FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 3/22/2013 10:28am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson will be a full participant when the team's offseason program begins in two weeks.

Huddle Up: Jackson is recovering from the knee injury that prematurely ended his 2012 season; he'll need to hurry back to ensure that C.J. Spiller doesn't get all the reps in Buffalo's new offense.

Posted: 2/10/2013 1:11pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson said he is fine with the team using a committee approach at running back in 2013 between himself and RB C.J. Spiller. 'If that's what it is, us sharing reps, we have no problems with that,' Jackson said. 'I don't have a problem with that. I'm looking forward going out there and making the best of my opportunities whenever I get on the field, I'm sure C.J.'s the same way. Whatever we can do to get a win, we're going to do, that's what we're about.'

Huddle Up: Any split, however, likely -- and should -- tilt noticeably in favor of Spiller, who's 6 years younger and has more big-play explosion.

Posted: 2/9/2013 7:27pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson said Friday, Feb. 8, that he will see a doctor next week, as he recovers from the knee injury he suffered two months ago. "I've been doing rehab the entire time," Jackson said. "I've been able to get up and do some movement on it. I have a meeting with the doctor next week. I'm sure I'll be cleared and be able to do everything."

Huddle Up: Jackson will likely take a back seat to C.J. Spiller in the Bills' backfield hierarchy, but it's a new coaching regime so everything's still speculative at this point. And first Jackson needs to get healthy and cleared for activity before worrying about carving out a role in Buffalo.

Posted: 1/27/2013 12:24am et

Buffalo Bills running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley said the team will be using RBs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson in several offensive sets next season. "I would just say multiple," Wheatley said. "I know that's kind of vague and it doesn't really clear things up, but we're a multiple set. We could do two-back, we could be one back. We could be single back, we could be shotgun. It's a multiple set."

Huddle Up: Wheatley has perfected the art of coachspeak, stringing a lot of football terms together while revealing absolutely nothing about the Bills' intentions. So just how the Bills intend to use Spiller and, to a lesser extent, Jackson remains a mystery.

Posted: 1/3/2013 10:52pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson said he'd be willing to serve as RB C.J. Spiller's backup next year if the new head coach installs Spiller as the starting running back. Spiller racked up 1,244 rushing yards and averaged six yards per carry this season while Jackson dealt with a slew of injuries and had a career-worst 3.8 yards per carry.

Huddle Up: This would be the wise career move for Jackson, who turns 32 next month. Spiller, who just completed his third pro season, is entering his prime and is poised for a career season.

Posted: 12/11/2012 7:14pm et

The Buffalo Bills officially placed RB Fred Jackson (knee) on the Injured Reserve Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Huddle Up: C.J. Spiller owners, it's now or never for your RB, who largely will have the Bills' backfield all to himself. Spiller, strangely, is coming off a Week 14 outing in which he had all of 8 touches for 52 yards.

Posted: 12/11/2012 10:37am et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said Monday, Dec. 10, that RB Fred Jackson is likely headed for season-ending Injured Reserve after his Week 14 knee injury. "He's not going to make it. He's going to be out for the rest of the year," Gailey said. "It looks like (IR), but let me hold off to see what is officially, but that looks like the plan, yes." Gailey added that Jackson's injury is more likely to be a four-to-five week injury, rather than two-to-three weeks, as previously reported.

Huddle Up: Gaily also said that C.J. Spiller would get the bulk of the workload with Jackson out because while Tashard Choice is "very good", he's not "great" like F-Jax and Spiller. To which all those knocked out of the playoffs this week by Spiller's seven carries in Week 14 are saying, "NOW you figure that out?"

Posted: 12/10/2012 1:03pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) does not require surgery after suffering a sprained ligament in his right knee in Week 14, according to a person familiar with the running back's injury. He will miss between two and four weeks.

Huddle Up: Jackson is done for fantasy purposes for this season, and one wonders if his days of being a fantasy factor are over with Spiller taking the reins, and the aging Jackson suffering through multiple injures in 2012.

Posted: 12/10/2012 12:04pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson will be out for a minimum of two to three weeks, according to head coach Chan Gailey, after suffering an injury in Week 14.

