Kevin Smith (1 Viewer)

[Bayhawks]

With Best not being cleared (yet) for contact, Leshoure suspended for the first 2 games, coming off a MAJOR injury, and now nursing a MINOR hamstring injury, what are the expectations for Kevin Smith?

His ADP from recent mock drafts (fantasyfootballcalculator.com) appears to be in the 13th round (54th RB taken!) after guys like Robert Turbin, Isaiah Pead, & Mike Goodson. If Smith is the starter for the 1st two games, and then is (at worst) the lead dog in a RBBC, that could be incredible value.

So, what are some projections for Smith? I know his ADP will rise, but he could be a great value if it doesn't get too high.

Here are mine, based on an assumption of 350 RB rushes & 85 RB receptions.

Smith-200 carries, 850 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs, 40 receptions, 390 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

Best-80 carries, 380 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs, 35 receptions, 340 receiving yards, 1 receiving TD

Leshoure-70 carries, 270 yards, 2 rushing TDs, 10 receptions, 85 receiving yards, 0 receiving TD

**This is based on the assumption that Best doesn't get cleared to play/removed from the PUP list for several more weeks. If he gets cleared in the next few days, then pre-season games will obviously be important in deciphering this situation**

Other thoughts?

 

[mjr]

I'm reading in several places that Smith looks strong and hasn't looked this strong since his rookie year. I think he's at a tremendous value right now and I'm adding or have added him in all of my leagues. I really want to see what he can do the first few weeks, with hopes of trading him high if he plays well. Long term, I don't think he's the answer in Detroit and I don't think he's going to set himself apart from the pack. But I suspect a hot start for him in 2012. BUY.

 

[FF Ninja]

I don't understand how LeShoure is going before Smith. The guy is essentially a rookie who is coming off what is, more often than not, a career ending injury. Best was predicted to have concussion problems and he's actually doubled down with a turf toe injury as well. Smith is the guy I want here, especially at his price.

The Lions were forced to abandon the run last year due tot he defense not being as good as expected and the lack of NFL talent at the position. Best was actually averaging 14 carries per game through 6 weeks. He was on pace for 224 rushes and 107 targets. If LeShoure is a dud and Best is limited, I see no reason why Smith wouldn't be in line for such a role which could easily put him in RB1 territory if goal line carries are part of that duty. Obviously, that is pretty close to a best case scenario, but he could easily be the only effective RB on the active roster by week 8.

I am not one to read into off field stuff very much, but if we're looking for reasons to downgrade LeShoure beyond his horrible injury and inexperience, getting arrested for mary jane isn't exactly a sign of offseason dedication to your craft. Like I said, I don't care much about off field issues, but for me to place ANY hope in a running back with no NFL experience coming off a torn achilles I'd need to see some serious fluff pieces about him training like crazy and running a solid 40 with good 10 and 20 yard splits. Instead he's getting arrested and suspended.

 

[TheWick]

shhhhh

 

[footballman_696969]

I'm reading in several places that Smith looks strong and hasn't looked this strong since his rookie year.

Link(s)?

 

[todisco1]

I'm reading in several places that Smith looks strong and hasn't looked this strong since his rookie year.

Link(s)?

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120728/SPORTS0101/207280390

News Articles > Kevin Smith 'frontrunner' to be Week 1 b...Published Sat Jul 28 5:24:00 p.m. ET 2012(Rotoworld) The Detroit News agrees with MLive.com that Kevin Smith is the "frontrunner" to open the season as the Lions' starting running back.Analysis: Beat writer Chris McCosky concedes it has as much to do with Smith's "availability" as anything else, but believes he "hasn't looked this physically strong since his rookie year." MLive.com's Anwar Richardson opined Friday that Smith looks "much stronger" than he did in 2011. Things could change quickly if both Jahvid Best (concussions) and Mikel Leshoure (Achilles) prove their health early in the preseason, but it's clear Smith needs to stop slipping to the final rounds of fantasy drafts.

 

[Zackattack]

it's too late now. We will see how far he starts crawling upwards in drafts. I did a mock today and he went in the 9th. I never had a problem before grabbing him in the 12th round.

