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After TO in Speed Bump 18, we move on to another aging great of the game. LaDainian Tomlinson moves from San Diego to the New York Jets after nine seasons and 12,490 rushing yards (LT is #9 on the NFL's all-time rushing list) and 153 TDs (only Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have more), including a NFL-record 31 TDs in 2006. It's a little strange to see LT matched up against a trio of reserve and likely 3rd-down type backs but that's where LT is at this stage of his career. In magazine averages LT is just ahead of Darren Sproles and Steve Slaton. In drafts he's been going 4th among this set with Tim Hightower typically selected first of these four. Hightower is technically still the Cardinals starter although Beanie Wells got the majority of the workload last year down the stretch.
After a 2,370-yard season in his 2nd year in the league LaDainian Tomlinson quickly settled into the #1 overall fantasy football pick in 2003 drafts. He went #2 on average in 2004 (to Priest Holmes), then back to #1 overall in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 before slipping to #7 last year. Age 30 did in fact take LT down last year. He had just 730 yards on the ground, a 3.3 YPC average (although still scored 12 TDs). The 7th overall pick last year returned the 91st highest fantasy performer. Can there be one final swan song season for LT? He certainly latched onto an elite team with perhaps the league's best defense and an impressive set talent on offense as well with QB Mark Sanchez, RBs Shonn Greene and Tomlinson, WRs Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery and TE Dustin Keller. LT is no doubt the backup RB of course but the Jets led the NFL with 607 rushing attempts last year – 37% more than the average NFL team (who had 444 last year) and also scored scored 64% of their offensive TDs via the ground. Shonn Greene also has had some injury issues. He missed two games last year because of two different rib injuries and left the Jets final playoff game. He missed a handful of games while at Iowa as well. Also, Greene isn’t likely to get much reception work. He didn't have a single catch last year. Tomlinson only had 20 receptions last year but San Diego didn't tender Darren Sproles to a crazy $6.6M to do nothing (Sproles had 45 receptions, 11th most of RBs last year). However, LT knows how to catch. He averaged 54 receptions from 2004-2008 (he had a 100-catch season in 2003). LT is likely better off getting past the line of scrimmage as a receiver than banging against D-lineman at this stage of his career anyway. Now on to the great LT's poll competitors.
Technically Tim Hightower remains a-top the depth chart in Arizona. However, if he "starts" the team is likely to use Beanie Wells as their lead man anyway. The rushing per game was a 53/47 split in favor of Hightower over Wells in the first half of the season last year but flipped to a 62/38 split in favor of Wells over the second half and Wells went from scoring 1 TD in the first half of the season to 6 in the back half. Hightower averaged 9 carries per game in both 2008 and in 2009. However Hightower has averaged 49 receptions per year (and was 2nd in the NFL last year amongst RBs in receptions with 63).
With hindsight, amazingly Steve Slaton was paired against Chris Johnson and DeAngelo Williams in one of last year's Speed Bumps and got 10% of the vote. Aside from Chris Johnson, the back that made the loudest rookie RB noise in 2008 (and in a draft deep with talent) was Steve Slaton. Injuries paved the way for his opportunity and he seized the lead RB role for the Texans totaling 1,659 yards from scrimmage (his 107-yard average per game trailed only Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner that season) along with 50 receptions and 10 total TDs. However, he was horrible in the red zone and had seven fumbles. Per Fantasy Index, Slaton had 21 attempts inside the five and scored on 4 of them - the worst ratio by a RB in the NFL in 2008 (among RBs with 10-plus attempts). Even in a trimmed down role, Slaton is a very good receiving back and on a team that led the NFL in passing last year - he had 44 receptions in 10 games last season. Slaton had nerve damage in his neck that required surgery in January but it is not supposed to have major implications for 2010.
Last up to face LT is his former understudy ,Darren Sproles. The Chargers placed the franchise tag on Sproles last year and with it a guaranteed $6.6M large, yet still underutilized the then-5th year player giving him less than 150 touches on the season. They again will pay Sproles big coin (tendering Sproles to a one-year deal this year at $7.3M guaranteed for this season). While it's a complicated contract no matter which incentives Ryan Matthews makes or doesn't make they are still playing Sproles millions of dollars more than Matthews this season. In limited work over the last two seasons Sproles has 13 TDs and is off a career-best 45 receptions finishing the season as the #27 RB in PPR scoring.
Vote in the official Dynasty Rogues Speed Bump Challenge: http://www.dynastyrogues.com/headline/?id=235
Speed Bump 1 - Best vs Grant vs Thomas
Speed Bump 2 - 2009 AFC Breakout WR Battle
Speed Bump 3 – NY Giant vs. Oakland RBs
Speed Bump 4 – The Eli Manning Poll
Speed Bump 5 – Santana Mosstrap
Speed Bump 6 - Running Back Value Pile
Speed Bump 7 - Short and Speedy WRs
Speed Bump 8 - Pick Your Favorite Bears WR/TE
Speed Bump 9 - Steven Jackson vs the Panthers RBs
Speed Bump 10 - Beanie vs Knowshon vs LeSean
Speed Bump 11 - The Steve Smith Poll
Speed Bump 12 - The Donavon McNabb Poll
Speed Bump 13 - Dallas vs Indy RBs
Speed Bump 14 - Who is the #1 Tight End?"
Speed Bump 15 - Pick Your Poison
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