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If you are on the fence about drafting Chris Johnson or Chris Ivory in your 2014 fantasy football league, Rex Ryan‘s recent comments will push you towards owning a running back from the New York Jets.
Ryan told reporters at the team’s workout that his current group of running backs remind him of those he coached his first year with the Jets. He is known for making bold predictions that have provided him with plenty of grief, but Ryan has been more reserved the past few seasons. He now wants the scoreboard to do the talking, so for the head coach to make these comments means that he is absolutely serious.
In 2009, the rushing attack for the Jets consisted of Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and Shonn Greene. Each running back provided his own set of skills, but Jones made fantasy owners very happy with 1,402 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns and seven games with 100 or more rushing yards. Greene also contributed to the Jets’ success with 541 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns, and Washington added value with 330 rushing yards and 131 receiving yards.
Between the three backs, the Jets had an astounding 511 rushing attempts. While New York may not exactly match those numbers in 2014, Johnson and Ivory should have plenty of chances to carry the ball. Even if Bilal Powell steals some looks, there should be more than enough carries to go around. One of the biggest observations I made from the Jets’ 2009 season was that the running backs were hardly counted on in the receiving game, and as a dual-threat back, Johnson has two options in how he can rack up points for fantasy owners.
Johnson obviously has more upside than any of the other backs for the Jets, but Ivory is a solid handcuff for Johnson and could quickly become a flex option.
While you may be hesitant to trust Ryan, I think his claims of having a talented group of running backs should hold true for your 2014 fantasy football season.
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.
