Buy or Sell: Alfred Morris

Alfred Morris burst onto the fantasy scene in 2012 as a relatively unknown sixth round choice. He was one of the few Washington players who truly seemed to thrive under Mike Shanahan’s system in 2012 and 2013.

Now there is a new coach and a new system, and along with that there is concern that Morris’ skill set might not be the best fit for the new scheme.

So will Morris overcome and continue to maintain his place among the NFL’s elite from the last couple years? Or are his best days in Washington behind him?

Alfred Morris
ADP: 26.4
RB: 13

Buy: John Vomhof Jr.

Alfred Morris entered the NFL as a popular sleeper in 2012. Now, it’s the fantasy world that’s sleeping on him.

Although viewed as a pedestrian talent when he entered the league, he’s proven himself to be a stud fantasy RB. He debuted with a spectacular 1,610 yards and 13 TDs as a rookie, then came back with a solid 1,275 yards and seven TDs last year. (A big drop, sure, but still solid production.)

What makes Morris so valuable is that he’s one of the NFL’s few workhorse backs, toting the rock a whopping 611 carries over the past two seasons in the Shanahans’ RB-friendly offense. There’s some concern that Morris could lose some work in Jay Gruden’s offense, but don’t forget that an inferior BenJarvus Green-Ellis ranked 16th in the NFL with 220 rushing attempts last year in Cincinnati.

There’s talk that Morris has shown improvement as a pass catcher this preseason – and there’s plenty of room to grow, considering he only has 20 catches over the past two years combined. But even if he doesn’t get any third-down work, Morris will have plenty of value pounding the rock inside on early downs and at the goal line.

Morris is a safe pick at this third-round ADP and could actually prove to be a bargain.

Sell: Andy

I like Alfred Morris. He’s a great story. Everything I’ve ever read about him is indicative of a player who has not forgotten where he came from — relative obscurity, at least when it comes to the NFL hype machine.

While he’s someone I’d like to pull for, I am of the impression that he may not be long for Washington — at least in a featured back role.

Jay Gruden likes to throw the ball to his RBs. Giovani Bernard, in a part-time and mostly secondary role most of 2013, caught 56 passes and had 170 carries, scoring eight TDs. John rightfully points out that there was still a strong role in Cincinnati last year for BenJarvus Green-Ellis, whose 220 carries were maddening for owners of Bernard.

I have no doubt that Morris can fill the role of Green-Ellis. But the guy on the Washington roster who more closely resembles the role Bernard played last season is Roy Helu, whose ADP is 147.3 as the 58th RB chosen, according to ESPN. I think Helu is the Redskins’ back with the best chance to outperform his fantasy ranking.

There is a place where I would consider taking Morris, but it would be far lower than the third round.

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