The New York Jets signed free agent running back LeVeon Bell to a four year, $52 million dollar contract last week. Bell sat out all of last season, refusing to play on the franchise tag and in the process leaving $14 million dollars on the table.
So what kind of a player are the Jets getting in Bell? It depends on what kind of shape he is in. By all accounts, Bell is in good shape. If that is the case, it shouldn’t take him very long to knock off the rust.
It will take Bell some time however to get into football shape. After a full season of no contact, it will take Bell some time to get used to getting hit again.
From a fantasy football standpoint, Bell will not be a top ten pick in ten team leagues. Especially with the emergence of Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffery. I wouldn’t be surprised however if he went in the 10 to 12 range in twelve team leagues.
Bell will have more appeal in PPR leagues because he is a three down back who has the potential to catch 80 plus passes. The Jets could be playing from behind a lot despite an improved roster. That should help Bell from a production standpoint.
Much of Bell’s success and the Jets success as a whole will hinge on the development of Sam Darnold. If Darnold takes the next step in his development, the Jets offense could be really good in 2019.
Bell is certainly worthy of an RB1 spot on a roster and he should go no later than the second round. Owners must have realistic expectations however. He will not be the same LeVeon we are used to seeing early on in the season but he will still make an impact in fantasy football in 2019.