 

[DawnBTVS]

A bit flawed but in my 20 Team, Keep 6 league (with IDP) Leshoure and Best both went in Round 4. I just snagged Smith in Round 10 (out of 20 Rounds total).

A few things working in his favor...

- He is only 25 years old and should be a bit of a solid buy low Dynasty candidate on top of everything else. If he has a nice season, he could fetch something in FA or in a trade.

- As a rookie he had 976 yards rushing and 39 catches. His 2nd season he had 747 yards rushing and 41 catches. He can be a useful and productive back if given the opportunity.

- He scored a TD in 4 of his 7 games last year and generally had 35-50 yards rushing per game.

Assuming Best eventually gets healthy and Leshoure stays healthy/doesn't do anything to get into further trouble.

176 carries (majority come in early weeks) for 686 yards and 5 TD. 27 catches for 194 yards and 2 TD.

Probably a lower end RB2 earlier in the season and likely ends up as a RB3 value overall. But the potential is there for him to stick as a solid RB2 depending on the situation around him. Incredible value for a guy going towards the end of drafts.

 

[Chazzhawk]

He won't stay healthy he never does, last year after a year and a half off from football he couldn't even finish his 2nd game without an injury. How much more rest could he possibly get? Yet some how he couldn't stay healthy. The sad part is the talent is there, but his body just wasn't made for life in the NFL.

 

[SeanTaylor21]

He won't stay healthy he never does, last year after a year and a half off from football he couldn't even finish his 2nd game without an injury. How much more rest could he possibly get? Yet some how he couldn't stay healthy. The sad part is the talent is there, but his body just wasn't made for life in the NFL.

While I agree that he hasn't proven to stay healthy, I don't think he can be written off just yet. If he is, indeed, stronger and in better shape than his rookie year then I think the "injury prone" label gets delayed when/if he goes down this year. I will add, I do think he will eventually go down- but I can see him doing work in the first two weeks. I don't see Best playing more than 5 games this year and LeShoure is one puff away from the sidelines for a year. I like this guy as a strong buy with the possibility of selling high after Week 1 or 2.Season projections: 190 carries, 700 yards, 5 TDs, 30 recs, 180 yards, 2 TDs.

 

[Chazzhawk]

Another side note, I think he has value in the 12 round or so in a draft master type league. I wouldn't want to own him at all in any league where you have to start the player because he could go down at any minute in a game and possibly cost you a game.

 

[Yenrub]

1st 2 games are against the Rams and 49ers

I wouldn't mind starting him against the Rams but the 49ers might break him

 

[Ray_T]

Another side note, I think he has value in the 12 round or so in a draft master type league. I wouldn't want to own him at all in any league where you have to start the player because he could go down at any minute in a game and possibly cost you a game.

I agree.this is one of those players who is best selected if the scoring rules are 'best ball'typically the roster sizes are larger and if you have 5 RB's they take the score of the best 2 each week.in those kind of drafts, he is good to have because if he puts up 3 huge games before hurting himself, and you spent a 12th or 14th round pick on him, he has paid for himself.the tough ones are the ones where you have to bench someone in order to play him.

 

[Steed]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

 

[kutta]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. Can't posts like this get edited out of the thread?

 

[LawFitz]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

Depends on how serious it is.if they have to operate as they did with Smith it is considerably more serious. DMc had his, and it remains to be seen how he will perform, but I have a greater faith in his ability to recover as he did not require surgery for his injury.As for Ronnie Brown, that was a Lis Franc Fracture he got in 2009. meaning a fracture of the bone. not a tendon injury. Apparently that is the least serious of all the various lis franc injuries you can get. That being said, he has played since, but has not put up fantasy relevant production since. That is not to say that the injury was the cause. It may or may not have influenced his production.Also, westbrook did not have surgery for his injury as it was minor. he did have surgery 4 years later for an ankle injury. I do not know if the ankle injury was related to the lis franc injury he had previously. given the time between injuries I would bet that it is unrelated.I'm not sure how relevant these are to the injury Smith had, but Smith's was operated on and theirs was not. This leads me to believe that at the very least, the seriousness of the injury was substantially different.

