The impossible question: Patriots RB of 2009

[aaawall91]

It only matters in 16 team leagues, or leagues where you can start 4 or more RBs. Patriots aren't going to committee to doing one thing over the whole season. If your hot you will get the majority (if they are lucky) of carries, but don't expect it to last.

i think Taylor will have the most rushing yards, but Sammy Morris should see a decent amount of carries and likely gets the goal-line work...he's probably be the one i'd most want to own in fantasy. in PPR Kevin Faulk could be sneaky good though

Maroney will never be on my fantasy roster again and BJGE only has value if a few guys get hurt

I agree with the above. Sammy Morris is the safest one to own, Maroney is the one with the highest ceiling probably but I don't want him.

[Kensat30]

There are two guys I can see breaking out enough in this situation to merit starts at my RB position. Fred Taylor is by far the #1 option. We know Fred Taylor has talent (basically matched MJD for the past 3 seasons in productivity minus the TDs) and we know that the Pats RB can have value even in the spread offense (see 5th stringer "Law Firm" stats over a period last year). The other RBs have had their chances but done nothing other than carving themselves niche roles in the offense.

Faulk is strictly a 3rd down back and of little fantasy value except as a desperation play in deep and/or PPR leagues.
Sammy Morris is the guy who comes in when everybody else fails. Guy has been decent at the goalline in recent years, but then again so has everybody else that can actually play at an NFL level on that team. A beat up and slowed Corey Dillon was a goalline stud in a Tom Brady offense. Sammy Morris is an average NFL backup style player that the Pats will get good use of if they are FORCED to. Laurence Maroney is a wildcard here. He came in looking like a breakout type player similar to Felix Jones, Leon Washington, etc. in that mold. He's been injured in recent years, and I think he has also slowed down a little bit as he has matured. If Maroney gets it all together and someone else fails (Taylor IMO), he is the guy that could come in and get a shot at the big workload there. Everybody else is old and Maroney does know the system. I think he is very draftable as a late RB no matter where he ends up on the "depth chart".

I draft Fred Taylor far and away as the #1 option hoping to land a RB#2. I draft Maroney late as a potential breakout player if everybody else falls apart and Maroney is able to step in. Sammy Morris is not worth a pick, the guy has goalline vulture upside and that's about it. Kevin Faulk is a waiver wire pickup in deep leagues and PPR leagues.

[Azrael]

So you think Morris at the top of the depth charts is just Belichick Shanahanigans?

[hosting-33]

I know this would be hard to believe, as it seems like belichek really likes him, but i read this morning that morris is fighting for a roster spot.

[PuntinFool]

I know this would be hard to believe, as it seems like belichek really likes him, but i read this morning that morris is fighting for a roster spot.

I also heard that Sammy Morris is now starting opposite Tedy Bruschi. Bill Belichick has us in his grasp!

Seriously though, I'd be shocked if Morris got canned based on what he's done for the team so far. I would like to think that the only way they'd cut him is if his previous injuries have caught up with him and he isn't worth the risk in a crowded backfield.

[mattb47]

I agree with Kensat in that I think that Fred Taylor is (barring injury of course) going to be far and away the #1 RB for them this season. I think that as long as he stays healthy he's the RB for that team.

[Kensat30]

So you think Morris at the top of the depth charts is just Belichick Shanahanigans?

Maroney started game 1, Fred Taylor started game 2, and Morris is on top of the depth chart.

I'm banking on the idea that we know what Morris is capable of. We know Faulk's role in the offense. We may or may not know what Maroney is capable of. And we definitely do not know what Fred Taylor is capable of.

No one these guys are high % picks, but then again none of them are being taken anywhere close to other RBs in the draft either. Depth charts don't mean all that much in New England IMO. Preseason doesn't mean that much either. We know this will be a good offense and perhaps even the best by a large margin. We know that the Rbs have had success in the system in the past, only one guy can get on the field at a time, and that the system as a whole has produced very very good numbers from the RB position (if not one guy).

Fred Taylor is a lottery ticket. The other guys, perhaps outside of Maroney, are depth in my eyes. Depth is only valuable after injuries occur. Lottery tickets might be low percentage shots, but at least there might be something to actually win there.