What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

Alfred Morris, why is he rated so low (2 Viewers)

Bojang0301 said:
Whelp... I saw McKinnon slip close to the 4th today. Looks justified right now.
Click to expand...
Morris’ first two runs made me say, “who the hell is that guy?”  Now, that’s maybe not saying a lot comparitively, but I watched McNichols with the 1s against Houston and didn’t see anything close to that amount of juice. 

Morris led the NFL last preseason in PFF’s elusiveness rating (was paying attention to try to decipher the Zeke handcuff).  Word was last preseason that he’d lost weight. Remember, he went to Dallas thinking he’d be their bellcow behind that stud OL. Then Dallas pulled the rug out from under him by drafting Zeke over Jalen Ramsay. 

If I were Morris, I’d be hot to prove I still had it and just got screwed by circumstances in Dallas. This is the same guy that drove an old gold Mazda 626 for years after making it in the NFL to keep him humble. Might not be a bad horse to bet on. 

 
JFS171 said:
Morris’ first two runs made me say, “who the hell is that guy?” Now, that’s maybe not saying a lot comparitively, but I watched McNichols with the 1s against Houston and didn’t see anything close to that amount of juice.

Morris led the NFL last preseason in PFF’s elusiveness rating (was paying attention to try to decipher the Zeke handcuff). Word was last preseason that he’d lost weight. Remember, he went to Dallas thinking he’d be their bellcow behind that stud OL. Then Dallas pulled the rug out from under him by drafting Zeke over Jalen Ramsay.

If I were Morris, I’d be hot to prove I still had it and just got screwed by circumstances in Dallas. This is the same guy that drove an old gold Mazda 626 for years after making it in the NFL to keep him humble. Might not be a bad horse to bet on.
Click to expand...
McNichols at his best has been average and Joe Williams has been terrible. Morris has legitimate burst, he looks leagues better than those guys. I guess we shouldn't be too surprised since he showed the same stuff last year but it is generally a head-scratcher. I remember Morris looking washed during his last season with WAS.

Williams was Shanny's guy and he's shaping up to be a bust. I think McNichols, similarly to Breida, is more of a McKinnon back-up and doesn't bring anything to the table that SF doesn't already have. But Morris brings an element that I think they need, especially at the GL. I think they're still going to struggle in the RZ with so few good options but Morris can only help. 

I'm probably not going to draft Morris outside of my deeper leagues because I play in full ppr but he has to at the very least further muddy the waters for McKinnon and those who thought Breida could break-out. 

 
Alf looked like the best back standing last week. I think he locked up a spot on the team but who knows? It's definitely worth monitoring:

Alfred Morris rushed 17 times for 84 yards in the 49ers' third preseason game against the Colts.

Morris got the start in the Niners' backfield with Jerick McKinnon (knee) and Matt Breida (shoulder) both injured. Morris played the entire first half and part of the third quarter, and beat writers believe Morris cemented his spot on the 53-man roster with Saturday's performance. With McKinnon and Breida both expected to be ready Week 1, we doubt Morris has an expansive Week 1 role, but he's certainly worth keeping an eye on late in fantasy drafts due to his history with coach Kyle Shanahan. Morris definitely looked like his legs were fresh against the Colts.
Click to expand...

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I grabbed both Morris and ADP late. both have the potential to be a couple week starter...not expecting big numbers but who knows a couple decent games to start the year and you may have a trade chip to a desperate team...if they don’t win the job or don’t produce at all you have an easy drop for a hot waiver pick up. 

 
I’ve always liked Alf. I had him and RGIII a few years back when they both killed it. Hope he gets a shot. It’s crazy that he had two very good years in Washington and suddenly earned journeyman status afterwards. Something just doesn’t seem right with that progression. 

