Roy Helu Jr. was a solid fantasy contributor for most of the 2009 season but his swoon at the end of the year leads to concern for the upcoming year. The Nebraska offense as a whole struggled to move the ball with any consistency down the stretch and Helu found himself losing a chunk of his carries to freshman, Rex Burkhead.

With the Huskers appearing to be committed to running the football often in 2010, the division of carries will be a hot topic going into this fantasy season. How the Nebraska RB situation will pan out is a key question that many owners will be looking to answer.


Cast of Characters:

Roy Helu Jr. (Senior 2010)
Rex Burkhead  (Sophomore 2010)
Dontrayveous Robinson (Sophomore 2010)
Braylon Heard (True Freshman 2010)


What’s the scoop?

The 2009 season ended poorly for Roy Helu Jr. and he will be pushed for time in 2010 by some young, talented backs in Lincoln. There will be plenty of carries to go around as the Huskers are getting back to basics and turning into a running team once again. With the Huskers returning four of their five starting lineman, the running game should be ready much improved and should lead to productive fantasy seasons for Helu and company.


What happened in 2009?

In order to find out how the running back situation might play out in 2010 for the Huskers, it is important to see how it looked last season.

The carries broke down to Helu getting 65%, Burkhead receiving 24%, and Robinson picking up some scraps. The interesting note is that despite being bothered by an injured shoulder for most of the season, Helu still got the bulk of the carries in 2009. The percentage of carries for Burkhead would have been higher had he not missed 5 games due to injury. Almost all of the carries that Robinson received came in two games where he was filing in for an injured Helu and Burkhead.


What to expect in 2010?

Roy Helu Jr.: What does 2010 have in store for Mr. Helu? Word is that RBBC could be on the horizon.  This is not what fantasy owners want to hear.  Helu still figures to be in line for about 50 percent of the carries, but he will not likely enjoy the 65 percent clip from a year ago.

Rex Burkhead: This kid showed Huskers fans why they called him Super Man in high school back in Texas. He is a powerful, straight-line runner with better than expected quickness. He showed that he is capable of carrying the load if called upon. There is talk of Burkhead being used in some “Wild Cat” formations in 2010, which can only help his fantasy value. This youngster is too good to keep off the field and is the main thorn in Helu owners’ side.

Braylon Heard: The true freshman looks to have the goods to see some time in his first year on campus. He is an elusive, quick runner with good cut back ability and has good hands coming out of the backfield. He could see some extensive mop up duty when the Huskers play some lesser opponents this season. I think he will supplant Robinson as the No. 3 back on the depth chart.

Dontrayveous Robinson: He was called on as a true freshman to carry the load against Iowa State and Baylor last season. He responded with adequate performances, but nothing earth shattering. While he is a talented back, he might find it hard to see much playing time with the guys in front of him.


If your college fantasy football draft was today…

With the dreaded “running back by committee” term being floated around in Lincoln, it looks like Helu’s value will drop from his 2009 fantasy perch.  We’d still advise drafting him well ahead of Burkhead, just be sure you are not relying on either back for a regular spot in your All-120 starting lineup.  In BCS-only formats, Helu looks to be an RB3 and Burkhead possibly an RB4.