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With the injury bug flying all around the fantasy football universe, owners have even more questions about their lineups heading into the third week of the season. So, let’s not waste any time.
To the questions!
Q: Which RB will be the bigger asset this season? Reggie Bush or Steven Jackson? (Ryan Heckman)
AP: Considering both of these backs are banged up at the moment, this is a very good question. For the rest of the season, I love both of these guys, but if I had to choose one for my roster from here on out, I think I’d lean towards Bush. I love what I am seeing from him in this Detroit offense thus far, and considering Jackson is already expected to miss 2-4 weeks, I think Bush can separate himself, barring a worse injury. He is expected to play on Sunday, and considering the Lions pass the ball a ton, Bush can flirt with 85-90 catches this season. Last year, quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted his running backs over 115 times in the passing game, and despite having a guy like Calvin Johnson on the outside, the Lions are an intermediate passing team. They thrive on short passes, which will strongly benefit Bush. When he first joined the Lions, Bush stated it reminded him of the offense he was part of early during his tenure in New Orleans. During Bush’s first three years with the Saints, he caught a whopping 213 balls. Give me Bush over Jackson.
Q: When will Giovani Bernard overtake Green-Ellis and receive more touches? (Patrick Schmidt)
AP: Good question, and to be honest, I think we are already beginning to see this transition. Despite seeing almost three times as few touches than his counterpart, the Bengals rookie has been far more productive, averaging five yards per touch and has found the end zone twice. Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden just recently stated that the two backs “are going to get to 50/50 sooner than later, probably.” Bernard is an electric talent, and once he gets half of the touches, his talent will eventually win out. Despite being the better build, Green-Ellis may already be the inferior goal line back to Bernard. Obviously, Gio provides more upside in pass-catching ability, and his pass protection has been vastly improving since training camp. It’s only a matter of time, folks.
Q: Greg Olsen or Jordan Cameron in PPR league? (Colin McCollick)
AP: I have them back-to-back in my rankings (Cameron 9th, Olsen 10th), so it’s close. But even with the likes of Brian Hoyer under center, I like Cameron a tad more. It’s hard to ignore what he’s done through two games, and considering Hoyer doesn’t have a very strong arm, and the Browns will likely be behind in this contest, I expect a ton of checkdowns to the big tight end, which makes him a tad more appealing in a PPR format. And despite playing in a worse offense, I still believe Cameron has a better shot at scoring a touchdown because the Panthers will likely run the ball with Cam Newton, Mike Tolbert or DeAngelo Williams before targeting Olsen. Give me Cameron and some garbage time.
Q: Is Andre Ellington worth a pickup in a 12-team league? (@heydangle)
AP: Ellington is definitely an intriguing dynasty commodity, but in just a 12-team league, I don’t think he is necessarily worth a look, unless Rashard Mendenhall goes down with an injury. Of course, Mendenhall has been known to do that during his career, so Ellington may have a shot this year. He is easily the most skilled pass-catcher out of the group of Arizona running backs, but that backfield is so muddled, that it’s hard to ever see him carry the ball more than seven or eight times. If you own Mendenhall, feel free to handcuff him with Ellington, but if not, there are probably better options out there.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
