Does Tevin Coleman Have Any Fantasy Potential With The Jets?
The New York Jets have one of the murkiest backfield situations when it comes to fantasy football. A group that mainly consists of Tevin Coleman, LaMical Perine, and Michael Carter has a lot of uncertainty. Coleman has the most proven track record of that group and probably will get the first crack to start. It’s a matter of if the former Falcons and 49ers running back has any juice left.
Any starting running back in fantasy has value. Perine wasn’t good as a rookie and I would assume Carter will just get third down duties for a while. That means it’s Coleman’s time to shine with the Jets. Before we even get into it, the Jets are at least in a better situation than they have been. New York has a real left tackle, Alijah Vera-Tucker was just drafted and Joe Douglas added a lot of wide receivers to this roster like Corey Davis. It’s not heaven but this Jets roster is at least a real NFL team again.
The problem is Coleman hasn’t been healthy and was DREADFUL in San Francisco in 2020. If you suck for Kyle Shanahan, you probably just suck. Coleman averaged 1.9 yards per carry on 28 total attempts on the season. It literally doesn’t get worse than that. In fairness, Coleman averaged 5.1 yards per carry over the first six years of his career. Again, mostly with Shanahan.
The former Indiana product should have some juice left. He’s just 28 years old so the speedometer shouldn’t be tapped yet. Coleman is eager for his opportunity with the Jets and ready to prove the doubters wrong.
“I feel I’ve got a lot left in my tank to prove myself,” Coleman said Thursday. “It really doesn’t matter to me. Whatever they do with me, wherever they put me on the field, I’m going to do my job. I’m going to make plays.”
Robert Saleh has familiarity here. Saleh was the former defensive coordinator for San Francisco. Saleh is clearly a fan or the Jets wouldn’t have signed him. The belief is there. The opportunity to protect Zach Wilson should be there. The more capable offensive line should be there. The run first mentality should be there. Are we thinking sneaky fantasy pick up?
Look, with anything fantasy-related, you have to take fliers. Some or even most of them don’t work and that’s okay. Coleman could be a total bust OR could help win you your league. It’s about taking the right fliers. Coleman probably quantifies as one.
