|
What was the most
interesting thing that happened for
Fantasy Football 2011 among all the
final NFL preseason cuts?
Many
will point directly to the Cardinals
signing of recently released Chester
Taylor as has having the most
potential Fantasy Football impact in
2011, among all the offensive players
recently released. Taylor will be 32
years old this season, and will likely
be the 3rd-down RB only...not a 10+
carry a game RB, plus there is also a
higher age/injury risk. Taylor could be
productive with the Cardinals, but not
likely with a huge Fantasy Football
upside. We still think the Cardinals
will also make a play for another
younger, below-the-radar speed-RB as
well (please give Jalen Parmele a
chance!).
However, the Taylor change of uniform is
not the most interesting team maneuver
of the last few days to us...
There
was a RB released, that shocked us...and
he has landed in an absolute perfect
place. So perfect, that he may lead his
team in rushing TDs and Fantasy Football
scoring (among RBs). That RB is
Keiland Williams, formerly of the
Washington Redskins, now with the
Detroit Lions.
The Keiland Williams back-story:
Williams was an undrafted Free Agent for
the Redskins in 2010.
Williams was a lesser-used RB at LSU, in
a crowded backfield (with fringe NFL
talent Charles Scott, Stevan
Ridley and Jacob Hester).
Williams played as a Freshman, and was 4
yards shy of leading LSU in rushing (436
yards) in his debut season in 2006.
Williams never was really used any more
or less in his following 3 seasons.
Williams always had respectable numbers
on his team rankings, but by no means
jaw-dropping output. Williams' best
season was 2007, with 478 yards rushing
and 7 overall TDs. Williams also began
to return kicks in 2007, which is
impressive for a 230+ RB/return-man.
Williams was an NFL Combine invite, but
had to skip the Combine due to a late
season ankle injury in his Senior year.
Williams did run a 4.52 40-yard dash
with good agility measurements at his
Pro-Day, which are rare physical tools
for a 5'10+, 230+ RB...who also can
return kicks.
Williams was good enough, or the
Redskins RB situation was bad enough, to
where he made his debut in his rookie
year last season in Week-2...grabbing (a
2nd highest on the team for the game) 4
catches, for 15 yards. A few weeks later
he scored a rushing TD along with 3
receptions against (his new team)
Detroit.
Where
Williams hit the radar screen, was in a
Week-9 game against the Eagles. That
game will always be known for Michael
Vick's stunning Monday Night
Football performance where he posted 6
TDs in crushing the Redskins. Lost in
that night's mayhem, was that Keiland
Williams ran for 89 yards and had
another 50 yards receiving, and scored 3
TDs on that night.
Williams was the feature RB the
following week with 23 carries, and a
modest 68 yards, plus 6 receptions for
27 yards. The following week Mike
Shanahan professed his love for James
Davis (which did last a week or
two), and Williams quietly finished the
2010 season with a couple carries and
receptions per game.
Why was Williams cut?
I have
no idea.
I
cannot figure out Mike Shanahan
for anything. Maybe, there are issues
behind the scenes...but from what I
gather -- they brought in Tim
Hightower and Roy Helu, and
then tried to make Williams into an FB,
and he was beaten out by the other FBs.
Flashback to 2008, the Broncos (under
Shanahan) draft Peyton Hillis in
the 7th-Round of the NFL Draft. Shanahan
(seemingly) makes no attempt to later
acquire Hillis in 2010, while the Browns
stole him from Josh McDaniels.
Shanahan may have a non-preference, or a
blind spot, for bigger/faster pounding
RBs. To me, Keiland Williams is a
much better NFL RB prospect than Tim
Hightower...but for Shanahan's
system, maybe not? It's possible this
surprising release of Williams is not an
indictment of Williams' talent.
A Mikel Leshoure mindset...
Remember Mikel Leshoure, the best
(to us) RB in the 2011 Draft? Why we
think that Keiland Williams could
be important for Fantasy Football 2011
-- is based on the same mindset of why
the Lions drafted Leshoure.
On the
surface, drafting Leshoure this year
makes no sense. The Lions have a very
favorable thought of RB, by the fans, in
Jahvid Best...so why use a high
draft pick to bring in Leshoure? This
does make sense if you have realized
that Jahvid Best is not that
good, and/or he is injury prone, and/or
you realize that a 190-199 pound,
small-RB with an injury history cannot
take on a 15+ carry per game workload.
With that mindset, with several other
needs on your team, you still move up to
take Leshoure. The Lions screamed to us
in April 2011, that their RB situation
was of concern.
Leshoure is lost early in camp with a
season-ending injury, and now the Lions
are reeling. Definition of "reeling" --
giving Mike Bell a tryout (to be
cut soon after). Jahvid gets nicked up
again preseason, and Jerome Harrison
is a nice upside/inconsistent RB
addition...but he is may be just the
better version of Jahvid Best. The Lions
still don't have a "banger" RB-type...or
they didn't, but now potentially they
do.
The
Lions RB situation is now totally
"Sainted-up". Like the New Orleans
Saints, the Lions now have too many good
RBs with specific specializations. Great
for the Lions/Saints NFL win-loss
prospects, not so great trying to read
the tea leaves on it for Fantasy
Football.
If you
leave this article with one thing, that
thing is -- you must unload Jahvid
Best if he still has better value
still among your competitors. The Lions
are doing everything they can to show
that they don't think Best is a feature
RB. Even if Best forces Harrison to the
back of the line, Best will still have
to deal with Williams for Fantasy
Football...and that may be a win for
Williams. Who do you think the Lions
will give the ball to in deep red-zone
situations? The oft injured 190-199
pound RB in Jahvid, or the 230+ pound
monster who is fast/agile and can also
catch the ball out of the backfield.
Williams is a poor man's Mike Tolbert
or Peyton Hillis potentially.
Unlike Tolbert, the path to becoming the
main Lions RB doesn't have as many speed
bumps as the Chargers (Ryan Mathews).
I'm not saying that Williams is Hillis
2.0...but I am saying, Jahvid Best
is in trouble for Fantasy Football
(we've been saying that for months).
Jerome Harrison is not helped by
this either.
The
great Fantasy Football value here is
Keiland Williams, which if I am
wrong...would cost you all of a dead-end
roster spot, because likely he is
sitting on waivers right now. Free of
charge...
*Caution,
it may take Williams a week or two to
get integrated with his new offense...so
don't get too worried about a 3-5
carries in a game for the opening week.
Actually, if Williams gets 3-5
carries...it's probably a good sign that
they are ready for him now, and serious
about him being a part of the offense.
|
