Aug 23, 2012
Trent Richardson underwent a knee scope earlier this month, and with health concerns and no experience, his fantasy value dipped as a result. But could he in fact be back for the Browns season opener against the Eagles?
Mike Holmgren didn’t want to commit to anything, but he was encouraged enough from what he has seen to state that there is “a chance” that the Browns first round pick suits up one September 9th. Holmgren and the Browns brass don’t want to rush Richardson back and risk further injury, but they also don’t want to send out to the wolves with little talent at his disposal.
From a fantasy perspective, this is good news for Richardson owners, but I still would leave him on the bench for week one. The Eagles added some experience to their linebacking core, making them a solid bet to finish in the top half of the league against the run. Even if Richardson suits up, he will need time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game, and thus won’t produce huge numbers right away. This recent news doesn’t change my ranking of Richardson (14th RB and 28th overall), a player I am projecting to get better as the season progress and make a big splash in the fantasy football playoffs.
