Slaton is being taken in the 12th round or later in most drafts right now. Even considering what he did last year I would call that a steal. Especially in PPR leagues. If he would of played all 16 games last year he was on pace for a 1250 total yards, 10+ TDs with 64 receptions season. Even with the fumbles he would of average over 14.5 points a game. Fumbles and a neck injury kept him from playing all 16 games.
Ahh, Mr. Steve Slaton................ Ill touch on this a piece at a time.
Fumbles....something that can be corrected? Yes. Something that Slaton can correct? Not likely in my opinion.
Slaton is EXACTLY what he is. He drew comparisons to Reggie Bush, but they tried to use him like Chris Johnson. Didnt work out. What makes the great ones truly great are one of three things:
1. Sheer athletic ability - AP, MJD, LT in his prime, and Gore are freaks of nature. Each of them had or have that extra edge others dont. AP is a near perfect melding of man and mind, same as LT was. Gore fits his frame perfectly. MJD is like a Porsche 911. Steve Slaton is fast. Lots of guys are fast. Fast dont mean much when you cant do something when fast dont work. Slaton isnt a tackle breaker, and he doesnt have the same abilities at 5mph he has at 100mph.
2. Unmeasurable Work Ethic - When you look at guys like Hines Ward or Wes Welker, they make up what they lack in athletic ability by simply working 150mph non stop all the time. Those guys arent the fastest, they dont have the best hands, but they are the guys who are out in February lifting, running, studying, eating right, and making sure they know all there is to know and do all they can. Those guys beat you on that Sunday in October for that key 3rd down conversion because they were running stadium steps in March when guys like Slaton were busy wearing a strippers panties for a hat. Im not saying Slaton dont work hard, but he doesnt work near hard enough for a guy that was depended on to be more than he was.
3. Knowledge of the entire game - Guys like Ward, Welker, Gore all have a great knowledge of what everyone on their offense is doing. Hines Ward knows what protection the lineman are running when he is going out for that 3 yard in pattern. Welker knows what protection the backs are running when he is about to go over the middle. Slaton is a guy who has done one thing and one thing only for so long he doesnt have the knowledge to fall back on to adjust his game to suit what the team needs on that particular play. In college and HS it was built AROUND Slaton. 10 other guys had to know what HE was going to do in order to make the play work. Now he is in the NFL and its all about the TEAM.
Now you throw this in with what he faces in his own backfield. Ben Tate and Arian Foster are what Slaton isnt. Bangers. Those guys have the size and the balls to run right at a LB to convert that critical 3rd and 1. They have size enough to take on Robert Mathis or Bob Sanders on that blitz to keep Schaub upright that critical second needed for AJ to break free for the completion. Slaton doesnt.
Now, does this mean he wont have a 200 yard game this year? No, because Kubiak is going to run with the hot hand and/or the back who is working best. If Im facing a team like the Browns, I can afford to use Slaton more because the defense is weak, and I can play to his strength (speed).
Now can I depend on him against the Ravens or Jets? No. Things like this are why Slaton has dropped so far. Most guys are going to go for their lead backs by Round 5 at the latest. Then they are sitting there at Round 8 or 9 and have a choice like:
Steve Slaton, Fred Jackson, or Michael Bush.
Hmmm......two low ball "starters" who I know are going to get consistent points a game and just might way overplay their draft choice....or a guy who only does one thing great and may or may not get any points in a given week with exception of one game where he gets me 20...Im looking at the other guys there.
Thats why his ADP is so low, and that is why I wont be taking him on any squads this season.