 
Hairy Snowman said:
His vision, especially on the last draw, is really impressive.  Clearly has the strength in his legs.  Real question is how long can he hold up.  Who else do they have healthy right now?
Click to expand...
both Breida and McKinnon are getting healthy but what have they proven in their careers?  They certainly aren't locks.  last year on Dallas he ran for 4.8 ypc...yes, they had a good line but after Zeke was suspended he went 11-53, 17-91, 9-36, 27-127-1, 19-62, 16-61...it's certainly not a lock that Morris is starting back and who knows how long he can hold up but for where you can draft him it's essentially a free lottery ticket.

 
Yeah, I think the Morris signing has flown mostly under the radar outside of the year round fantasy community.

I don't think he takes the job outright but I think he could play himself into a Latavius/McKinnon time share (ahead of Breida) in a hurry.

And if McKinnon gets hurt, watch out.

 
Hairy Snowman said:
His vision, especially on the last draw, is really impressive.  Clearly has the strength in his legs.  Real question is how long can he hold up.  Who else do they have healthy right now?
Click to expand...
Morris is 29 years old, and will be 30 in December. I don't think he is on his last legs in the NFL. He doesn't have as much mileage on him either as other RBs around his age. 

 
simey said:
Morris is 29 years old, and will be 30 in December. I don't think he is on his last legs in the NFL. He doesn't have as much mileage on him either as other RBs around his age. 
Click to expand...
 The only knock on Moores really is that he doesn’t possess game changing speed. 

 
This is something to really keep an eye on. Mckinnon is not some great RB. In fact he has never been a volume guy.

Morris may indeed have a bigger role than people expect. I never understood how he just fell off the map after 2 excellent years. He is a quality NFL RB. And a great story. He is always productive when given the opportunity. 

 
Dr. Octopus said:
is there a link - not doubting you but want to see the context.
Click to expand...
It was a radio interview today. They discussed this article with Lynch. 

According to Reddit: The hosts said "Baldy is saying Morris is the Week 1 starter." And after talking up Baldinger and then Morris, Lynch said "Baldy is exactly right about Morris."

Article from yesterday

 
Last edited by a moderator:
So where do you guys rank Morris among other starting RB's if he snatches and runs with the RB position in SF? 1/2 down, short yardage, goaline...I could snag him in a .5 PPR league if I act fast.

 
Scooby1974 said:
So where do you guys rank Morris among other starting RB's if he snatches and runs with the RB position in SF? 1/2 down, short yardage, goaline...I could snag him in a .5 PPR league if I act fast.
Click to expand...
At this point since nothing is concrete take him near the end of the draft.

 
I agree with Octopus that Lynch's statement could be interpreted simply as "Morris looked good".  It may mean that Morris is the starter, but you can't definitively say that based on Lynch's ambiguous statement.

 
Al O'Pecia said:
I agree with Octopus that Lynch's statement could be interpreted simply as "Morris looked good".  It may mean that Morris is the starter, but you can't definitively say that based on Lynch's ambiguous statement.
Click to expand...
I don't think McKinnon is good to begin with. He may or may not be the starter but he definitely has some opportunity here. 

 
Weebs210 said:
I don't think McKinnon is good to begin with. He may or may not be the starter but he definitely has some opportunity here. 
Click to expand...
Don't get me wrong, I hope you're correct that Lynch's statement means Morris is the starter. I'd just prefer to see something more concrete.  

I also agree with Baldy that Morris is the best runner on the Niners and should be the starter.  Even if Morris isn't the nominal Week 1 starter, I still expect him to have the most rushing yards and most rushing TDs for the Niners this season.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
As a McKinnon owner, I'm not panicking just yet. They spent a lot of money on him because he fits what they want to do. Morris is an insurance policy who's familiar with the offense and a good locker room presence. I don't even feel the need to handcuff Jerick with Al at this point.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
he can surely have a decent sized role - McKinnon and Breida aren't big backs.
Click to expand...
I agree with both of you. All I did was present to you where people were getting the idea that Morris was week 1 starter.

Lynch agreeing with those comments/Morris looking like the best 9ers back so far/McKinnon sucking as a pure runner has finally made me pull the trigger on adding him to all my teams.

Now unfortunately I have to make some decisions on how to fit him or make some trades.

