Jahvid Best (1 Viewer)

[Anthony Borbely]

I realize it is only 2 preseason games, but is it time to move Jahvid Best way up draft boards?

Up to this point, I have been somewhat conservative regarding my ranking of Best (RB21 right now, 19 in PPR)...mainly because I questioned the amount of touches he would get. But he has been on the field a good 80% of the time (or maybe more) with the starters and I think he is going to see far more touches than I did before. I think the only reason Best has been a mid to low RB2 in the minds of most people is because they believe he will see limited touches (and injury concerns). But after seeing the way the Lions used him and how well he has played, there is no way they can limit his touches. Prior to preseason, I figured Best for 180-200 carries max and 40-50 receptions, but I seriously think the carries will be closer to 250 now, if not higher. I just can't imagine the Lions only giving Best 12 carries per game (192 total). 250 carries is 15.6 carries per game and that seems very reasonable to me.

This kid flat out looks like a stud already. Everyone knows he is electric in space. but I think he is much better between the tackles than he is given credit for. I know one thing, I am on the edge of my seat anytime Best has the ball.

Am I crazy thinking Best could see 300 total touches? Is this preseason hype or the real thing?

 

[lazyike]

I'd say I think it would be "Best" to keep a wathchful eye on the Lions backfield situation until your draft but I do agree with you.

 

[boilerdave]

I haven't seen Best play yet. The game is replayed on NFL Network at 1:00...I'll be watching.

 

[whodeywhodey]

I agree with you.

He's my pick for ROY.

 

[Steed]

Thanks for coming to our party, but we're at full capacity here. See ya next year?

 

[wiscstlatlmia]

Hes gonna get alot of touches. Also, they really have no other goaline option. it looks like Stafford has got his stuff together this year and if that is the case then barring injury your looking at your rookie of the year

 

[Anthony Borbely]

By the way....Best's current ADP is RB23 (RB21 in PPR).

 

[shader]

At this point, I don't think you can go wrong with Best, Spiller or Mathews. 3 home run rb's this year for sure.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

I realize it is only 2 preseason games, but is it time to move Jahvid Best way up draft boards?

I'm glad you posted this because I was thinking of doing something similar. After seeing him the last 2 games and really focusing in on him last night, I can't tell you how impressed I am with this guy. I hate to say this, but he actually reminds me a little of Barry Sanders. He has the innate ability to go one way and then quickly cutback the opposite way to find a hole and make a big play.As an announcer mentioned last night, he's also like Barry in that it appears when he's tackled, the defense doesn't get a clean shot on him, happy to just get him to the ground.I think what surprises me the most, besides the fact the Lions actually made a good 1st round pick is this: I kept hearing how small of a back he is so I envisioned that tiny little thing running back who's ultra fast but could get broken in half at some point. He doesn't look that small to me. His legs are on the thick side, maybe not as thick as Barry's or Emmitt's but something like that. My point is he looks like a guy who can carry the load. Any RB can get hurt, let's face it but he doesn't have any more of a chance than anyone else.Not only is Best a dynamic runner, he can catch the ball. On a couple plays last night, Best was the recipient of a few dump off plays where the secondary moved down field to cover Calvin, Burleson and Scheffler and that created some space for him, which is DANGEROUS for any defense.To make a long story short, don't be afraid to draft Best. I think his ADP is around 5.02 so if you're drafting in the mid 4th, don't pass on him. He is worth a round 3 pick easy right now. If you haven't seen him, he is the real deal and if you can land him as your Rb2 you're golden.

 

[meatwad1]

One question...how did Moreno and Wells look at this point last year?

I agree, he is looking awesome, I want to do a little more research but I am pretty sure just like Rice last year, no matter how well he does in the next preseason game, you will be able to get him in the 4th round in most leagues.

On another note, Stafford might be a guy to take a late flyer on too...I can remember how bad Manning got beat up in his first season.

