Fantasy Football Rankings 2012: Steven Jackson's Carries Will Continue To Decline For Rams

For years, now, Steven Jackson has been the only consistent presence for the St. Louis Rams on fantasy football rankings. 2012 will see Jackson, who had a bounceback year in terms of yards-per-carry, remain on the list as a sleeper pick, with the fantasy mandarins assuming he'll benefit from an offense that probably won't be the Worst Ever again, and, with Jeff Fisher on the sidelines, will be a little more rushing-heavy.

But one thing should tamp expectations down at least a little: Steven Jackson won't, or at least shouldn't, ever take a Steven Jackson-sized share of the Rams' carries again. As depressing as this actually is to vocalize, he's 29 years old! That's like 80 in running back years! With Isaiah Pead among the Rams' second-round picks, the Rams have given Jackson a clear No. 2 guy, for third-and-long and gadget purposes.

That's good news, too, for potential fantasy football owners of Jackson; I'd rather have the rested one who average 4.4 yards per carry in 2011 thna the gassed one who averaged 3.8 in 2010. So, presumably, would Jeff Fisher.