Fantasy Football Week 4: How Should Owners Manage Steven Jackson?

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson ran just four times in his team's Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but that wasn't due to any further injury to his quad.

Instead, the Rams had no reason to run the ball in the 37-7 blowout loss, a fact that provides little comfort for Jackson's fantasy owners.

St. Louis has dropped to 0-3 on the season, and while Jackson's injury—which cost him most of his first game and all of his second—might have contributed to those losses, they also speak to St. Louis' overall inability to produce on both offense and defense.

Jackson should have more carries this week against the Washington Redskins, but he may not have much success against the top-five defense.

However, his fantasy owners shouldn't panic just yet. A number of teams through the years (and currently, with Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings) have struggled to win while having a productive running back, and the same could happen with Jackson and the Rams.

In a league with so few dedicated No. 1 running backs, fantasy football GMs need to start one if they have one. That means that, for now, Jackson in a must-start, unless you have a better option available.

His production should be monitored closely, as well as that of the rest of the Rams offense. This will give his owners a better chance to gauge Jackson's potential to be effective as the season wears on.

Of course, you could always trade him, but this week he's a definite buy-low. You would have to package him with other players to get one good running back in return.

If you are committed to moving Jackson, it might be better to wait until after Sunday and hope that he turns in a performance that puts him back in the sell-high column.