Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2001

Introducing three new starting running backs

Alexander, Alstott and Smith will start for their teams. Should they start for your fantasy team?

By Jeff Agrest, Senior editor

All will be starting for their respective teams this week because of injuries. Consequently, all of their fantasy values have jumped.

But how much? Below is a breakdown of how each player might fare in his new starting role.

Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander

The second-year pro has started the season slowly. In three appearances, Alexander has carried the ball 17 times for 27 yards. After Ricky Watters went down Sunday with a shoulder injury, Alexander carried 10 times for 18 yards. His only saving grace is the TD he scored last week, Seattle’s first of the year. This week he’ll face a Jaguars defense that has surrendered just one rushing touchdown in three games. Then come Denver and Miami before Watters might return a month later. He’s expected to miss at least four weeks. With the way the Seahawks have been playing, Alexander doesn’t figure to get the ball 20 times, so his rushing opportunities will be limited. Also, with the Seahawks likely to be trailing by so much, it could be the wideouts who have the most scoring chances. That said, Alexander is an adept receiver. He caught a team-high seven passes last week for 66 yards. Problem is, the types of passes he’s catching probably aren’t going to result in touchdowns. So my best advice is to keep Alexander benched unless you have no other option.

Buccaneers RB Mike Alstott

This guy has to be thinking redemption. After losing his share of the RB duties late last season to Warrick Dunn, Alstott will carry the load himself for the first time in a while. The question is: Can he recapture his old form? After a strong start to last season, during which he scored five touchdowns in the first five games, Alstott fell on hard times. His struggles coincided with the Buccaneers’ four-game losing streak, which began with his crucial fumble at the end of the stunning Week Four loss to the Jets. Though he scored the following week (the second of the four losses), Alstott never saw the endzone the rest of the season, and he began losing carries to Dunn. Then Alstott went down with a knee injury in Week 12 and wasn't heard from for the rest of the season. Alstott is a running back in a fullback’s body, and that can loom large in short-yardage and goal-line situations. But his fumbling problems have been well-documented, and he will share time with the quicker, shiftier Aaron Stecker. Rabih Abdullah also is expected to see time. And given that Alstott has carried the ball only eight times in two games, you might want to wait and see how he responds. But I believe his ability near the goal line is reason enough to play him. So my best advice is to start Alstott if you need to.

Falcons RB Maurice Smith

We’ve been here before, haven’t we? Jamal Anderson suffers a knee injury, and fantasy owners everywhere vie for his replacement. Two years ago when Anderson went down, Ken Oxendine and Byron Hanspard were the successors of choice, but it was FB Bob Christian who finished with seven total touchdowns (five rushing, two receiving). Will Christian repeat the feat, or will other running backs come to the forefront? So far, the latter seems to be the case. Last week Maurice Smith, a second-year back out of North Carolina A&T, didn’t miss a beat in Anderson’s stead, rushing for 80 yards and a touchdown and turning a short pass into a 79-yard TD. Christian carried twice for 16 yards, so he’ll still be around, but Smith appears to be the man for now. Travis Jervey also is on the roster, but he doesn’t figure to be a major contributor. However, given the Falcons’ matchup against the run-stuffing Bears (79.0 rushing yards allowed per game), Smith doesn’t appear to be the best starting option. Keep in mind, he did what he did last week against the lowly Cardinals. The Bears' improving defense isn’t likely to let that happen. So my best advice is to keep Smith benched unless you have no other option.

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