Fantasy Football: Can C.J. Spiller Be the New CJ2K?

C.J. Spiller is on pace for 2,336 rushing yards in the 2012 NFL season.

That would obliterate Eric Dickerson’s 18-year-old record of 2,105 yards in one NFL campaign. It is, of course, way too early to project that sort of production from Spiller in 2012.

I mean, he’s only played two games, but a legitimate question to be asked (especially in fantasy football circles) is if this guy can go for 2,000 yards in 2012?

The most concerning obstacle to reaching that plateau this year is the return of Fred Jackson. Not that Jackson himself is an obstacle—he obviously helps the Buffalo Bills as a team—but if Jackson is taking a carry out of the backfield, then that means Spiller isn't.

So far this season, Spiller hasn’t needed too many carries to be a fantasy football monster.

The Houston Texans’ Arian Foster got 28 rushing attempts in Week 2. Alfred Morris of the Washington Redskins was handed the ball the same number of times in Week 1.

Spiller has carried the ball a total of just 29 times this season.

That’s good for 17th in the league entering Monday night of Week 2.

Nonetheless, Spiller leads the league with 292 yards rushing.

That’s an average of 10.1 yards per carry, which is hardly sustainable over the course of a season while handling feature-back duties.

As the season goes on, the Buffalo Bills should be involved in more competitive contests. They got blown out in Week 1 by the New York Jets and turned around to stomp the Kansas City Chiefs in the following game.

When the late-game outcomes are more in doubt, Spiller should find himself with more touches in the Bills offense. That means even more opportunities to make plays.

The artist currently known as CJ2K—Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans—earned that moniker in 2009 by rushing for 2,009 yards on 358 carries.

Spiller is on pace for 232 totes—a difference of almost eight attempts per game.

He has never had 20 carries in an NFL contest. If he starts seeing that kind of work every week, he might break down.

Or he could produce an unprecedented statistical season.