The Facts: Jackson left St. Louis because he wanted to win. Like most others, he got drunk on the expectations for a Falcons franchise that came close to reaching the Super Bowl the year before. But when last season ended, the Rams had a better record (7-9) than the Falcons (4-12). Jackson believed he had let himself, the team and a city down. “There were quite a few of the years in St. Louis when I shouldered a large burden, and I knew going into every season what I was going into,” Jackson said. “When I came here last year, I kind of believed my own hype."

Diehards Line: So what changes in 2014? “This year I know I don’t have to shoulder the burden of carrying the franchise," Jackson said. "I’m not the missing piece, I’m just one piece. I feel comfortable knowing that I can still compete at a high level. But all of the unnecessary stress is gone. ...” As the AJC noted, it’s natural to wonder what an NFL running back has left after 10 seasons and at the age of 31, but it’s not fair to judge Jackson on last season, when he rushed for a career-low 543 yards and 3.5 per carry (his previous career average: 4.2). He was injured in Week 2, ironically against St. Louis, and ran behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. Injuries to wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White further limited the offense. Now, the Falcons’ expectations for Jackson in 2014 aren’t much different than they were a year ago. Fantasy football owners should take the same approach -- with those who wind up with the veteran back on their roster hoping he can live up to those expectations even at his much more reasonable draft value.