Jacquizz Rodgers: Due to Jackson Injury, Is Falcons RB Worth a Pickup?

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After the news broke that Atlanta Falcons running back Steven Jackson will miss a few weeks, fantasy owners quickly jumped to conclusions and sought out backup Jacquizz Rodgers heading into week three. But, are there other options available that would fare better than Rodgers? Let’s take a look at the numbers.

After Jackson went out last Sunday having carried the ball only three times, Rodgers went on to carry the ball a total of 11 times for just 17 yards. The other back scarcely used by Atlanta, Jason Snelling, carried twice for 19 yards and a score.

Rodgers also caught four passes for 28 yards.

So, the Falcons take on the Miami Dolphins in week three. How will things shake out? Well, the Dolphins currently rank 20th against the pass and 12th against the run. With Jackson out and Rodgers having limited time thus far in the season, I would figure the Falcons to pass quite a bit more especially because that can be seen as a weakness in Miami.

But, with Roddy White clearly still not 100 percent, Julio Jones will be the likely target on the majority of passes along with Tony Gonzalez. Harry Douglas should get a decent amount of work in there as well.

Here’s an interesting stat from last week: Gonzalez, Douglas, Snelling and Rodgers all ended with four catches. How is that for parity? White only caught three, which again signals his having a ways to go yet.

What do you do with Rodgers, then? If Matt Ryan is spreading the ball around quite a bit, is Rodgers really an asset in the passing game? Is he an asset in the run game? Well, he should get the majority of carries with Snelling not too far behind. The question is, how much will the Falcons run?

Probably not much, unfortunately for Rodgers owners.

In the end, Rodgers should be looked at as a RB4 or RB5 in most leagues this weekend and only be started if there are absolutely no other options. Chances are, if that’s the case, you are in a 12-plus team league. I would avoid him if possible, but he could be worth a few points if you desperately need a back to start.

Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.