Dynasty Fantasy Profile: Is Jerome Harrison the Real Deal?

Earlier this season, Jerome Harrison stepped in for an injured Jamal Lewis and tallied 81 total yards on 21 touches against a stout Baltimore Ravens defense, and sparked the notion that he could soon supplant the aging Lewis as the Browns' new starting running back.

He then followed up that talk with an unlikely superstar day, rushing for 121 yards on 29 carries, while racking up another 31 yards on five receptions.

He got the fantasy world foaming at the mouth, and before we could all figure out Eric Mangini and the new-look Cleveland Browns, we had the rug pulled-out from under us.

Jamal Lewis returned, the Browns kept trying to get rookie James Davis going, and Harrison's nagging injuries left him out of the mix.

For the next nine weeks, we were all left to wonder if this guy had what it takes to be an NFL running back, if he was worth a fantasy roster spot, and if he'd ever get more than 10 carries in a game again.

Two weeks ago, against the Kansas City Chiefs, those questions were answered.

Harrison ran for an extremely impressive 286 yards and three touchdowns on 34 carries, displaying great vision and cutting ability, while also showcasing his above-average speed.

That one game set afire Jerome Harrison debates, and made us all wonder (yet again) if this kid could rumble with the best of them in the NFL.

Did he just need another "go-around" as the featured back, or was this just a testament to how bad the Chiefs run defense has gotten?

The answer: quite possible a little bit of both.

But then came Week 16's action. Harrison faced an equally woeful Oakland Raiders defense, and proceeded to carry his Browns on his back to the tune of 39 carries, 148 yards, and one score, while leading them to their second straight victory.

So, the question remains: Is this guy for real?

When you consider that he's topped 120 rushing yards or more in each of the last three games where he's ran the ball at least 29 times, then the answer is a fairly easy "yes", although those stats need to be taken with a grain of salt.

First, while his ability to handle a huge load (and handle it well) is impressive, it's also quite unlikely he can consistently see that many touches per game on a regular basis, which could mean his production would normally dip much lower if he were to average, say, 15 attempts per game.

Secondly, two of the three defenses he torched were teams with five or less wins, and defenses that are not known for being able to stop the run (KC and Oakland).

The third, however, was the nice 121-yard performance he had against a solid Cincinnati Bengals defense earlier in the season.

Verdict: You got the numbers. You know what his role was earlier in the year, who he faced, and how he fared. You even know by now that Jamal Lewis will be retiring, which means Harrison's main competition for 2010 will be Chris Jennings, who he has clearly passed on the depth chart.

However, what you don't know is what kind of an impact James Davis will have next season. You also don't know whether or not Eric Mangini will be back as the head coach, what kind of a role Josh Cribbs will play at running back (or another position) next season, and whether or not Cleveland will draft a running back in April (they will).

With that said, short of some major issues with the law and not being drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears, Jerome Harrison has all the makings of last year's (and possible this year's) Cedric Benson.

He's tearing it up to end the season, just like Benson, and appears to be on a team that is starting to get fairly competitive. With Mike Holmgren now around to run the show, it's unlikely the talented Harrison is going anywhere.

While he can't have guaranteed RB1 or RB2 value headed into the 2010 season, he is definitely worth a stash on your roster in Dynasty leagues, and he's clearly worth monitoring all off-season.

Pay close attention to all the moves Cleveland makes, who and where they draft at running back, and what Harrison's role could/might be entering next season. He could very well be the next electrifying back that could be available in the middle rounds of you fantasy draft.