Faceoff - RB Ladell Betts, Washington Redskins

Posted 6/7, exclusive to Footballguys.com

Upside - by Mark Wimer

Ladell Betts stepped in for Clinton Portis last year after a shoulder injury shortened Portis' 2006 campaign. Betts was very effective during his opportunity, averaging 4.7 yards per carry while racking up 245/1154/4 rushing and 53/445/1 receiving - his yards per carry average was over a half-yard per carry better than Portis' 2006 mark of 4.1. Entering the June 2007 mini-camp and OTA period, the Redskins continue to work on mastering Al Saunders' offense -- this year will be the team's second year in the system -- while Clinton Portis sits out of practices due to his recovering shoulder and a problem with patella tendonitis in one knee.

Heading into training camp, Betts is positioned to cement his hold on playing time as he's getting a lot of reps while Portis is out -- and that situation may continue until training camp (or beyond, depending on how quickly Portis' sore knee heals). Coordinator Saunders would like to see Betts and Portis produce 2,000+ yards rushing during 2007, which should mean that there will be plenty of carries to go around. Last year, the Redskins were eighth in the league with 490 carries. It would be no surprise to see Betts collect another 200-250 carries and 50-something receptions again this year, and that is the low end of his potential. If Portis' injury woes linger or something new comes along to afflict him, Betts would have even more value. He has a relatively low amount of mileage on his tires and isn't dealing with any nagging injuries heading into 2007.

Assuming that the Redskins' offense gets stronger in 2007 - Jason Campbell has a year of NFL experience under his belt, which should help ramp up the passing game, and the entire offense is better understood by the players entering 2007 -- Betts should land in the top 30 among running backs and will be a very solid RB #3 for fantasy owners. He'd be a solid choice as a bye-week start or someone to plug in when the 'Skins face a nice matchup against a weak defense -- even with Portis on the field. If I were planning on drafting Clinton Portis, scooping up Betts as an insurance policy would be high on my to-do list.

Downside - by David Yudkin

Ladell Betts had a solid season in 2006 . . . FILLING IN for the injured Clinton Portis. But that was then and this is now, and Betts should again be a complimentary player and understudy to Portis in 2007.

"Why is that?" some people will ask. Here are some snippets from Clinton Portis' fantasy football resume:

• Eighth most fantasy points scored by a RB through four seasons played
• Third most fantasy points scored by a RB through age 24
• Fifth best YPC for RB through four seasons played (with at least 1,000 carries)
• Fourth in rushing yards and tenth in rushing TD for a RB through four seasons played

Clinton Portis' early career totals put him in Hall of Fame company. He struggled with SHOULDER and HAND injuries last year. These were temporary set backs and his legs and knees are fine--meaning he will be picking back up where he left off.

Even with limited playing time, doubling Portis' stats from last year (since he played in only eight games) would have given him almost 1,400 total yards and 14 TD. He only had two games with 20 carries last year due to his injury concerns.

Here are some other similar situations where a backup stepped in for an injured starting RB only to assume the role of backup again the following season:

• Edgerrin James & Dominic Rhodes
• Terrell Davis & Mike Anderson
• Fred Taylor & Stacey Mack
• Stephen Davis & Nick Goings
• Ahman Green & Samkon Gado
• Jamal Lewis & Jason Brookins
• Jamal Anderson & Ken Oxendine
• James Brooks & Larry Kinnebrew
• John Riggins & Mike Thomas

  Many people will ask who some of those backups are, and that's the point. They gave way to the starting backs and returned to being backups. Some FBG Staffers have Betts ranked in the mid-20s in their RB rankings. In his four healthy seasons, the average ranking of the #2 RB to Portis has been 49th.

  The Redskins gave Portis a $50 million contract to play, not to sit idly by on the sideline. He's the uber-stud in this equation. While Betts may see a handful more carries here and there (and some receptions), Portis is the one that will again see the huge lion's share of the workload. People should tip their collective hats to Betts for a job well done, but Portis will take it from here.