Huddle Up: The latest word is that the injury is a sprain, not a tear, of the MCL. Still, that's not something you bounce back from right away so don't expect much if any contribution from Jackson the rest of the way. Logic would suggest that C.J. Spiller will see an uptick in carries, but that didn't happen in Week 14 so temper those expectations. Tashard Choice will also likely be in the mix.

Posted: 11/21/2012 1:28pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB C.J. Spiller will start Week 12 but RB Fred Jackson (concussion) will also receive a good amount of carries. Gailey said he was not sure what the rotation will be at this point.

Huddle Up: This is a departure from earlier this season, when Jackson was the starter when healthy. This does not necessarily mean Spiller will have a ton of touches, but the Bills might finally be recognizing that he is a superior talent at this stage. It also could just mean they are easing Jackson back into action.

Posted: 11/20/2012 12:00pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB Fred Jackson is on track to return this week.

Huddle Up: Jackson missed last week's game after suffering a concussion in Week 10. C.J. Spiller looked pretty good handling the larger share of the workload, but you have to think Jackson will carve out at least a few touches against the Colts.

Posted: 11/19/2012 7:31pm et

Updating a previous report, Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB Fred Jackson (concussion) did not practice Monday, Nov. 19, because he has not finished his concussion protocol. Gailey said Jackson should finish the protocol Tuesday, Nov. 20, and is expected to practice Wednesday, Nov. 21.

Huddle Up: Jackson should be able to return as it's going on 2 week since his injury, but definitely check back Wednesday to see if he practices.

Posted: 11/17/2012 11:15pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB Fred Jackson (concussion) may be able to return to practice Wednesday, Nov. 21. Gailey said Jackson is feeling a lot better and is on track to return.

Huddle Up: The Bills' short week preparing for Thursday night's game nixed any chance of Jackson recovering in time and playing in Week 11. Concussions always are tricky and Jackson will have to pass the litany of tests, but expect to see the RB return in Week 12.

Posted: 11/12/2012 4:32pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (head) has been ruled out of the team�s Week 11 game, according to head coach Chan Gailey.

Huddle Up: An increased role for Spiller could be a boon for his fantasy owners making a playoff push.

Posted: 11/12/2012 11:56am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson left the team's Week 10 game late in the fourth quarter with a head injury. "I don't know if they're calling it a concussion," head coach Chan Gailey said. "I don't know what the word is. I don't know if it's a concussion or not. They didn't tell me."

Huddle Up: With concussion protocol being what it is, the Bills are understandably being cautious with regards to using that word in conjunction with Jackson's injury; labeling it a concussion means league-mandated testing and hoops to jump through before he can return to action. Expect more clarity--both for Jackson and for his situation--midweek, as that's when any league-sanctioned tests would likely be conducted.

Posted: 10/24/2012 12:04pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said he believes he found the right balance of touches between RBs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller in Week 7. Spiller and Jackson combined for 222 yards from scrimmage, on 35 total touches. "It was good. I'm not sure if ideal ever hits. First of all, nothing is ideal unless you win. There were some opportunities we had to score more points so it wasn't ideal," Gailey said, "but for them to touch it 35 times between them and about four, five other times we tried to get the ball to Fred on some throws and did not connect on them. If we can let them touch it between 30 and 40 times a game, I think that's pretty good for us." The Bills used Jackson and Spiller together on five of their 60 offensive snaps, including on their first touchdown.

Huddle Up: Looks like a 50/50 job share between the Buffalo backs. On the bright side, both are productive so both can be used when the Bills face a softer run defense.

Posted: 10/17/2012 1:12pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller said he and RB Fred Jackson will continue to rotate every two series like they have been the last few games. Spiller said the team rotated the running backs every series when Jackson returned from his knee injury but decided neither running back could get into a rhythm in that situation. 'We thought it would be best if we did two series so that is what we have done these last two games. We will continue to do that. If they want us in on certain plays, the coaching staff will do that but as far as me and Fred are concerned, we think two to three series each is better because it kind of keeps everybody fresh,' Spiller said.

Huddle Up: This is bad news for owners of both running backs. It is not as though either is performing poorly, but Spiller has clearly outshined Jackson this season. Barring injury to one, it appears that both will be relegated to RB2 status, with the upside nod going to Spiller.

