Cedric Benson turning himself in, but still beam up Bernard Scott

Scotty knows he can excel

Cedric Benson could serve just a week after checking himself in Wednesday to what he hopes is a reduced jail sentence. This should do wonders for preserving his No. 3 fantasy value; he's probably a decent buy.

But the Cats proved with the trade of Chad Ochocinco and their indifference to Carson Palmer's retirement that they want to move in a different direction. Benson is merely a stopgap, and the shift could begin this season if he does his usual cloud-of-dust routine and Cincy's three-and-outs accumulate.

Benson is a plodder that gets his juice off frequent carries. Bernard Scott can make things happen in bursts. Jay Gruden's West Coast interpretation will likely increase the receptions of both carriers, but if Cincy is truly aiming to build a new offensive core, Scott should be the focus of the transition.

Though Scott's biggest preseason damage came against a sandlot-level Carolina Panthers D, his approval of the offense's quick-read philosophy should be a cue that he needs to touch the ball more this year; Marvin Lewis already admitted as much this offseason.

Will this account for breakout value throughout 2011? Probably not, but it's highly possible that he'll see more frequent changeup work. Scott is at minimum a fantasy handcuff - not in the traditional sense, but definitely the best backup option. Sorry, Brian Leonard.

This O could be rough as a whole for most of the season. But Scott has the talent and system snugness to become a surprising bright spot, especially in PPRs.