 

[eakfootball]

I think Best Mathews and Spiller will all be very good this year. For Best exept about 900 rushing yards, 450 reciving yards, and about 6 touchdowns. For Mathews 1200 rushing yards 200 reciving yards and 8 touchdowns, and for Spiller 1000 rushing yards 350 and 4 or 5 touchdowns

 

[nysportsfan]

With my draft tonight, there are a few guys I will reach for. He is definitely one of them. PPR he should be an easy RB2 if he doesn't get injured.

 

[Winning IS Everything]

I am down. I am contemplating a deal in dynasty to move to 1.1. I was originally doing it to get Mathews, but I may just do it to get Best. He looks good on an up and coming offense.

 

[Johnny Ice]

I have no problem pushing Best past Steven Jackson, Mendenhall, and the Greene types. I checked the game out last night and the kid will be an FF Beast. I'm not missing the boat on this one.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

Schedule is not fun. I like him a lot though.

 

[MAC_32]

He was my favorite back in this class last fall and nothing's changed, the guy is a borderline elite talent - those aren't usually available as late in the draft as Best is going. I'm targeting him everywhere.

 

[Mortimer Ichabod]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

 

[Topes]

At this point, I don't think you can go wrong with Best, Spiller or Mathews. 3 home run rb's this year for sure.

At this point? Sure.Come December, likely not.Nothing is certain. Sure, I'm targeting all three of these guys, but I know they hold a pretty good chance of whiffing.These three could turn out to be Cadillac Williams, Cedric Benson and Ronnie Brown. That was a monster class!

 

[My Hope Street Alias]

How do you pronounce his first name? You know, to avoid insults when I draft him. TIA

 

[bluesclues]

How do you pronounce his first name? You know, to avoid insults when I draft him. TIA

I will take Best from Detroit.

 

[Ultima Thule]

While I agree that he looks very good (and I do have him in one redraft league) we have to keep in mind that he has a history of concussions. The league is very serious about concussions now so his health remains a red flag for me.

 

[RenegadeGM]

Watched the game last night and came away thinking I really hope I can get him as my RB2 this year. With the Lions being the "local" team, though, it isn't likely to happen.

He looked very impressive last night. Really, the entire Lions offense did.

 

[CravenM]

I'm normally squeamish about taking any Detroit player but Best looks great and appears to be an integral cog in the Lion offense.

Reminds me of Marshall Faulk - similar size and skills

 

[Go deep]

It nice to see Best playing well, but for those of us that liked him to begin with, its not a big suprise. I am hoping AB is right about his Lions, because me 5 redraft teams are lttered with Best, Burelson and Scheffler. The latter two can be had at the end of drafts, and should make nice bye week fillers at minimum.

 

[I was in the pool]

I was conservative with my expectations with Best, but my projections have been creeping up as he has passed the NFL "eye test" with the 1st string and has a clear path to a ton of touches this year. In PPR, he is sitting as my #9 RB and is a very good value (almost stealing) if I get him within a round of ADP.

I think everyone is a little hesitant about the rookies because McCoy and Moreno were underwhelming in 2009. Every player and situation is different, so a lot of the generalities about rookies are overblown. Best has a good passing attack in place, on turf, and a team on the rise in 2010 - all positive ways to start an NFL career.

 

[Mark Wimer]

Watched the game last night and came away thinking I really hope I can get him as my RB2 this year. With the Lions being the "local" team, though, it isn't likely to happen. He looked very impressive last night. Really, the entire Lions offense did.

I got him as my RB 3 in my 21-year old redraft league yesterday before the game (Best, Reggie Bush, Ryan Grant and Ray Rice - 12 team league), and I'm pretty thrilled to have him on my roster. I've also got him as my RB 2 on the Footballguys.com staff IDP league (Best, Michael Bush/Darren McFadden, Chester Taylor), and now that we've seen him in action I'm feeling increasingly comfortable with him as RB 2 there (it is a 1 PT PPR league). The concussions are a legitimate concern, especially with the (rightfully) increased vigilance of the league on that issue - for that reason I feel more comfortable with him as my RB 3 than RB 2, but I do expect a lot of big-yardage plays/long TDs from him so I'm willing to accept that increased injury risk. I've also got Burleson on both those teams as a WR3/4 - IMO the Detroit Offense is vastly improved this year due to smart drafting/FA moves, and I expect the defense to still be sub-par-to-mediocre at maximum. So there should be a lot of fantasy points on this offensive unit this year - I want my slice of those for sure. I'm excited about Detroit's offense for the first time in a decade, basically! GL in your drafts everyone!Mark W.