Dude, you're getting your Kevins mixed up. It was Kevin Jones with the Lis Franc injury, not Kevin Smith.

 

[gandalas]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

Depends on how serious it is.if they have to operate as they did with Smith it is considerably more serious. DMc had his, and it remains to be seen how he will perform, but I have a greater faith in his ability to recover as he did not require surgery for his injury.As for Ronnie Brown, that was a Lis Franc Fracture he got in 2009. meaning a fracture of the bone. not a tendon injury. Apparently that is the least serious of all the various lis franc injuries you can get. That being said, he has played since, but has not put up fantasy relevant production since. That is not to say that the injury was the cause. It may or may not have influenced his production.Also, westbrook did not have surgery for his injury as it was minor. he did have surgery 4 years later for an ankle injury. I do not know if the ankle injury was related to the lis franc injury he had previously. given the time between injuries I would bet that it is unrelated.I'm not sure how relevant these are to the injury Smith had, but Smith's was operated on and theirs was not. This leads me to believe that at the very least, the seriousness of the injury was substantially different.

Dude, you're getting your Kevins mixed up. It was Kevin Jones with the Lis Franc injury, not Kevin Smith.

Well, give him credit, at least he is willing to defend his position, incorrect or not.

 

[firstseason1988]

I don't understand how LeShoure is going before Smith. The guy is essentially a rookie who is coming off what is, more often than not, a career ending injury. Best was predicted to have concussion problems and he's actually doubled down with a turf toe injury as well. Smith is the guy I want here, especially at his price.The Lions were forced to abandon the run last year due tot he defense not being as good as expected and the lack of NFL talent at the position. Best was actually averaging 14 carries per game through 6 weeks. He was on pace for 224 rushes and 107 targets. If LeShoure is a dud and Best is limited, I see no reason why Smith wouldn't be in line for such a role which could easily put him in RB1 territory if goal line carries are part of that duty. Obviously, that is pretty close to a best case scenario, but he could easily be the only effective RB on the active roster by week 8.I am not one to read into off field stuff very much, but if we're looking for reasons to downgrade LeShoure beyond his horrible injury and inexperience, getting arrested for mary jane isn't exactly a sign of offseason dedication to your craft. Like I said, I don't care much about off field issues, but for me to place ANY hope in a running back with no NFL experience coming off a torn achilles I'd need to see some serious fluff pieces about him training like crazy and running a solid 40 with good 10 and 20 yard splits. Instead he's getting arrested and suspended.

I know, I just picked up K Smith in the 4th round of our dynasty rookie draft, . Not sure which team dropped him and why he lasted that long.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

Depends on how serious it is.if they have to operate as they did with Smith it is considerably more serious. DMc had his, and it remains to be seen how he will perform, but I have a greater faith in his ability to recover as he did not require surgery for his injury.As for Ronnie Brown, that was a Lis Franc Fracture he got in 2009. meaning a fracture of the bone. not a tendon injury. Apparently that is the least serious of all the various lis franc injuries you can get. That being said, he has played since, but has not put up fantasy relevant production since. That is not to say that the injury was the cause. It may or may not have influenced his production.Also, westbrook did not have surgery for his injury as it was minor. he did have surgery 4 years later for an ankle injury. I do not know if the ankle injury was related to the lis franc injury he had previously. given the time between injuries I would bet that it is unrelated.I'm not sure how relevant these are to the injury Smith had, but Smith's was operated on and theirs was not. This leads me to believe that at the very least, the seriousness of the injury was substantially different.

Dude, you're getting your Kevins mixed up. It was Kevin Jones with the Lis Franc injury, not Kevin Smith.

Well, give him credit, at least he is willing to defend his position, incorrect or not.

Kevin Jones did have a Lis Franc.And I am drafting Kevin Smith.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

Lions RB Kevin Smith Makes Strong Case as Week 1 Starter

detroit news opinion piece.

