Rashad Jennings

A meager four touchdowns kept Jennings from accruing snappy fantasy value, but he was a steady player for the Giants between the 20s. He pumped up his average rush by 0.6 yards, his catch rate was around 75 percent and he had 10.2 yards per reception. Jennings also made it through the full schedule, the first time he's done that in seven years. None of this will make Jennings the focal point of the offense, of course — it's the Eli Manning and Odell Beckham show, and always will be. And expectations need to stay grounded on a back entering his age-31 season. Nonetheless, Jennings has less mileage at this stage of his career than most 31-year-olds do, and the two primary options chasing him (holdover Andre Williams, fifth-round pick Paul Perkins) have fleas of their own.

Free of the shadow of Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville, Jennings spent the last two seasons in Oakland and New York proving he has the skills to be a three-down back in the NFL. What he hasn't proven is that he can stay healthy enough to fill that role for an entire season. Jennings missed the entire 2011 campaign with a knee injury and has yet to play a full season, suiting up just 11 times in 2014 due to lower-body injuries. When he's on the field he uses his size, strength and burst to run through would-be tacklers, and he's an asset in the passing game thanks to soft hands and a knack for finding open space. The Giants have given themselves plenty of insurance against Jennings' frequent visits to the trainer's room, drafting Andre Williams last year to cover the power role, then signing Shane Vereen this offseason to provide another back with receiving skills. While the crowded backfield may help keep Jennings healthier, it will also cap his snaps and touches.

Although he's 29 years old, Jennings has very little tread on his tires, having carried only 387 times in a career largely spent backing up Maurice Jones-Drew or sitting out due to injury. Last year's 163 carries were his career high, as he took advantage of the opportunity afforded him by Darren McFadden's injuries to turn in his first 1,000-total-yard season. Now that he's the ostensible starter for the Giants, the key is going to be turning in his first fully healthy season – he's never played 16 games. That said, Jennings has never held down a full-season starting gig in his career, and the Giants can't possibly expect to feed him the ball 250-plus times without getting him hurt, so they'll no doubt use David Wilson as well as rookie Andre Williams to spell him fairly frequently. Still, if he can stay on the field, Jennings has the uncommon combination of great size (he's 6-1, 231) and good hands – he's a reliable receiver with the ability to turn upfield. And although he only has so-so speed, Jennings is a grinder who was one of the NFL's best in yards after contact last season.

Darren McFadden has missed 13 games the last two years and never played more than 13 in a season, so his primary backup is a good bet to start a game or two. If he can hold off rookie Latavius Murray for that role, Jennings has both the size (6-1, 228) and speed (4.4 40) to make an impact. But after missing all of 2011 with a knee injury and six games last year with a variety of ailments, Jennings is far from a model of health himself. And when he was on the field in 2012 for Jacksonville, he was awful, averaging just 2.8 YPC and fumbling three times on only 101 totes.

Jennings didn’t play last year after suffering a knee injury in the preseason, but though he was placed on IR, he didn’t require surgery and reportedly could have returned in the middle of the year. He should enter 2012 fully healthy. Jennings played so well the year before, when he got 5.5 YPC, Maurice Jones-Drew owners entered 2011 with some concern Jennings would make Jacksonville’s backfield a timeshare. Jones-Drew proved his knee was healthy and is coming off a fantastic year during which he led the NFL in rushing, so Jennings will have to settle for a backup role. But he’s proven to be plenty capable if given an opportunity.

Jennings played well down the stretch last season, finishing with an impressive 5.5 YPC mark, though fantasy owners will most remember him flopping in a favorable matchup at home against the Redskins in Week 16, when he started for an injured Maurice Jones-Drew only to gain 32 yards on 15 carries. Nevertheless, Jennings established himself as Jacksonville’s No. 2 running back, so he’s a safety net for MJD owners and would immediately have fantasy relevance if an injury were to strike. He’s got talent, and the Jaguars’ offensive line has quietly developed into one of the best in the NFL.

Jennings could see a huge opportunity in 2010, as it became painfully aware at the end of the 2009 season that starter Maurice Jones-Drew needs a capable backup to take 5-10 carries per game. Jennings also excels at catching balls out of the backfield, so expect him to have an increased role in the offense this season.

Jennings rushed for 1,500 yards and totaled 19 touchdowns for Liberty last season, and the Jaguars selected him with the 250th pick in the draft. He’s already 24 years old and racked up that big production at a small school, but he’s fast for his size (6-1, 235). Jennings only has to beat out Chauncey Washington to become Jacksonville’s No. 2 back, so he’s the favorite to back up Maurice Jones-Drew, who has never been given a full workload throughout his career.