LA Rams veteran RB Malcolm Brown gets no FF respect

LA Rams veteran RB Malcolm Brown gets no respect from Fantasy Football team owners. But he should in week one.

If LA Rams veteran RB Malcolm Brown has given off any indication of impatience, it has escaped me and nearly everyone else who has bee observing the team’s preseason preparations.  But if he does seem impatient, he certainly has a right to be.  After all, he waited patiently and quietly in the wings as the Rams featured star running back Todd Gurley in the running game. Now Fantasy Football owners are stuck between the should-we or shouldn’t-we put Brown in for this week’s game.

This year, the Rams released Gurley and immediately drafted a rookie running back who will ultimately take over that feature running back role. Where does that leave Brown? Pigeonholed into a handful of carries per game. Lightly used workhorse.  A marksman forever shooting at the range.  Malcolm Brown is a powerful running who is relegated to a part-time role.

And suddenly it dawns, Malcolm Brown gets no respect.

Opportunity for respect

The running back fails to get the respect he feels he has earned.  But respect comes from taking advantage of opportunities. Opportunities that, until this year, haven’t been given frequently. He did have some flashes in 2019. In the opener last year, he rushed for over 50 yards and two touchdowns.

That has caused a dilemma for fantasy football owners this year, as many view Malcolm Brown as the red zone running back. That means while other rushers will put up yards, the real payoff, the six points for touchdowns, will be gobbled up by Brown.

Fantasy advice

Brown will never have a better chance this season to put up points for fantasy football owners.  The Rams were a completely passing offense in 2019, and the Cowboys enter the game vulnerable to the pass. So what will the Rams do?

Why run of course. The Rams know teams will be looking to stop their passing attack, so opening with a two-tight end formation will throw off defenses. Brown is a bruising physical style running who may not break one for 60 yards, but he will lay a thump on defenders.  As long as the Rams get the ball into the red zone, and they will do so,  look for Brown to put up a score.