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Throughout his career, running back Chris Ivory has been a guy that has been vastly underused. A part of the headache that is the New Orleans Saints running back depth chart, Ivory was often listed as the number four back on the roster, despite arguably being the most talented runner on the team. Time after time, Ivory would showcase his true potential, despite playing in very limited time.
No more.
Over the weekend, Ivory was traded to the New York Jets, and with former starting halfback Shonn Greene off to Tennessee, Ivory will likely be the new starter in the Big Apple. I don’t care what team he plays for, opportunity in Fantasy Football is extremely appealing and Ivory will warrant the attention of fantasy owners this season. When plugged into the backfield, Ivory has demonstrated big time productivity. Through 24 career games (in three seasons), Ivory is averaging just over five yards per carry with eight touchdowns. So, why am I so high on him despite the lack of usage throughout his career?
Think about this. Last season, Shonn Greene was pretty bad. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry and barely rushed for 1,000 yards. Still, he ranked inside the top 20 fantasy runners in 2012. In my eyes, Ivory is an all around better runner than Greene. He has a better ability to make defenders miss, runs harder and sees the field better. Now that he is out of New Orleans, Ivory will get the lionshare of the carries, with Mike Goodson likely stealing some third down work. Also, don’t forget about second round draft pick Geno Smith. If he finds himself as the Jets starting signal caller, he will keep defenses much more honest than Mark Sanchez ever will because of his mobility. This will give Ivory a bit of an advantage if defenses aren’t expecting him to run the ball every down.
Look, do I think Ivory will finish the season as a top 10 fantasy runner in 2013? No, not at all. However, I would feel comfortable with him as my RB2 in deeper formats or as a flex option. He will get plenty of opportunity, which is key in a league filled with running back-by-committees.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
