Fantasy News
by Ian Allan
Senior Writer
Certainly, the Giants have one of the league's most crowded backfields. Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward all did some good things in 2007. Jacobs is probably their starter, and Bradshaw looked very good at the end of the season, particularly in the NFC Championship at Green Bay. Ward will be a free agent tomorrow and could sign with another team, considering he would be the team's No. 3 back.
Some kind of committee situation should shake out.
Generally, committees tend to be bad for running backs -- at least for their numbers -- but keep in mind a few things. For starters, the Giants probably will rank in the top 10 in both rushing yards and touchdowns. They've got a solid offensive line, good backs, and Tom Coughlin has one of the best track records in the league in regards to establishing running games -- dating all the way back to his years in Jacksonville.
Also keep in mind that Reuben Droughns probably won't be in the mix in 2008. Considering his age (and the presence of the other three backs), I'm not certain Droughns will even make it to training camp. Certainly, he's not going to be active on game days for them. And Droughns, while hardly a marquee name, played a significant role for New York last year. The team called running plays 14 times last year when it was inside the 3-yard line. Droughns was their runner of choice on 12 of those 14 plays, resulting in 6 TDs. Only Jamal Lewis had more carries on that part of the field, while Brandon Jacobs surprisingly didn't touch the ball a single time.
Early guess: the Giants use a committee approach at tailback, with Jacobs getting about 60 percent of the work and Bradshaw getting about 40 percent (with Ward, if he re-signs, taking the 40-percent load when one of the other two guys is hurt). At the goal-line, Jacobs (with Droughns likely gone) should now be their back of choice. Maybe he scores 9 TDs. That's might early guess.
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