Ahmad Bradshaw's 2013 Fantasy Football Impact With Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts signed Ahmad Bradshaw to strengthen their running back position. The Colts had one of the least impressive group of running backs entering this season so the Bradshaw signing makes a lot of sense.

Vick Ballard was expected to be the starter this season. Last year we saw the rookie take over the starting job and run his way to 814 yards. Ballard was going to be a good pick in fantasy this year. Even though there’s nothing exciting about his game, he was in a great position to be a feature back. Head coach Chuck Pagano said just a month ago that he liked Ballard as his leading rusher. 

While it looks like Pagano has changed his mind in less than a month, this signing was more about adding depth than it was about not having trust in Ballard. Donald Brown and Delone Carter haven’t shown a lot and it’s likely at least one of them won’t make the final roster. 

It’s early, but I expect Bradshaw to be the guy to own in Indy. He’s a better all-around player than Ballard and he can contribute in many ways.

Even if Ballard maintains the starting position, Bradshaw is a proven veteran who will no doubt take away snaps. He will especially be valuable in PPR leagues since he’s the kind of guy that can catch the ball out of the backfield. Being on a team who passes as often as the Colts do certainly makes him even more appealing.

Bradshaw will also likely be used on the goal line, which is an area that Ballard struggled with as he only had two rushing touchdowns as a rookie. 

Injury issues have plagued Bradshaw throughout his career. They haven’t necessarily made him miss many games, but he’s often playing hurt and missing practice. If Bradshaw is completely healthy this season there's no reason why he can't be a low RB2 in Indy. Ballard moves down to a RB3 or a RB4.