Posted: 10/13/2012 7:22pm et

The Buffalo Bills could use RBs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller on the field at the same time. That look is something the team worked on during training camp, but haven�t been able to utilize much because of the injuries to both backs.

Huddle Up: Since Jackson returned from a 2-game absence in Week 4, it's been a 50-50 timeshare and neither back has scored or come close to reaching their previous fantasy levels. Both still have starting value but the chances for monster numbers is greatly diminished.

Posted: 10/8/2012 10:43am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson carried nine times for just 29 yards in the Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers, and RB C.J. Spillers chipped in with 24 yards on seven totes.

Huddle Up: As expected, both Bills backs struggled mightily against the 49ers' run defense. If we're looking to glean split info from this game, looks like FJax has a narrow edge on Spiller in what will likely be a 60/40ish split going forward.

Posted: 9/30/2012 5:34pm et

Buffalo Bills RBs Fred Jackson (knee) and C.J. Spiller (shoulder) both were active and both played Sunday in Week 4 against the New England Patriots.

Huddle Up: It was a mild surprise with both active, but it did little to help the Bills who were blasted by the Pats, 52-28. Jackson, who hadn't played since injuring his knee in the opener, finished with 13 rushes for 29 yards and 3 receptions for 50. Spiller, meanwhile, was back after going down with a shoulder injury last week and had 8 rushes for 33 yards and 2 catches for 5 yards. Neither back found the end zone, though, and both lost fumbles.

Posted: 9/28/2012 3:24pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) was limited in practice Friday, Sept. 28, and is questionable for Week 4.

Huddle Up: He's back to cause trouble in the Bills' backfield. He is probably a safer start than Spiller this week considering he was practicing for longer and he is further removed from his injury, but that does not make him a good start.

Posted: 9/28/2012 3:55am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson was limited in practice Thursday, Sept. 27.

Huddle Up: Jackson is working his way back from a knee injury; he's not expected to play this week, but both he and C.J. Spiller could be back in the mix for the Bills by Week 5.

Posted: 9/27/2012 3:31pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson said Thursday, Sept. 27, he felt somewhat sore the morning after his return to practice Wednesday, Sept. 26. "I was a little sore this morning," Jackson said. "It was a little swollen. I got in the training room and they did what they could." Jackson said he will once again take part in practice and maintains that he's not any less confident about playing in Week 4; however, he wonders how much he'll be able to play. "I'm more disappointed in the way that it feels today," Jackson said. "I still want to play and still want to get out there. Again I've got to get cleared by people and that's the goal. I still think I can play and I still want to play. It's just going to be about how much I can play and see what today holds."

Huddle Up: It was overly optimistic to expect a full workload for Jackson this week, and this news suggests he may not be available at all. C.J. Spiller is also hoping to practice, but the most likely scenario for the Bills is Tashard Choice handling the workload with Johnny White assisting.

Posted: 9/27/2012 11:33am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson said he felt OK following practice Wednesday, Sept. 26, but is uncertain at this point if he will play in Week 4. "I felt OK about practice today. That was good," Jackson said. "I think what's going to determine more than anything is how I'm feeling like the next day. If I can come out here and continue to work, that'll help get me better. But if I wake up tomorrow and it's swollen or too sore to do anything, then that's going to set me back."

Huddle Up: There are rumblings that C.J. Spiller is efforting to get back on the practice field this week as well, meaning the Bills could have both members of their original backfield committee available this weekend. However, the safest bet--both for the Bills and fantasy owners--is to expect Tashard Choice to handle the majority of the carries for Buffalo this week.

Posted: 9/26/2012 1:40pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) is going to practice Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Huddle Up: This is a good sign for the Bills as they will not be without at least one of their great running backs. They have dodged two bullets with injuries that turned out to be relatively minor to Jackson and C.J. Spiller. He might not get a full workload in his first week back, but they need Jackson against the Patriots.

Posted: 9/24/2012 3:21pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) said he is 70 to 75 percent certain that he will be able to play Week 4.

Huddle Up: This week would be a very timely return for Jackson with Spiller out a week or two.

Posted: 9/24/2012 12:26pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB Fred Jackson will return to practice this week.

