| It seemed that everywhere you looked on Sunday,
you would be hit smack in the face with a young backup running back achieving great
things. But the most important thing to remember when evaluating these young players
from a fantasy football perspective is that you have to take in their actual circumstances
when deciding what their value should be.
St. Louis second-year man Trung Canidate definitely did look sensational on
Sunday, but let’s be honest, as long as a healthy Marshall Faulk fits
somewhere in the equation, Canidate’s opportunities will be limited.
Try not to fall for the hype. People will try to tell you how Canidate will be utilized
in the same backfield as Faulk and such, but calling it like it is, Canidate can’t
possibly be expected to generate huge offense on a week-to-week basis upon Faulk’s
return.
Always remember this: As much fun as it is to have Rams in your lineup, keep in mind
that Mike Martz loves to mix things up. No one Ram will regularly put up giant numbers,
other than possibly Kurt Warner, who benefits from all of the toys, bells and
whistles of the Rams’ offense. While Faulk usually gets his, so do Torry Holt,
Isaac Bruce and Az Hakim.
Most times it seems as though the Rams might not have enough footballs to go around.
So what does this mean for Canidate? Well, he’ll be a great option if Faulk is
sidelined. But if he isn’t, remember that Faulk is the man in St. Louis.
Don’t overestimate Canidate's value on one great performance, especially if he
doesn’t have many more chances to shine.
Another situation that has cropped up recently is that of Seattle’s Shaun
Alexander. He’s been phenomenal while filling in for Ricky Watters. But
Mike Holmgren has pledged allegiance to Watters upon his return.
Alexander could probably run for 300 yards a game until Watters returns, but it
won’t matter much when he’s delegated to the sideline. I’m not saying
that’s the right answer; I’m just saying that’s the answer that
Seattle’s come up with.
No matter how much I think Alexander should play over Watters, it makes no difference
as to what will actually happen. Just as I have a preference in the various RB duels
around the league, so do the coaches. And they are the ones who matter. Always remember to
separate your appreciation for a player from his actual opportunity. Failing to do so can
be extraordinarily costly.
However, there is a flip side to this argument. You can also fail to recognize a
developing situation of increased, consistent playing time and get caught on the outside
looking in. In Chicago, Anthony Thomas will become the team’s featured runner
as early as this week.
He’s better than James Allen, and it was only a matter of time before that
fact was made abundantly clear to everyone involved in the situation. Now, the astute saw
this situation developing before he ran for 188 yards on Sunday and made strides to
acquire him. Others have waited too long.
I like Thomas, but I am also proceeding with caution. Thomas had a breakout showing
against a defense that has been hammered by nearly every rushing attack in the NFL over
the past few seasons. I do think Thomas will be fine, but don’t count on
100-yard-plus games on a regular basis. |
