2013 Fantasy Outlook: C.J. Spiller

Information is constantly changing in the NFL and fantasy player values can change at any moment. Having updated, informative news can help you not just at your fantasy football draft but during the regular season. Feel free to glance at our recent articles to make sound decisions throughout the year.

To help you get ready for draft day you will notice articles for ADP advice, cheat sheets, mock drafts and projected stats for C.J. Spiller here. During the season, you can also find regular weekly ranking articles at this section as well.

Welcome to C.J. Spiller fantasy football outlook archive. At this section of Spiller’s player page you will notice our past thoughts and advice for fantasy football.

Summer of 2012: Fantasy Projections

With Fred Jackson playing like one of the leagues top running backs, C.J. Spiller’s role was marginalized until a week ten injury, ended Jackson’s season.

Things started out a slow for Spiller in his first game as a starter, and I was a little irritated it took Chan Gailey so long to work Spiller in the passing game. In the final weeks, the game scripts changed, and we finally saw Spiller at his top level, which was pretty damn good.

Even Greg Cosell praised Spiller (podcast, start time 22:25) by season end noting he had three big runs from in-between the tackles (against the Broncos) and showed lateral explosion.

Spiller has clearly earned a larger role in the offense, and while Jackson will start, Coach Gailey did say he thought the young tailback could be a feature runner, if called upon to do so.

Currently, Spiller is landing as the 28th overall selection in PPR mock drafts, and 30th in standard play, with Jackson going off the board as a RB2 selection. That’s a fair area for Spiller, as he can be a flex play in twelve team leagues, but is better suited for PPR leagues, as the Bills should utilize his receiving skills more, with Jackson in the backfield.

For a team lacking in outside speed at receiver, Spiller can create miss-match opportunities like Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles have done in New Orleans. Gailey is known as a creative offensive mind, and I’m hoping he’s got some interesting formations up his sleeve to get Spiller on a linebacker or freed up in open space.

	Rushing Stats			Receiving Stats
	Attempts	Yards	TD	Rec	Yards	TD
2012 Projected Stats	144	752	4	53	371	2

Summer of 2011: Fantasy Projections

I’ve got to give credit to the Kansas City Star for an article about Coach Chan Gailey’s comparison of C.J. Spiller and Jamaal Charles. In 2008 Gailey was still with the Chiefs and apparently was a big promoter of selecting Charles at the draft. It took Charles about a year and a half to figure things out, he eventually became a fantasy football star but the second half of the 2009 season.

Spiller was surprisingly selected by the Buffalo Bills as the first overall running back and a top ten selection at the 2010 draft. If you watched Spiller at Clemson it was easy to fall in love with this guys speed and shiftiness in the open field, much like Charles has with the Chiefs. Who knows if Spiller will go on to have the kind of breakout Charles enjoyed in his second season, but he makes for an interesting fantasy sleeper coming into 2011 drafts.

Fred Jackson is likely to remain the starter in the Bills’ offense, this was the case in for Charles in his second season as Larry Johnson was still the top runner. Where Jackson and Johnson differ is that Johnson was a spoiled selfish brat, and Jackson is a respected hard worker in the Bills’ club house. I say that to point out it may take more time for Spiller to wrestle away the starting job or at least the top runner for touches, because Jackson has earned a role in this offense.

Spiller is by far the more talented running back of the two, and he was hand picked by Coach Gailey to be an impact player in this offense. No doubt Spiller will have more value in PPR leagues as his receiving skills are great, and he’s probably going to jump up closer to 50 plus receptions in year two.

One area Spiller will need to improve is in his ball handling skills as he fumbled the football five times in just over 100 touches. I have no doubts Spiller will accomplish this as it is a point of focus from his Head Coach to work on, this off-season. At this time on Spiller’s ADP value on Mock Draft Centeral stands in at as the 48th best runner (117.61 pick overall) to select in standard leagues and surprisingly the same (48th, 117.48) in PPR mock drafts, heading into the summer.

These ADP rankings land Spiller as a 12th round pick in ten team leagues and a 10th round pick in 12 team leagues. Don’t be surprised if Spiller has another, eye popping preseason as the Bills will give him extra work and let Jackson rest. This will probably up Spiller’s value in fantasy drafts, but I don’t expect him to move much farther than the ADP listed above, unless something should happen to Jackson and Spiller is awarded the starting job.

Coming into this season the Bills offensive line has had another year to mature and they actually have a passing game that defenses will respect from week one on. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s success will be key as the offense will only thrive is the Bills can continue to moved the football with the passing game, first.

In the end , Spiller still makes for a respectable runner to own in dynasty leagues, and I do expect him to breakout at some point this season. Heading in to the double digit rounds in redraft leagues, it is worth a shot to go for Spiller if your willing to hold onto him, until he’s showing signs of playing like a starting flex play option.

	Rushing Stats			Receiving Stats
	Attempts	Yards	TD	Rec	Yards	TD
2011 Projected Stats	111	468	2	38	349	1

2010 Preview

C.J. Spiller was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first ten picks of the NFL draft. With this move Marshawn Lynch is all but gone as Spiller will be the teams top tail back. Look for Spiller and Fred Jackson to pound out the years as the Bills get back to a run first approach.

2010 Fantasy Football Outlook

College / 2010 Draft: C.J. Spiller was one of the more explosive players in all of college football in his time with Clemson. It seemed like Spiller could score at any moment in the running game, passing game and special teams.

Because of his overall value and game breaking ability, he was regarded as a hands down first round pick coming into the draft. Upon the arrival of draft day, Spiller was the ninth overall pick to the Bills and the first running back taken.

Audio: RB | 2010 NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings

2010 NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings: Spiller may have been the first runner off the board on draft day but he’s in a bad situation. Still, his talent makes him worth having on your fantasy team, and he has added value in PPR leagues for his receiving skills.

Early in the season the Bills are expected to give Spiller around 12 carries a game and use him a lot in the slot position for the passing game. Eventually, I expect the team to give Spiller more work as we head deeper into the season as they fall out of playoff contention.

At some point they need to give this kid some decent reps as a running back to let him figure things out at this level. Because of this he should have added value in the second half of the year. Spiller makes for a cheep flex play option this season as the Bills need to find some respectability on offense.

Assets

- Explosion

- Receiving Skills

Liabilities

- RBBC

- Bad Overall Offense