Sleeper Alert
James Starks hasn’t quite lived up to the short-lived fantasy hype that once followed him; however, Starks looks like sleeper material heading into early 2012 fantasy football drafts.
Why? Well, according to ESPN, the Packers will turn to Starks in 2012 now that Ryan Grant is out of the picture. “He’s a young raw guy that needs to play,” Mike McCarthy said of Starks. “If he can stay healthy, I think he’ll make a significant jump as a player.”
The good news is that Starks’ Average Draft Position (ADP) is in that 7th-round range (depending on the ADP Data that you look at). Whenever you can draft a starting fantasy rusher in the 7th-round (or even 6th), you’re looking at amazing value and upside. This is especially the case when that rusher plays on one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
Monitor Starks’ ADP as we head into the months of July and August; if his ADP climbs too high, and I’m talking 4th- and maybe even 5th-round, well, Starks might actually become too risky to invest in. For now, though, his value is very much of the ‘low-risk/high-reward’ variety.
James Starks is the 2012 version of the PT Cruiser. I’d love to stash him as my RB4 or RB5 but it’s as high as it goes. The promise is there but the delivery never comes.
Yeah, Starks is no lock, that’s for sure. His ADP will determine everything.
Nice write up Smitty. Hard to pass up a starting RB with some upside, on a potent offense in the 7th round. He comes at a pretty low cost via trade as well, so in my opinion, he is worth acquiring at the low cost.
Starks seems like fair value at that ADP, I just don’t like the way he fits that offense. He is fast, but needs too much time to get up to top speed. It looked awkward so many times last season, and Rodgers body language looked very negative towards Starks. A scat-back type seems like it would be a better fit for Green Bay.