Four Downs: Fred Jackson, weekly starter? 

November, 29, 2010
11/29/10
1:30
PM ET
Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson wasn't a popular fantasy start in Week 12, which was understandable because he was facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. That defense is terrific, the toughest against opposing running backs in fantasy. I still ranked Jackson 20th at running back for the week, a rating that was still within starter range but not indicative of how well he had been running the ball. I didn't feel great about him, but I didn't have any problem leaving him active in two leagues, one as a starting running back.

However, I think there's more to why Jackson was active in a somewhat embarrassing (in hindsight) 23.3 percent of ESPN.com standard leagues in Week 12. Clearly people still don't trust him. I mean, c'mon, among the running backs active in more leagues in Week 12 were two players on actual injured reserve and out for the season (DeAngelo Williams and Ryan Grant), several players ruled out for the week (Joseph Addai, Pierre Thomas and Ryan Mathews) and a slew of others who just were worse plays (Beanie Wells, Danny Woodhead and Jahvid Best). Granted, there are plenty of mismanaged (or unmanaged) teams out there, but the low percentage shows that fantasy owners still had something against Jackson entering this week.


For Eric Karabell's notes on Fred Jackson, Vincent Jackson and the Panthers' and Redskins' backfields, you must be an ESPN Insider.

Eric Karabell | email

ESPN.com Senior Writer
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Eric Karabell
Eric Karabell

Eric Karabell is an ESPN.com senior writer. He has worked at ESPN since 1997 and covered fantasy sports for ESPN since 2001, specializing in baseball and football. Eric appears several times per week on SportsCenter, NFL Live and other ESPN shows, contributes to ESPN Radio and ESPN The Magazine and is the host of the Baseball Today Podcast. He has been honored twice as fantasy sports writer of the year by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, his blog was named best fantasy baseball series for 2007 and he was inducted into the inaugural FSWA Hall of Fame class in 2010.

Eric grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, and accordingly, favors Philly teams first, his fantasy teams second. He previously served as ESPN.com's lead NBA editor, and is a former Washington Post and Philadelphia Inquirer sports writer. Eric is also the author of "The Best Philadelphia Sports Arguments," published by Source Books and available in bookstores and online.

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