The Fantasy Theory

In years to come, Shonn Greene will be a household name in the NFL. Not only is he young and talented, but with a name like Shonn Greene, how can he go wrong? He plays for the New York Jets and wears green (and Greene) every game. Marketing genius. And his name isn't Sean. Nope, that would've been too easy and boring. So his first name is creatively spelled S-H-O-N-N. Brilliant. He has to be special, who else spells "Sean" like that? It almost was not to be though; his parents were also considering Peetur, Myke, and Bawb.

Great names aside, going into the 2009 season Greene was a talented rookie sitting at RB3 on the Jets' depth chart. Many fantasy owners appreciated his skill and prospects for the season, making him an interesting flyer pick in drafts. As the season progressed, Greene had a few good games but struggled to take carries away from the ageless wonder, Thomas Jones. That is, until the playoffs, where Greene shoots have been forming in the Jets backfield, perhaps foreshadowing the blossoming of the league's next stud fantasy RB.

In the last two games against the Bengals and Chargers, Greene has managed 45 touches, 263 yds, and 2 TDs. Compare those numbers with Jones (29 touches, 75 yds, 2 TDs), and you can see the inevitable trend emerging. The youthful, speedy Greene is replacing the old thumper Jones as the Jets RB. And going into the 2010 fantasy season, this is something to get excited about.

Firstly, the only thing holding Greene back from a solid 2010 season is Thomas Jones. Jones will be 32 when the 2010 NFL season starts, and according to databasefootball.com, the top 300 single season rushing seasons do not include a player over 31. I doubt Jones will defy all logic again and produce yet another good season. If we can assume he is breaking down, the only other competition in this backfield is Leon Washington. Washington is more of a utility guy than a true RB, and he will be coming off a severe knee injury. I believe Greene will get more carries than any other Jets back next year.

But wait! There's more! The Jets offense promises to be more balanced, with a budding QB and TE, a #1 receiver who should be more in sync with the offense, and oh yeah, three pro-bowl offensive linemen (Mangold, Ferguson, Faneca). A balanced attack should lead to more opportunities for touchdowns, and if Greene can snatch some goalline carries from Jones, watch out!

Greene will be relevant fantasy-wise in 2010. The questions are "how relevant?" and "where should you draft him?". I believe with Greene's playoff performance to end 2009, he has gone from being a middle round pick to a 5th or 6th rounder. I'd love to snag him as my 3rd RB, but that may be wishful thinking. Others will be aware that this "Greene Shoot" is primed for fantasy stardom.