Who is De’Anthony Thomas?

Jaron Foster

thomas

After featuring Dri Archer three weeks ago, this week highlights another electric and polarizing player from the 2014 draft. Among the most added and dropped players in my dynasty leagues over the past year, including this off-season, is Kansas City running back De’Anthony Thomas. Erratic usage in the Chiefs’ offense, the presence of 28-year-old (but still effective) lead back Jamaal Charles and the mixed effectiveness of current backup Knile Davis are all contributing to speculation of the fantasy relevance of Thomas, with arguments made on both sides of the table. Digging into Thomas’ background, skill set and opportunity, let’s take a look at his dynasty prospects.

“Black Mamba,” as he was supposedly nicknamed by Snoop Dogg after Thomas played in his Pop Warner Football league, entered Oregon in 2011 at the top overall prospect in the nation after rushing for 1,299 and a 11.4 yards-per-carry average as a senior in high school. He also played cornerback, helping his team win a state title from both sides of the ball, and was one of the top rated defensive backs in the recruiting class as well.

As a freshman at Oregon, the 5’9”, 175-pound Thomas stuck to offense and saw significant snaps as a running back and wide receiver (as well as a kick and punt returner). He totaled over 2,200 all-purpose yards with 18 touchdowns, becoming the only player in college football that season to total over 400 yards each in rushing, receiving, and as a return specialist.

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Though Thomas regressed from his previous year’s statistics in 2012, it was hardly a down year as he totaled 1,757 all-purpose yards with another 18 touchdowns. He again had a solid season as a junior with 1,353 all-purpose yards and ten touchdowns, finishing his collegiate career with 218 all-purpose yards in a game against Oregon State. Leaving Oregon after three years, his 5,345 career yards ranked third behind LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner in school history.

Despite a background in track and the athleticism that allowed Thomas to play well all over the field, his results at the 2014 NFL Combine were disappointing. He only finished in the top 15 in two categories: the 40-yard dash (his 4.50 seconds were tied with Tre Mason for eleventh among running backs) and the broad jump (tied for eighth with 10’4”). His Pro Day was a completely different story as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds and improved upon his Combine results in nearly every category, though most talent evaluators put far less emphasis on the scripted Pro Days.

His Combine performance did not significantly impact his draft stock, however, as he was selected as the twelfth running back and 124th overall (fourth round) by Kansas City. Given that he was originally projected as a late pick on day two or early on day three, this slot was generally in line with expectations. How his new team would choose to utilize his skill set was still to be determined, though having just lost Dexter McCluster in free agency it was anticipated Thomas would fill a similar role.

For his skill-set on the field, Thomas is faster than his Combine 40-yard dash time would indicate and he can stretch the field quickly. Out of the backfield, he is a strong receiver who accelerates quickly once the ball is in his hands. His size will prevent him from being a regular between-the-tackles running back, but he demonstrated an ability to run inside when called upon at Oregon. Further, his versatility and ability to score on any given opportunity should help keep him on a 53-man roster.

On the downside, like many players with his speed and explosiveness, Thomas’ size will prevent him from seeing significant snaps. His gaudy statistics were helped by Chip Kelly’s system at Oregon, leading to questions on how productive he can be at the NFL level. He also proved to be prone to injury, missing significant time due to an ankle injury that curbed his productivity in college. Though selected three rounds later, he has drawn many (to this point unfavorable) comparisons to Tavon Austin and may never be used more than a handful of times in a game.

Unsurprisingly, with Charles and Davis leading the way for the Chiefs’ backfield in 2014 there was little left over for Thomas. He was only handed the ball fourteen times, though he made the most of those chances with 8.1 yards per carry and a touchdown. He also caught 23 passes on 31 targets for 156 yards. On special teams, he returned 34 punts and fourteen kickoffs. All in all, considering his limited role Thomas performed well.

Unfortunately for his fantasy value, with both lead backs signed through at least 2016, the future outlook does not appear any brighter. Both of the other running backs on Kansas City’s depth chart, Cyrus Gray and Charcandrick West, are signed only for 2015 but (like Davis) are between-the-tackles type players. Therefore, should Charles miss significant playing time, Thomas is the most likely player to receive third-down targets out of the backfield. However, having played in 46 of a possible 48 games in the last three seasons, Charles has proven to be nearly as durable as he has been productive.

Of course should Charles get hurt (as he did early last season), Thomas will be a popular waiver-wire acquisition, though he did not see any snaps in the only game Charles missed last season. Pending the acquisition of another running back in the draft, meaning the current state is his best-case scenario, Thomas enters 2015 as the third-string running back with receiving talent but little opportunity on offense.

That he is most frequently compared to players like James and Austin, who have been thus far unable to translate their games to the NFL, speaks volumes about his dynasty value. As a result, unless you have Charles and either don’t have faith in Davis or have a deep bench (over 25 players on your roster), there is no need to use a roster spot on Thomas.

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jaron foster
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