Fantasy Football: Five Reasons Why Ryan Torain Could Be a Risky Grab

The Redskins entered the 2010 season with a couple of key questions looming over their heads:

• Can Donovan McNabb lead this team to victory?
• Can the hodgepodge WR corp. actually produce?
• Is the defense older than they think?
• Has Shanny lost his mind trying to relive the old days with Portis and Torain?

Yes, that’s right the old days with Portis AND Torain; something that most fantasy owners may not be aware of.

And while I have to admit, I was on the same bandwagon as everybody else was when he got the nod, after doing some digging around I am thinking more long-term, and I don’t like what I am coming up with.

Take a look at what I have complied and you be the judge.

This is primarily meant for Deep leaguers, Dynasty leaguers, and even Keeper leagues, but anyone watching Torain and Williams, may want to read this too.

Sticking to Your Ways Vs. the Contemporary Approach

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

DENVER - DECEMBER 21: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos leads his team against the Buffalo Bills at Invesco Field at Mile High on December 21, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The Bills defeated the Broncos 30-23. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Im

Shanny is a guy who has always been known for his “my way or the highway” approach to coaching. So when he was brought into Washington with Daniel “Darth Vader” Snyder as the owner, many people were wondering just how that was going to pan out.

But it isn’t the marriage between owner and coach that is important, rather, whether or not Shanny has adjusted to the times.

Keeping Portis was a mistake. Entertaining L. J. was an even bigger mistake, and trying a second chance approach with the former 5th round ASU star, may also prove to be a mistake as well as you will see.

For fantasy owners, many of them believe they were duped into the hype out of Washington that Shanny was going resurrect Portis, and relive the “glory days”, and many also had no clue that Torain was also a former Bronco.

History Repeats Itself.

Matt Sullivan/Getty Images

CLEVELAND - NOVEMBER 06: Ryan Torain #42 of the Denver Broncos scores a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter of their NFL game at Cleveland Browns Stadium November 6, 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Imag

Yes, that’s right kids. Torain was a member of the Broncos during the Shanny days. As mentioned in the last slide, the Broncos picked him up in the fifth round, and almost immediately he was relegated to the injured list fracturing his elbow that August.

By November he was shut down with a torn ACL.

In 2009 he sat out all year long, and he has also had to deal with an MCL injury to his knee to, which doesn’t bode well for RBs as you can plainly see in Clinton Portis.

Why Not Keiland Williams?

Al Bello/Getty Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - AUGUST 27: Keiland Williams #35 of the Washington Redskins runs against the New York Jets during their preseason game on August 27, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Image

It’s easy. Could you convince your grandfather that his ways were old and outdated? No, there isn’t an ice cube’s chance in hell you could do that.

 So why would anyone think that Shanny would choose Williams over a former Bronco.

It can be easily conceived that Shanny has blown a common sense gasket thinking he is still in Denver.

Then again, is he smarter than we think?  Does he see something we simply can’t? Is he doing EXACTLY what he SHOULD be doing for the future of this team?

The Waiting Game Done Right?

Win McNamee/Getty Images

ASHBURN, VA - JULY 30: Head coach Mike Shanahan (R) of the Washington Redskins speaks with his son and offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan (L), during the second day of training camp July 30, 2010 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Image

The more Torain plays the more time Williams gets to learn the system, and the more Keiland Williams gets to understand Shanny’s complex system the better off he’ll be.

So has Shanny completely lost his marbles, or has he duped us all into thinking he has?

Torain already understands the system, so I suppose it makes sense to give him the nod, he just isn’t as great of a runner as many think historically.

Keiland Williams is being touted as the better back, especially the better future back.

Shanny has to also preserve his job, his team’s chances, and his legacy, so the guy may be crazy, but he may be the good diabolical crazy that is hard to come by.

History Repeats Itself Part Two

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Ryan Torain #46 of the Washington Redskins runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Redskins defeated the Eagles 17-12. (Photo by Jim McIsaa

Shanahan is the student of phenom coach Dan Reeves, and Shanny has made a name for himself turning under the radar RBs into quality backs.

His repertoire of runners include: Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Clinton Portis, Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell.

Some of them had to play the waiting game—with each other no less—before coming into their own.

So how does this all play out for Ryan Torain and Keiland Williams, and for that matter, fantasy football?

Well, there has always been two potential backs at Shanahan’s disposal, they have always wound being quality players, and the immediate high risk/high reward back out of Washington is obviously Ryan Torain, but if you want a player for the long-term that is going to be something special, you may want to hop on Shanahan’s crazy little train, and grab Keiland Williams before it’s too late.

Remember, history always repeats itself, and to think that knee is going to hold up for 16 games is pretty risky in its own right.