Fantasy Football outlook: CJ Spiller – Fred Jackson conundrum
By Jason Marcum
The Bills didn’t list running back Spiller on their injury report heading into Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which looked like a clear sign that he’d fully recovered from the ankle injury that has hindered him for several weeks.
But that wasn’t the case Sunday, as Spiller played half as many snaps as Fred Jackson, leading some to wonder if Spiller’s injury had re-emerged.
Spiller got only 22 offensive snaps Sunday against the Steelers. He finished with 23 yards on eight carries and another 11 yards on three receptions in the 23-10 loss at Heinz Field.
The Bills’ first four offensive plays were runs by Spiller, for a combined 9 yards. From that point, however, he touched the ball only seven times for the remaining 53 minutes of the game.
Jackson saw 44 offensive snaps Sunday against Pittsburgh – double the number of Spiller. It’s clear the team views him as its “every-down” back, especially if Spiller’s ankle injury is no longer a concern.
One of the reasons is Jackson’s ability to protect the passer. He’s viewed as one of the better blocking running backs in the NFL. To sum it all up in fantasy football terms, the way the staff in handling Spiller makes him nothing more than a high-upside flex play going forward.
As for Jackson, he’s also a flex play, but a more consistent one in terms of his production. He’ll get you 10-15 points every week while SPiller could score 20 one week and then 4 the next.