2013 Fantasy football sleepers -- Zac Stacy, RB, Rams

[News Bot]

By: Bill Bender | Sporting News
<a class="postlink" href="http://fantasysource.sportingnews.com/football/experts/freeview/bill-bender/2013-07-08/2013-fantasy-football-sleepers-zac-stacy-st-louis-rams" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://fantasysource.sportingnews.com/f ... louis-rams</a>

[wrapimg=left]http://kr.snimg.com/sn/nfl/2013-07-08/Zac_Stacy_300_070813_AP.jpg[/wrapimg]For the first time in 15 years, the St. Louis Rams' backfield is a mystery for fantasy football owners.

Consider that either Marshall Faulk or Steven Jackson led the Rams in rushing yards each of the past 14 seasons. One has to go back to 1998 for a different name, when June Henley led St. Louis with 313 yards.

Who? That's the same question when looking at the options for 2013. Daryl Richardson leads the way in our RB Rankings at No. 29, followed by Isaiah Pead (No. 62) and rookie Zac Stacy (No. 73).

Richardson likely will get first dibs, especially with Pead serving a one-game suspension to start the season. Both of those guys, however, are undersized change-of-pace types. Stacy could be the guy second-year coach Jeff Fisher is looking for.

At 5-foot-8, 216 pounds, Stacy is a little thicker than Richardson and Pead, the type of runner best suited for between-the-tackles work.

Playing for the Rams in a brutal NFC West shouldn't scare owners. Stacy already plugged away for Vanderbilt in the SEC. That amounted to back-to-back 1,000-yard, double-digit TD seasons. Stacy also had 49 carries for 217 yards and averaged 4.4 yards per carry against SEC East bullies South Carolina, Georgia and Florida in 2012.

Yes, Stacy is a fifth-round pick that ran a 4.55 in the 40 at the NFL Combine, but Washington sixth-rounder Alfred Morris ran a 4.67 the previous year. Owners know how that turned out.

That's why the preseason is crucial. Stacy will probably get the most carries in the audition, and it's worth knowing Fisher let Eddie George and Chris Johnson start right away as rookies during his tenure in Tennessee. Stacy obviously isn't a first-round investment like those studs, but he'll get his chance.

As for fantasy drafts, Richardson will be one of the last starting running backs drafted, and Pead might go undrafted because of the suspension. Pending preseason, Stacy is a last-round flier with the potential to be an every-week RB2. Notice we didn't label him "this year's Morris," because expecting 1,613 yards and 13 TDs is the kind of thinking that gets owners in trouble.

 

[albefree69]

I don't know much about fantasy football but I find it hard to believe that anyone would draft a 5th round untested rookie RB until round 80 or so. :lol:

 

[Ram_Fan]

I seriously hope Pead/Quick steps up this year, because if they don't I would feel like we wasted 2nd round picks.

 

[Tony iz Ramlike]

Misses on draft happen. I think we swung and missed on Pead but I think Quick has a very good chance to be a grand slam! There isn't much on Zac but a deep feeling in my gut says he will be the guy, the dude, the man, the myth, the legend.

 

[albefree69]

Ram_Fan biting his nails:
I seriously hope Pead/Quick steps up this year, because if they don't I would feel like we wasted 2nd round picks.

Pead's performance this year should tell us all we need to know about the pick.

As for Quick, I'm just looking for significant progress. I'll start worrying after next year's TC.

Wasting second round picks is a huge step up from our usual practice of wasting first rounders. :lol:

 

[Boston Ram]

I wouldn't sleep on Pead this year. He was too good at Cinny to give up on right now. Pead got a late start due to Cinnys graduation requirements. Richardson eventually beat him out but Pead came on at the end of last year. Pead is a good back.

Stacy is also good but like to 1 cut into the hole. Depending on the blocking scheme used this year it should be interesting to see how Stacy responds. He might be better suited for a ZBS and we did employ some of that last year. The biggest difference is Pead does have a tad more breakaway speed than Stacy.

Both can catch the ball out of the backfield too. This should be a great competition for the starting RB role this year.....and lets not forget Richardson either.

 

[CGI_Ram]

I wouldn't sleep on Pead this year. He was too good at Cinny to give up on right now. Pead got a late start due to Cinnys graduation requirements. Richardson eventually beat him out but Pead came on at the end of last year. Pead is a good back.

Stacy is also good but like to 1 cut into the hole. Depending on the blocking scheme used this year it should be interesting to see how Stacy responds. He might be better suited for a ZBS and we did employ some of that last year. The biggest difference is Pead does have a tad more breakaway speed than Stacy.

Both can catch the ball out of the backfield too. This should be a great competition for the starting RB role this year.....and lets not forget Richardson either.

It's exciting to think about these 3. Each of them bring a different element to the table... which is a nice fit if the OC wants a diverse running attack.