There are going to be a lot of fantasy owners high on Shonn Greene heading into 2010. There’s good reason for that, but there’s also plenty of reason for skepticism. To assess Green’s value, the type of league in which you play is a bigger factor than for some players.

First, the overall positives to Greene’s potential: 1) The Jets thought so much of him that they let go of Thomas Jones, a proven veteran who ran for 1,402 yards last year; 2) Greene was an absolute monster in the real-life playoffs with 304 yards and three TDs in three postseason outings; 3) He’s on an up-and-coming team with an emerging quarterback and a solid offensive line; and 4) He’s young – only 24 – which makes him a prime candidate for lots of carries over the next several years.

Now to the bad, or potentially bad, about Greene: 1) His backup isn’t an ordinary, run-of-the-mill reserve running back – it’s former All-Pro Ladanian Tomlinson. What that means for Greene is he might not get as many touches as some expect and, more importantly, there’s probably a short leash on Greene for not living up to expectations early in the season. If one asks anyone with the Jets who their guy is, they’re going to say Greene – bar none. However, you don’t keep a back like Tomlinson, regardless of his recent lack of success, on the bench if your young back isn’t getting the job done; and 2) The Jets did spend a fairly high draft pick on another running back, Joe McKnight.

So where is a good spot to pick Greene and how much can a fantasy owners depend on him for 2010 and beyond? Well, in regular mock drafts, Greene is going as early as the middle of the second round, which seems about right considering the likes of other unproven backs like Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Mathews and Beanie Wells are being drafted shortly after Greene. That info is good for regular re-draft leagues.

As for dynasty/keeper leagues, Greene is a first-round pick simply because of his youth. He comes in fourth among running backs in our dynasty rankings. And unlike some other young backs, his short track record is indeed impressive. Aside from his breakout playoff run, his 2009 regular season was solid as he backed up Jones. Greene notched 540 yards rushing on only 108 carries, an impressive 5-yard-per-carry average.

Regardless of which format your league is, Greene is not to be depended on as a No. 1 running back for your team. If you’re drafting late in your league and take a top wide receiver or quarterback with your first-round pick, Greene will be a temptation for your second-round pick. If you take a running back with your first-round pick and Greene is there in round two, snag him as he’s certainly worthy of being a dependable second back.

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