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[DYNASTY] Darren Sproles, Future Stud (1 Viewer)

Guys, I realize this is a DYNASTY thread but did LT freaking die and I missed the newscast?!? Give me a break here.

Sproles is an amzing talent, simply amazing. Honestly that a guy his size has excelled at the various levels he has is staggering. That said, Tomlinson is not done - sorry to report this news; even if Sproles is annointed as a lead replacement in the event LT does need to be rested, I just can't see it lasting as a full time gig.

I'm usually pretty mellow, and yeah, I own LT in a long term league (and yep, I purposely drafted the guy I am gonna groom to replace him - groom being the key word here) but this thread is premature. If Sproles goes on a month long rampage and stays healthy doing so taking the majority of the carries, bump the thread and remind me, PM me, whatever.

I eat crow like a champ when I'm wrong. I'm just not feeling this one at all.

 
Guys, I realize this is a DYNASTY thread but did LT freaking die and I missed the newscast?!? Give me a break here.Sproles is an amzing talent, simply amazing. Honestly that a guy his size has excelled at the various levels he has is staggering. That said, Tomlinson is not done - sorry to report this news; even if Sproles is annointed as a lead replacement in the event LT does need to be rested, I just can't see it lasting as a full time gig.I'm usually pretty mellow, and yeah, I own LT in a long term league (and yep, I purposely drafted the guy I am gonna groom to replace him - groom being the key word here) but this thread is premature. If Sproles goes on a month long rampage and stays healthy doing so taking the majority of the carries, bump the thread and remind me, PM me, whatever.I eat crow like a champ when I'm wrong. I'm just not feeling this one at all.
Pretty much my own feelings, as well. Sproles' weight (not necessarily his "size") is what concerns me. I believe he's a heckuva football player, but he just doesn't have enough lead in his britches, IMO. There will also be a huge difference in the way teams scheme for Sproles as opposed to LT. I believe his performance would go WAY down with a full-time gig. I'm also not convinced the Bolts aren't going to use Hester a lot if LT is out. I think Hester will definitely get a decent amount of touches in LT's absence. It may have played out that way last week if they weren't having to throw on nearly every down. We'll see, but I'm very skeptical on Sproles' ability to be a productive longterm FF RB.
 
Sproles has missed time at some point due to:

Concussions

Broken Fibula

High Ankle Sprain

Knee Issues

I'm not sure the kid can handle 15 touches week in and week out.

:dunno:

 
I lived in Manhattan, KS during Sproles playing days at K-State, and absolutely loved the kid. He was "playmaker" personified.

But, he hasn't shown that his body can handle the pounding in the NFL, and I have my doubts.

He should have some very nice games like last week, but if you're in a league that has to choose starters and it isn't a huge league where you can afford the risk, you'll either be frustrated or never start him.

Survivor leagues, this guy is gold.

 
2 good games in his 4 year NFL career.

His 5-6 frame has missed 33% of the games he could have played in.

Outside of his 2 good games, he has 22 carries in 4 years.

I enjoyed watching Mugsy and Spud play hoops too.

 
2 good games in his 4 year NFL career. His 5-6 frame has missed 33% of the games he could have played in. Outside of his 2 good games, he has 22 carries in 4 years.I enjoyed watching Mugsy and Spud play hoops too.
He happened to be behind the best RB in the NFL and the best backup RB in the NFL for the last three years. I wouldn't hold his lack of work against him.
 
I love his running style, put him in a different body and I would be all over him. But come on guys even the SAMLL Scat backs in the league at 200 pounds have almost 20 pounds on him and 3 inches in height. 5'9" 205 pounds is usually considered scat backs, GROSSLY undersized he is WAY WAY smaller than that. He doesnt have a future as a feature. He is a guy who you find a way to get 7-10 touches a game in situations to best use his speed and agility.

I don't see anything not to like either. Seems like he was an afterthought for dynasty leaguers because of his size, but clearly that's not going to matter if no one can touch him.
:excited: Get this kid now.
I worked a deal for LT + Sproles in the offseason. After watching those K-State Highlights I am pretty excited about the "throw in" I got.Sure he is "small", but guys like Westbrook and Sanders and and were so quick that they were able to avoid many of the punishing hits other backs like Marion Barber are forced to absorb due to a lack of shiftiness. With those quicks, he is likely to be arm tackled as opposed to taking on huge hits.
 
