Slinging the Rock: Why Trading Michael Turner Is as Smart as the Lions Are Bad

There aren't many people hotter in fantasy circles right now than Michael Turner. The Falcons running back was the top fantasy scorer in Week 1, rushing for 220 yards and two touchdowns against the very, very hapless Detroit Lions. So naturally, people are freaking out at how good he could be over the course of a season.

There's some precedent for this, considering that he looked like a monster while he was backing up LaDanian Tomlinson in San Diego. "Some" being the key word. There is absolutely zero precedent for him averaging 10.0 yards per carry for more than one week; that being the number per tote he tossed up against the Lions.

That's not to say he won't be effective -- he will be. But at the same time, Matt Ryan is also not going to go 9/13 for 160 yards and a touchdown every time out, which are pretty monstrously efficient numbers for anyone's first game as a pro.

The point? The Lions are flat out the worst team in the NFL, and by a long margin. They made the Falcons look like an offensive juggernaut, and to do so is nothing short of embarrassing. Also, because this game seemed like the worst possible matchup available, not many people got to see the 400 or so missed tackles by Detroit on Turner.

Now, you might be somewhat stretched to actually get someone like Randy Moss for Turner at this point ... but then again, maybe not. Moss did after all, just lose his QB, and people are legitimately talking about whether or not he'll quit on this season. (Hint: he won't. The Pats aren't Oakland.)

But even if you can't pull Moss, you can at the very least get someone like Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith or possibly Braylon Edwards. These are all receiving options that, assuming you've bolstered your running backs enough at the draft, can push you over the edge by giving you three strong number one options at wideout.

And while it's nice to sit back and extrapolate Turner's numbers over a full season, clearly that's not going to happen. Besides, if you took Turner and a few other good running backs, you're only gambling with yourself in terms of having to make lineup decisions.