Preseason Fantasy Rankings: RBs 1-10
As everybody knows, running backs are the key to fantasy football. This is such a well-known fact that the NFL is even making commercials about it. While it's not really that true in most leagues anymore, you still gotta know your Wells from your Ward from your White. Don't worry, we're here for you.
Here are my preseason fantasy running back rankings.
|
Rank |
Player |
Team |
Comments |
|
1 |
Peterson, Adrian |
MIN |
The only thing that can slow down the Vikes' running game is Brett Favre. After last season's 363 carries, an injury isn't out of the question though. |
|
2 |
Jones-Drew, Maurice |
JAX |
Remove Fred Taylor, Add Torry Holt. This should be Jones-Drew's best season yet. |
|
3 |
Turner, Michael |
ATL |
The Falcons won't have to run as much this season, so they won't. Turner will still be one of the most reliable RBs in the game though. |
|
4 |
Forte, Matt |
CHI |
The Bears offense still runs (ha-ha!) through Matt Forte. I'm not sure Jay Cutler realizes that yet. |
|
5 |
Barber, Marion |
DAL |
Terrell Owens giveth fantasy value (Barber) and taketh away fantasy value (Romo). The Cowboys will become a run-first team this season and Marion Barber is their man. |
|
6 |
Slaton, Steve |
HOU |
He put up 1282 total yards with only five 100+ yard games. He's very capable of doing that again and probably will. Maybe the quietest 1200 yard rusher in the league. |
|
7 |
Brown, Ronnie |
MIA |
He was the #2 overall draft pick in 2005 and has rushed for more than 900 yards in 3 of his 4 seasons. His team went to the playoffs last year and his quarterback is the steady but not spectacular Chad Pennington. Why aren't more people all over this guy? |
|
8 |
Smith, Kevin |
DET |
Who's the fantasy star of the Detroit Lions? Calvin Williams? Matt Stafford? Nope, it's Kevin Smith, a guy who ran for 976 yards and 8 TDs on probably the worst NFL team in 30 years. Both he and the Lions will be better this year. |
|
9 |
Portis, Clinton |
WAS |
Did well last year without any support from the passing game. If the passing game improves this year, Portis has one more great season in him. |
|
10 |
Lynch, Marshawn |
BUF |
Don't let the three-game suspension throw you - with TO on the field Lynch is going to chew up the yardage this season. He'll make up for the lost time and you should be able to get him cheap. |
5 comments
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0 recs |
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Comments
wow, am I high? Where's LT?
I know he’s fallen off his pedestal that’s over looked the fantasy world for several years, but is he really not a top ten option anymore?
In my mind he’s still somewhere between 6th and 8th. If I had to go by this list, I’d slide him in over:
Barber (injury prone and Felix Jones will steal just as much value as Sproles will from LT)
Brown (another injury risk who wasn’t all that productive in 08 despite playing 16 games for the first time in his career)
Portis (last time he ran as many times as he did last year he missed 8 games the following season)
Lynch (is 13 games of Lynch really more valuable than 16 games of LT?)
That moves him into 7th on my list and I’ll leave him there.
I've won the same lifetime achievement award twice....yes I'm the Most Interesting Man in the World
by Bezekira on Jul 10, 2009 9:26 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
No kidding
I’m no LDT fan, but at the very, very least he replaces Lynch at #10.
Interesting
In your Top 10 are a couple of RBs, I expect to slip into the 3rd round – Brown and Lynch, who will allow me to draft two WRs with my first two picks.
Number of carries.
I read this article in a Fantasy Football mag, about running backs that have over 350 carries have a significant drop off in production the next year. This would be Turner and Peterson last year. I dont know how much weight i put into that because in my mind they are still the top two backs fantasy wise, but i dont know something else for me to think about
Melooooooo

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