As the St. Louis Rams and Steven Jackson continue to be at stalemate, your Fantasy Football draft is fast approaching. You've noticed Jackson slipping from his lofty 3rd or 4th perch downwards to the 6th or 7th slot. You've got to make a brash decision on whether you can pass up the beast that is Steven Jackson. You must contemplate if he's worth passing up for the likes of Joseph Addai, Randy Moss, maybe Tom Brady, Clinton Portis or maybe even Marsahwn Lynch. My short answer and plea is DON'T DO IT!!!
Sure, we all know about the contract situation that hangs over Jackson. In total thus far, Jackson has amassed approximately $272,000 in fines for his little holdout. Last week, Matt Snyder broke down the very ramifications that Jackson faces due to a void collective bargaining agreement. However, that's still no reason to be scared off by Steven Jackson. You can rest assured he will eventually report and show his face in camp. And brace yourself for a monster season that the big fella has in store for you.
Perhaps, I'm speaking from a little bias, as I've proudly owned Jackson in at least one league since his rookie season. However, worthy of note is that there is not a single Rams RB other than Steven Jackson who has scored a rushing TD since 2006. Taking that into consideration secures the notion that the Rams should have very little if any faith in Antonio Pittman or Brian Leonard. Oh wait, there's also Travis Minor...as I was saying.Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to agree that Jackson did very little to validate his average draft position of No. 2 last season. Yet, the brunt of the blame can be aimed at a team in shambles, a decimated offensive line and Marc Bulger becoming well acquainted with the term DNP. What hurt Jackson to a degree scoring-wise last season was the fact that he went from catching 90 passes in 2006 to a mere 36 in 2007. Of course, he did only manage to play a total of 12 games (give or take...considering he left a few of those games prematurely).
Still though, Jackson is a sure thing in Fantasy terms. Last season, he boldly predicted 1,500 by ground and 1,000 by air. Lofty expectations that should be a bit tempered this season. However, with a healthy Bulger and a more stable offensive line in the fold, the cards stack up for Jackson to flourish. Look, I'm hardly about to forecast an 1,800-yard season coupled with 20-25 TD's, but I'll certainly welcome a Top 3-5 finish in the RB scoring ranks.
I know my first "official" Fantasy draft is right around the corner and I'm certainly not shy about a Fantasy "man-crush" on Steven Jackson. I'm watching the holdout with a keen eye, but I'm not going to let that alter my motives. It would be nice to at least see Jackson take a few snaps in pre-season or break a long TD run just to get yourself a little hyped on the guy again. Anyhow, I say relax, just relax...Steven Jackson will be just fine. Go ahead and let your co-managers take a pass based on their fears, while you reap the rewards
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