The Old RB1/RB2 Thread (1 Viewer)

Just getting a general conversation going. Older RB's like Gore, MJD, Sproles, and SJax can provide a lot of value to a competitor, but also carry some risk.

MJD has some injury question marks, but almost no competition and an offense with a few other threats now.

SJax has the most carries (and maybe touches) of any active RB in the league, but has landed in a great situation and could be looking at a resurrected fantasy career.

Sproles is more of a WR than RB and the rules may not apply to him, as long as Brees is around and Peyton's calling the shots. PPG-wise, he's incredibly underrated by most and has been an RB1 in this Saints offense since he was scooped by them.

Gore is the lead dog in the SF running game, but James is around to steal receptions, Hunter is healing up and was once a dynasty owner favorite, and the drafting of Lattimore is a shot in the dark at a future bellcow.

Turner seems to be done fantasy-wise after looking done on the field for at least a season or two.

McGahee still looked good before the season-ending injury, will he stick in DEN as Fox loves his vets, or be released into the wild where he could screw up another fantasy RB situation if healthy and effective?

DWill is another interesting option if he's ever released, as he is talented and has been splitting carries for most of his career. But he's 30 and that speed has to be leaving him. Plus, he may never actually get out of Carolina.

How much longer do these guys have, how do you value them, where do you have them ranked, who do you expect to fall off the cliff first, who is being undervalued, overvalued, sold cheap, etc. Discuss it all here. These older RB1's are exactly the kind of acquisition a competing team can make for cheaper than should be possible to put them over the top. This is the season of rookie fever, and it may also be the best time to acquire these types of veteran RB's to bolster your shot at a championship.

If I were trying to acquire these guys for 2013 and beyond as a competitor, this is how I'd rank them:

MJD

Sproles/Sjax

Gore

Sproles and SJax are the safest bet to stay healthy and produce consistent fantasy numbers. Gore comes after them in terms of "safeness", but barely, and I think he has a shorter shelf life by quite a bit, but I'm still considering going after him in a league where I badly need a 3rd starting RB every week. MJD is the shoot-for-the-stars pick if you believe he'll be healthy, which I do. He has top-3 potential if so.

After saying all of this, I think the best buy might actually be Gore, despite being at the bottom of my list. It'll be for a short-term impact starter in your lineup, but he'll also come cheapest. MJD is probably valued very highly by whoever owns him at this point. Sproles as well, since that owner will appreciate him more than most. SJax has the ATL hype making him twice as expensive as he was in STL. Gore is by far the easiest to acquire and unless you're an absolute optimist about Lattimore, he has at least one more year being the most viable fantasy RB in SF. Maybe two.

I'm keeping MJD in a three keeper PPR redraft league. I also had Sproles on my roster from last year but I have D. Thomas and A.J. Green so he is the odd man out. Obviously I think MJD can still be a monster this year and perhaps even next but he is getting close to the dreaded 3 - 0. He's playing for a contract this year so he should be very good. Sproles is only value worthy in PPR scoring of course. But being 32 (or close to it) can he keep it up? I am interested to see what Steven Jackson does. So much so he may be a 1st or 2nd round target for me.

I'd say this group probably has 2 years left and then you start seeing a drop. if one of them gets hurt then (SJax especially) then they become later round depth next year.