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Fantasy Football: RB Alfred Morris or Carlos Hyde and Michael Floyd?

By Dan Salem

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Solid fantasy running backs are special, but so are sleeper stars. Does Redskins’ ace Alfred Morris top the 49ers’ Carlos Hyde and Cardinals’ Michael Floyd? Two sets of fantasy football players; who would you rather have? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.

TODD:

Fantasy football season is upon us and the interwebbings are flooded with rankings, drafts, sleepers and busts. But that doesn’t get at the meat of fantasy decisions, the real deal choices you must master to win your league.

I’ll supply a hypothetical fantasy football trade and you tell me which side wins the deal. These deals are isolated from league settings or roster construction. They are strictly either-ors.

Would you rather have…

A) Alfred Morris
or
B) Carlos Hyde and Michael Floyd

In a standard 10-team or 12-team league, there will be wide receivers available on the waiver wire to fill in as your third guy for random weeks. Don’t let Michael Floyd’s perceived value fool you on this deal. Floyd is a borderline second or comfortable third wide receiver in all formats, but he also has a gimpy quarterback and three other guys to fight for catches with on Arizona.

This deal really comes down to the steady reliability of Alfred Morris versus the upside potential of Carlos Hyde…as well as the continual deterioration of the San Francisco 49ers.

Another San Francisco player retired this past week, this time offensive tackle Anthony Davis. That makes four starters who have left San Fran for good. Davis was the first from the offensive side, but that side of the ball was weaker to begin with. And Hyde here is entering his second pro season, getting his very first shot at being a starting running back.

Dec 14, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) is tackled by Seattle Seahawks linebacker

K.J. Wright

(50) at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, I loved Hyde. I thought he was a perfect keeper for long-term leagues and would explode within the next season or two. Now I’m not so sure. Can anything else go wrong for the 49ers?

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Meanwhile, there sits boring ole Alfred Morris. He is a non-factor in the passing game; his yardage totals have gone down each of the past three seasons, as have his yards per carry averages. But he’s entering his fourth year never having rushed for fewer than 1,000 yards or scored fewer than seven touchdowns in any season. He also may be getting his quarterback back healthy, and Morris was sensational in 2012 when both he and Robert Griffin were rookies together.

All that said, I still think I’d lean towards grabbing Hyde and Floyd in this one just because running backs can still be valuable on bad teams, and Morris doesn’t quite have the ceiling to make this worth my while. Your thoughts?

DAN:

This a tricky fantasy decision because of the value placed on roster spots. We are talking about filling two full spots versus one spot, not just which players are better or worse. While Michael Floyd looks like a nice fantasy option on paper, the question for me is whether his numbers warrant a spot on my team.

Alfred Morris is a starting fantasy running back, plain and simple. His consistency is so valuable that until he actually drops off as a player, Morris is a must own running back. The Redskins have been a bad team, yet Alfred still got his. If Washington rebounds even a little bit, I expect Morris’ touchdown numbers to go up. Add to that another 1000 yard season and he remains a stud.

Carlos Hyde, on the other hand, is a complete unknown. I’m not as down on the 49ers as you are, but I do think 2015 will be a rebuilding year of sorts in San Francisco. With so much turnover on the team and coaching staff, it has to be. Hyde is the number one back in town and Reggie Bush is not going to take that job from him.

Bush is a great change of pace back, so Hyde will have the opportunity to shine in San Francisco this season. Yet I do not believe he reaches the Alfred Morris level. The 49ers will not be good enough for him to rush for over 1000 yards. This leaves Michael Floyd as the edge factor.

Dec 11, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams cornerback

Janoris Jenkins

(21) is called for pass interference on Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Floyd (15) during the second half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Floyd has earned a spot on your fantasy team. He should get close to 100 targets again this season, so if Arizona is as good as last year, Floyd will produce close to 1000 yards once again. This is a low risk move, grabbing him as a bench player and potential fantasy starter if he surprises and starts scoring more touchdowns.

The reality here is that Alfred Morris is too good to pass up, considering he comes with an open roster spot. I’m taking Morris and the flexibility to add the best player available with that extra spot. Hyde may break out in San Francisco and Floyd may star in Arizona, but I’m not betting my money on both players dominating in the brutal NFC West. One or the other is worth the risk, but the package deal does not outweigh Mr. Morris.

Next: Fantasy Football: Shane Vereen or Torrey Smith?

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