 
There is no speculation on this at all.  McKinnon will be the starter and if Morris makes the team it will be as the 4th back, meaning he won't be in uniform unless there is an injury to either McKinnon or Breida.  McKinnon has looked very good throughout training camp and they are pretty high on him.  Lynch was on KNBR and his comment was related to Baldy's analysis that Morris looked good, which he did, but hard to glean much as the o-line was blocking much better that game than the previous two.  Would temper the Morris hype unless there is an injury to either starter. If they let Mostert walk and only keep 3 RB's, which seems unlikely as this point, he may have more immediate value. 

 
SF409ers said:
There is no speculation on this at all.  McKinnon will be the starter and if Morris makes the team it will be as the 4th back, meaning he won't be in uniform unless there is an injury to either McKinnon or Breida.  McKinnon has looked very good throughout training camp and they are pretty high on him.  Lynch was on KNBR and his comment was related to Baldy's analysis that Morris looked good, which he did, but hard to glean much as the o-line was blocking much better that game than the previous two.  Would temper the Morris hype unless there is an injury to either starter. If they let Mostert walk and only keep 3 RB's, which seems unlikely as this point, he may have more immediate value. 
Click to expand...
:lmao:

 
Weebs210 said:
:lmao:
Click to expand...
That's what has been going around though. Unless something changes, the tea leaves say Morris is no threat to either McKinnon or Breida's roles. Also this guy:

ESPN's Nick Wagoner does not expect Alfred Morris to steal work from Jerick McKinnon or Matt Breida.

With McKinnon and Breida sidelined, Morris shined in the third preseason game, rushing 17 times for 84 yards. Still, Wagoner believes the 49ers see Morris more as an insurance policy than an option to supplant the top-two runners. "I don't think there's any evidence to indicate he's going to take reps from McKinnon or Breida yet, assuming they're healthy for Week 1."
Click to expand...

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Weebs210 said:
:lmao:
Click to expand...
You obviously don't follow the team closely.  This is pretty much standard info from just about every beat writer.  They are not going to dress 4 RB's on game day.  As it stands now, McKinnon and Breida along with Mostert, who is a special teams ace, will be in uniform.  Do you have additional info we don't know?

 
I don't have any info really to add, but do you remember 2012 when Morris got all the first team reps in the third preseason game and everyone said "Shanny won't give some rookie the starting role" and you could draft Morris in the last rounds of the draft.  Then he got 340 carries that season.  You know who on the roster was drafted before him in FF that year?  Roy Helu the pass catching back who never held a feature role, kind of like McKinnon.  

Not saying Morris is worth more than a flier pick near the end of the draft, but there is no way I touch McKinnon anywhere near his adp.

 
SF409ers said:
You obviously don't follow the team closely.  This is pretty much standard info from just about every beat writer.  They are not going to dress 4 RB's on game day.  As it stands now, McKinnon and Breida along with Mostert, who is a special teams ace, will be in uniform.  Do you have additional info we don't know?
Click to expand...
Not for nothing, but do the beat writers make the decisions about who gets a helmet, or is it the coaching staff?

Because one of Morris' draws is the fact that he appears to be better suited (and just better at) running inside.  Neither McKinnon, Breida, or Mostert are equipped to do that, while Morris is. 

Before the Morris signing, they didn't have that player, so reporters speculating that they wouldn't have 4 active RBs made sense.  Now they do, so if they want McKinnon, Breida, and Mostert active, it's not unreasonable to assume they might decide to have a 4th, differently-talented, RB active, as well.

It's also curious that you are willing to accept the speculation of some reporters (no 4th RB), but not another (Morris the starter).

 
McKinnon and Breida are similar RBs. Morris is an entirely different animal. Could easily see the game day actives come down to McK vs Breida more often than not, depending on game plan, assuming all three are performing to coaches' expectations.

Morris seems like a potentially good spot start in games where the 9ers are favored widely. In games with potentially negative game script, he's a risk for 5-10 carries and no targets or TDs. Eww.

