Fantasy Scouting Report: St. Louis Rams

Shorter version: play Steven Jackson. Longer version; courtesy of Turf Show Times.

By this point in the season, running back Steven Jackson should be the only player from the St. Louis Rams still on your fantasy roster. Offenses that score an average of around 11 points a game don’t generally have anything to put you in the running for a league championship, but Jackson has been there for you week after week racking up yards and the occasional touchdown. Even as his coaches stubbornly refuse to make any kind of moves or call any kind of plays that might potentially make Jackson that much more effective. And now Jackson has a sore back, probably from the dead weight of 52 other players riding it through 13 weeks of play. Should you start him?

Jackson will play this week, despite reports that he watched practice from the sidelines all week. The man has nothing to gain from practicing with the Rams anymore; he IS their offense. Jackson has scratched out 100+ yard games against much better defenses than the Titans, and he should easily hit that mark again this week. The Rams expect FB Mike Karney to return to action this week. Jackson and his lead blocker have formed a solid connection and getting Karney back in the lineup ups the potential for a breakaway run or two. It’s not impossible that Jackson will even score a touchdown. Start him with confidence.

Avoid any and all St. Louis wide receivers. With Kyle Boller starting under center good things will not happen in the passing game. The dump throws the coaches will ask him to make cannot add up to the fantasy points you need at this point in the season. Things could change if Boller gets hurt – he’s already missing some practice time with a thigh injury – and the Rams turn to Keith Null. If they do go to Null, they’ll almost have to incorporate more 3 and 4 receiver sets for the spread quarterback. Of course, if that happens, they won’t have that kind of game plan in place for another week. If the Rams lose Boller, keep an eye on Donnie Avery or Brandon Gibson, because they could benefit some if Null ends up getting a start next week.

There’s one other member of the Rams worth considering this week, and that’s kicker Josh Brown. Jackson can get the offense into comfortable kicking distance, and as the coaches have grown more and more leery of their offensive skill players not named Steven Jackson, they’re becoming more likely to run on 3rd-and-long to give them a shot at 3 points rather than risk losing yards on a passing play or turning the ball over. Brown has been hitting 50-yarders this season too.

Rams fandom on display at Turf Show Times.