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A possible suspension is scaring fantasy football players away from Ray Rice, but this could help to create one of the best bargains you can find in your league.
The fantasy editor for NFL Media, Michael Fabiano, recently released the results of a fantasy mock draft that he participated in with several of his colleagues, and the results were very interesting. Granted, it was a 10-team mock draft, but there was still plenty of valuable information to analyze from the results. One of the most interesting things I found was that Rice went in the seventh round of the draft, right after Chris Johnson and right before Joique Bell.
I have a feeling that whatever type of punishment Rice will face for his altercation with his new wife will be a maximum of four games and a minimum of two. Just like how fantasy players were scared away from Josh Gordon‘s two-game suspension last season, the prospect of the 27-year-old running back missing any time has at least half of your league not even willing put his name on their draft lists.
If you selected Rice as a first-round pick, then missing any time is significant. It is a short season, and two games could be the difference between reaching the playoffs or sitting around waiting for someone else to collect your money. If he would actually fall as far as the seventh round, however, it wouldn’t even matter if he missed four games. You should have at least two starting running backs by the time you get that deep, and Rice would become your flex option or could take over if your starting running backs become injured or are underperforming. If he doesn’t pan out, then it didn’t cost you much to take a chance on the starter for the Baltimore Ravens.
I know fantasy players were let down by his performance last season, but he is too good of a player not to take a chance on if he falls that far. Everything depends on how much time he could potentially miss, but I think you will be able to draft him as late as the fifth round depending on how long his suspension is.
Everything will depend on a potential suspension, but the current perceived value of Rice will give you the biggest bargain in the 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
