Daryl Richardson: Updated Fantasy Outlook and Analysis for Rams RB

With injuries wreaking havoc on the running-back position this year (just like always), and with six teams on a bye week in Week 7, fantasy owners far and wide are searching for a startable option at running back this week.

The gateway to their fantasy success may lie in the Gateway City.

Rookie Daryl Richardson has been a pleasant surprise for the St. Louis Rams, passing Isaiah Pead on the depth chart to become the primary backup and compliment to veteran Steven Jackson in the Rams backfield.

The former Abilene Christian standout was used in a rotation with Jackson in last week's loss to the Miami Dolphins and had a solid game, gaining 76 yards on 11 carries while pitching in another 23 yards on a pair of receptions.

That production was good for nearly 12 fantasy points in leagues that award a point for receptions, which makes Richardson worthy of flex consideration, even if he's the back-end of a timeshare, as was implied by head coach Jeff Fisher, according to Mike Sando of ESPN:

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It's been working, and we'll continue it. I'd still like to see 'Jack' get at least about two-thirds of the carries because he’s got the experience, and Jack is one of those that he almost needs to get rolling. He needs to get going, so we’ll continue to work with that, but we were pleased with the results last weekend.

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With that said, last week's results fly in the face of Fisher's ratio, as the split last week against the Dolphins was essentially even, with Richardson receiving only one fewer carry on the ground than Jackson did.

There's no guarantee that the split will remain even this week when the Rams play host to the Green Bay Packers. But with Richardson averaging over five yards a pop and with Green Bay providing a so-so fantasy matchup, desperate teams with a hole in the backfield could do a lot worse this week.

The future is even brighter for the youngster than the present. If Richardson continues to impress, there's no reason to think his role in the offense won't grow, and fantasy owners in dynasty formats should absolutely take notice of a player who may well be a starter in St. Louis as early as next year.

So while Daryl Richardson may not get you 20 points a week in 2012, he's at least capable of double-digit points in PPR leagues and as a flex player or bye-week fill-in, and any NFL running back about which you can make that claim is certainly worth a roster spot.

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