Alex Collins

[michaelredd9]

He is high risk/high reward.  Are you going to take the risk?

 

[darin3]

definitely

[DMD]

I'm not so sure. His overall stats are nice - 212-973-6 rushing and  23-187 as a receiver.

 

What concerns me is that he had a 4.6 YPC overall but in the final eight games when he became the 15+ carry starter, he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry - that was really 3.3 YPC but he had a big game against the Steelers like most runners after they lost their LB Shazier. But he stepped up as a receiver at the end of the year which is good.

 

But he has no apparent competitor for carries really other than Javorious Allen who faded last year as Collins asserted himself. I hate the Ravens offense mostly because I hate Flacco. It was a new offense last year so it will be more of the same this year unless Flacco gives way to Lamar Jackson which is no guarantee to help (though I think it would).

 

Collins should get the volume to post decent fantasy stats. I'd be shocked for him to become a top ten back ever, but as a starting NFL RB who can catch and won't apparently share that much, he's got value. I personally wouldn't want him as a RB1 or RB2 unless I loaded up on WR first - and probably not this year. I see him as a lower-end RB2. Not excited about him but have to acknowledge the likely value.

[darin3]

1 hour ago, DMD said:

I'm not so sure. His overall stats are nice - 212-973-6 rushing and  23-187 as a receiver.

 

What concerns me is that he had a 4.6 YPC overall but in the final eight games when he became the 15+ carry starter, he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry - that was really 3.3 YPC but he had a big game against the Steelers like most runners after they lost their LB Shazier. But he stepped up as a receiver at the end of the year which is good.

 

But he has no apparent competitor for carries really other than Javorious Allen who faded last year as Collins asserted himself. I hate the Ravens offense mostly because I hate Flacco. It was a new offense last year so it will be more of the same this year unless Flacco gives way to Lamar Jackson which is no guarantee to help (though I think it would).

 

Collins should get the volume to post decent fantasy stats. I'd be shocked for him to become a top ten back ever, but as a starting NFL RB who can catch and won't apparently share that much, he's got value. I personally wouldn't want him as a RB1 or RB2 unless I loaded up on WR first - and probably not this year. I see him as a lower-end RB2. Not excited about him but have to acknowledge the likely value.

 

If you have Collins as your RB2, you likely have a pretty nice RB1 and have already cemented your WR1 and WR2.  I would like being in that situation. 

[michaelredd9]

4 hours ago, DMD said:

 

in the final eight games when he became the 15+ carry starter, he only averaged 3.7 yards per carry

 

 

With Collins being the only thing effective in the Ravens offense last year, I'm sure defenses were selling out to stop the run.  Collins received the 4th highest running back grade from PFF on the season as a whole.  Though if Flacco doesn't do better, defenses will continue to focus on Collins.  There has been a lot of chatter that Flacco wasn't healed from his back issues at any point last year.  So hopefully he is healthy and plays well enough to keep defenses honest.  I do think his receiving crew improved and mesh well with his rocket arm.