If only someone would have called into the audible BTR show and said that they thought people were overreacting to Sproles

 
If only someone would have called into the audible BTR show and said that they thought people were overreacting to Sproles
Who? The kid looks good, although he doesn't get the ball much.5/38 rushing, 7.6 average2/39 receiving, 19.5 average7/77 total, 11 averageI'll take those stats for now, and I'm starting Sproles in my 14 team, 2/2/3/1/4 start league (4 flex).If LT hadn't played, Sproles I'm guessing would have been well over 100 total. Seriously, LT's longest run was 5 yards? I didn't see the game, but why bother playing him? Rivers is doing well enough that I doubt they were stacking the box.
 
Sproles looks like he would get 2000 yds rushing/receiving if he were ever fed the ball. I know he's like 5 foot nothing, but he keeps racking up yardage. He's just too talented to keep off the field. Not we're seeing LT go to the bench on thrid downs. It could be interesting if he hit free agency and went to a coach that featured him more. He is a restricted FA in 09

 
Bri said:
FUBAR said:
Bri said:
If only someone would have called into the audible BTR show and said that they thought people were overreacting to Sproles
Seriously, LT's longest run was 5 yards? I didn't see the game, but why bother playing him?
like I said
I'm missing your point. The comment was tongue in cheek, but LT was obviously not at 100%. The Chargers were ahead from the beginning, and well ahead by the time LT scored his two TDs, so why risk further injury?Maybe what you're saying is the Chargers aren't happy with Sproles, but I'd be surprised if that was the case. I see most of LT's carries were in the first half, and they brought him in for TDs. The tandem works well, but again, I just don't see the need for him to have played in the 2nd half at all, they would have been better off resting him. Just looking at the stats, so if someone who saw the game has insight, please share, but the stats indicate he was not at 100%.
 
I think it's pretty clear that if Sproles ever gets the chance to have a Reggie Bush/MJD kind of workload, he'll produce like them. We can debate whether he'll hold up very long under that load, and we can debate whether he'll ever get that chance because his coaching staff has some sort of prejudice against playing a little back, but after how he looked the last two weeks, I don't think there's a debate over his ability any more. He looks special, a back with that "IT" quality.

 
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he's a restricted free agent next year so if the chargers dont give him any more of an opportunity another team might. Don't expect him to get 300 carries anywhere but i could see a 150-200 carry RBBC somewhere if not SD.

 
Tecmo said:
Sproles looks like he would get 2000 yds rushing/receiving if he were ever fed the ball. I know he's like 5 foot nothing, but he keeps racking up yardage. He's just too talented to keep off the field. Not we're seeing LT go to the bench on thrid downs. It could be interesting if he hit free agency and went to a coach that featured him more. He is a restricted FA in 09
This is not college ball. If Sproles gets used as a feature back his YPC will go down faster than the titanic, and he will get beat to a pulp well before reaching that kind of yardage.I agree with you - he is too talented to keep off the field, but in a limited role. Use him in the slot, screens etc but not running up the middle very often. A 180lb body can only take so many hits from 250-300lb linemen before breaking. More importantly, has he been used in the backfield for pass blocking? Just curious if he is even able to do that. If he isn't able to pass block there is no way he'll ever be a featured back.
 
He's really not that small. 187 pounds is a lot for a 5'6" guy.

That's not to say he should be given 25 carries per game, but I don't see why he wouldn't be able to survive a Dunn type of role.

 
Bri said:
FUBAR said:
Bri said:
If only someone would have called into the audible BTR show and said that they thought people were overreacting to Sproles
Seriously, LT's longest run was 5 yards? I didn't see the game, but why bother playing him?
like I said
I'm missing your point. The comment was tongue in cheek, but LT was obviously not at 100%. The Chargers were ahead from the beginning, and well ahead by the time LT scored his two TDs, so why risk further injury?Maybe what you're saying is the Chargers aren't happy with Sproles, but I'd be surprised if that was the case. I see most of LT's carries were in the first half, and they brought him in for TDs. The tandem works well, but again, I just don't see the need for him to have played in the 2nd half at all, they would have been better off resting him. Just looking at the stats, so if someone who saw the game has insight, please share, but the stats indicate he was not at 100%.
good cover, your first post that I replied to had nothing about injury/health and nothing about halves and resting.you guys lllllove Sproles. I am intrigued too but, I don't feel anywhere near as excited as his fans do lately.
 
