Joseph Addai

A shoulder injury derailed Addai’s season last year, limiting him to just eight games and making him a part of a committee in others. He finished with career-lows in rushing yards (495), receiving yards (124) and touchdowns (four), though his 4.3 YPC mark was actually the second best he’s ever recorded. After a brief time in free agency, Addai expectedly re-signed with the Colts. He doesn’t possess much speed, but his style fits well within Indy’s system, and he’s terrific in pass protection, which is most important when it comes to the Colts offense. Donald Brown appears to be a bust, but Indianapolis drafted Delone Carter in the fourth round, and at minimum, he’ll take over short-yardage work, which limits Addai’s scoring potential. Coming off a poor 2010 and as a boring veteran, Addai could provide nice value, but there are backup running backs with more upside.

Addai ran for just 828 yards last season, but he had plenty of value anyway, thanks to his activity in the passing game (51 receptions, 336 yards) and 13 touchdowns — apparently, it doesn’t even take 225 carries to be a major producer when you’re the Colts’ feature back. Addai’s YPC (3.8) remained pedestrian as usual, and he’s topped 80 yards rushing just once over his past 38 games, though it certainly was encouraging that he was able to stay relatively healthy throughout 2009. Addai is terrific in pass protection, but he lacks explosion, as he had just two carries for 20-plus yards and none that went for more than 40 yards last year. He also remains the team’s preferred option in short-yardage situations, as Addai got 15 goal-line attempts compared to six for backup Donald Brown. Brown offers more big-play ability, but he struggled through injuries and in pass protection as a rookie, and it’s not like his 3.6 YPC mark impressed, either. Since protecting Peyton Manning is priority No. 1 with the Colts, Addai’s job as RB1 seems secure. He’ll need to continue to build on his newfound durability, but even in a timeshare, Addai should remain plenty productive playing in such a terrific environment in Indianapolis.

A top-five pick in most fantasy leagues, Addai rushed for just 544 yards on 3.5 YPC last year. He’s only one year removed from a 15-touchdown campaign, but Addai is constantly banged up, and the Colts were clearly fed up as they selected Donald Brown with their first-round draft pick. Addai lacks speed and is often too tentative at the line of scrimmage. His 20 goal-line carries in 2007 were the second most in the NFL, but his career conversion rate (32 percent) is below average. Addai is still the favorite to start for the Colts, but Brown’s presence has lowered his fantasy stock. Addai could still be valuable if he maintains the goal-line work while playing for Indy’s potent offense, but he’s an injury risk who could easily be outplayed by the rookie.

Addai was workmanlike in 2007, totaling 1,436 yards with 15 scores. The 4.1 YPC was pedestrian, but Addai is an excellent receiver and excels in pass protection, ensuring he stays on the field in most situations. He missed just one game last season but was nicked up in more than a few others, and his ability to carry a full workload remains in question, as the 261 carries were a career-high. Last year’s overall numbers look better when you consider he saw little action over the season’s final two weeks as he was rested in preparation for the playoffs. Despite being limited in multiple games and that his 261 rushing attempts weren’t even in the top-10 in the league, Addai's 20 goal-line carries were the second most in the NFL, which reveals how rewarding it can be playing in Indy’s powerful offense. The Colts offense should remain prolific, so Addai finds himself in one of the best situations of any running back in the league. Only Dominic Rhodes and rookie Mike Hart, who fell all the way to the sixth round of the draft. In a league filled with committees, it’s rare to find such a clear path to the majority of touches combined with an ideal situation, so even if Addai's skills aren’t spectacular, his numbers should be. With Marvin Harrison's future in serious doubt, and an improving defense, don’t be surprised if the Colts run the ball more than ever in 2008.

With Dominic Rhodes around last year, Addai’s first career start didn’t come until the playoffs, which made Addai the only back in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards without starting a regular season game. Still, it’s not like Addai was used sparingly, as he turned 226 carries into 1,081 rushing yards with a solid 4.8 YPC clip. Addai fits the Colts scheme perfectly, as he’s a terrific blocker and adept at catching passes out of the backfield. Addai entered the limelight during the postseason, punctuated by his 10 receptions in the Super Bowl, a running back record and one short of the overall record. Rhodes, who posted a paltry 3.4 YPC, was given far too many carries last season, but at least Addai’s legs were kept fresh, as he was eased into the starting running back role for the eventual Super Bowl champs. With Rhodes jettisoned to Oakland, Addai enters 2007 as Indy’s feature back. The team stated plans of maintaining a running back rotation, but Addai should receive the bulk of the work, despite his somewhat diminutive (5-11, 215) frame. It’s a great situation to be in, as the Colts have arguably the game’s premier offense, evidenced by the numerous red-zone opportunities produced last year. Despite being in a timeshare throughout the season, Addai had 66 carries inside opponents’ 20-yard line. Only LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson had more. The 18 goal-line carries were sixth in the league, and factoring in Rhodes’ 13 attempts, you are looking at a whole lot of chances for touchdowns. To reach that huge TD potential, however, Addai needs to improve on last year’s weak 22 percent conversion rate from in close. Regardless, Addai’s skill set and situation in Indy (you can be sure he’s never going to see an eight-man front) give him the kind of upside that could vault him atop everyone’s draft board next year.

Selected at the end of the first round in this year’s draft, Addai will get an opportunity to compete for the job of replacing Edgerrin James in the Colts high-octane offense. More than likely he’ll have to take a back seat to Dominic Rhodes, at least initially. But Addai has good speed and the pass-catching skills necessary to take full advantage of the Indianapolis system, and Rhodes’ injury history makes him no sure thing. If Addai meshes well with Peyton and company, he could be a first round pick once again, this time, in your 2007 fantasy draft.