 

[atl3695]

I still think you need to be somewhat concerned about touches for Best. Kevin Smith looked healthy and given the injury history for both, this may be a true RBBC. Smith is also a good receiver out of the backfield. Can Best succeed with 50-60% of the carries?

 

[Balance]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

 

[Balance]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

NFL.com has highlights.. but Best doesnt make it.

 

[John555]

Talent wise, Best was the #1 or #2 RB in the draft. Best dropped because of injury concerns, and for good reason, he did miss a lot of games. The Lions had holes at every position, so if they thought Kevin Smith was the answer, they would not used such a key pick on Best. Kevin Smith has zero burst and is not all that good at short yardage either. Best is so much better than Smith, it is not even a concern. So a healthy Best is a top 10 RB, IMHO, but with some risk. Good shot at offensive ROY.

 

[Mark Wimer]

I still think you need to be somewhat concerned about touches for Best. Kevin Smith looked healthy and given the injury history for both, this may be a true RBBC. Smith is also a good receiver out of the backfield. Can Best succeed with 50-60% of the carries?

At this stage of his career, I don't think Kevin Smith is going to do much more than "spell" Best after long runs and see mop-up duty in the final minutes of games that are already decided. Smith's game has been degraded due to multiple serious injuries - he has a big heart and still has desire to play the game, but Best's talents far exceed Smith's at this time, IMO.

 

[bengalbuck]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

NFL.com has highlights.. but Best doesnt make it.

He didn't really have any highlight runs where he did something spectacular. He just looked very solid and had some nice 7 and 8 yard runs. I like him but that Denver defensive line looked terrible...I'm not sure how much of Best's success (and Detroit's success in general) was an indictment of Denver because Detroit's O line dominated the line of scrimmage. Either their line is stronger than anyone expected or Denver is awful.

 

[John555]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

NFL.com has highlights.. but Best doesnt make it.

He didn't really have any highlight runs where he did something spectacular. He just looked very solid and had some nice 7 and 8 yard runs. I like him but that Denver defensive line looked terrible...I'm not sure how much of Best's success (and Detroit's success in general) was an indictment of Denver because Detroit's O line dominated the line of scrimmage. Either their line is stronger than anyone expected or Denver is awful.

Or it is pre-season, and the effort is lacking.

 

[Go deep]

I still think you need to be somewhat concerned about touches for Best. Kevin Smith looked healthy and given the injury history for both, this may be a true RBBC. Smith is also a good receiver out of the backfield. Can Best succeed with 50-60% of the carries?

At this stage of his career, I don't think Kevin Smith is going to do much more than "spell" Best after long runs and see mop-up duty in the final minutes of games that are already decided. Smith's game has been degraded due to multiple serious injuries - he has a big heart and still has desire to play the game, but Best's talents far exceed Smith's at this time, IMO.

Im afraid Smith might vulture some goalline carries.

 

[remote controller]

He sure doesn't look like a # 44. Maybe a 33 or a 2o something, but not a 44.

 

[WFR]

He sure doesn't look like a # 44. Maybe a 33 or a 2o something, but not a 44.

He's a .44 Magnum - Dirty Harry style, snub-nose .44 Magnum! Lot's of power in that small package!

 

[Jason Wood]

Best was already my RB14 in PPR leagues, so I'd frankly rather all of you not jump on the bandwagon, at least until my drafts are over. Thanks.

 

[Ray_T]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

NFL.com has highlights.. but Best doesnt make it.