 
SF409ers said:
You obviously don't follow the team closely.  This is pretty much standard info from just about every beat writer.  They are not going to dress 4 RB's on game day.  As it stands now, McKinnon and Breida along with Mostert, who is a special teams ace, will be in uniform.  Do you have additional info we don't know?
Click to expand...
If beat writers decided starting line up C Mike would be a starter right now. You have alot of confidence in a below average runner. Yikes. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. McKinnon and Brieda are banged up right now.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Bayhawks said:
Not for nothing, but do the beat writers make the decisions about who gets a helmet, or is it the coaching staff?

Because one of Morris' draws is the fact that he appears to be better suited (and just better at) running inside.  Neither McKinnon, Breida, or Mostert are equipped to do that, while Morris is. 

Before the Morris signing, they didn't have that player, so reporters speculating that they wouldn't have 4 active RBs made sense.  Now they do, so if they want McKinnon, Breida, and Mostert active, it's not unreasonable to assume they might decide to have a 4th, differently-talented, RB active, as well.

It's also curious that you are willing to accept the speculation of some reporters (no 4th RB), but not another (Morris the starter).
Click to expand...
What?  They report on what they are observing and what the coaches tell them.  It's not that complicated.  They also have the FB, it doesn't take much to figure out they won't dress 5 total RB's on game day.  And McKinnon's value to this offense is his ability to catch passes in space, something they have emphasized a ton throughout training camp. 

You all can do what you want with the info.  I don't play FF anymore so I don't have a vested interest either way.  I'm passing it on as someone who follows the team very closely and as it stands now all arrows point towards McKinnon and Breida starting game 1 :shrug:  

 
SF409ers said:
You obviously don't follow the team closely.  This is pretty much standard info from just about every beat writer.  They are not going to dress 4 RB's on game day.  As it stands now, McKinnon and Breida along with Mostert, who is a special teams ace, will be in uniform.  Do you have additional info we don't know?
Click to expand...
I hate when people say things like that.

Totally agree that's it's McKinnon's job to lose but don't think that Shanahan won't hit the reset button on him either. Shanny will play the most productive back over the highest paid back.

If Morris actually does recover the magic of his two previous seasons with Shanny you better plan for McKinnon to be relegated to the receiving back role.

 
SF409ers said:
What?  They report on what they are observing and what the coaches tell them.  It's not that complicated.  They also have the FB, it doesn't take much to figure out they won't dress 5 total RB's on game day.  And McKinnon's value to this offense is his ability to catch passes in space, something they have emphasized a ton throughout training camp. 

You all can do what you want with the info.  I don't play FF anymore so I don't have a vested interest either way.  I'm passing it on as someone who follows the team very closely and as it stands now all arrows point towards McKinnon and Breida starting game 1 :shrug:  
Click to expand...
Just adding to your info, the spot Morris is expected to get is Rueben Fosters opening, since he is suspended the first 2 weeks. After that the 49ers will have to make a decision and most of the speculation is that Mostert sticks because he plays special teams.

People are getting a little too excited that Morris ran all over a Colts run D that has been terrible this preseason. Chris Carson, Kenneth Dixon and Javorious Allen have all averaged between 5 - 6 plus yards against the Colts starters. It's not surprising that Morris came in with fresh legs and did the same.

 
oddsbodkins said:
As a McKinnon owner, I'm not panicking just yet. They spent a lot of money on him because he fits what they want to do. Morris is an insurance policy who's familiar with the offense and a good locker room presence. I don't even feel the need to handcuff Jerick with Al at this point.
Click to expand...
problem is if you don't someone else likely will....

 
Chaka said:
I hate when people say things like that.

Totally agree that's it's McKinnon's job to lose but don't think that Shanahan won't hit the reset button on him either. Shanny will play the most productive back over the highest paid back.

