You might have heard of  international mega-superstar supreme, Justin Timberlake. He’s pretty popular with the kids these days. He recorded a tune called “SexyBack” a few years back. How does this tie in with Rashad Jennings signing a four-year, $14 million deal ($3 million guaranteed) with the New York football Giants?

Well, the running back market has been less than crowded and one could even say downright undesirable this free agency off-season. When Ben Tate leads the way for free agent running back acquisitions, it’s somewhat obvious there were no real sexy picks for backs to could step in and change a team’s fortune.

See what I’m talking about? All this sexy picks for backs talk is making me all bob-headed, humming along with JT’s groove. If this is wrong, I don’t care to right, people. It’s called inspiration.

So let’s see if Jennings can bring some fantasy sexy to the Giants backfield in 2014.

The 2013 version of the New York Giants was not a pretty picture. Injuries began literally from the beginning of the year, and mounted as the season progressed. Backs were brought in from the practice squad, off the street and from who knows where.

The backfield included—take a deep breath with me here -- David Wilson, Andre Brown, Peyton Hillis, Brandon Jacobs, Darel Scott, Michael Cox and my plumber’s second cousin who played a little halfback at some regional school out west.

Remember, this 2013 Giants team was only two seasons removed from winning Super Bowl SLVI over the Patriots, and included many of the same key players like Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz. Yet, the team won only a very disappointing seven games and missed the playoffs, despite dismal records from their fellow AFC East foes. Hey, “Cry Me a River.” Yes, another Timberlake tune.

And from a fantasy perspective, no Giants player finished in the top 45 in fantasy points. Manning finished outside the top 20 in quarterback scoring, while Cruz barely cracked the top 30 for receivers with Nicks, overcoming nagging injuries all year, didn’t make the top 50! The backs fared even worse, frankly.

The top Giants back in fantasy points, Andre Brown, barely snuck into the top 50 backs, averaging only nine points per game over his eight played games. All in all, a season to forget, fantasy-wise, for Giants skill position players.

Meantime, Rashad Jennings emerged from the Raiders backfield this past year as Darren McFadden labored through yet another year of injuries.

The fifth-year man finished as the 21st scoring running back in the league, while essentially taking on the lead back role for half the year, starting eight games.

Drafted in the seventh round from little Liberty University, Jennings has size, football wits and the ability to play a three-down brand of football.

Though not blessed with breakaway speed, he exhibited the ability to catch balls out of the backfield; his 36 passes caught for nearly 300 yards rank in the top 25 for backs, even in his limited playing time.

And now, bona fide three-down back Jennings has legitimate opportunity to shine given the uncertainty of Wilson’s health, and the lack of faith the Giants have in their other rostered backs. Theoretically, the Giants offense, as a whole, should offer more stability, consistency and opportunity than Oakland or Jacksonville (Jennings two prior stops).

Manning has the capacity to be a top 10 fantasy quarterback, as he was in 2010 and 2011. Do I envision that absolutely happening again in 2014? No, I’m not “LoveStoned” here. Thanks again, JT, for letting me reference your music. I’m simply stating Eli is not as bad as he was in 2013. The offensive line should provide more stability and running lanes than the Raiders did for their backfield.

And despite losing Nicks to free agency, the G-men still have difference maker in Cruz, upside in young Rueben Randle and just brought back Mario Manningham at the wide receiver position.

Coming out of college, it was noted that Jennings lacked explosiveness, and that tends to still be the word on his running style, running inside the tackles and creating yardage. He’s averaged more than four yards per carry in his career. He will need to reassure Tom Coughlin he can hang onto the ball—he had three fumbles in 2012 while with the Jaguars, and that he’s durable—he missed all of 2011 with a knee injury and was out for parts of a few Raider games this past year.

But his style, ability to run, block and pass-catch seem to be a fit here. And as we all know, fantasy owners can only ask for touches and opportunity when it comes to running backs. Bottom line, Jennings will be leaned on for the Giants this year. Given the chips falling in the right places at the right time, he has opportunity to finish 2014 as a top 15 fantasy running back. Those would definitely be sexy fantasy numbers, given where he will likely be drafted ... probably not in the top 20 backs taken. 

So do your thing, Rashad Jennings. Sometimes things just have a way of coming back around in life. And, for the purposes of this story, football. Perhaps this year will be Rashad Jennings own personal version of JT’s hit, “What Goes Around Comes Around.” We'll be watching.