Pick One- Ryan Grant, Kevin Smith, Pierre Thomas (1 Viewer)

[RalphMouth]

All three look to be available in the early third round and they all have pros & cons.

Grant- will get a lot of carries but GB loves to air it out.

Smith- should be on the field on three downs but plays for a bad team.

Thomas- should be the goal line back but Bush's presence is a concern.

what if Ronnie Brown was somehow still available in the early third round ?

would you take him over these three RBs ??

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Finally, a thread about RBs.

 

[KellysHeroes]

I've been drinking the Thomas Kool-aid since last yr.... it was much cheaper last yr.

 

[Penguins]

Kevin Smith - I think has a very good opportunity there in Detroit - but I see Detroit as still building/developing - so I think his supporting cast will be the determining factor not his talent - on a more stable offense - I think this guy would be a lock to be the best of this bunch.

Ryan Grant - I think he will be decent - but I think we saw his ceiling on a per game basis his rookie year. He had a good year last year - but I don't think it's a rising situation - more of a stable dependable option that will be there each week and give you about what you got last year.

Pierre Thomas - I like his opportunity - Deuce is gone, Reggie still recovering from his knee and I think you will get about 10 TDs - question is how many yards - I could see 700, but I could also see 1200 plus whatever receiving yards. I think he has the talent and best situation of the bunch...

Just my thoughts and opinions - I could be (and often am) wrong

 

[Cripster]

I voted for Thomas. I am not sure if we are talking redraft vs dynasty or if there is ppr. Thomas looked far more explosive than the other two backs at the end of last year. He will get the goal line carries. Brees was quoted the other day as saying Thomas was their RB1. I can't remember where I read that. If you are talking ppr, Smith's value goes up a lot. I would rate grant #3 honestly.

 

[thriftyrocker]

I am worried in full PPR leagues that MMorris might steal a few catches from Smith short term. They are going to run a lot, so Morris might get a small role to keep Smith fresh.

I expect more TDs from Grant this year to make him a bit more exciting. The pass/rush TD ratio was way out of whack and it has to come back closer to normal.

Thomas has the most upside and I'd probably swing for the fences here. Smith and Grant are safer.

 

[sho nuff]

I am worried in full PPR leagues that MMorris might steal a few catches from Smith short term. They are going to run a lot, so Morris might get a small role to keep Smith fresh.I expect more TDs from Grant this year to make him a bit more exciting. The pass/rush TD ratio was way out of whack and it has to come back closer to normal.Thomas has the most upside and I'd probably swing for the fences here. Smith and Grant are safer.

I think Thomas has more upside for sure...but I went with a little more sure thing to me in Grant (not just as a Packer fan). The guy will get a big percentage of GB's carries and IMO more looks at the goalline than we saw last year. I thought this really was a solid comparison of 3 guys with some pretty equal value and possibilities though.

 

[puckalicious]

Ronnie Brown ahead of these guys all night and day.

 

[brutha]

Finally, a thread about RBs.

no way could this be a "help me in my draft" or "help me with a trade" either.

 

[RalphMouth]

Finally, a thread about RBs.

no way could this be a "help me in my draft" or "help me with a trade" either.

Look at ADPs- all three are usually available in the early to mid third rounds.... Having an idea on the best back of this bunch is a good topic IMHO.

 

[Deuce'sWild]

Finally, a thread about RBs.

no way could this be a "help me in my draft" or "help me with a trade" either.

Look at ADPs- all three are usually available in the early to mid third rounds.... Having an idea on the best back of this bunch is a good topic IMHO.

I agree, so much that I started a thread about the same time as this one on the exact same players. I think the 4th rd represents great value this year.My take.If R. Brown is there, you have to take him. He has the most talent of the group and is in for a great year, but I don't expect him to be there.I think one poster above said it best, if you're swinging for the fences, it's PT. He has a chance to score a lot of TDs but his yardage is so hard to predict because we don't know how much Bush will be used.I think Grant is a lock for 1300 total yds, but who knows how many TDs he will have. I think it will go up to around 8-10 this year, but he doesn't do much out of the backfield.K. Smith will be the main workhouse, and seems like the best all around RB of this group as far as consistent rushing and receiving each week. The TDs are tough to predict, and with Stafford at QB I don't know how well they will move the ball.One might look at SOS or playoff schedule to decide this question. I know Det has a tough run schedule, and Grant has a very tough playoff schedule....and PT is somewhere in the middle on both.

 

[Maven]

When in doubt consider carries, scoring opportunity/efficiency and oline.

