Buckhalter will turn 31 this season. He has only played one full season since joining the league in 2001. He missed all of 2002 with an ACL in his left knee and missed both 2004 and 2005 with a torn patellar tendon. He managed to have his best fantasy season in over five seasons in '08 finishing with 693 yards and four TDs. His best overall productive fantasy season was in 2003 when he finished with 675 total yards and nine TDs. What most likely got Buckhalter his contract was his rushing average the last two seasons. He averaged 5.0 YPC in 2008 and 4.9 in 2007 while Brian Westbrook playing with the same line averaged 4.8 YPC in 2007 and 4.0 in 2008. Buckhalter was also impressive out of the backfield going for 324 yards but more impressive was his 12.5 yards per catch.
Buckhalter plays his best ball when he gets 10+ carries, yet he has never been able to manage a full load. In four games in '08 where he had 10+ carries, he carried the ball 54 times for 265 yards for a 4.90 average and scored two TD and they were against good rush defenses - Pitt (2nd) Chi (5th), Dallas(12th) SF (13th). In 2007 Buckhalter had one game of 10+ carries and he went 17 for 103 for a 6.05 average compared t0 45 carries for a 4.66 average yards. In 2006 he had one game of 10+ carries and went 11 for 49 for a 4.45 average compared to 72 carries for 296 yards and a 4.11 average in games with less than 10 carries.
In 2003 he had six games of 10+ carries for a total of 86 carries for 438 yards for a 5.09 average compared to 40 carries in games he did not get 10 carries for 104 yards and a 2.6 average. In 2001 in games he had 10+ carries he had 91 carries for 474 yards and a 5.20 average compared to 38 carries for 112 yards and a 2.94 average for games below 10 carries. Overall Buckhalter has played 22 games in which he has 10+ carries and has 259 carries for 1,329 yards and a 5.13 average... interesting.
