Brandon Jacobs | New York Giants | 6-foot-4, 264 pounds | 6th year

2010 Projected NFL/Fantasy Football Statistics

Pros: The Giants have become rounded offensively, so defenses no longer can purely key in on stopping the run. Jacobs remains the top option in the backfield for the G-Men and is just a year removed from 15 rushing touchdowns. He isn't much of a receiver but is coming off a career high in receiving yardage (184 yards). There is always fear with big backs of breaking down from too much wear and tear. The good news with Jacobs is he hasn't been overused during the last five years; he had just 224 rushing attempts last year, which was a career high.

Cons: Being a big, physical back leads to injuries and a player's body breaking down. Jacobs has not played a full 16-game season the past three years, but missed just one game last year. His yards-per-attempt average took a big hit last season, dropping from 5.0 in 2008 to 3.7. Jacobs blames this on cartilage damage that he played through; he is recovering from surgery. The Giants utilize running back by committee, so Jacobs will continue to lose touches to other options; the hot-hand approach can limit him some weeks. He is a player that needs close to 20 carries to make an impact. Finally, while becoming well-rounded with an improved passing game will help take pressure off of the ground game, it can also take away from the number of carries distributed among the backs.

Fantasy tip: Jacobs is falling until the fifth round in fantasy football drafts so far this year, which is a fair placement considering his risk-reward ratio. He is capable of posting more than 1,000 yards and scoring close to double digits. If you hold off on taking your second running back early while adding wide receivers, Jacobs could be a solid target to fill that No. 2 fantasy back role for you at a reduced cost. Be sure to build adequate depth, and handcuffing Ahmad Bradshaw is advised.