Huddle Up: It might be a stretch for Jackson to actually return to game action this week, leaving Tashard Choice as the Bills' go-to back with C.J. Spiller also expected to be sidelined. Going forward, it appears both Jackson and Spiller will be returning at about the same time; interesting to see how the Bills divvy up the backfield touches after Spiller's run of success while Jackson was out.

Posted: 9/21/2012 9:19pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) has been ruled out for Week 3. He did not participate in any of the practices this week.

Huddle Up: Jackson reportedly is ahead of schedule with his knee, but in the meantime, the C.J. Spiller express rolls on with the next stop scheduled Sunday in Cleveland.

Posted: 9/21/2012 10:33am et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB Fred Jackson is ahead of schedule in his rehab from the knee injury he suffered Week 1 but does not have a timetable for his return. Jackson worked on the side during practice the last two days.

Huddle Up: No need for C.J. Spiller owners to panic just yet, and Spiller has certainly earned a larger share of the workload even after Fred returns. But thus far Jackson has avoided surgery and is ahead of schedule on his rehab, so the day is coming where the Bills will have both backs at their disposal--and it's on pace to come sooner than initially expected when Jackson went down with the knee injury.

Posted: 9/20/2012 11:32am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson began running on his own; however, he isn't sure whether he'll be ready to play by Week 4.

Huddle Up: Week 4 seems aggressive in Jackson's return from the knee injury he suffered in Week 1, so C.J. Spiller has at least a couple more weeks to stake his claim to feature-back carries in Buffalo.

Posted: 9/19/2012 11:50am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson said that a range-of-motion examination showed his lateral collateral ligament will not require surgery. Jackson plans to do some light running soon, and his recovery should happen in the earlier part of the three- to eight-week diagnosis spectrum he was initially given.

Huddle Up: Jackson may need to speed up his recovery if only to have a job left to return to, as C.J. Spiller leads the NFL in rushing. Curious to see just what the job share is once Jackson returns; you have to believe Spiller has earned a significantly larger share than he had before when both backs were healthy.

Posted: 9/14/2012 4:12pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) did not participate in practice Friday, Sept. 14, and has been ruled out for Week 2. Jackson has missed all three practices this week.

Huddle Up: This should come as no surprise with Jackson possibly being out for a few weeks. Once again, C.J. Spiller is a fantastic start while Jackson sits.

Posted: 9/12/2012 2:10pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) said he expects to return from his knee injury in no more than four weeks. He said he will have his knee reevaluated next week to see how the healing is progressing. Head coach Chan Gailey has said Jackson will miss three to eight weeks.

Huddle Up: The question is will he get his starting job back when he returns? The Bills seem committed to Jackson despite Spiller showing he could handle the load after Jackson went down last season. A few more outbursts like last week's for Spiller could earn him a major portion of playing time when Jackson does return.

Posted: 9/10/2012 3:24pm et

Updating a previous report, Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) appears to be out a month. Further determination will be made on the extent of the injury in seven to ten days.

Huddle Up: Drafters that spent a high draft pick on Jackson have a hole to fill for what appears to be an extended period of time.

Posted: 9/10/2012 2:28pm et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) underwent an MRI on his injured knee Monday, Sept. 10, but it did not provide an exact timetable for his recovery. The team will monitor the injury over the next seven to 10 days.

Huddle Up: Looks like those who gambled on the elder statesman of respectable RB options are going to have to scramble at least for a week or so, maybe more. C.J. Spiller should be in line for a heavier workload going forward.

Posted: 9/9/2012 5:49pm et

Updating previous reports, Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson (knee) is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his knee injury Monday, Sept. 10. The initial diagnosis is a sprained left lateral collateral ligament.

Huddle Up: This was the concern with the 31-year-old RB as he was forced out in the second quarter of the season opener after missing the Bills' final 6 games a season ago with a broken leg. At least the initial diagnosis appears promising, but in light of C.J. Spiller's monster game (194 total yards, TD), Buffalo will give Jackson all the time he needs to properly heal.

Posted: 7/10/2012 9:27pm et

Buffalo Bills RBs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are expected to be on the field together more often this season.

Huddle Up: Both backs can line up anywhere on the field and each play that one of them sits out is a play where the defense wasn't quite as confused. Jackson and Spiller will both get a ton of snaps.