by Mike Surtel

Being the fantasy fanatics that we are, I’m sure we can all agree on one thing - Steven Jackson is a BEAST on the football field! But there is also another thing that we can all agree on – the St. Louis Rams are one of the worst teams in the NFL.

If you are like me and have one of the later picks in the first round, you will be pondering this question the rest of the summer; should I take Steven Jackson? Well let’s list some pros and cons.

Pros: He puts up great yardage numbers and runs like it is his last game. He is also one of the few RB’s in the league that doesn’t share carries so he will get a large number of rushing attempts. He will catch about 40 -50 balls, which helps in a PPR league. Lastly, his schedule seems to be pretty favorable in 2010.

Cons: Obviously (he plays for St. Louis), which went 1-15 last season. Jackson had some back problems towards the end of last year and had to have surgery in April to fix a herniated disc. Coming off an injury like that throws up some red flags, especially with the beating that Jackson’s body will be taking this year. He is the Rams best weapon and the team will be leaning on him more then ever. The Rams will have unproven rookie QB Sam Bradford at the helm who will be more worried about not throwing INT’s instead of worrying about scoring. If Bradford is not taking snaps then the Rams will have to rely on A.J. Feeley - not much of an improvement. The Rams WR’s are young, inexperience, and frankly not that good. If the QB is struggling that means the WR’s will be struggling and guess who else will be struggling…Yup Steven Jackson!   

The bottom line: Steven Jackson has a great deal of downside. The sad part here, it’s not his fault. He is playing for a team that stinks! If Steven Jackson were on the New England Patriots I would jump on him in the first round - heck he’d probably be in my top 3 RB’s. However, the reality is that Jackson’s on a losing team, with a rookie QB, and no pass game. Defenses around the league know he’s the Ram’s only weapon and they will be ready for him.

When I draft my fantasy football team - I look to grab studs in the first round or two that are going to give me a “monster game” every couple of weeks. Steven Jackson had 4 TD’s all of last season (Adrian Peterson had 3 in week one). It is very tough to receive “monster games” from your fantasy players if they do not get in the end zone. I don’t see 2010 being a different for Jackson this year; TD’s will be tough to come by.

So to answer the question; should I take Steven Jackson? My answer to you is simply, NO.

I’m not hating on Steven Jackson, but when we look at the pros and the cons, the list seems to be lopsided. All things considered you should probably stay away - unless you like sitting in front of your TV on Sunday watching the St. Louis Rams go 3 and out all season and your #1 RB getting stuffed because D’s are stacking 8 in the box every down! Trust me - with your first round pick - pass on Jackson.

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