"if he ever stays healthy"

Since I am still at work with no real "work" to do, I figure it is time for another pet peeve in the sports world- the Fred Taylor issue. Every year around this time, I sit in fantasy drafts and wait for the Fred Taylor pick, and the inevitable following line. "Good luck with that guy. He's never healthy for a whole season." Enough is enough. Maybe the last two years have finally helped get rid of this sentiment, if only because Maurice Jones-Drew is slowly but surely making Fred Taylor less relevant in fantasy leagues. Of course, Taylor did rush for over 1,200 yards and an AFC leading 5.4 yards per carry last year. He may currently be the most impressive "old back" in the league (at age 32), at least until LT turns 30.

Now to the good stuff- the injury history. It seems to be common knowledge that Fred Taylor is going to get hurt and miss games. Shocking for a running back, isn't it? But here's the truth. 2001 was the only season in Taylor's career in which he missed more than half the games his team played. In fact, in his ten year career, he has only missed more than three games three times, only once since that 2001 season. In 2005, Taylor missed 5 games. Add that to his total since 2002 (a possible 96 regular season games) and he has missed a grand total of 9 games in 6 years, for a grand total of 1.5 per season. Take out those five games (or even dismiss that whole season's worth of stats) and the number is 4 games in 5 years. Most backs on good teams will sit the last game of the season, so those four games are insignificant.

Considering that Fred Taylor has also rushed for over 10,000 yards in his career and has fumbled a whopping 25 times in 2,285 career carries (losing only 16 of them), his career is remarkable, injury riddled or not. At this point, a Fred Taylor pick in a fantasy league out to be lauded, not ridiculed. Unless he goes third overall of course. That's Brian Westbrook territory.