Shane Vereen's Fantasy Ceiling Has Never Been Higher

Let’s get you on board the Shane Vereen hype train. After originally being pigeonholed into a third down back role, I will make the case that the newly minted New York Giant is in line for a bigger role.

Although Vereen has never had the opportunity to function in any kind of lead role in the NFL, his prior usage has no bearing on how he will be deployed in a new scheme with a new coaching staff. The Patriots used a predominantly power blocking scheme, and the Giants utilize a blocking scheme heavy with zone-blocking concepts.

It’s not like Vereen hasn’t proven he can run between the tackles before. In his final year at the University of California, he racked up 1,167 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 231 carries for a 5.1 yards-per-carry average. Over his three-year collegiate career, Vereen finished with 2,834 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 556 carries for a 5.1 ypc average. He can handle the workload.

Entering the 2015 season, this Giants' backfield is more wide open than it might seem. Here’s how the Giants’ backfield snap distribution broke down in 2014:

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Dan Schneier is a staff writer at PFF Fantasy and he also covers the NFC East for FOX Sports. You can find him on Twitter @DanSchneierNFL.  You can also add him to your network on Google+ to find all of his past material.