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<a class="postlink" href="http://www.profootballrosters.com/2013/07/10/2013-fantasy-preview-st-louis/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.profootballrosters.com/2013/ ... -st-louis/</a>
[wrapimg=left]http://i.imgur.com/1ufFjLX.jpg[/wrapimg]The Rams are a team that’s easy to ignore from a fantasy standpoint, however, if your one of the fantasy players willing to take a chance could find some hidden gems in 2013. Gone from St. Louis are reliable veterans Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola, while coming into town are a pair of rookies from West Virginia who are looking to invigorate the Rams’ passing attack. In the backfield, there will be a heated competition in the preseason for the starting Running Back job. Three backs will be competing, all have a chance to win the job. It should be an entertaining preseason in St. Louis to say the least.
The Rams will be counting on fourth-year quarterback Sam Bradford to take all this untapped potential on offense and mold it into something productive and exciting. Bradford hasn’t completed 60 percent of his passes in any season since his rookie year, however, in 2012 he posted career-highs in yards (3,702), yards per attempt, (6.7), and touchdowns (21). If Bradford is going to break through to fantasy starter quarterback status, it seems this is the year. If that happens, the fantasy values of everyone around him will skyrocket.
St. Louis’ running back situation is wide open following the departure of Jackson. Sophomore Daryl Richardson is considered to be the guy with the first crack at the starting job. Last season while working behind Jackson, Richardson averaged 4.8 yards per carry, don’t be fooled though as a lot of that was at the beginning of the season. In each of St. Louis’ final five games, Richardson failed to gain 10 yards.
At least Richardson was on the field though, something Isaiah Pead can’t claim. Pead was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2012 draft but only carried the ball 10 times last year because of his ineffectiveness as a pass blocker. Pead obviously has more raw talent than the seventh round pick Richardson, but if he can’t improve his pass protection skills, he’s unlikely to see a serious jump in playing time. It’s also a problem that Pead is suspended for Week 1 because he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy. If both Pead and Richardson slip up, rookie 5th round pick Zac Stacy out of Vanderbilt could be worth a flyer. He’s more of a between-the-tackles power back, which doesn’t match up with the rest of St. Louis’ offense, but he could be useful in short-yardage situations. For more on Stacy check out our column Who’s is this years Alfred Morris?
As if the St. Louis rushing game wasn’t hard enough to figure out, the wide receiver group is filled with uncertainty as well with as many as five players looking to contribute in 2013. Of those five, the one that will have the biggest impact is Tavon Austin, St. Louis’ first round draft pick. Austin is an incredibly fast wide receiver who is expected to be an impact player on offense right out of the gate. Last season at West Virginia, Austin caught 114 passes for 1,289 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He’s very small for an NFL player (5’8”, 174 pounds), but he has the potential to become an offensive weapon in the mold of Percy Harvin.
The other rookie out of WVU is Steadman Bailey, who was actually a more productive player last season than Austin was. In 2012, Bailey caught 114 passes for 1,622 yards and an insane 25 touchdowns. However, his perceived lack of speed kept Bailey on the board until late in the third round of the draft this past April. That lack of speed and the presence of other St. Louis receivers will keep Bailey from seeing too much playing time this season.
One of those other receivers, third-year man Austin Pettis, reportedly has looked great in offseason practices and is on the fast track to becoming a starter along with Austin this fall. In order to hold down that job, he’ll have to continue to look better than Brian Quick, who disappointed in his rookie reason with just 11 receptions and 156 yards. Big play receiver Chris Givens is also in the mix for a starting spot. If he’s able to diversify his game this season and run more than just fly routes, Givens could be part of a three-wide starting lineup along with Austin and Pettis.
The Rams have a pair of talented pass catching Tight Ends. 3rd year man out of Wisconsin, Lance Kendricks, is listed as a full back on the depth chart but he’s more of a hybrid in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles James Casey or the Miami Dolphins Charles Clay. Kendricks had a solid year in 2012 posting career highs in both receptions (42) and yards (519). Expect Kendricks to improve on those numbers in 2013. Joining Kendricks on the field a ton this year will be Jared Cook, who comes over from Tennessee in the offseason. Cook has been a fantasy sleeper for a few years now and once again people are tagging him with the sleeper status heading into 2013. Is this the year Cook breaks through as a reliable Fantasy Tight End? Only time will tell, but the chance of scenery can’t hurt as the Rams are expected to be a better ball club this year than the Titans and Quarterback Sam Bradford is certainly an upgrade over the Titans Jake Locker.
