With the fantasy football season getting ready to raise the curtain in a few more days, now is the perfect time to focus in a bit more on some of the more buzzy players entering the season which come in the form of rookie running backs Eddie Lacy, Giovani Bernard, LeVeon Bell, and second-year man who is almost like rookie in Lamar Miller. All four guys have had more than a little pop attached to their names during this past drafting season and despite some setbacks for some, they all carry more than a little potential heading into the new season. Let's take a look at what could be expected out of this group.
LeVeon Bell: We start with Bell because he has been in the news the most lately due to the foot injury he suffered in the team's second preseason game. While not a dreaded Lisfranc, Bell is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. However some optimism was added on Wednesday when it was learned Bell had shed the walking boot that was on him for the past 9 days. While still not saying when he will be back, this was looked on as good news that Bell could return sometime in the Week 4-6 range of the regular season. That would salvage more than a decent chunk of Bell's value who was fully expected to be the Steeler's workhorse runner right out of the gate. During his time with the Michigan State Spartans, Bell was known for his pass receiving and tough straightline running. Thus he will be an asset in both PPR formats due to his receptions total and in standard formats since he is big and tough enough to score near the goalline. If you have a draft in the next week, be sure to take a shot on the discounted Bell who is looking like a decent bet to return earlier than originally projected.
Giovani Bernard: Bernard has shot up the running back charts since the preseason began as he instantly hit the ground running in both his rushing and receiving totals. The former North Carolina Tar Heel was a big time force in college, collecting a ton of passes and rushing yards along the way. While a bit slight in size, Bernard has the ability to take the football to the house on any given carry and he has the potential to outshine all the other names on this list if he can push the mediocre BenJarvus Green-Ellis to the bench and take the goal-line work. While it might be asking a bit much to have Green-Ellis lose his goal-line job due to his ability there in the past, I can see Bernard being a solid RB 2 who can be even more valuable in PPR formats.
Eddie Lacy: Lacy nailed down the Green Bay Packers starting running back job early in camp as he easily outperformed fellow rookie Jonathan Franklin on the way toward showcasing a tough and powerful running style that fits seamlessly in the NFC North. Lacy will be a power runner all the way who will be much more valuable in standard/TD-heavy leagues than in PPR as he is not as skilled as the other guys in this post in the latter part of the game. However with the way the Packers offense moves up and down the field like a machine, Lacy could easily be looking at 10 touchdowns and maybe more.
Lamar Miller: We include Miller here because he pretty much is like a rookie since he hardly played as a first-year player in 2012 behind Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas. Despite the Dolphins trying to convince everyone that there was a training camp battle between Miller and Thomas, the former easily outplayed the latter which is going to net him the outright job. Miller was even seen on the field in goal-line possessions which could mean he will be the workhorse guy used in all situations. That would be tremendous for Miller's value and could lead to a major breakout season overall. Like with Bernard and Bell, Miller is a good receiver out of the backfield who has value both in PPR and standard leagues. This is one stock that is clearly pointing north.
As you can see all four of these guys carry nice potential value play in fantasy football this season. If I were to rank them, I would go Miller first followed by Lacy, Bernard, and Bell. If Bell were going into the season healthy, I would put him right behind Miller in front of Lacy. All four guys are looking at breakout seasons however and all four could easily be first or second round picks in 2014 if they develop properly.
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