Running back has been labeled the most important position in the history of fantasy football, and quite frankly, it is. Never have you seen a fantasy football squad with the likes of Travis Minor and J.J. Arrington manning the backfield. This year's running back class is stacked with both familiar and fresh talent.
Here are the Top 25 Running Backs for the upcoming fantasy football season:
1. LaDainian Tomlinson SD
2. Adrian Peterson MIN
3. Brian Westbrook PHI
4. Joseph Addai IND
5. Steven Jackson STL
6. Marshawn Lynch BUF
7. Marion Barber III DAL
8. Frank Gore SF
9. Ryan Grant GB
10. Ronnie Brown MIA
11. Clinton Portis WSH
12. Larry Johnson KC
13. Maurice Jones-Drew JAX
14. Brandon Jacobs NYG
15. Willis Mcgahee BAL
16. Reggie Bush NO
17. Jamal Lewis CLE
18. Laurence Maroney NE
19. Michael Turner ATL
20. Thomas Jones NYJ
21. Willie Parker PIT
22. Earnest Graham TB
23. Darren Mcfadden OAK
24. Matt Forte CHI
25. Fred Taylor JAX
Well now you know my answer to the biggest debate in fantasy football this season, LT or AP? I go with LT because of what he has done over the past few seasons and the certainty his name brings to your team. Tomlinson is probably the 2nd best receiving running back behind Westbrook, and finds the end zone more than anyone else. Heck, LT will even throw you a TD this season. AP is a great running back and if i have the number 2 pick on my fantasy draft I know that he is going to be mine. But he hasn't earned the right to take over that number 1 spot from Tomlinson, even if Peterson thinks he already has.
At the end of the top 10 I have Ryan Grant and Ronnie Brown. WIth Brett Favre out of Lambeau, Aaron Rodgers will be leaning on Grant all season long, whether it be running the ball or dumping it off to him. Expect Grant to see a lot more touches near the red zone because of the lack of trust in Rodgers not to turn the ball over on that part of the field. Ronnie Brown was one of the best running backs before he got hurt last year. In fact, Brown was the number 1 ranked RB on Yahoo! for quite some time. This season, Brown says he feels healthy and he's running behind a better offensive line with 1st overall NFL Draft pick Jake Long leading the way. And if Bill Parcells has any say in it, Brown will be getting a lot of red zone carries, so that comeback story Ricky WIlliams can focus on beating down the clock late in games. (Also, can we really expect Ricky Williams to not have some sort of relapse at some point. You know, wake up late for practice once or twice, forget his helmet when going into a game, one of those could happen).
At number 16 i put Saints RB Reggie Bush. This is a bit of a reach because of how loaded the Saints ground-game is this year with Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas. I have some Reggie Bush bias in me because of his jaw-dropping ability he displayed in college and somewhat in the pros, but i wouldn't be shocked to see Bush either have a breakout year, or be relegated to mop up duty. This may be the year Bush needs to step up on New Orleans, especially if Pierre Thomas has a solid season. Try and get your hands on 2 of these 3 running backs if you are going to take any of them.
Two more players I want to talk about are Willie Parker and rookie Matt Forte. Parker has put up solid numbers throughout his career and in The Steel City, there should be more handoffs than Home Runs over at PNC Ballpark. Though Parker may be sharing with rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall has really impressed Steeler coaches with his ability and combination of speed and power, perfect for the Steelers offense. Expect a dip in touches for Parker and take Mendenhall late in your draft. Matt Forte has been put into a solid situation in Chicago. The Bears have no real answer at QB and we could see another season of the Rex Grossman Show. Forte will get the touches, it's just a matter of what he can do with them. The O-Line in Chicago is solid, but aging, but an inspired Forte can rejuvenate some magic in The Windy City.
Here are 3 players who may surprise you:
Jonathan Stewart CAR- Carolina Panther running backs have always disappointed their fantasy owners in the past couple of years. Stewart, rated by some as the 2nd best running back of this year's draft class, brings versatilely to John Fox's offense. Stewart is a very good receiving back and can burst through a hole better than any of his predecessors in Carolina. I wouldn't be too surprised to see him finish the season as a top 20 running back on a Panthers team contending for a division title.
Julius Jones SEA- Written off by many in Dallas, Jones (who was replaced by Felix Jones, who should be owned by Marion Barber owners across the world) brings very good speed as a replacement to former MVP and Madden cover model Shaun Alexander. Jones can handle a lot of carries and is playing for an offense that better suits his running style. Jones likes to run downhill and sneak through the O-linemen, unlike in Dallas where they pound the ball inside behind the guards. Jones has been complaining for the last few years that he hasn't been able to run like he wants to, and this year he will get his chance to show us what he means exactly.
Kevin Smith DET- The pride of the University of Central Florida, Smith is one of the best running backs in the history of college football, statistically. He takes over in Detroit, where they have vowed to start having a more balanced offensive attack. Smith almost broke the total yards record in college with Central Florida and wowed scouts with his speed and ability to break tackles. Smith is surrounded by a lot of talent in Detroit and has been given a great chance to succeed and show his skills to the stubborn Lion's fans. Let's just hope they treat Smith better than they treat their owner.
