Week 2 vs. Jaguars
In a tough matchup last week, Alfred Morris ran 14 times for 91 yards and didn't catch a pass and wasn't targeted. All-in-all, for how the game went and how he was limited in workload, it's a nice performance.
This week could be Morris' time to shine. HC Jay Gruden said he should have run the ball more last week and may very well do that this week with a struggling Robert Griffin III at QB. Morris comes in ranked 10th, his usual spot. He continues to be what I call the ultimate RB2.
Owners beware, Weeks 3-6 the matchups get a little tougher for Morris, seeing four top-10 defenses in terms of allowing fantasy points to RBs.
Week 1 vs Texans
One of the things that has been consistent in the Skins offense has been RB Alfred Morris. And with the struggles of QB Robert Griffin III still ongoing, the team may have to rely on Morris once again.
Morris is the ultimate RB2 and once again he's ranked that way heading into Week 1, coming in at 13th on our list against the Texans, who are 18th in allowing fantasy points to RBs. Morris likely isn't going to be a factor in the passing game, but always seems to put up good enough rushing totals to get fantasy owners their points. Not much has changed behind Morris so expect him to get another solid workload as we project him for 18 carries.
FANTASY UPSIDE
In 2012 Alfred Morris was one of the most consistent fantasy RBs in the league. And while he struggled a bit last season, as did the rest of the team, he still put up a line of 276-1,275-7. Morris is still a consistent back when it comes to carries and rushing yards and even with a new coach in town, he’s safely planted as the team’s RB1 heading into this season.
FANTASY DOWNSIDE
Morris is pretty much non-existent in the passing game which caps his fantasy value a bit. The new coaching staff is expected to throw the ball a bit more, and while they say they want Morris to be involved in the passing game, he hasn’t really stepped up in that role in each of the last two years when Mike Shanahan said the same thing.
BOTTOM LINE
Despite not being involved in the passing game, Morris still puts up enough numbers consistently to be valued as a low-end RB1 or high-end RB2. When looking at the Jay Gruden’s passing numbers, they actually compare with what the Skins did last season so perhaps there isn’t much of a drop in Morris’ numbers in 2014. We rank him 10th and project him for a 280-1,339-7.8 line which is comparable to last season. His ADP is 3.10 in 10-team leagues and that allows you to go after WR early and still come away with quality like Morris in the late third.
