Survivor I - Correll Buckhalter Commentary

NOTE: this draft was completed on 7/24

Recent Stats

YR	RSH	RSHYD	RSHTD	REC	RECYD	RECTD	FPT	RANK
2003	126	542	8	10	133	1	121.5	30

Positives - Buckhalter has shown that he can score when called upon. In 2003, sharing duties at RB, Buckhalter accounted for 8 TDs on 126 carries, including two games of 20+ fantasy points. If Westbrook goes down, Buckhalter’s value obviously skyrockets, but even if Westbrook stays healthy, Buckhalter could get ample opportunities close to the goaline, throughout the game to keep Westbrook fresh, or in end game situations when the game is out of hand. In the 13th round you can’t find a backup RB with more opportunity and upside than Correll Buckhalter.

Negatives - Injuries, injuries, injuries. Obviously, injuries are a theme throughout the “negative” side of a lot of these picks. Buckhalter has had two serious knee injuries in the last few years, missing two whole seasons as a result. Also, while Buckhalter is a good inside runner, he won’t catch a lot of balls and that limits his time on the field.

Draft Strategy - At this point in the draft, all major starting positions are filled and it’s time to draft “upside” players. At some point this season, there WILL be a team that loses their starting RB to injury for a decent portion of the season. I think to win a league like this you need to get lucky and be the guy that owns that team’s backup. Even if Westbrook stays healthy for a full season, I think Buckhalter will provide starting RB like numbers for at least a couple of weeks.