Bri said:
FUBAR said:
Bri said:
If only someone would have called into the audible BTR show and said that they thought people were overreacting to Sproles
Seriously, LT's longest run was 5 yards? I didn't see the game, but why bother playing him?
like I said
I'm missing your point. The comment was tongue in cheek, but LT was obviously not at 100%. The Chargers were ahead from the beginning, and well ahead by the time LT scored his two TDs, so why risk further injury?Maybe what you're saying is the Chargers aren't happy with Sproles, but I'd be surprised if that was the case. I see most of LT's carries were in the first half, and they brought him in for TDs. The tandem works well, but again, I just don't see the need for him to have played in the 2nd half at all, they would have been better off resting him. Just looking at the stats, so if someone who saw the game has insight, please share, but the stats indicate he was not at 100%.
good cover, your first post that I replied to had nothing about injury/health and nothing about halves and resting.you guys lllllove Sproles. I am intrigued too but, I don't feel anywhere near as excited as his fans do lately.
:PWhat you call "cover", I call the obvious. Nobody is going to say Sproles is better than a healthy LT, but I asked a sincere question. Thanks for ignoring the obvious. Sproles is a little stud, behind one of the best in the game, and he had been behind another very good RB. San Diego is the Green Bay (QBs) of RBs.
 
Im not buying into this totally.. not sure Sproles can carry the load 20+ times a game for 16+ games in a full season.

We may see though. He def. has value though.

 
for PPR it won't matter if he touches the ball 20x's a game. the amount of screens/dumpoffs he catches makes up if he only rushes the ball 10-15x's per. with what he's shown over this season and of course the explosions lately he may prove to be a better version of reggie bush for whichever team ponies up for his services.

 
The future is now.
lol you said that months ago
I honestly thought LT was going to pull up lame after watching him in that Denver game. His turf toe looked bad and I just didn't think that he was going to play through it successfully. How can turf toe get better when you're playing on it (see also: McFadden, Darren) I also thought he might suffer another injury because he was running in a style that was unnatural to him - he couldn't do what he wanted to do. I was wrong about Sproles getting a bigger piece of the SD backfield this year, I'll cop to that. LT actually did get better while he was playing on the toe. By the end of the year he was almost all the way back (and then... the groin). I still feel fine about imploring Sproles pickup at the time, because imo he had the most potential value of any backup readily available at the WW. That value didn't mature, but it was still there - his talent and playmaking ability have been apparent down the stretch, and he's definitely in for a lot more touches next year, no matter where he is.
 
Sproles took himself out of that game several times and definitely looked dinged. I don't think he should be the workhorse and punt returner but I could see him as a viable RB in a platoon somewhere.

 
Im not buying into this totally.. not sure Sproles can carry the load 20+ times a game for 16+ games in a full season.
No doubt that his durability could mirror Jacobs... or worse. Bush hasn't been great the last two years either. But like Jacobs and Bush, he'll produce when he's healthy.
 
Just mentioned on San Diego radio that there's speculation that Sproles will resign with the Chargers. Team executives around the NFL still view Sproles as a return man/backup RB and won't generate the type of cash Turner got. They're probably not willing to offer as much for him. Also, not to mention that the Chargers will have plenty of salary cap room next year.

Of course, everyone in SD is hoping he stays.

 
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Sigmund Bloom said:
he's definitely in for a lot more touches next year, no matter where he is.
David Meggett was "deadly". Opposing AFC East coaches will rest easier when Kevin Faulk retires. Neither had 1000 yards and excited you for FF. They could cover a bye though or get ya thru injuries for a week or two. I think this is Sproles' future role. While this role is disrespected by FF folks initially, when they put their NFL fan hats on-these guys are excellent players.Returning kicks, how'd Hester do this year compared to others, now that he's a WR? They got lucky to have another top KR PR in Manning. (Forget LT2 for a sec) If Sproles is SD's main back they lose a ton of ST yardage or expect him to do too much. If Tomlinson is around and Sproles is a 3rd down demon, he can still fill the return-man role. IIRC Meggett made the probowl a couple times so I'm not disrespecting "your boy". I'm just not pencilling him in for 3-400 carries.
 
What team has Thunder and is missing Lightening? FA will be good for his wallet with these performances

 
What team has Thunder and is missing Lightening? FA will be good for his wallet with these performances
Arizona and Detroit are a few of my guesses as to where he lands. The teams in dire need of an RB I think will pick an RB on the first day.
 
From a FF perspective, he's someone I would have already liked to have on my team, but after last night I think he's going to cost an arm and a leg. Is he a sell high player after last night?

 
What team has Thunder and is missing Lightening? FA will be good for his wallet with these performances
Arizona and Detroit are a few of my guesses as to where he lands. The teams in dire need of an RB I think will pick an RB on the first day.
I would love to see the Lions go after Sproles. When you have a weak team in need of playmakers, a dynamic returner who can give you good field position, plus play on offense is virtually priceless. He is a threat to score every time he has the ball. It's hard to say how many offensive touches he could handle over a full season, but even 10-15 combined with his return ability would make him worth the contract.
 