[wrapimg=left]http://i.imgur.com/1ufFjLX.jpg[/wrapimg]The Rams are a team that’s easy to ignore from a fantasy standpoint, however, if your one of the fantasy players willing to take a chance could find some hidden gems in 2013. Gone from St. Louis are reliable veterans Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola, while coming into town are a pair of rookies from West Virginia who are looking to invigorate the Rams’ passing attack. In the backfield, there will be a heated competition in the preseason for the starting Running Back job. Three backs will be competing, all have a chance to win the job. It should be an entertaining preseason in St. Louis to say the least.
The Rams will be counting on fourth-year quarterback Sam Bradford to take all this untapped potential on offense and mold it into something productive and exciting. Bradford hasn’t completed 60 percent of his passes in any season since his rookie year, however, in 2012 he posted career-highs in yards (3,702), yards per attempt, (6.7), and touchdowns (21). If Bradford is going to break through to fantasy starter quarterback status, it seems this is the year. If that happens, the fantasy values of everyone around him will skyrocket.
St. Louis’ running back situation is wide open following the departure of Jackson. Sophomore Daryl Richardson is considered to be the guy with the first crack at the starting job. Last season while working behind Jackson, Richardson averaged 4.8 yards per carry, don’t be fooled though as a lot of that was at the beginning of the season. In each of St. Louis’ final five games, Richardson failed to gain 10 yards.
At least Richardson was on the field though, something Isaiah Pead can’t claim. Pead was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 2012 draft but only carried the ball 10 times last year because of his ineffectiveness as a pass blocker. Pead obviously has more raw talent than the seventh round pick Richardson, but if he can’t improve his pass protection skills, he’s unlikely to see a serious jump in playing time. It’s also a problem that Pead is suspended for Week 1 because he violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy. If both Pead and Richardson slip up, rookie 5th round pick Zac Stacy out of Vanderbilt could be worth a flyer. He’s more of a between-the-tackles power back, which doesn’t match up with the rest of St. Louis’ offense, but he could be useful in short-yardage situations. For more on Stacy check out our column Who’s is this years Alfred Morris?
As if the St. Louis rushing game wasn’t hard enough to figure out, the wide receiver group is filled with uncertainty as well with as many as five players looking to contribute in 2013. Of those five, the one that will have the biggest impact is Tavon Austin, St. Louis’ first round draft pick. Austin is an incredibly fast wide receiver who is expected to be an impact player on offense right out of the gate. Last season at West Virginia, Austin caught 114 passes for 1,289 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He’s very small for an NFL player (5’8”, 174 pounds), but he has the potential to become an offensive weapon in the mold of Percy Harvin.
The other rookie out of WVU is Steadman Bailey, who was actually a more productive player last season than Austin was. In 2012, Bailey caught 114 passes for 1,622 yards and an insane 25 touchdowns. However, his perceived lack of speed kept Bailey on the board until late in the third round of the draft this past April. That lack of speed and the presence of other St. Louis receivers will keep Bailey from seeing too much playing time this season.
One of those other receivers, third-year man Austin Pettis, reportedly has looked great in offseason practices and is on the fast track to becoming a starter along with Austin this fall. In order to hold down that job, he’ll have to continue to look better than Brian Quick, who disappointed in his rookie reason with just 11 receptions and 156 yards. Big play receiver Chris Givens is also in the mix for a starting spot. If he’s able to diversify his game this season and run more than just fly routes, Givens could be part of a three-wide starting lineup along with Austin and Pettis.
The Rams have a pair of talented pass catching Tight Ends. 3rd year man out of Wisconsin, Lance Kendricks, is listed as a full back on the depth chart but he’s more of a hybrid in the form of the Philadelphia Eagles James Casey or the Miami Dolphins Charles Clay. Kendricks had a solid year in 2012 posting career highs in both receptions (42) and yards (519). Expect Kendricks to improve on those numbers in 2013. Joining Kendricks on the field a ton this year will be Jared Cook, who comes over from Tennessee in the offseason. Cook has been a fantasy sleeper for a few years now and once again people are tagging him with the sleeper status heading into 2013. Is this the year Cook breaks through as a reliable Fantasy Tight End? Only time will tell, but the chance of scenery can’t hurt as the Rams are expected to be a better ball club this year than the Titans and Quarterback Sam Bradford is certainly an upgrade over the Titans Jake Locker.