The city of Los Angeles may not currently have a professional football team, but when you have fantasy football, who needs a real team?
OK -- maybe you do. And maybe fantasy football is more of a crapshoot than an actual game that requires talent and skill. It doesn't mean you can't load your team with your favorite players. As your draft nears, there are quite a few former-Bruins and Trojans who could help your team greatly come Sundays. Let's take a look at some of those said players, with a focus on the running backs...
Bruins:
Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars - Projected Round: 1st
Maurice Jones-Drew has been one of the most reliable running backs in fantasy football the last three years. A speedster playing a critical position on the roster, anyone who has ever played fantasy knows a solid group of running backs are essential to having a successful season.
How could a fantasy owner not love MJD's production? Since coming into the league in 2006, the former-Bruin has 54 rushing touchdowns, seven receiving touchdowns and a remarkable 5,248 yards from scrimmage. A few fantasy "experts" have shown concerns with Jones-Drew's usage the last few seasons - and let's be honest, running backs have seven or eight-year career-spans anymore if they're lucky - but he has shown no signs of slowing down and is still the unquestioned No. 1 option for the Jaguars.
Trojans:
Reggie Bush - Miami Dolphins - Projected Round: 10th
Reggie Bush may have never broken out with the Saints after being selected with the No. 2 pick in 2006, but he now has a different team with a different philosophy in a different situation. Perhaps that is all the talented running back out of USC needs to jumpstart his career.
After being a second or third-round pick the first two seasons of his career, Bush's value has dropped over recent years. How could it not? He has averaged 418 rushing yards and just under six touchdowns a season both on the ground and through the air the last five years. Those numbers could be a good value pick in the later rounds, but use caution when selecting the former-Heisman winner. Health concerns and a lack of production have killed his fantasy value in recent drafts.