Assuming the money is not a big differentiating factor, I think a big issue in whether Sproles decides to stay or go will be the level of involvement he'll be promised in a team's offense.

I doubt that the Chargers can/will guarantee that he'll get the ball 200+ times next year, even with LT declining. Another team can probably offer him a bigger role - maybe not a super-sized one like Turner got, but much bigger than his current situation.

 
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Sigmund Bloom said:
he's definitely in for a lot more touches next year, no matter where he is.
David Meggett was "deadly". Opposing AFC East coaches will rest easier when Kevin Faulk retires. Neither had 1000 yards and excited you for FF. They could cover a bye though or get ya thru injuries for a week or two. I think this is Sproles' future role. While this role is disrespected by FF folks initially, when they put their NFL fan hats on-these guys are excellent players.Returning kicks, how'd Hester do this year compared to others, now that he's a WR? They got lucky to have another top KR PR in Manning. (Forget LT2 for a sec) If Sproles is SD's main back they lose a ton of ST yardage or expect him to do too much. If Tomlinson is around and Sproles is a 3rd down demon, he can still fill the return-man role. IIRC Meggett made the probowl a couple times so I'm not disrespecting "your boy". I'm just not pencilling him in for 3-400 carries.
Bri, you do a great job of laying out the case for the downside of Sproles. He could definitely stay in Faulk/LWash/Norwood territory with respect to number of touches and role. I certainly don't expect Sproles to get the full workload at any point during his career, except for situations like last night when injuries force his team to give him the full load. The hope for Sproles dynasty owners would be a Bush/MJD type roleStill, I can't help but think that Sproles has more game between the tackles than Faulk and co, and we shouldn't automatically assume that he'll never get a chance to be an everydown back. Here's what Norv had to say about Sproles recently:
Q. How much does Darren Sproles continue to surprise you?A. I haven't been surprised since the Detroit game a year ago. He's playing with such great confidence, and we have found ways to get him the ball. It's hard. I asked him about the touchdown (against Denver), 'Were they yelling screen?' He said, 'They yell screen every time I go in.' We've had to work a lot of different ways to create looks for him to get the ball.Q. Has he become better between the tackles this year?A. I noticed it in training camp. He's a more patient runner. That comes from getting opportunities.Q. Can he be an every-down back?A. I don't think anyone should ever put limitations on him. You have to be concerned about durability and what you're asking him to do, but he has obviously shown he can hold up and be a physical player in this league.
Benny Beaver brings up a good point that the visibility of Sproles huge game last night makes him a possible sell high. Certainly if you can get a top 5 rookie pick or you can package Sproles up with some other pieces to get a real stud (or stud in waiting), don't hesitate. Otherwise, there are still good reasons to wait and see on Sproles. First, his team in 2009 will have made a financial commitment to him and obviously will be a team that believes in him, meaning they'll be more likely to give him more work (I stand by my prediction that he'll get a lot more than 90 touches next year). Second, at this point we *know* that when Sproles gets a decent amount of touches, he produces. Three times Sproles had nine or more touches on offense this year - he had 18.5, 18.4, and 25.2 fantasy points in those games (without PPR). Last night, he showed us what he can do with a feature back load. I tend to fall on the side of "talent creates opportunity" in these situations, but conventional wisdom dictates that Sproles will remain in a limited role. How Sproles career turns out will either shatter preconceived notions about how big a RB has to be to get enough touches to be significant for fantasy, or resoundingly reinforce those notions. :lmao:
 
Assuming the money is not a big differentiating factor, I think a big issue in whether Sproles decides to stay or go will be the level of involvement he'll be promised in a team's offense.
Good point, and another in his favor. If we assume that Sproles wants the biggest possible role, then he'll do the job of maximizing his potential fantasy value by choosing that team in the offseason.This situation also bears watching for LWash and Norwood owners who are hoping that they get bigger roles with their 2nd contract.
 
Still, I can't help but think that Sproles has more game between the tackles than Faulk and co, and we shouldn't automatically assume that he'll never get a chance to be an everydown back.
With few short guys to compare him to, I would say his extreme upside is a real short impressive 2-3 years like Joe Morris then. However, I remember Joe as a thick-ly built back that reminds me more of MJD than Sproles. Sproles makes me think more of young Tiki. What's he weigh? 20 less than Joe did?I hate the too small to play the NFL game notions as much as the next guy-those that become well then he's too small to carry it 18 per game, and then they become well he's too small to have a long career. I know that dance and I gotta say though if it fits someone, it's Sproles. At some point, that lil bugger is going to be too small. It could just be(like Joe) a brief career as a quality lead back. He's too expensive to attain in dynasty to only get a brief amount of success from.

