Le’Veon Bell Is The Last Person I’d Draft In Fantasy
The title sort of speaks for itself: Every single year, I write the Don’t Eat the Cheese list for every position. These are players that I wouldn’t draft under any circumstance. Le’Veon Bell is the number one player on that list. Instead, I’d rather set myself on fire than draft Bell in fantasy drafts.
I’ve drafted plenty of players I’m not fond of, but Bell takes the cake. The problem is Bell’s head coach, Adam Gase, hates him. Gase cannot wait to rid Bell from the Jets. After Leonard Fournette was released, Bell is now the leading candidate to be cut or traded by November.
Bell finished the 2019 season as the 21st best running back in fantasy. That was while playing in 15 games. In addition to that, Bell had 245 carries and 66 receptions and still couldn’t finish as a top 20 back. In most instances, that wouldn’t make sense. Bell couldn’t finish inside the top 20 despite a ton of volume because he’s not a good football player.
Bell, 28, averaged 3.2 yards per carrying in 2019. The only running back that was worse last year was Peyton Barber from an efficiency standpoint. Bell isn’t the same guy he was in Pittsburgh. It’s the Maurice Clarett syndrome. Sit out a year, and all the explosion disappeared. Bell also scored three total rushing touchdowns as well. That’s not unlikely. He’s just bad.
The camp reports on Bell have all been negative. All the reports suggest Bell has lost a step and looks slow. Historically, Gase does not like using a workhorse back. There’s a reason why the Jets brought in Frank Gore, drafted Lamical Perine, and tried to trade for Kalen Ballage (but he failed a physical).
Bell is not getting 245 carries again. It’s not happening even if the Jets don’t trade or cut him. Bilal Powell had 59 carries as the next highest ball carrier. I can guarantee either Gore or Perine will top that number. Hell, both could top that 59 carries.
If Bell isn’t getting the same amount of volume and isn’t the same player he is in Pittsburgh, why would anybody draft him with significant fantasy capital? I’m so out on Bell.
