After the emergence of C.J. Spiller in Buffalo, Fred Jackson is now forced to play second fiddle to the explosive Spiller. But that doesn’t mean the death of Jackson’s career as a fantasy running back. Although he is 32, fantasy owners are wondering if they can get value out of Jackson, who is currently going in the 13th round in standard 10-team leagues, according to FantasyPro’s average draft position rankings. So with Spiller the clear No. 1 back on the Bills, is Jackson worth a late-round draft pick in most leagues?
2012 Stats | Att | Yds. | TD's | Rec | Rec. Yds. | Rec. TD's | PPG |
| 115 | 437 | 3 | 34 | 217 | 1 | 8.94 |
2013 Outlook
Although he had to split time with Spiller last season, and missed six games with various injuries, Jackson still managed to produce four games of double-digit fantasy points. However, he had just as many games of 3.5 or fewer points. Between Spiller and Jackson’s age, most people are assuming that the seven-year veteran will be virtually left out of Buffalo’s offense. But Jackson is simply too talented for the Bills to let sit on the sideline all year.
Jackson is just two years removed from a season when he only played in 10 games but still managed to rip of 934 yards and six touchdowns. But the Bills have made it obvious that they want to make their offense run through Spiller, making Jackson a must-have handcuff for owners who take Spiller in the first round.
For non-Spiller owners, Jackson could be taken in the last few rounds as eventual trade bait for the Spiller owner in your league, but he is also worth a flier. It’s not out of the question to think that Jackson could steal some goal line touches from Spiller, who is more of an outside-the-tackles runner. Despite that chance, Jackson doesn’t hold much fantasy value if he’s taken higher than the 14th or 15th round in most drafts unless it’s a deep league.
Dynasty Outlook
Jackson is virtually useless in dynasty leagues. Spiller is the running back of the future in Buffalo, and at 32 the number of seasons Jackson has left in the tank is unknown. Again, if you have Spiller in a dynasty league, Jackson is definitely worth the handcuff but nothing more than that.
2013 Statistical Projections: 95 carries, 400 yards, 17 receptions, 130 receiving yards and five total touchdowns