 

[We Tigers]

I like Smith the best (har!) out of the Detroit backs, simply because his brutal injuries have been slightly less brutal than those of his teammates. I have a hard time seeing him with more than a 160/700 type year, though, because all of these backs will see some work and because Detroit moves through the air as much as any team in the league. I would too if I had that kind of passing game talent.

The best argument for Smith right now is that LeShoure is probably going to be suspended for a few games, so like Fred Jackson filling in for Marshawn a few years back, he's likely to be a very late pick who might help you start your season strong. I can see the stats on the year going something like this:

Smith: 150 carries, 660 yards; 20 rec, 150 yards; 5 TD

Best: 110 carries, 400 yards; 50 rec, 450 yards; 4 TD

LeShoure: 70 carries, 280 yards; 10 rec, 70 yards; 3 TD

The wrinkle, of course, is injury. If Best takes another headshot or two, Smith gains quite a bit.

 

[Ray_T]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

Depends on how serious it is.if they have to operate as they did with Smith it is considerably more serious. DMc had his, and it remains to be seen how he will perform, but I have a greater faith in his ability to recover as he did not require surgery for his injury.As for Ronnie Brown, that was a Lis Franc Fracture he got in 2009. meaning a fracture of the bone. not a tendon injury. Apparently that is the least serious of all the various lis franc injuries you can get. That being said, he has played since, but has not put up fantasy relevant production since. That is not to say that the injury was the cause. It may or may not have influenced his production.Also, westbrook did not have surgery for his injury as it was minor. he did have surgery 4 years later for an ankle injury. I do not know if the ankle injury was related to the lis franc injury he had previously. given the time between injuries I would bet that it is unrelated.I'm not sure how relevant these are to the injury Smith had, but Smith's was operated on and theirs was not. This leads me to believe that at the very least, the seriousness of the injury was substantially different.

Dude, you're getting your Kevins mixed up. It was Kevin Jones with the Lis Franc injury, not Kevin Smith.

Well, give him credit, at least he is willing to defend his position, incorrect or not.

Kevin Jones did have a Lis Franc.And I am drafting Kevin Smith.

I did have my kevins mixed up. My bad. Please accept my apologies. I gotta quit posting before going to bed. I have erased the erroneous posts. sorry to cause such a stir.

 

[Chazzhawk]

I like Smith the best (har!) out of the Detroit backs, simply because his brutal injuries have been slightly less brutal than those of his teammates. I have a hard time seeing him with more than a 160/700 type year, though, because all of these backs will see some work and because Detroit moves through the air as much as any team in the league. I would too if I had that kind of passing game talent.The best argument for Smith right now is that LeShoure is probably going to be suspended for a few games, so like Fred Jackson filling in for Marshawn a few years back, he's likely to be a very late pick who might help you start your season strong. I can see the stats on the year going something like this:Smith: 150 carries, 660 yards; 20 rec, 150 yards; 5 TDBest: 110 carries, 400 yards; 50 rec, 450 yards; 4 TDLeShoure: 70 carries, 280 yards; 10 rec, 70 yards; 3 TDThe wrinkle, of course, is injury. If Best takes another headshot or two, Smith gains quite a bit.

You need to revise you stats some, Leshoure is only gone for 2 games and will get more than 5 carries a game if healthy all year.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Not trying to throw water on your argument. I am a fan of Smith and he was on my fantasy teams until he got his first major injury. that injury was a Lis Franc injury. a very serious injury for RB's. he went for surgery, and everyone felt that this would mark the end of his career. The problem with this type of injury is it is more likely to recur than other injuries because of the large number of joints and tendons it affects in the foot. I could go into this in more detail but if you want to know more about it, just google Lis Franc and you will see what it is all about.It is worth noting that most athletes who get this type of injury where it is serious enough to operate, never regain their full abilities.

Epic misinformation.Kevin Smith never had a lis franc, he tore his acl in 2009. And I thought this was hashed out in the McFadden thread...lis francs aren't career enders anymore. Both Bryan Westbrook and Ronnie brown had them and returned from them.

