The Case For Eddie Lacy
By Perry Lowe
Last season Eddie Lacy entered the year as a projected top fantasy scorer. After an extremely disappointing season in 2015 many fantasy owners are conflicted with where to draft him. In my opinion Lacy will rebound and look more like he did in his first two seasons. The Packers offense as a whole should improve this year with the return of Jordy Nelson. Additionally I believe the Packers will not hesitate to hand the ball off to Lacy. I think this season could be another great season for Lacy if the Packers offense can stay healthy.
Jordy Nelson Effect
The Packers offense simply did not look the same last year after Jordy Nelson went down. Randall Cobb did not step up to fill the void left by Nelson and as a result the offense struggled. With Jordy Nelson back the offense will change entirely. The field will be stretched out more giving Lacy space to run. With Nelson creating a threat at the receiver position a lot of pressure is taken off the shoulders of Cobb and Lacy. This was one of the factors that ultimately led to their struggles last year. Aaron Rodgers always poses a threat to any defense and with another dominant receiver returning I see no reason Rodgers does not get better. The Packers offense will only improve with the return of Jordy Nelson.
Touchdown Woes
Last season Eddie Lacy simply could not find the end zone. After finishing his rookie season with 11 touchdowns and an impressive 9 touchdowns his second year, Lacy dropped to just three touchdowns in 2015. Three touchdowns does not seem another realistic total in 2016. In my opinion Lacy could push towards double digits again. Last season Lacy appeared a few steps slower than he did in his first two seasons. After slimming down quite a bit in the offseason I think Lacy will speed up again. Although he is not the fastest running back in the league I think being in better shape this season only benefits Lacy especially in the red zone.
Lower ADP
Last season Lacy was usually taken in the first seven picks and as a result saw his expectations rise significantly. Lacy is being selected in the late second or early third round this year and in my opinion is worth the choice at this point. Ten running backs are selected before Lacy and in my opinion he is the better fantasy option then most of the guys around him. Mark Ingram is the tenth running back off the board, just in front of Lacy. Although this is not a bad pick Ingram is not expected to play all sixteen games. Eddie Lacy has not had any major injuries in his three years and is in my opinion a better option than Ingram.
LeSean McCoy and Thomas Rawls are selected just behind Lacy and are both much riskier picks than Lacy. Similar to Ingram, McCoy has a lengthy injury history dating back to his days in Philadelphia. With the high volume of running in Buffalo McCoy may seem like a value but also is not expected to play all sixteen games. Is it worth selecting a player that you will probably not have for the fantasy football playoffs when he is needed even more? This only solidifies Lacy as being more valuable than McCoy because I do not see Lacy getting hurt this season. Thomas Rawls also is a risky choice considering his injury history. Rawls could also see some of his carries taken away if Christine Michael continues to perform.
Verdict
Eddie Lacy will see his success return this season when Jordy Nelson returns. The Packers offense will improve as a whole in my opinion. When the lower draft position and players being selected around Lacy are factored in I believe it makes Lacy a very valuable choice. Overall it is quite obvious that Eddie Lacy will return to his earlier success this season.