Update: We are at that point in the fantasy football calendar where most of us have had our drafts, but still have time to fret about the picks that might not work out or scramble for replacements to the players who have since been injured. Anyone searching for a running back to fill out their roster might not want to look any further than Tampa Bay where second-year back Kareem Huggins is having a fantastic preseason. After only being active for three games in 2009 and not touching the ball once during that time, Huggins has rushed for 97 yards on 19 carries, while catching two passes for 16 yards, and having not committed any fumbles through three preseason games. Following the recent release of Derrick Ward, Huggins will get every chance to show head coach Raheem Morris and staff what he’s made of.
Fantasy Impact: When I was a sophomore in high school, the team I played for faced off against Huggins and his Bayley Ellard High School (in Madison, New Jersey) teammates. The result was not pretty, for my teammates and myself at least, as Huggins ran all over us for four touchdowns and a 28-0 victory. Granted, the Glen Ridge High School (in Glen Ridge, New Jersey) defense, which I was a member of, was not nearly up to par with the punishing defenses of the NFC South and the rest of the league that Huggins will have to encounter on a weekly basis, but I could tell right then that he was way ahead of other high school running backs in terms of speed, patience, vision, and ability to change direction. As for the Bucs, they have a very good offensive line that is deceptive in its ability to control the line of scrimmage, largely because of the lack of production they have received from their skill-position players. Look at the other Tampa running backs. Derrick Ward has been released, Earnest Graham is 30 and only carried the ball 14 times last season, and Cadillac Williams has fallen off immensely since his Rookie of the Year season in 2005, failing to average four yards per carry in any season since then. The Buccaneers need a young, fresh runner to take advantage of the holes the line will open up and the passing attack that will be led by Josh Freeman, Kellen Winslow, and rookie wide receiver Mike Williams. If you need a running back, do the smart thing and pick up Kareem Huggins.