Depends on how serious it is.if they have to operate as they did with Smith it is considerably more serious. DMc had his, and it remains to be seen how he will perform, but I have a greater faith in his ability to recover as he did not require surgery for his injury.As for Ronnie Brown, that was a Lis Franc Fracture he got in 2009. meaning a fracture of the bone. not a tendon injury. Apparently that is the least serious of all the various lis franc injuries you can get. That being said, he has played since, but has not put up fantasy relevant production since. That is not to say that the injury was the cause. It may or may not have influenced his production.Also, westbrook did not have surgery for his injury as it was minor. he did have surgery 4 years later for an ankle injury. I do not know if the ankle injury was related to the lis franc injury he had previously. given the time between injuries I would bet that it is unrelated.I'm not sure how relevant these are to the injury Smith had, but Smith's was operated on and theirs was not. This leads me to believe that at the very least, the seriousness of the injury was substantially different.

Dude, you're getting your Kevins mixed up. It was Kevin Jones with the Lis Franc injury, not Kevin Smith.

Well, give him credit, at least he is willing to defend his position, incorrect or not.

Kevin Jones did have a Lis Franc.And I am drafting Kevin Smith.

I did have my kevins mixed up. My bad. Please accept my apologies. I gotta quit posting before going to bed. I have erased the erroneous posts. sorry to cause such a stir.

Quite alright I had to refresh my memory where I saw this, the Mt. Pleasant MI Morning Sun newspaper...

 

[Bayhawks]

I like Smith the best (har!) out of the Detroit backs, simply because his brutal injuries have been slightly less brutal than those of his teammates. I have a hard time seeing him with more than a 160/700 type year, though, because all of these backs will see some work and because Detroit moves through the air as much as any team in the league. I would too if I had that kind of passing game talent.The best argument for Smith right now is that LeShoure is probably going to be suspended for a few games, so like Fred Jackson filling in for Marshawn a few years back, he's likely to be a very late pick who might help you start your season strong. I can see the stats on the year going something like this:Smith: 150 carries, 660 yards; 20 rec, 150 yards; 5 TDBest: 110 carries, 400 yards; 50 rec, 450 yards; 4 TDLeShoure: 70 carries, 280 yards; 10 rec, 70 yards; 3 TDThe wrinkle, of course, is injury. If Best takes another headshot or two, Smith gains quite a bit.

You need to revise you stats some, Leshoure is only gone for 2 games and will get more than 5 carries a game if healthy all year.

Not necessarily. Leshoure is trying to come back from a torn Achilles tendon. An injury that I don't think any NFL RB has ever successfuly come back from. (Feel free to correct me if there are some I've missed). In addition, he IS suspended for the first 2 games & would receive a much longer suspension for any further "indiscretions," and is currently dealing with a minor injury (that may not be related to the achilles, but it's not uncommon for individuals recovering from an injury to suffer other injuries while "protecting" the weakened body-part). If one feels that Leshoure won't be back to 100% (either ever, or in 2012), and/or that he will be subject to further suspensions, 70 rushes isn't too low, and wouldn't need to be revised.

 

[ldizzle]

im all for kevin smith at his current ADP. he came in last year off the street and was pretty good. my hope is that kevin and the lions do well for the first few games while leshoure is out and they decide to keep him as the lead rb. I have no confidence in best coming back unless he can get cleared soon.

the only thing that concerns me is that ive read that earlier this year they were looking at some rb's in free agency just in case best couldnt come back.

so if best doesnt come back id be nervous about them signing a grant/addai/benson, not that i think they will do much but make a cloudy situation even worse

 

[-jb-]

I can't see how he won't succeed. He's cheap, currently healthy, and was very effective during his PT last season. With a full off-season and two guys who can't even get on the field to practice, it seems like he's going to see a lot of action. Why wouldn't the Lions run him into the ground and give the other guys time to heal, etc.?

The only challenge I see is where to take him. His current ADP is useless as there is so much up in the air. So, is he a 4th rounder by the time the season starts? 5th? I see him as a solid RB2 with tremendous upside. Other RBs with that profile are floating around the 4th, so that would be my guess as to where he gets drafted come September.

