Fantasy Update: Laurence Maroney’s Fantasy Value

By Allen

 Laurence Maroney was a great back to have last year in Fantasy, especially if your league allowed return yards in its scores. His 939 yards rushing and receiving, along with 7 touchdowns, proved that he was able to get things done. The 783 return yards he added to that total turned him into a viable starter, but mainly for leagues utilizing return yards. Should we expect more of the same for Maroney this year?   

One of the bigger issues with Maroney is that New England seems to have shifted their offensive philosophy slightly away from the running attack of the past few years. With Corey Dillon gone and the new receivers coming in, it’s pretty clear that Maroney will have a tougher time getting the ball. Dillon was a great compliment to Maroney’s quick, shifty running style, and it often kept defenses off balance. You also have to worry about injury, as Maroney started to break down at the end of the season.  

The addition of the new receivers (Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker and Kelley Washington) will both help and hurt him. For one, the better passing game will force teams pay more attention to the pass, which should open up more room for Maroney. But, on the flip side, more passes will be thrown, and that might mean fewer carries for him. The passing game may also be used much more in the red zone, taking away touchdowns from Maroney.   

Perhaps the biggest blow to his value, however, might be the addition of Welker. Maroney will be losing his role as the teams returner, partly because of Welker’s arrival, but also to alleviate the punishment his body took. This means a significant loss of yards, and thus points, for Maroney. Too, Welker is expected to be the third receiver, meaning Maroney very well may see even less receptions than he did last year. 

 So, what’s the prognosis? Maroney will not be the productive back he was last year in leagues counting returns. But even for leagues with standard rules and scoring, he’s still a tough pick that’s better left on the bench until we can see how Belichick utilizes him – which we won’t see until game 1. He’s definitely worth a mid-round pick, but you can find better players with more upside in rounds 1-4, and possibly in the next few rounds.

Comparable backs with better value: DeAngelo Williams, Jamal Lewis, LaDel Betts, Marshawn Lynch.