1. Kevin Smith

2. Pierre Thomas

3. Ryan Grant

 

[ratbast]

Supporting cast holds allot of weight with me.

PT

Grant

Smith

I actually had all 3 at the end of last season. At that time Smith got the trade respect so i kept the other 2.

 

[ChuckLiddell]

When in doubt consider carries, scoring opportunity/efficiency and oline.1. Kevin Smith2. Pierre Thomas3. Ryan Grant

I am a bit surprised that by using this criteria you put Smith at 1. Grant should have at least as many carries, Thomas and Grant should have a ton more scoring opportunities, and the Detroit line is probably the worst of the 3, with the Saints being the best.I would go:1. Thomas - He is the starting RB, and should see every carry inside the 5 on one of the most potent offenses in the league. He is an above average receiver out of the backfield. Bush had offseason surgery, and have never been able to stay on the field - and he kind of sucks as a running back (still a great weapon).2. Grant - Real close to Thomas IMO. Not much solid competition for carries, and plays in a very good offense that will score points. he is not flashy, but he is effective, and should rack up nice yardage and I would guess 8-12 TDs in that offense. Put him in Detroit, and he is off this list all together.3. Smith - In a different tier IMO. He may be talented - tough to say at this point - but we do know that he plays behind a putrid line for an 0-16 team that has the dubious honor of either starting a rookie QB, or Daunte Culpepper. Ronnie above all of these guys, but not far ahead of Thomas and Grant IMO.

 

[ninerfanatic492000]

When in doubt consider carries, scoring opportunity/efficiency and oline.1. Kevin Smith2. Pierre Thomas3. Ryan Grant

i like your logic but then when u ranked them u totally lost me. Grant will get the most carries,pierre thomas will get more scoring opportunities/efficiency and the Oline is a tossup with the saints/packers OL(detroit a distant 3rd).

 

[Chairshot]

I'd take Grant first, then Smith, then Thomas.

Unless Reggie Bush goes down with an injury early, I don't really see Thomas getting more then 200 or so carries. Grant should easily push close or over 300. Smith will get less carries but should get plenty of catches and yards through the air, especially with a rookie QB.

I'm not totally sold on Thomas. He seems like he could be 3rd or even 4th option in that offense. The other guys seem like they are 1st or 2nd options to me. We are basically talking about a guy that was pretty good when Reggie Bush was hurt and meh when Bush was healthy. Bush is going to get his touches before Thomas gets his, so unless Bush gets hurt (which could definitely happen, of course) then I don't really see Thomas getting enough touches to be more valuable then Grant or Smith.

All that said, though, I'd don't think we will see a vast difference between the 3 of them. I'd bet they all perform in the same world, overall. If it's a PPR league, I might even give the edge to Smith overall.

Regardless, if Ronnie Brown was there, I'd take him without a second thought over any of the other 3.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Call me crazy, but I think Ryan Grant wins this one in an absolute LANDSLIDE. He's a feature back who had a huge year once he took over in 2007, and played very well once his hammy finally healed in 2008. Even in a "down" year he ran for 1200 yards, the main thing lacking was TDs, which is the toughest thing to predict year to year. He reminds me a lot of Thomas Jones entering 2008 following his 2 TD season, if his TDs fall back in line with normalcy he's magically a top 5/10 running back.

Seriously, the guy runs for 1200 yards in a "down" year and is a third rounder? Top 5 RBs have "down" years where they run for less yards than that and are still defended to the bitter end. If Ryan Grant was originally drafted in the first round of the NFL draft I guarantee he'd be a first round pick in fantasy drafts right now.

Also, with Kevin Smith, is no one else worried that his rookie campaign almost identically mirrors that of all the 2nd year RB busts the last few years? I mean, his rookie season is virutally IDENTICAL to that of Kevin Jones. Not to mention Julius Jones, William Green, etc.

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

Grant's ADP in the 3rd is one of the best reasons to start drafts with WR/WR in my opinion. Great value. Who else in that round is likely to have 25 carries in any given week?

Too bad I play with other Packers fans.

 

[trader jake]

Call me crazy, but I think Ryan Grant wins this one in an absolute LANDSLIDE. He's a feature back who had a huge year once he took over in 2007, and played very well once his hammy finally healed in 2008. Even in a "down" year he ran for 1200 yards, the main thing lacking was TDs, which is the toughest thing to predict year to year. He reminds me a lot of Thomas Jones entering 2008 following his 2 TD season, if his TDs fall back in line with normalcy he's magically a top 5/10 running back.Seriously, the guy runs for 1200 yards in a "down" year and is a third rounder? Top 5 RBs have "down" years where they run for less yards than that and are still defended to the bitter end. If Ryan Grant was originally drafted in the first round of the NFL draft I guarantee he'd be a first round pick in fantasy drafts right now.

