Rashad Jennings: Complete Fantasy Profile & Draft Strategy

Rashad Jennings' fantasy football situation is a little complex. He's Maurice Jones-Drew's backup, so we know throughout the season MJD would get the bulk of the carries.

With MJD ending his holdout early Sunday morning, Jennings' status is even more up in the air from a fantasy standpoint.

Adam Schefter of ESPN tweeted this on Sunday morning, and this just dropped Jennings' fantasy worth a ton.

 

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Here we go: MJD returning to Jaguars today. Carry on.

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"— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 2, 2012"

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Jennings will still start in Week 1, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. There is still the prospect of a trade sending MJD elsewhere, as he has said he is open to.

Thus far, Jaguars' GM Gene Smith has declined to move MJD, per Vito Stellino of Florida Times Union, but we all know that could change.

If he is moved, that would make Jennings a very productive back to have.

In his career, he averages 5.4 yards per carry in 123 attempts. If you're riding the hunch that MJD will be moved, taking Jennings in the fifth round isn't a reach. He could be far more productive than that, but he will be be there for the taking, as he isn't a household name.

If MJD stays, then Jennings' carries will be drastically affected. If you believe MJD's holdout will be ending shortly and he'll be a Jaguar this season, then Jennings is only a late-round pick—at best.

With MJD ending his holdout, this becomes a very risky pick.

Injury Situation

Jennings appears to be completely healthy, so there are no physical issues for fantasy owners to be wary of.

He missed the entire 2011 season after a concussion and knee injury, but he seems to be fully recovered.

Season Projections

This obviously depends on how many carries Jennings gets. I have no doubt in my mind he can produce as a starter. He has had only one game in his three-year career with over 20 carries.

In that game, he tallied 108 yards and a TD. But the combination of the aforementioned yards per carry total, and the Jags' commitment to running the ball is a positive.

Bye Week

Jacksonville is on bye in Week 6

Splits Situation

Jennings will likely receive a similar percentage of carries as MJD received last season—if he starts in Week 1—which was 70 percent.

If and when MJD returns to starting lineup, Jennings' carries will plummet.

How Jennings Compares To Players on The Same Fantasy Tier

Jennings had a bit more value than players like Michael Bush (Chicago Bears), Toby Gerhart (Minnesota Vikings) and Justin Harper (Tennessee Titans) early on.

They are all backups for big-time feature backs, but Jennings was thought to be guaranteed at least one start, and likely two considering MJD's holdout.

With the holdout done, and considering how much the Jags lean on MJD, Jennings' carries could be sparse.

Bottom Line

Drafting Jennings is just too risky now. Fantasy owners would be better off leaving him in the free agent pool and monitoring the situation in Jacksonville.

In the event of an injury or a trade Jennings could have value as a free-agent add into the season.

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