The Curious Case of LeSean McCoy

Before I get on with my thoughts on Shady, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Football Outsiders’ list of 25 underrated players this decade. Philly’s own Brian Westbrook clocked in at number 15. I’d probably place him in the Top 10, but the FO guys use all kinds of fancy formulas and algorithms to determine each individual’s ranking. I just go with my gut.

Now to Mr. McCoy. It’s July, in case you hadn’t noticed. That means two things are at the forefront of my over-tasked mind. Training Camp and Fantasy Football. For me, these two things are closely related. While my real team is sweating two-a-days away, I’ll be prepping my made up teams.

I’ve been Fantasy balling since 1992. That year I led with my heart and drafted Randall Cunningham with my first pick. Coming off his torn ACL ‘91 campaign, Randall had a pedestrian season by his standards with 19 touchdown passes and 5 runs for scores. Not terrible, but not enough to bring home a Fantasy trophy. I finished 8-6 and narrowly missed the playoffs.

Since that time, I’ve been cautious when drafting Eagles. I’ve only owned McNabb and Westbrook once each over the years. Generally, I tend to avoid midnight green on draft day. I won’t rule them out altogether, but I’d rather place my fantasy fortunes in the hands of guys in different uniforms. That’s just the way I roll.

That being said, LeSean McCoy intrigues me this season. I think Westy will be ready to go week one, but coming off a pair of surgeries will likely hamper his effectiveness and longevity in ‘09. I won’t be drafting Brian, but I might consider swiping McCoy before the Westbrook owner can handcuff him. I envision Shady putting together a two or three game stretch around mid-season where he provides a glimpse of what he will eventually become. A Fantasy stud.

For that reason, I think Shady is worth consideration in late rounds. By no means do I believe he will be this season’s Chris “Coach’s Dream” Johnson, but I’m willing to hazard at guess at his possible production. Again, no fancy charts or graphs, just a gut feeling.

145 carries, 623 yards, 3 TDs

25 catches, 286, 1 TD

That averages out to about nine carries and less than two catches per game. That seems like a lot for a Reid rookie back; however, I think those stats will be skewed by those two or three games where Shady is the featured guy, be it due to injury or mop up duty.

Are my predictions out of whack? Let me know in the comments what you think McCoy’s numbers will look like.

Don’t miss your daily fix of  Eagles news. Subscribe to ITI by clicking here.