Fantasy Football Cut-N-Go: C.J. Spiller Named Bills Starter

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey announced on Wednesday that C.J. Spiller will open the season as the team's starting running back. Fred Jackson/Marshawn Lynch lovers seeking answers, here's your explanation:

The reason he's starting is because he's gotten more reps than anybody else in preseason at tailback and he's done a good job," Gailey said. "If he hadn't done a good job, then we might have to rethink it. But he's done a good job and he's earned the spot. So we're looking forward to him being out there."

Seems pretty cut and dried if you ask me. Truth be told, while Jackson and Lynch both are talented running backs, neither possess the game-breaking ability of Spiller, who's 4.37 40 time at the combine was Best-ed only by Jahvid (see what I did there?)

NFL scouts have had concerns about Spiller's size (5-foot-11, 196 pounds) -- he's been labeled a Reggie Bush-type because of it -- but he didn't seem to have any issues handling the bigger workload his senior season at Clemson (252 touches, 1,715 total yards, 16 TD), and he was still widely regarded as the best running back in this year's draft class despite his diminutive frame.

Spiller's speed, his ability as a receiver out of the backfield, and his size remind me an awful lot of another guy scouts didn't think could hack it as an every-down back in the NFL -- Jamaal Charles. The difference being that Spiller will begin his rookie season with a starting job in hand, and he'll have a better set of run-blockers to punch holes for him.

The only real question mark is how much Jackson and/or Lynch will figure into the Bills' gameplan each week. Still, as a late fifth-round draft pick in both standard (ADP: 57.4) and PPR formats (56.4), it's hard to argue that Spiller isn't already one of fantasy's bigger steals. With just 15 touches per week, who says he can't tally 1,400 total yards and 6-8 TDs?

The scary thing is that based strictly on talent level, his ceiling is much, much higher.

Bernard Berrian says to Saints secondary, "you ain't so bad"
OK, so he didn't really say that. At least not out loud. But you can bet Bernard Berrian is thinking it ... for a number of reasons. For starters, with the injury to Sidney Rice, Berrian is now Brett Favre's primary deep threat. Two, the Saints were extremely vulnerable to the big play in 2009. Three, Berrian shredded the Saints in last year's NFC championship game (nine catches, 102 yards), and now New Orleans is without their biggest playmaker in the secondary from a year ago, Darren Sharper (PUP). Did I mention Berrian will be returning punts, too?

Somebody tell Drew Brees his team is "destined" to get burned by Bernard this week.

Key Panthers Are All Systems Go
Steve Smith (broken arm) and Jonathan Stewart (heel) didn't play a single snap in the preseason, but both were full participants at practice on Wednesday and are expected to play in Week 1. While Stewart is the more iffy fantasy proposition of the two this week, Smith's "must-start" status remains the same. Remember, he's out for vengeance this week.

Thumbs Down for Josh Freeman?
According to PewterReport.com, starting QB Josh Freeman didn't fully participate in Wednesday's practice, and is still wearing a splint on his broken thumb:

As the team's other signal callers were wearing shells and helmets, Freeman donned neither and did not take part in the quarterback-center exchange drills during the initial phase of Wednesday's practice. He also did not take part in the warm-up period where quarterbacks throw to wide receivers, tight ends and running backs and was watching from the side.

While the peeps in Pewter are labeling these developments as "unexpected", head coach Raheem Morris and Freeman are calling it "planned" (despite both stating after Tuesday's practice that Freeman would practice on Wednesday). How about we compromise and just call it "irrelevant"? At least for fantasy purposes (slow news day, what can I say?) If you were planning on starting Josh Freeman in a standard league, shame on you. If you're forced to do so in a deeper league or two-QB setup, you might want to start scrambling for an alternative.

Steve Slated to Play on Sunday
Steve Slaton (turf toe) practiced on Monday and confirmed to the media on Tuesday (video here) that he'll play against the Colts on Sunday. And if that doesn't get your days of the week all mixed up ... Slaton may be healthy enough to return to game action but that doesn't mean he's worthy of a lineup spot. He'll serve as the team's third-down back, but not much more. Unless, of course, Arian Foster puts the rock on the ground a couple times. I'm sorry. Too soon?

Reporter Puts the Kibosh on Michael Bush's Week 1 Return
When asked in his weekly chat (transcript here) whether he thought Michael Bush would be ready to return on Sunday, Inside the Raiders blogger/reporter Jerry McDonald answered the following:

No. Not this soon after surgery.

As for whether Tom Cable has already determined that Bush will sit out on Sunday?

I'm guessing he's determined that he won't and will never say it, taking it all the way to kickoff before he doesn't play.

For what it's worth, Bush did practice on Wednesday, albeit with his surgically-repaired Bennett's fracture (I love saying that) heavily wrapped. Regardless, I don't think Bush or McFadden make for great options against Tennessee this week. If I had to choose one, it'd be McFadden. But only as a flex option in PPR setups.