Fantasy Football: Why You Should Invest in St. Louis Rams' Isaiah Pead

There comes a moment in every fantasy football draft when a run on backup running backs takes place.

Depending on how much research you have done, there may be a lot of names coming off the board with whom you aren't real familiar.

But you need to be familiar with Isaiah Pead.

Pead will begin the 2012 season in St. Louis as the backup running back to veteran Steven Jackson.

Unlike fellow rookies Trent Richardson and Doug Martin, Pead is not expected to start. However, he could see significant playing time immediately. Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer—as he did with the Jets—wants to feature a two-back system. 

Pead makes for a perfect change-of-pace back in that type of offense. 

By selecting him in your draft, you will get two things: a backup who will get as much playing time as any No. 2 runner in the league and a guy who is one Steven Jackson injury away from being the featured back in the offense.

When trying to figure Isaiah Pead's production in 2012, I used LaDainian Tomlinson's 2010 season as a gauge.

That year, Tomlinson played essentially the same role for the Jets that Pead will play this season for the Rams.

I believe Pead can turn in about 75 percent of those numbers for the Rams offense during his rookie campaign.

Those numbers amount to a bottom line of roughly 675 rushing yards, 270 receiving yards, and four total touchdowns.

Not bad for a guy whom you might be able to get in the later rounds while others are drafting guys who will be lucky to see the field.