Posted by Sean in Fantasy Advice on Sep 30th 2009 (Print This)
Dallas implementing a 3-headed monster? They may not have a Choice.
Marion Barber lives up to his nickname – The Barbarian. He runs with no regard for the safety of himself or others. Such a rugged style of running leaves him open to injury. After coming up lame on a sure fire touchdown in week 2, MBIII did all in his power to show the coaching staff that he’d be ready for Monday night. Despite Barber’s efforts, the coaching staff forced him to sit. Barber was not seen on the sidelines leading to speculations of frustration with the coaching staff for not granting his wish to play. Felix Jones opened the game with a bang, but speed kills. The Carolina defense got torched by the former Razorback, but a knee injury brought his production to a halt. Enter Tashard Choice. Choice showed versatility and poise:
Monday Night vs. Panthers: 18 Rushes 82 Yards 1 TD, 4 Catches 36 Receiving-yards
The Cowboys drafted Choice out of Georgia Tech in the 4th round of the 2008 draft. He’s a tough back who has played through injuries to make it to the NFL. He made his pro debut towards the end of ’08 when similar circumstances led to playing time. He performed well down the stretch putting up more than respectable numbers versus some of the better rushing defenses in the league. Despite his impressive play, Choice found himself the odd man out heading into the ’09 season. He’s a true three-down back that can run between the tackles, turn the corner and receive the ball out of the backfield.
The T.O.-less Cowboys lack a sure-fire red-zone receiving target. After multiple failed passes near the goal-line, look for Jason Garrett to turn more towards the run when in scoring distance. There remains questions at the wide-out position. Roy Williams is a solid wide receiver, but he lacks the qualities to be considered a WR1. He’s not Terrell Owens and won’t put up T.O. -like numbers. Barber, Jones and Choice form the best trio of runners in the league. Expect Dallas to rely heavily upon their stable until the passing game catches up. If Barber was questionable for week 3, we expect him to be probable for week 4. Jones’ injury is still under review, but speculations have been made that he’ll be out a couple of weeks. We’ll know more come Thursday, but regardless of the scenario – Choice should be involved heavily this weekend versus Denver. Denver’s defense has played surprisingly well. A more favorable contest is on the horizon, when the Cowboys travel to Kansas City in week 5. Dallas has a week 6 bye, which should provide the opportunity for all their horses to heal. Choice should continue to see a decent workload in the weeks to come. Those of you who drafted him as an insurance policy - Kudos! Those of you who didn’t – grab him on the wire, especially if your a Barber or Jones owner.
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