Ryan Grant vs. Marion Barber
We had a great debate about Braylon Edwards vs. Andre Johnson last week, with AJ surprisingly coming out on top 16-12.
As I hit the frantic home stretch of our first magazine (I leave for Dallas next Tuesday), you can help me with another battle: Ryan Grant vs. Marion Barber.
Barber will be a flash point for fantasy owners this year. He produced like a top-three back last year, but his limited experience and the change to Aaron Rodgers will scare some owners away. He's going to go early, but would you take him ahead of elite wideouts. More importantly, would you take him ahead of Marion Barber, who now has Felix Jones around?
Comments
Ryan Grant.
Why? Feature Back. The number one running back who keeps the ball on the goal line is increasingly rare in fantasy. Even more, do you think they will rely on Rodgers to throw the ball for tds within the redzone like Favre did this year? The drafting of Jones and the other guy are huge red flags for a sporadic fantasy scorer. Grant was automatic.
Posted by: WIll | May 5, 2008 10:39 PM
Grant, with a big sigh, he is the number 1, his coaches love him, and with Rogers there will probably be less 5 yard and less TD's that Favre threw to kill me last year.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | May 5, 2008 11:14 PM
Barber, everyone thinks I'm nuts, but Grant lives and dies with long runs for his yards and does not get the short yardage. Grant has exceptional vision, but I suspect without Favre holding defenses back there could be limits.
Posted by: Kirby | May 6, 2008 09:58 AM
You do not, not draft Barber because of Schedule. He is a stud that gets played redardless of opponent.
Now your comparing him to the likes of DeShaun Foster.
Posted by: abruzzi | May 6, 2008 10:07 AM
Of course, someone had to bring Mo-Jo, the most overrated fantasy RB, in this.
Mo-Jo isn't even close to either of them. A great talent and fun to watch, but he's the clear #2 guy on his team. Here we have a sole RB, a presumed #1 guy in a committee, and you want to compare a clear #2 guy who sits behind a guy who's got over 1000 yards the last 2 years? I know many took him last year like a #1 RB, but that doesn't make him one.
Posted by: Dennis | May 6, 2008 02:38 PM
MoJo comes up mostly because that if Fred Taylor were ever to get injured MoJo would take off like an oompa loompa on crack.
The sad part of MoJo gamblers that last couple years is that his reliability in the running game has extended Fred Taylors career and kept him healthier.
Posted by: Matt | May 6, 2008 02:56 PM
I know this off topic, but I don't get all of this love for MJD. The guy had a great 2006 and fell back to earth in 2007. Even if Taylor gets injured or retires I don't see MJD as a top RB. Due to his size(or lack of it), I don't see him being able to take the pounding of a workhorse back. If Taylor is gone MJD will be paired with a younger, bigger RB in a RBBC that DelRio seems to prefer.
Posted by: CdnFan | May 6, 2008 03:30 PM