Ryan Grant missed a lot of camp last season in a contract dispute and was hurt early (due to that?) and was a bit off until he was in game shape. With a full offseason under his belt (and with Aaron Rodgers a year more experienced) I suspect Grant will have a better season that last year. Thomas splits carries and Smith plays on a bad offense...Grant is the easy pick here.

 

[bcr8f]

Grant he isn't sharing carries, they have a new commitenent to the run and have a big strong fullback to clean up blocking lanes.

 

[Patoons]

Pierre Thomas - High Octane offense and he's a definite to get the carries between the tackles. Was fantastic to close the year in 2008. He can catch AND run strong up the gut. He also has the most upside of the bunch since he also catches out of the backfield. Bush will take some of those opps, but he'll still get them.

Grant - While I agree the current plan isn't to share carries for Grant like bcr8f is saying, I really am not impressed with Grant and never have. From what I've been reading Desean Wynn has been playing well. I've always liked Wynn, but that injury really hurt him two years ago. I can't see Grant being better than top 15, even if he close out the year as starter and gets the lions share of carries.

K. Smith - In a PPR he's nice and I like him just after Thomas. Smith's definitely undervalued with that solid 2nd half of 2008, but I'm always leary of second half studs (i.e. JJones, Willie Green, etc.)

Thomas is my choice, he has top 5-10 potential in that offense.

 

[jurb26]

Pierre Thomas - High Octane offense and he's a definite to get the carries between the tackles. Was fantastic to close the year in 2008. He can catch AND run strong up the gut. He also has the most upside of the bunch since he also catches out of the backfield. Bush will take some of those opps, but he'll still get them.

Grant - While I agree the current plan isn't to share carries for Grant like bcr8f is saying, I really am not impressed with Grant and never have. From what I've been reading Desean Wynn has been playing well. I've always liked Wynn, but that injury really hurt him two years ago. I can't see Grant being better than top 15, even if he close out the year as starter and gets the lions share of carries.

K. Smith - In a PPR he's nice and I like him just after Thomas. Smith's definitely undervalued with that solid 2nd half of 2008, but I'm always leary of second half studs (i.e. JJones, Willie Green, etc.)

Thomas is my choice, he has top 5-10 potential in that offense.

Some? If Bush is healthy he takes almost all of those opportunities and I'd be surprised if Thomas even broke 200 carries if Bush stays healthy. Sure that's a big if, but if both are healthy I see Bush getting more total touches per game.For me this all comes down to opportunity. I'm not crazy about any of the players based solely on ability, but if I was to rank them based on that I'd go: Smith, Grant, Thomas.

Smith is the guy I think will see the most opportunities therefore he is 1st on my list. Grant will see close to the amount (and possibly more than Smith) but based on the slight ability advantage to Smith I place him slightly behind Smith. Thomas would be last, but if you are swinging for the fences he should be your pick. He is one Bush injury away from being a better fantasy option than either of the other guys and would probably jump to a boarder line RB1 in most leagues.

Smith

Grant

Thomas

 

[32 Counter Pass]

Good topic and one I have really struggled with. My current take:

1. Kevin Smith. I find his numbers extremely impressive considering he played on the worst team in the history of the NFL. In only 12 starts he had almost 1,000 yds, a +4 yards per carry and scored 8 TDs. He added another 39 recpts for 286. That projects out to roughly 1300yds, 10TDs, with 52 recpts for another 370 yds over a 16 games season, this playing on worst team in NFL history. He is firmly established himself as the bellcow back in Detriot, and I think the Lions will improve as a team this year, so this projections could very likely on the low side.

2. Ryan Grant (by a frogs hair). I like Grant's situation and considering he reported late last season and played hurt most of the year, he could very well end up the #1 RB among these 3 players. I down graded him slightly because I have a feeling the coaching staff doesn't have man-love for Grant. I keep reading quotes from the staff praising Wynn and Lumpkin (could be a ploy to motivate Grant), but I suspect that Grant could lose opportunities to these players. I also think the Packers OLine is somewhat suspect, particularly when it comes to the running game.

3. P. Thomas. He has the most upside of these three, but also face the stiffest competition for touches, particularly in the passing game. I have a minor concern about him holding up to getting +250 carries. He plays on a great offense and should get his fair share of goal line opportunities. His numbers will be solid but his opportunities will be limited.