
SPLIT DECISIONS
Julius Jones is now in Seattle, so fantasy fanatics are giving a big draft bump to incumbent Marion Barber. But look out, another Jones is in â rookie Felix Jones. Barber likely will see an increase in touches this season, but we expect Felix to steal plenty of carries in between.
Rookie Darren McFadden plays for an inept offense and will be in a backfield that includes Justin Fargas and Michael Bush. Donât be the one to jump the gun in the fourth or fifth round.
Expect Laurence Maroney to yield carries to LaMont Jordan. Brandon Jacobs will share the load with Ahmad Bradshaw or Derrick Ward or both. And the Denver backfield is a mess, as always.
Of the rookie runners, we like Rashard Mendenhall the best. We expect him to start throwing dirt on the Willie Parker Era in Pittsburgh. Mendy likely is to go in rounds 8-10, so pick him there if you can.
BACK IN THE MIX
Thomas Jones can thank Brett Favre for the upcoming season, which the Tracker believes will be the best of his career. A strong-armed QB will keep defenses from stacking the line of scrimmage, opening up running lanes.
Ronnie Brown is back on the field, and though we canât expect him to pick up where he left off, he is certainly worth a late third- or a fourth-round choice. If youâre skeptical, grab Ricky Williams late for insurance.