Many opted for Joseph Addai, the multi-talented Colts RB who is both a receiving threat as well as rushing threat out of the back field. After amassing over 1,400 yards and 15 total TDs in ’07, a lot was expected out of the third-year RB, but in the end, most were wishing they had had the opportunity to trade down and acquire additional picks just like the teams can in the NFL Draft.
2008 Recap
Addai’s season, much like the Colts in general, got off to a rough start. It was hardly his fault however. The Colts line was ravaged by injuries in the preseason and Peyton Manning, the new NFL iron man (now that Favre has retired), was recovering from an off-season knee injury which forced him to miss all of training camp and the preseason.
So when the season started, Manning was erratic and defenses were getting great penetration into the Colts backfield which halted all forward progress by Addai. To illustrate the extent of this issue, in Week Two, against the Minnesota Vikings, he managed all of 20 yards on 15 carries for an un-impressive 1.3 yard per carry average.
Things picked up a bit, but in the end, he managed only one 100-yard rushing game on the season, and 544 in a little over 11 games for 2008 (only played two carries vs. Baltimore). And only five of those balls were deposited into the end zone.
2009 Outlook
Addai still presents strong value to fantasy owners and will go in the top seven picks in 2009. The Colts were caught off guard in ’08 with all of the injuries to the offensive line and really didn’t have a chance to come together as a unit until late in the season. By that time, Addai’s season was all but done. So in 2009, look for the Colts to potentially upgrade that position through free agency and the draft and this will directly benefit Addai’s overall production.
In addition to that, the captain of the ship—Manning—should also be healthy, and in Indy, it’s the passing game that sets up the running game, not the other way around.
So look for Addai to bounce back big in ’09 and eclipse the 1,200 yard mark on the ground with at least 10 TDs provided he stays healthy. He should also be able to add a few more through the air…