 

[We Tigers]

I like Smith the best (har!) out of the Detroit backs, simply because his brutal injuries have been slightly less brutal than those of his teammates. I have a hard time seeing him with more than a 160/700 type year, though, because all of these backs will see some work and because Detroit moves through the air as much as any team in the league. I would too if I had that kind of passing game talent.The best argument for Smith right now is that LeShoure is probably going to be suspended for a few games, so like Fred Jackson filling in for Marshawn a few years back, he's likely to be a very late pick who might help you start your season strong. I can see the stats on the year going something like this:Smith: 150 carries, 660 yards; 20 rec, 150 yards; 5 TDBest: 110 carries, 400 yards; 50 rec, 450 yards; 4 TDLeShoure: 70 carries, 280 yards; 10 rec, 70 yards; 3 TDThe wrinkle, of course, is injury. If Best takes another headshot or two, Smith gains quite a bit.

You need to revise you stats some, Leshoure is only gone for 2 games and will get more than 5 carries a game if healthy all year.

Not necessarily. Leshoure is trying to come back from a torn Achilles tendon. An injury that I don't think any NFL RB has ever successfuly come back from. (Feel free to correct me if there are some I've missed). In addition, he IS suspended for the first 2 games & would receive a much longer suspension for any further "indiscretions," and is currently dealing with a minor injury (that may not be related to the achilles, but it's not uncommon for individuals recovering from an injury to suffer other injuries while "protecting" the weakened body-part). If one feels that Leshoure won't be back to 100% (either ever, or in 2012), and/or that he will be subject to further suspensions, 70 rushes isn't too low, and wouldn't need to be revised.

Yes, that was my thinking. If you do feel a need to revise up, sure, but remember that in all 3 years of Schwartz the Lions have run very little. Take him up to 100, maybe, and anything after that point I'd expect you have to pull the carries from the other guys. I think this team may barely hit 400 RB carries on the year--maybe--and that'll include fullbacks and other backups, too.

 

[Touchdown There]

Red alert: Kevin Smith went at 6.11 in my FPC draft last night. He was on my must draft list. Had him targeted in the 9th.

 

[We Tigers]

Yeah, the window might be passing. With Best more of a meat popsicle than expected, Smith will be a round 5 guy by opening day. I'd revise my predictions for him considerably, especially in the passing game, and give LeShoure more work as well.

 

[cvnpoka]

heh i took him at 6.11 a few days before all this best stuff came out. but i felt kinda dumb about it.

 

[Cookiemonster]

Been holding him since last year when he was signed off of the street just because that offense can support some sick RB numbers. I'd guess him to be the team leader at RB. Leshore may vulture some goal line looks, if he's good enough. Smith isn't bad there himself. I don't know that Best is ever a significant NFL contributor again. Add all of the receptions and I love his value. I won't budge off of him for any less than a #4-6 rookie pick (and I realize that means I'm not likely to move him at all). 18.5 PPG in my .5 PPR league put him at RB#13 on a PPG basis. Way better when you think about the fact that he only played the 1st 1/2 of a couple of those games before injuring (and re-injuring his ankle).

170/750/6 rush + 40/350/2 recieving

1100/8 total (plus 40 catches) is very possible even if he misses a couple games. Only question is if he misses a couple or half of them. Just turned 25, so he's just coming into the prime of his career and is already said to be looking very quick and much stronger. I'm optimistic that translates into a more durable lower body.

 

[Chazzhawk]

Jump off the Kevin Smith bandwagon everyone!!!. The Lions aren't going into the season with Best on Pup, Leshoure suspended for 2 games and just Kevin Smith and some rookies behind him. Cedric Benson will be a Lion, mark my word.

 

[Boone22]

Jump off the Kevin Smith bandwagon everyone!!!. The Lions aren't going into the season with Best on Pup, Leshoure suspended for 2 games and just Kevin Smith and some rookies behind him. Cedric Benson will be a Lion, mark my word.

I keep seeing people say that they will sign someone else and maybe they do as depth but does anyone actual expect whoever they sign this late to actually start for them?? If they liked someone that much why didn't they sign them earlier? It's slim pickings out there now.