He didn't really have any highlight runs where he did something spectacular. He just looked very solid and had some nice 7 and 8 yard runs. I like him but that Denver defensive line looked terrible...I'm not sure how much of Best's success (and Detroit's success in general) was an indictment of Denver because Detroit's O line dominated the line of scrimmage. Either their line is stronger than anyone expected or Denver is awful.

Denver was awful against the run late in the season. While this is exhibition and not all the starters may have been in there, I would expect that the line would still be sub par.I am optimistic for Best's prospects, but holding my breath until we see him in the rest of the exhibition games.

 

[baconisgood]

My point is he looks like a guy who can carry the load. Any RB can get hurt, let's face it but he doesn't have any more of a chance than anyone else.

This isn't true- its well documented that having one concussion makes you more susceptible to others.

 

[Gopher State]

I have no problem pushing Best past Steven Jackson, Mendenhall, and the Greene types. I checked the game out last night and the kid will be an FF Beast. I'm not missing the boat on this one.

so are you drafting Best before or after Gore?

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

He sure doesn't look like a # 44. Maybe a 33 or a 2o something, but not a 44.

LOL, I was thinking the same thing last night. That number kind of caught be by surprise too, kind of a fullback number or something.To the poster who mentioned Kevin Smith may vultuer the TD's, I don't think I'm worried about him. I mean, he may get a couple Td's because of a nice run or something, but I don't think for one second Kevin Smith is going to be brought in as some kind of specialty runner for the goaline. I'm a little concerned that Felton, a FB who is a decent short yardage guy with good hands may be a guy they use in situations like this. Talk in early spring was that they were going to try and use this guy in that sort of way but I haven't actually seen it come to fruition either.

 

[kremenull]

I realize it is only 2 preseason games, but is it time to move Jahvid Best way up draft boards?

Uhhhhhh.........you just did. He's currently going the mid-3rd as of today. You just ruined my plan. Thanks Man!

Just kidding, it's all good. I'm a hype man also.

 

[jcaleo]

First game highlights....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVTniIk9rhY

 

[LawFitz]

I'm not at all surprised by his quicks, but I am pleasantly surprised by his build. I was envisioning a Chris Johnson or Jamal Charles type, but he seems much thicker in the legs, which I think is a good thing for an NFL RB.

 

[Addai's Adidas]

I'm just glad he didn't rip a long one for a TD this week. That would really have ruined my draft plans next weekend. If I can get him in a 16 teamer at pick 2.14 or 3.03 I will.

 

[Northbound Train]

Anyone have the highlights of Best last night? i checked NFL.com but they don't seem to have them

NFL.com has highlights.. but Best doesnt make it.

He didn't really have any highlight runs where he did something spectacular. He just looked very solid and had some nice 7 and 8 yard runs. I like him but that Denver defensive line looked terrible...I'm not sure how much of Best's success (and Detroit's success in general) was an indictment of Denver because Detroit's O line dominated the line of scrimmage. Either their line is stronger than anyone expected or Denver is awful.

Or it is pre-season, and the effort is lacking.

Effort lacking when jobs are at stake I'd say the injury to Elvis had more to do with Detroits dominance on the line rather than lack of effort...

 

[kutta]

I like Best too, but let's remember this is still the Lions and it is still preseason. In the 3rd preseason game for Detroit last year, Kevin Smith was 8 for 50 rushing. A lot of average guys can look pretty good against vanilla defenses not playing all their starters.

 

[lebowski]

I think he has looked really solid. Took him at 4.01 yesterday to pair with Chris Johnson (3 round reversal draft). I think he should be a solid #2 RB with upside to be 12. Sometimes talent trumps situation and from the looks of it he may be able to make the OL look better than it is. Detroit has a tough schedule this year but they play virtually no games in the cold this year which should help the offense in my opinion (@ buffallo in early Nov. is the coldest game they play). It also looks like he will be heavily used in the passing game if they get down.

I'm a homer but I think he should be very solid if healthy.

 

[Clifford]

was just about to say that. Watching his first game highlights I didn't come away overly impressed. Would like to see game 2 highlights if anyone has a link

 

[Bristol]