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Player Spotlight: RB Jahvid Best, Cal Golden Bears
By Drew Smith | July 17, 2008
Time to kick off my first round of Player Spotlights for the 2008 season and where better to start things than with a Top 15 fantasy running back that many people might not know much about.
Meet Jahvid Best from University of California , a 5-10 193lb speedster who is expected to be the full-time back this season. Best has a lot of things going for him as he plays for a great fantasy RB system and is arguably the biggest talent coming out of high school to carry the rock for California in a long time.
Best starred in both track and football at Salesian High in California and even competed in the Junior Olympics in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. After averaging 10.8 ypc and scoring 20 TDs his senior year, Best found himself as a Top 10 rated RB with Rivals.com. He was faced with scholarship offers from USC, Notre Dame, Michigan and a bevy of other major big-time programs.
He decided to stay in-state and headed to a place that would get him on the field quickly which was with Cal. In 2007, as a true freshman, Best got on the field sparingly yet averaged 7.6 ypc on 29 carries for 221 yards. He also scored 2 TDs before injuring his hip in the 10th game against USC.
Sure, Best is a fast explosive back but why should fantasy players be looking to make him a top 25 player? As we all know, fantasy college football is as much about talent as it is in placing players in the right system. Quite frankly, the Golden Bears are one of the top teams in producing stud fantasy backs. Going back 6 years, the starting RB for Cal has averaged 1,415 yards and almost 12 TDs a season. This was with backs that were a lot less touted coming to Berkeley than Best. Another key factor is that there is no one on the depth chart that is ready to challenge Best for carries.
Best has the talent and is playing in the perfect system to easily be a Top 5 running back this season. The only concern for Best is his injured hip that he suffered at the end of the season, which he was still nursing through spring. Everyone expects him to be 100% at the start of the season but this is certainly something to watch during the fall. I am not convinced that Best can be the work-horse who remains healthy the entire year so making him your #1 back carries some risk but his upside makes for a perfect #2 back on your team.
Topics: College Football, Drew Smith, Pac 10, Player Spotlight, Running Back |
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