 
Watching Sproles impact the Chargers season makes me wonder how much Felix Jones would have meant over the 2nd half of the season to Dallas as a change of pace and KR. One more win and the Philly game was meaningless.

 
Assuming the money is not a big differentiating factor, I think a big issue in whether Sproles decides to stay or go will be the level of involvement he'll be promised in a team's offense.
Good point, and another in his favor. If we assume that Sproles wants the biggest possible role, then he'll do the job of maximizing his potential fantasy value by choosing that team in the offseason.This situation also bears watching for LWash and Norwood owners who are hoping that they get bigger roles with their 2nd contract.
I'd love to be a fly on AJ Smith's wall when he sits Sproles down and sells the Chargers. Obviously he won't be able to promise him a full time role, but a 4-5 year deal that has Sproles getting a bigger piece of the pie over the next 3 years while LT's workload decreases would be perfect. It shields Sproles from the full time role which would likely expose his size and shorten his career, enables LT to save wear and tear on his aging body, and would set SD up with a top flight 2 pronged rushing attack that along with Rivers and a re-signed Merriman would mean 4-5 more years as SBowl contenders.See the bigger picture Darren. Please.
 
Great thread. Thanks for the contributions from everyone. Thanks for bumping Sig.

I predict that Sproles will go to a new team that has an existing back or drafts a 2-3-4 round back and he can be had has a 3rd RB next season in drafts. I see value. If he ends up somewhere as a feature back, I think he'll be overpriced as expectations will be at his ceiling, and I think many have outlined the downside risks with Sproles.

 
JPeso said:
Tecmo said:
What team has Thunder and is missing Lightening? FA will be good for his wallet with these performances
Arizona and Detroit are a few of my guesses as to where he lands. The teams in dire need of an RB I think will pick an RB on the first day.
yeah, arizona looks like a good match with Hightower. Not sure if they have the cap space though. I could see Tampa wanting to upgrade Dunn if they're rolling with Graham again. Even if Caddy is healthy, a split might be in order. The Denver situation looks very interesting too with nothing set in stone at the RB position. Whoever gets that job would love to add by subtraction from a divisional foe.
 
Im not buying into this totally.. not sure Sproles can carry the load 20+ times a game for 16+ games in a full season.We may see though. He def. has value though.
this always bothers me. how many RBs carry it 20 times a game? this year 5 guys got more than 300 carries (though stevie jax would have made 6 had he been healthy). and every week on TV you'll hear someone say, "i don't know if he's a guy who can carry it 25 times a game". which would equal 400 carries. thats like saying "i dont know if this is a guy who can catch 9 passes every game". these kinds of statements don't relate to how the game is actually played. especially since teams often carry more than 1 RB on the roster.my main concern: is this guy an integral part of the offense and will they find ways to get him the ball? if someone opens up the checkbook for sproles, theyre probably gonna want him to earn that money.
 
What team has Thunder and is missing Lightening? FA will be good for his wallet with these performances
Arizona and Detroit are a few of my guesses as to where he lands. The teams in dire need of an RB I think will pick an RB on the first day.
I would love to see the Lions go after Sproles. When you have a weak team in need of playmakers, a dynamic returner who can give you good field position, plus play on offense is virtually priceless. He is a threat to score every time he has the ball. It's hard to say how many offensive touches he could handle over a full season, but even 10-15 combined with his return ability would make him worth the contract.
This would be a big win for the Lions if they could pull it off. The problem is his perceived value by other teams is probably higher than what that tightwad Ford is willing to pay. If other teams only see Sproles as a KR/PR type of guy then the Lions might have a shot at landing him, but if SD slaps the franchise tag on him forget it he's not going anywhere.
 
Wonder what people are getting for Sproles and LT in dynasty leagues.
good question. I'm one of those teams with both and may look to deal them this off season although I've liked Sproles for a long time now, my top 2 RBs are good enough and I could probably use help elsewhere. Back in November I was offered Brandon Jacobs and a good CB for LT/Sproles, I turned it down.
 
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Although Sproles is talented I'd be surprised if he got offered top money and a starters position. If he's not offered that situation I think the Chargers will try real hard to sign him due to the stage of LT's career, Sproles return abilities and his ability to backup LT so well. At the end of the day I think he means more to the Chargers than he will to many other teams and the Chargers have a good bit of money they could throw at him. Also, seeing how the M. Turner situation turned out they may be a little more reluctant to let Sproles walk as well (even though they couldn't really do anything with Turner other than trade him).

 

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