Daryl Richardson's time has come. The second-to-last pick in the 2012 draft, from tiny Abilene Christian, will start for the Rams at tailback in Sunday's opener against Arizona.
"I'm just glad they took the opportunity to have me come up here and show what I can do. You've got to have confidence to believe in yourself," Richardson told the Associated Press. "If you believe, you can achieve anything."
Richardson showed terrific burst spelling Steven Jackson last season, averaging 4.8 yards on 97 carries. In three preseason games he ran nine times for 34 yards and caught four passes for 49 yards.
The Cardinals ranked 23rd in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs last year. With Isaiah Pead suspended for the opener, Richardson should get the vast majority of carries. He'll be backed up by Zac Stacy, a strong short-yardage runner, and Benny Cunningham. Consider Richardson a strong flex option for Week 1.