Scott Kane USA TODAY Sports
This is the point in the Fantasy Football season where the free agent talent pool has most of the meat picked off the bone. This is especially true when it comes to the running back position. However, there are still a few nuggets and gems left out there, that if you take a little risk, might yield some nice rewards.
One player I think you really need to make an effort to go out and get is St. Louis Rams‘ running back Zac Stacy.
When the Rams drafted Stacy in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft, it immediately obscured the value of backfield mates Isaiah Pead and Daryl Richardson. Both Pead and Richardson are built in a scat back mold meant more for running or catching the ball to the outside, where they try to beat opponents with raw speed alone.
Stacy is 5-foot-8, 216 pounds, making him more in the mold of a Maurice Jones-Drew style of runner. With his physicals, he can, in theory, run between the tackles more effectively than his under-performing counterparts. However, running a 4.53 in the 40 yard dash probably means he isn’t going to be streaking down the field to take one to the house week in and week out.
Last week, he rushed 14 times for 78 yards against the inept Jacksonville Jaguars‘ defense. He also plays in an offense with a pass-first focus. Through most of his college career, he demonstrated little pass catching ability.
If he can keep the job as the Rams’ featured back, playing in a Jeff Fisher offense, he could potentially develop into a third running back on your team, or an opportunistic flex play for a favorable matchup. He’s worth grabbing and stashing, but if you’re starting him this week against the Houston Texans‘ defense, it means you’re already in pretty deep trouble.
Eric Beuning is a Fantasy Football writer for www.RantSports.com.
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