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Fantasy Football owners need not be in limbo anymore. Le'Veon Bell is officially back and there is no chance he is going to hold out this time.
After a topsy-turvy six-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers in which Bell sat out the entire 2018 campaign due to a contract dispute, Bell is now a member of the New York Jets after signing a four-year deal with the club earlier this offseason.
The question is, where should you target Bell in your Fantasy Football draft?
Naturally, there is some caution surrounding Bell, as he has not played football in over a year and is entering a new system with a new team that is not nearly as successful as his old one.
But honestly, there is no reason why Bell shouldn't be incredibly productive in 2019.
While it's fair to wonder what kind of shape Bell will be in after taking all of 2018 off, let's keep in mind that he is just 27 years old, and sitting out a full season may actually benefit him in the long run.
Keep in mind that Bell had a pretty heavy workload in Pittsburgh, so the holdout may have actually prolonged his career.
We tend to forget just how terrific Bell was when he was on the field with the Steelers, making three Pro Bowls and nailing down a couple of First-Team All-Pro selections.
He is not only a great rusher, but a very good receiver, as well, and the last time we saw Bell, he was racking up 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground while hauling in 85 receptions for 655 yards and a couple of scores.
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It's hard to imagine that Bell has lost a step already, and seeing as how he is going into an offense that is probably going to lean on him even more than his previous squad, he is still a potential first-round pick.
The Jets don't have a ton of weapons offensively. Not proven ones, anyway. Robby Anderson is solid, but he isn't a true No. 1 receiver at this point. Chris Herndon looks like a really good tight end, but we have to wait and see how he performs in 2019 before we can get a true read on him.
And, of course, Sam Darnold is under center, and while he showed flashes during his rookie campaign, he is just 22 years old, and Year 2 is not typically all that kind to young quarterbacks.
As a result, Bell is surely going to get a ton of touches, both as a rusher and as a receiver. Darnold will likely target Bell an awful lot in check down situations, which could mean that Bell ends up with a career-high in catches this coming season.
There is no Antonio Brown or JuJu Smith-Schuster in the passing game in New York, and there is no Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, meaning Bell will be relied upon even more heavily with Gang Green.
Now, the argument can be made that the Jets don't exactly have a great offensive line and that Bell's efficiency might take a hit, but this is Fantasy, and volume reigns king.
Look for Bell to be among the most used running backs in the NFL in 2019, which should make him worthy of a first-round selection in most leagues.
