Getty Images
According to ESPN Colts reporter Mike Wells, running back Trent Richardson will not have much time to prove his worth.
The debate over the value of Richardson in fantasy football circles is a heated one, as you are either bullish on him having a bounce-back season, or you believe that his numbers his rookie season were inflated and that he is completely overrated.
In the mock drafts I have competed in, Richardson is normally being drafted in the fifth round. While he isn’t a risk to be a first-round bust, he will still affect fantasy owners as a flex option or RB3.
Offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton has suggested that he is going to give up his run-first mentality, and essentially take whatever the opposing defense is giving him. With a trio of Reggie Wayne, Hakeem Nicks and T.Y. Hilton, it would make sense that the game plan for the Indianapolis Colts would revolve mainly around Andrew Luck and the aerial attack. Whoever is in the lineup at running back will need to produce when they have the rock, and there will be no tolerance for underachieving this season.
One of the positives going into this season for Richardson is that he is the best pass catcher among his fellow running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Vick Ballard. If the Colts plan to air it out more, Richardson may lose some value as a rusher, but he will find success with dump off passes and screens. The 24-year old running back has remained relatively healthy in his short career, as durability issues are connected with Bradshaw, and Ballard is recovering from an ACL tear.
The worrisome numbers behind Richardson’s successful rookie campaign with the Cleveland Browns is that the third-year back had eight games where he rushed for less than 60 yards. He also scored four of his 11 touchdowns in two games. Richardson had a difficult time learning the playbook for the Colts, and he admitted to finally having it down during the offseason.
With a fifth-round pick, there is no way I can justify adding Bradshaw and Ballard to your bench. Richardson will still be a fairly high pick, but you need to back Richardson up before someone snags his fellow teammates off of the waiver wire. My suggestion would be to draft Bradshaw near the end of your draft, and keep an eye out on Ballard throughout the season.
Richardson could exceed expectations and have a monster season, but you don’t want your opponents to have Bradshaw or Ballard if he fails.
Jack Delaney is a fantasy football writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @jackbmore13, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google
