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The 9th and last rookie we'll take a look at in this year's Speed Bumps will be Buffalo's C.J. Spiller, the first fantasy "skill-position" player selected in the draft (RB/WR), who many expect to play the team's "Reggie-Bush role" with the Bills as a rookie, collecting some rushing attempts in a secondary role, catching passes, and contributing on special teams. Our first A vs. B poll this year (we had seven last year and will end with six this year as well), Spiller will in fact battle Reggie Bush.
C.J. Spiller enters the NFL as the ACC's career leader in all-purpose yards at 7,588 (2nd in NCAA D-I history). He joined Reggie Bush as only the second player in NCAA history with 3,000 rushing yards, 1,000 yards receiving and 1,500 yards in kickoff returns. With tremendous elusiveness and quickness in the open field many have likened his skill set to Tennessee's Chris Johnson. Buffalo didn't use the #9 overall pick in the draft to not make Spiller a big part of their offense (in fact, Buffalo picked Spiller almost bizarrely quick when they were on the clock in the NFL Draft if you recall). Buffalo selected Spiller despite being two deep at running back in Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch (who they selected with the 12th pick of the NFL Draft in just 2007), big-time offensive tackle problems (LT Demetrius Bell, who had off-season knee surgery, and 34-year-old journeyman RT Cornell Green form likely the worst tandem in the NFL) and being in absolute dire need of a quarterback. Spiller has sub-4.40 speed in the 40, and 21 of his 52 TDs in college were from more than 50 yards out. Spiller was also an extremely successful sprinter in track, having finished second in the ACC 100 meters last year (to his Clemson teammate WR Jacoby Ford who has world-class speed); Spiller's career-best time is 10.22 (to put in comparison, Tennessee Titans’ running back Chris Johnson ran a 10.38-second 100 meter dash when he was in college).
It seems like forever ago but just three seasons' back Reggie Bush was the 10th player selected overall in fantasy drafts on average as a 2nd-year RB coming off a NFL record-setting 88 receptions as a rookie. It's been a free-drop for the former Heisman Trophy winner and 2nd overall pick of the NFL Draft since, as Bush slipped to the late second in 2008 on average in fantasy drafts, the middle 4th round last year and now the late 6th in 2010. His stats mirror the decline. Bush had 998 yards in 2007, dropping to 844 then 725; carries down 157 to 106 to 70 and receptions down from 73 to 52 to 47. Bush averages as a weak #3 RB in fantasy magazines but some are decidedly down on Bush; 3 of the 10 we examined slotting him no higher than the 40th best back and with "not much upside here", given his injury history and reserve role to Pierre Thomas. However, whose to say Bush doesn't have a career-season in him and there is a pro-Bush argument to be made: the Saints have $8M invested in him for the 2010 season for starters, he claims to be as healthy as he's been since his rookie season (Bush had micro-fracture knee surgery at the end of the 2008 season), Lynell Hamilton is out for the season leaving just Pierre Thomas and Bush to likely split reps on one of the best offenses in the NFL and an incentive to play well (Bush is not going to see the $11M due next season in the final year of his original rookie deal and is essentially playing for a new contract). Bush scored 8 TDs last year and was featured more in the red zone than you'd think – he had 14 red zone targets via the passing game last season as Drew Brees loves to throw to his RBs in that area. It isn't the same team, but in 2007 Bush was surprisingly the 4th best fantasy running back thru week 11 of the season (before getting injured) and on pace for a 1,375-yard season with 107 receptions and 9-10 TDs.
Vote in the official Dynasty Rogues Speed Bump Challenge: http://www.dynastyrogues.com/headline/?id=237
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
Speed Bump 16 - The Sleeper WR Poll
Speed Bump 17 - Charles vs Greene vs Matthews
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