Detroit's second-round pick is an interesting case in upcoming fantasy drafts. Will he be just a third-down back in the Lions' offense, or will he push starter Joique Bell for more playing time?
Abdullah played in a zone-read type of offense at Nebraska, so there's definitely going to be a learning curve. And Bell played pretty well last year in helping to push Reggie Bush off the roster. The Lions also have another youngster in Theo Riddick, who pass catching abilities are similar to that of Abdullah. It's not a given that the rookie will have that third-down role.
On the other hand, the Lions drafted Abdullah for some reason, and it probably wasn't just to back up Riddick. The hype train is moving full steam ahead on him, with Tim Twentyman of Detroitlions.com saying "Abdullah has been as impressive as a back can be without pads over the offseason training program and minicamp."
Impressive without pads is one thing; we'll see if he's still drawing accolades when training camp gets underway. But he clearly stands to either a nice value if some of the hype is right or a disappointment to those buying into it.
Personally, I am very intrigued by Abdullah -- in dynasty formats. Productive guy in college with a three-down skill set, assuming he can pick up the Lions' blocking schemes. But that stuff takes time, and Bell figures to be the lead back this season. There's some concern about Bell, who's coming off injury; that's why it's unwise to draft in July if you can help it. But that could make him a steal in leagues where people underestimate his likelihood of being the season-long starter.
It's a situation that we'll be watching closely in camp and the exhibition games.
--Andy Richardson