Here are the Top 25 Running Backs for the upcoming fantasy football season:
1. LaDainian Tomlinson SD
2. Adrian Peterson MIN
3. Brian Westbrook PHI
4. Joseph Addai IND
5. Steven Jackson STL
6. Marshawn Lynch BUF
7. Marion Barber III DAL
8. Frank Gore SF
9. Ryan Grant GB
10. Ronnie Brown MIA
11. Clinton Portis WSH
12. Larry Johnson KC
13. Maurice Jones-Drew JAX
14. Brandon Jacobs NYG
15. Willis Mcgahee BAL
16. Reggie Bush NO
17. Jamal Lewis CLE
18. Laurence Maroney NE
19. Michael Turner ATL
20. Thomas Jones NYJ
21. Willie Parker PIT
22. Earnest Graham TB
23. Darren Mcfadden OAK
24. Matt Forte CHI
25. Fred Taylor JAX
Well now you know my answer to the biggest debate in fantasy football this season, LT or AP? I go with LT because of what he has done over the past few seasons and the certainty his name brings to your team. Tomlinson is probably the 2nd best receiving running back behind Westbrook, and finds the end zone more than anyone else. Heck, LT will even throw you a TD this season. AP is a great running back and if i have the number 2 pick on my fantasy draft I know that he is going to be mine. But he hasn't earned the right to take over that number 1 spot from Tomlinson, even if Peterson thinks he already has.
At the end of the top 10 I have Ryan Grant and Ronnie Brown. WIth Brett Favre out of Lambeau, Aaron Rodgers will be leaning on Grant all season long, whether it be running the ball or dumping it off to him. Expect Grant to see a lot more touches near the red zone because of the lack of trust in Rodgers not to turn the ball over on that part of the field. Ronnie Brown was one of the best running backs before he got hurt last year. In fact, Brown was the number 1 ranked RB on Yahoo! for quite some time. This season, Brown says he feels healthy and he's running behind a better offensive line with 1st overall NFL Draft pick Jake Long leading the way. And if Bill Parcells has any say in it, Brown will be getting a lot of red zone carries, so that comeback story Ricky WIlliams can focus on beating down the clock late in games. (Also, can we really expect Ricky Williams to not have some sort of relapse at some point. You know, wake up late for practice once or twice, forget his helmet when going into a game, one of those could happen).
At number 16 i put Saints RB Reggie Bush. This is a bit of a reach because of how loaded the Saints ground-game is this year with Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas. I have some Reggie Bush bias in me because of his jaw-dropping ability he displayed in college and somewhat in the pros, but i wouldn't be shocked to see Bush either have a breakout year, or be relegated to mop up duty. This may be the year Bush needs to step up on New Orleans, especially if Pierre Thomas has a solid season. Try and get your hands on 2 of these 3 running backs if you are going to take any of them.
Two more players I want to talk about are Willie Parker and rookie Matt Forte. Parker has put up solid numbers throughout his career and in The Steel City, there should be more handoffs than Home Runs over at PNC Ballpark. Though Parker may be sharing with rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall has really impressed Steeler coaches with his ability and combination of speed and power, perfect for the Steelers offense. Expect a dip in touches for Parker and take Mendenhall late in your draft. Matt Forte has been put into a solid situation in Chicago. The Bears have no real answer at QB and we could see another season of the Rex Grossman Show. Forte will get the touches, it's just a matter of what he can do with them. The O-Line in Chicago is solid, but aging, but an inspired Forte can rejuvenate some magic in The Windy City.
Here are 3 players who may surprise you:
Jonathan Stewart CAR- Carolina Panther running backs have always disappointed their fantasy owners in the past couple of years. Stewart, rated by some as the 2nd best running back of this year's draft class, brings versatilely to John Fox's offense. Stewart is a very good receiving back and can burst through a hole better than any of his predecessors in Carolina. I wouldn't be too surprised to see him finish the season as a top 20 running back on a Panthers team contending for a division title.
Julius Jones SEA- Written off by many in Dallas, Jones (who was replaced by Felix Jones, who should be owned by Marion Barber owners across the world) brings very good speed as a replacement to former MVP and Madden cover model Shaun Alexander. Jones can handle a lot of carries and is playing for an offense that better suits his running style. Jones likes to run downhill and sneak through the O-linemen, unlike in Dallas where they pound the ball inside behind the guards. Jones has been complaining for the last few years that he hasn't been able to run like he wants to, and this year he will get his chance to show us what he means exactly.
Kevin Smith DET- The pride of the University of Central Florida, Smith is one of the best running backs in the history of college football, statistically. He takes over in Detroit, where they have vowed to start having a more balanced offensive attack. Smith almost broke the total yards record in college with Central Florida and wowed scouts with his speed and ability to break tackles. Smith is surrounded by a lot of talent in Detroit and has been given a great chance to succeed and show his skills to the stubborn Lion's fans. Let's just hope they treat Smith better than they treat their owner.
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