Ladell Betts

Betts is coming off a disappointing 2007 season where he rushed for 335 yards on 93 carries (3.6 ypc). He is now two years removed from his 1000 yard season. He will once again spell Clinton Portis who will get the majority of the carries. Portis was able to stay healthy and lead the league in carries in 2007 which kept Betts on the bench. If anything were to happen to Portis, Betts is a proven guy who will get the lionshare. Until that happens he is nothing more than a backup.

After taking over for an injured Clinton Portis, Betts was more than just a little impressive last season. A dynamic player, Betts virtually carried the Washington offense at times. He got 4.7 YPC, caught 53 passes and totaled 1,599 yards, all while starting just nine games. In Week 17, he fell eight yards shy of finishing the season with six consecutive 100-yard rushing games. During the final five weeks, Betts averaged 165.6 yards from scrimmage. He only scored five times, partially because he was rarely used near the stripe, receiving just three goal-line carries. However, Betts was tied for fifth among all NFL running backs with 37 rushes that went for more than 10 yards. He also led all ballcarriers in percentage of passes caught (min. 50 targets) – he had 53 receptions on 64 looks, good for 82.8 percent. Safe to say, Betts was one of the best backs in the league last year, and he was rewarded in December with a contract extension guaranteeing him $5.5 million dollars and virtually ensuring that he sees significant work. Still, if Portis is fully healthy, Betts is likely looking at 40-45 percent of the carries at best.

Betts has the talent and size to be a starting running back in the NFL, just not on a team that has Clinton Portis. Expect Betts to get 5-7 touches a game in order to keep Portis fresh and defenses off balance. He should also see sometime on kickoff returns. If Portis gets hurt look for him to step in and put up strong numbers.

Head Coach Joe Gibbs and Offensive Line Coach Joe Buegel liked what they saw from Betts in 2004. He will serve as backup to Clinton Portis once again in 2005 and expects to see a few carries a game. He filled in for an injured Portis the last game of the year in 2004 and racked up 118 yards with a score. If Portis starts off slow or gets hurt Betts will see an increase in playing time.

While Trung Canidate's departure moves Betts up a notch on the depth chart, his fantasy value takes a deep nose dive with the blockbuster deal that brought Clinton Portis to Washington. Still, Betts is the Skins' clear #2 tailback, so in very deep leagues you can pick him up in case Portis goes down to injury like he did in 2003.