Is Isaac Redman worth your fantasy consideration?

I have come across a few questions regarding the Steelers RB situation and what kind of fantasy value Redman might have. The first thing to look at in this situation, is that fact that Rashard Mendenhall Tore his ACL in January, while he may not be available for the start of the season, and will likely be placed on the PUP list, I have to believe that he will see action before the halfway point.

I do believe that Isaac Redman is a very capable RB and obviously the Steelers do too, evidenced by the fact that they didn’t make any meaningful moves at the position during the offseason. Of course he may only have value for the first half of the season and therefore really isn’t worth any more than a late round pick. Once you have filled your starters across the board he may be worth a look, especially if you pay attention to when Mendenhall is going to see action. The problem is whether there will be a time-share at that point, or which RB will surface as the lead.

Of course there is a fairly small sample size for Redman with his career stats showing 162 carries for 726 yards and 3 TDs. But I like what I have seen from him so far. With the Steelers likely moving to a more traditional Steelers offense instead of the passing display they have put on as of late, coupled with some Offensive line upgrades by drafting DeCastro in the first round and moving Colon to guard, I feel he will be effective running the ball and will force a tough decision for the coaches when Mendenhall is ready for action. At the end I expect to see a bit of a 50/50 split.

Let’s face it though, we have all drafted players in the top half of the draft that don’t pan out at all , let alone give you at least half a season of solid performance, and while I stick to the late round selection theory, I probably wouldn’t blame you if you reached a little bit for Redman.