HT: 5’11, WT: 227, DOB: 12/28/1982, College: Texas, Drafted: Round 1

2010 Projections:

Games: 16, Games Played: 14, RUSH: 320, RUSH YDS: 1375, TD: 8

Everybody in the football world – real or fantasy, was surprised last year by the outburst of production that Cedric Benson displayed. The only person who was not surprised was Marvin Lewis, which is why they picked up the troubled running back before the start of last season. Truth be told, Lewis and company was the first team to really give him a chance at carrying the load. Look for another good year from Benson going into 2010.

Overall View

Cedric Benson was an absolute monster running the ball last year for the surprisingly good Bengals. Marvin Lewis and the front office in Cincy took a flyer on him and it seems to have worked out really well. Benson totaled a little over 300 carries last year, and over 1200 yards rushing. He averaged well over 20 touches per game – which is huge in today’s running back by committee concerns. You also have to take into account that Benson missed three full games last year because of coaches’ choice for rest, or a small foot injury. If he had played all 16 games he would have totaled around 1500 yards rushing.

Concerns

Right now the main concern surrounding Benson is his off the field legal troubles. He seems to always get into altercations – albeit sometimes he is just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The latest altercation involved him being in a fight. Although Benson and his attorney say he was sucker punched, it remains to be seen what affect this will have on his playing time. Right now it looks as though Benson will not be suspended for any games, but the fact that he still has a meeting with the commissioner at least tells us the league is still looking into it. The only other thing that may take away a little time for Benson is the fact that he is not very good catching the ball out of the backfield. This may allow an opportunity for Bart Scott to get more time, but even so Benson will be the workhorse yet again.

Upside

Tremendous! As long as he does not get suspended for a substantial amount of time, the Bengals will lean on his running skills. Look for Benson to total over 20 touches per game again, and if he does not miss any games, there is a good chance he reaches the 1500-yard mark rushing. He will also look to find the end zone a bit more often this year, as he only had 6 touchdowns last year. Look for that total to go up to around 10 this year.

Dynasty Value

His Dynasty value is middle of the pack. He will be 28 this year, and we all know that the shelf life of a running back is far shorter than that of other positions. Even so, barring any injuries he should be a good number 1 option, or a fantastic number 2 option for the next three years. You can probably get him in the later rounds as well, as not many people will take him early. Feel comfortable with looking his way in rounds 3-5.

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