NFL Draft 2009 Review: RB LeSean McCoy

LeSean McCoy is an interesting fantasy option. At one point he was considered to be as good as Chris Wells and Knowshown Moreno, but bad pre-draft performances for scouts sent him tumbling into the second round. His loss was the Eagles' gain though, as they now have a back that can take some of the load off Brian Westbrook.

How much of the load is the key to figuring out McCoy's fantasy value this season. Westbrook is 30 years old and started to noticeably wear down last season. The Eagles will put McCoy in right away, although it will take a few games for him to get his NFL legs under him. Early on he'll probably only see 5-7 carries a game with a few pass receptions. Don't get discouraged when he underperforms the first few weeks - as the season goes on McCoy will gain confidence while at the same time Westbrook wears down. 

Of course, if Westbrook goes down with an injury, McCoy becomes worth a regular starting position on your fantasy team.  If you draft Westbrook, McCoy is a mandatory handcuff pick (if you can get him).

I see McCoy having a 2009 value somewhere between Chris Johnson (if
Westbrook sees a lot of injuries) and Jonathan Stewart (if Westbrook is healthy).

That's a decent range for a rookie running back.

The Eagles have made significant upgrades to their offense in the off-season -- primarily first round WR Jeremy Maclin and tackle Jason Peters -- and the offense should be clicking on all cylinders. I like the Eagles offensive players in general this season and LeSean McCoy in particular.