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Hey Doc,
I am mentally ill right now and need some analysis. Felix Jones is available on the waiver wire in my league, and I have Kevin Smith sitting on my bench. Would you drop Smith for Jones? My other running backs are Larry Johnson, Michael Turner and Jonathan Stewart. Thanks Doc.
— Chibear99
Well, if you asked me this question a couple weeks back, I probably would've said no, but my answer has since changed. While Smith looked like the clear-cut starter in Detroit about a month ago, the team's signing of Rudi Johnson has really muddled their backfield picture. There have been conflicting reports as to who their current starter is, but either way, Smith and Johnson are squarely stuck in a timeshare. That means that you can expect mediocre stats, at best, from Smith on a weekly basis. Jones, meanwhile, has a much more defined role — the complementary back to Marion Barber — but also has way more upside. He just had a nine-carry, 96-yard, one-TD effort against the Bengals, giving him 27 attempts for 244 yards and three scores on the season. That's an insane 9.0 yards per carry. Jones might not be the most consistent producer going forward, but he's more likely to give you big numbers than his fellow rookie Smith.
Dear Doctor,
Frustrated Willis McGahee owner here. Le'Ron McClain is still a free agent — as of now, anyway. I'd rather be starting him. I'm tempted to drop McGahee, but I'm thinking of dropping one of my three QBs instead to make room for McClain. They are David Garrard, J.T. O'Sullivan or Matt Cassel. I also have Anthony Gonzalez to give up; he hasn't done a whole lot yet. Thanks.
— John
McGahee has been frustrating, John, but it's too early to give him the pink slip. Remember, two of the three games he has played thus far have been against top-notch defenses in the Steelers and Titans, so I'd give him a bit of a reprieve there. With the Colts and their league-worst run defense on tap this week, I really think this will be the game that he gets it going. I don't see why you can't hold on to McGahee and grab McClain as well. With four TDs, McClain is looking like a legitimate fantasy threat and should be owned in all leagues. You definitely don't need a below-average QB like Cassel, so make him the guy you cut. By having both parts of the Ravens' two-headed backfield monster, you'd at least have the market cornered on all their rushing yardage, which is bound to be a fair amount.
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