C.J. Spiller has been one of the most frustrating real-life and fantasy football players over the past few seasons. The Buffalo Bills running back appeared poised for a breakout last season after racking up over 1,700 yards from scrimmage in 2012 and averaging 6.0 yards per carry. The breakout never came. Will 2014 be Spiller’s year?
It’s not looking that way. Spiller’s usage in the preseason has raised a lot of red flags. Fred Jackson may be 33 years old, but he is Buffalo’s starting running back and will be getting all of the goal line work. Plus, the Bills announced this week that Spiller will be returning kickoffs. Feature running backs don’t return kickoffs.
As of now, it looks like Spiller is being drafted too high in fantasy drafts (he’s going toward the beginning of the fourth round in 12-team standard leagues). Either the former Clemson star doesn’t have as much talent as we initially thought or the Bills simply don’t know how to use him.
In all likelihood, the Bills will use Spiller as a change-of-pace compliment to Jackson. It should be noted that Jackson is an incredibly high injury risk as a 33-year-old running back who has missed 12 games over the past three seasons, but he offers more value as a fantasy back. Spiller is likely going to be wildly inconsistent.
H/T Evan Silva
