Fantasy Fallout: Reggie Bush dumped by the Lions
What's next for Reggie Bush? Who gets the big Fantasy bump among Lions running backs? Dave Richard dives into Detroit's backfield.
The Lions could have stuck with Reggie Bush for another season to keep some depth and versatility in their running back corps, but to save a little bit of cap space and also improve the roles of their other backs, they've moved on.
Theo Riddick, a good utility player for the Lions, gets the Fantasy bump for now. He jumps into Top 50 territory among running backs. There's a lot of sleeper appeal there. Joique Bell nudges a bit higher and is still a Top 15 Fantasy rusher -- I figured he would have been the primary back in Detroit whether Bush was back or not.
What's next for Bush? The destination remains to be seen, but the role is pretty much a given. Bush helps best as a passing downs back. Last year with the Lions he caught 40 passes for 253 yards, delivering a lackluster 6.3 yards per reception. Combine that with the 3.9 rushing average and you might think he's running out of juice.
I think he has enough left to be in that passing downs role player for a team. There are some pretty obvious red flags when it comes to him staying healthy and his age (he'll be 30 in March). But teams in need of a still-pretty-quick receiving threat out of the backfield will come calling.
Because he's figured to be in that role, Bush is locked into being roster depth in Fantasy this year. Think late-round pick. His value will be a little bit stronger in PPR leagues.
Here are seven possible landing spots for Bush, assuming he signs a one-year deal in the $2.5 million ballpark:
Arizona: Bush would probably be more of a tag-team partner with Andre Ellington and not a dedicated passing downs back.
New Orleans: Why not? He knows the scheme and could be the quick fix for the offense that they didn't quite have when they traded Darren Sproles last year.
New York Giants: Perhaps Bush could replace Rashad Jennings in their running back rotation.
New York Jets: Chan Gailey loves speedy pass-catching backs, and the Jets love spending money on free-agent running backs. He'd come cheaper than Chris Johnson a year ago.
Oakland: This is where veterans who are looking for an extra paycheck go, right? Bush would be back in California and would definitely be an important piece in supplementing Latavius Murray's workload. This is probably his best bet to retain the most Fantasy value.
Pittsburgh: I cringe to suggest any running back join Le'Veon Bell in the Steel City, but it's going to happen. If it's Bush, he'll cover for Bell for that alleged two-game suspension coming down the pike and otherwise work as a part-timer.
Washington: The Redskins could let Roy Helu walk and replace him with Bush as their passing downs back.