If Morris actually does recover the magic of his two previous seasons with Shanny you better plan for McKinnon to be relegated to the receiving back role.
Click to expand...
Well, that's what you get when respond by just laughing like a jack ### without providing any additional info to support your claim.  And my response was with respect to how things are currently stacking up.  Of course things could change.  And I am not in need of planning for anything.  If McKinnon becomes a backup I couldn't care less, I only care that team wins games.  I was providing insight into how the current RB situation is shaping up based on following things closely throughout training camp / pre-season.  But hey, go with the guy you like most.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
Why? It's valuable for homers to pass along info since they follow the team and it's news a lot more closely.
Click to expand...
Not really. Every has access to the same information. The internet is a beautiful thing. Just because you live somewhere doesn't make you an expert on the team.

 
SF409ers said:
Well, that's what you get when respond by just laughing like a jack ### without providing any additional info to support your claim.  And my response was with respect to how things are currently stacking up.  Of course things could change.  And I am not in need of planning for anything.  If McKinnon becomes a backup I couldn't care less, I only care that team wins games.  I was providing insight into how the current RB situation is shaping up based on following things closely throughout training camp / pre-season.  But hey, go with the guy you like most.
Click to expand...
When did I laugh at you? Make sure you know who you are responding to please. I am certain that the was responding to your arrogant assumption that you know more about the Niners than others, but I never laughed at you.

 
Weebs210 said:
Not really. Every has access to the same information. The internet is a beautiful thing. Just because you live somewhere doesn't make you an expert on the team.
Click to expand...
Sure - but I know I follow the Jets news more than some Chicago Bears fan does - and there's just so much more news out the for local teams.

During draft season I basically had several posters say I was crazy (or worse) because I kept saying the Giants will not take a QB at 2, because all the local buzz is they love Barkley and think Davis Webb is as good a prospect as the QBs in this draft.

 
SF409ers said:
What?  1-They report on what they are observing and what the coaches tell them.  It's not that complicated.  They also have the FB, 2-it doesn't take much to figure out they won't dress 5 total RB's on game day.  And McKinnon's value to this offense is his ability to catch passes in space, something they have emphasized a ton throughout training camp. 

You all can do what you want with the info.  I don't play FF anymore so I don't have a vested interest either way.  I'm passing it on as someone who follows the team very closely and 9-as it stands now all arrows point towards McKinnon and Breida starting game 1 :shrug:  
Click to expand...
What?

1-How is a reporter going to observe that SF won't have 4 active RBs? Unless there is a quote from a coach saying that (after Morris was signed, and preferably after his good game on Saturday), there is no basis for your claim here.

2-Now you are speculating ("it doesn't take much").  That's fine; much of what we do on this board is speculate, but trying to pass it off as having some kind of legitimacy because it comes from beat reporters is different.

4-all arrows point towards this?  The fact that they still aren't practicing (only conditioning) is an arrow pointing to this?  Really seems like you have an end point in mind, and are determined to make the road lead there.

 
Chaka said:
When did I laugh at you? Make sure you know who you are responding to please. I am certain that the was responding to your arrogant assumption that you know more about the Niners than others, but I never laughed at you.
Click to expand...
I was responding to why I said that (you must not follow the team closely), which was because of the laughing guys initial response.  Please make sure you are keeping up with what you are responding to please.

 
Dr. Octopus said:
Why? It's valuable for homers to pass along info since they follow the team and it's news a lot more closely.
Click to expand...
It's not the notion that he is a Homer, it's the assumption that the person he is responding to doesn't follow the team as closely as he does.

I appreciate different perspectives, particularly from homers, hell I actively seeking them even when they get annoyed with me for doing so ( :hey: @tonydead) but don't assume you know better just because someone disagrees with you. That guy/girl may be a Homer too.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

EBF
2022 Rookie Thoughts
Replies
14
Views
2K
dipandglide
dipandglide
T
My final 2022 mock draft, 3 rounds
2
Replies
56
Views
3K
travdogg
T
T
Travdogg's Free Agency Predictions and 2 round mock (updated 4/8/22)
2
Replies
73
Views
3K
rockaction
rockaction

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
Top