 

[DawnBTVS]

Jump off the Kevin Smith bandwagon everyone!!!. The Lions aren't going into the season with Best on Pup, Leshoure suspended for 2 games and just Kevin Smith and some rookies behind him. Cedric Benson will be a Lion, mark my word.

I keep seeing people say that they will sign someone else and maybe they do as depth but does anyone actual expect whoever they sign this late to actually start for them?? If they liked someone that much why didn't they sign them earlier? It's slim pickings out there now.

Also if they did sign somebody that RB would have to learn the Lions' offensive system in essentially a month to even be ready for the NFL season, nevermind trying to get said RB any reps during preseason games.

 

[Bruce Hammond]

Jump off the Kevin Smith bandwagon everyone!!!. The Lions aren't going into the season with Best on Pup, Leshoure suspended for 2 games and just Kevin Smith and some rookies behind him. Cedric Benson will be a Lion, mark my word.

I keep seeing people say that they will sign someone else and maybe they do as depth but does anyone actual expect whoever they sign this late to actually start for them?? If they liked someone that much why didn't they sign them earlier? It's slim pickings out there now.

Also if they did sign somebody that RB would have to learn the Lions' offensive system in essentially a month to even be ready for the NFL season, nevermind trying to get said RB any reps during preseason games.

A vet like Benson or Grant wouldn't need much time picking things up. The RB position isn't rocket science, and vets like them would be fine in short order.I think Grant may be more likely to end up in DET. He's a better receiver than Benson and that makes him more versatile in this offense, and he probably has a better sense of blitz pickup against some of the opponents he'd be facing, having played in this division all his career.

 

[Vector]

Smith is more talented than either Benson or Grant. Kevin will be the man at seasons start and will perform. That will gain him a permanent starting spot until and if he gets injured.

Stay on the bandwagon guys.

 

[Dippa]

No way on Benson...even if they were interested before, after all of the off-the-field incidents this offseason, they won't bring in a guy with Benson's history. They're working on taking out the trash, not bringing more in. I thought they'd sign Grant over the last few months, but now that training camp is halfway over, I don't think there's any significant interest there. If they do plan on relying on one of those guys, I don't see why they wouldn't get one of them in there to get reps in training camp...it's not like they just found out about Best's concussion issues and Leshoure. I get it that those vets can pick it up quickly, but there's no good reason to not have your presumed starting RB in training camp to get up to speed now, rather than later.

That, and I agree with the above post that Smith is more talented than either at this point in their careers...I'm on board

 

[jantoniosus]

Don't make the train too big!!!! None of us will be able to get him at a good price!!! People are welcome to jump.

 

[Late225]

Stefan Logan - anything to see here? Can Logan do some damage?

 

[Slider]

Stefan Logan - anything to see here? Can Logan do some damage?

No

 

[Vector]

Don't make the train too big!!!! None of us will be able to get him at a good price!!! People are welcome to jump.

My apologies.... I already got him cheap though

 

[FFFIEND]

shhhhh

 

[Kenny Powers]

Did my first draft last night. It was just a feeler before I really start doing the ol' research but got Smith with the 130th pick

Interested to see how high his stock rises, because while I do like him, his injury history will price him out of my range if he starts to go in the Top 100

 

[Chazzhawk]

The Lions had asked Grant to come in for a visit earlier this year and he never showed, that is why I think Benson is the choice.

 

[buck naked]

Red alert: Kevin Smith went at 6.11 in my FPC draft last night. He was on my must draft list. Had him targeted in the 9th.

I took him at 7.2 in a FPC draft also last night. I would have taken him at 6.11 if I had to but the guy behind me at the 1 spot had 2 rb's already.

 

[buck naked]

heh i took him at 6.11 a few days before all this best stuff came out. but i felt kinda dumb about it.

Now you probably feel pretty smart about it. That is why a drafter should never care about what another person thinks about your pick.

 

[Protocols of Stringer Bell]

He went 5.12 in the FPC draft last night. At this rate, look out Arian Foster

 

[bagger]

He went 5.12 in the FPC draft last night. At this rate, look out Arian Foster

that seems like a ridiculous price for smith as much as i really like him.

 

[32 Counter Pass]

Yup