NFL Draft 2009 Review: RB Shonn Greene

Shonn Greene is a guy who came out of nowhere this season.  OK, fine, two seasons ago he was at Kirkwood Community College which isn't technically nowhere.  It's just down the road from nowhere though, which makes his 2008 performance that much more amazing.

Greene finished 2008 with 1,850 rushing yards, 20 touchdowns, a 6.0 yds/rush average and the Doak Walker Award as the best college running back in the country.  That's right, he was considered the best running back in the nation and unless you're a fan of the Big 10 (where Greene shredded defenses all season long) you may not have even heard of him.

The Jets had heard of him though, drafting him in the third round.  In fact, the Jets traded up to make sure they got him.  That tells me the Jets are either terrible at drafting or they're ready to cut malcontent RB Thomas Jones.  If it's the latter, then Greene becomes one of the big sleepers of this year's fantasy season.  That's right, I said the "s" word.

Right now the Jets have a rookie QB taking snaps and a wide receiving corps thinner than NBC's prime-time lineup.  The Jets are going to have to run the ball this season and if Jones does leave the team, the rushing duties fall to
Leon Washington and Greene.  Washington is fast, elusive and can catch the ball out of the backfield.  Greene is strong, slow and has bad pass-catching skills.  How do you think the work will be distributed?  Greene will pound the
ball (especially at the goal line) while Washington stretches the field.  It should be a great combination and with Greene getting the goal line work, he should be the better fantasy option.

Disclaimer: Greene only has value if Thomas Jones is off the team.  If Jones remains on the roster, Greene likely sits for the entire season.  In that case, his fantasy value is near zero. Possible side effects include nausea, headaches, back pain and a 5-11 finish for the Jets.