1ST LOOK: RB RANKS WEEK 16 (HOLIDAY EDITION)

Posted by Bill in Fantasy Advice,Ranks,Running Backs on Dec 22nd 2009 (Print This)

Arian Foster Was The Captain Of The Ship Of Fools Which Ran Aground And Sank Fantasy Owners Hopes Off The Coast Of Titletown

Fantasy Football Brothers would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all. The Brotherhood has been working tirelessly since April 27th(The Day after the NFL Draft) to get you, your league title. Since then we have rolled out hundreds of articles and have answered thousands of questions with tailor made answers for you and your specific needs, and all of this was just to get you to this point. For almost all it comes down to this week with a potential title and trophy hanging in the balance, for others its semi-finals time but either way our goal has been the same. To get you, our reader the best late Christmas present ever. That’s right a league championship. Hopefully the title comes with some kind of reward but even more important. It gives you a license to talk trash for an entire year as you put your trophy by the fire with all of the greatest care.

Ship Of Fools

On to our 1ST LOOK: Running backs have been the subject of many many discussions,arguments and debates last week. All week there were phone calls coming and going at all hours of the day and to my girlfriends dismay late into the night, emails constantly going back and forth, and of course the hours upon hours of debating at the Hood’s H.Q. Last week was one of the toughest weeks ever in regards to the RB ranks, it sparked a few arguments to put it nicely. Go with the sexy picks all shiny and new?, or go with what got you to where you are? Like I said last week if you were going to play rushing roulette it likely killed your fantasy team. I would rather err on the side of caution after all, Now it is one and done time. RB Quinton Ganther is the starter and yes he gets the goal line carries that’s what gives him more value and a higher rank last week then Beanie Wells. Yes Beanie Wells was a decent play and he has a great matchup again this week,but if he doesn’t score one from ten yards out, he is only going to help you with yardage. When I saw Hightower come in for the goal-line carry I worried for all of the Wells owners because until Wells is named the goal line guy his value still is on the risky side. In Cleveland it was RB Chris Jennings or RB Jerome Harrison with everyone including me leaning towards Jennings because he had the better game in week 14. Even though Harrison had made things happen when filling in for Jamal Lewis and had been able to cause some damage when given the opportunity, he appeared to have been passed over again. Now Jennings had become the sexy pick and the next waiver wire dujour after his 73 yard one score game in week 14. What made matters even worse was the talk of Cribbs getting more carries since he was so effective in week 14. So what happens, oh nothing just Harrison setting and breaking a few records rushing for a ridiculous 286 yards and topped it off with three scores. Everyone was about RB Arian Foster and Justin Forsett, we had more questions about those two guys last week than every other back combined. First we will quickly discuss Forsett. Yes he has been lights out, but what everyone forgot was he was lights out when he got the majority of touches. Now even though we all knew that Forsett would be splitting touches with Julius Jones, people still refused to believe that Forsett was a strong play because after all they were playing Tampa. So what happens they split the carries right down the middle and what happens 69-65 total yards with Forsett finishing with four yards more than Jones. This week Forsett could get more carries since Jones suffered another rib injury, but the bad news is he gets to face the 2nd ranked Run-D of the Packers. Now on to Arian Foster. He was by far the biggest and most debated guy here. He got a ton of carries late in the game which happened to be a blow out. Foster didn’t do much rushing the ball, but had a couple of nice receptions. H.C. Gary Kubiak came out and said Foster would be showcased. Some how fantasy nation talked themselves into that meaning he was the starter and would see the majority of touches. But the thing is Kubiak never once said that all week long and what he meant was Foster had earned some touches for week 15. I ranked him 36 last week because of that and also because of these following reasons. I knew that while at U of Tennessee he was known as “fumbles” Foster. I knew that Arian “Banananas Fumbles” Foster (Yeah that was my Chris Berman impression)was hyped up during the pre-season and but could not hold on to the ball leading to a practice squad assignment. I knew that despite all of the Texans struggles running the ball, the Texans did not activate Fumbles until RB Steve Slaton was lost for the year. Does everyone remember the Ryan Moats hype train? I knew that leading up to Sunday that Kubiak criticized Foster repeatedly during the week in practice. I knew that Kubiak’s potential job was and still is on the line so why would he hand the keys to a undrafted free agent rookie in a must win game? After all of these facts I still couldn’t convince some people, why Foster was a huge risk. So come game time it was only natural that he fumbles the ball on his third touch of the game and is banished to the bench. Potentially killing a teams playoff run right there at 1:15 on Sunday. I just hope that you weren’t one of the many owners that played rushing roulette while taking a cruise on the ship of fools.

Other RB News

RB Chris Johnson needs to average 188 yards a game to hit the 2,000 yard mark. In case you were wondering the Chargers are ranked 21st in stopping the run, but held Cedric Benson to only 53 yards rushing in week 15. RB Adrian Peterson was shut down running the rock again but was able to score a touchdown and add 73 yards recieving. His rushing yards are mildly concerning since the Panthers are pretty bad at stopping the run. RB Cedric Benson looks to rebound from his 53 yard showing this week with a tasty matchup against the Chiefs who’s defense was absolutely torched so bad last Sunday that the fire just got put out today. RB Ricky Williams looks to cure his fumblitis after now fumbling in back-to-back games. RB Ray Rice has scored only once in the last five games after being pulled early again in another blow out. RB DeAngelo Williams remains the biggest question mark heading into week 16. There has been no news out of Carolina about his injury and the Panthers are always tight lipped around injury reports so this looks like it will be a wait and see. RB Beanie Wells was dinged at the end of the game, he should be fine to play and could be a RB1 play against a terrible Rams’ defense. RB Michael Turner again reinjured his ankle and likely will be out for the season, with the playoffs now officially out of reach why would the Falcons risk playing him again? But count him out for this week for now. RB Brian Westbrook will look to practice for the first time since his concussion this week and could get limited snaps Sunday. RB Fred Taylor heads into this week as Questionable, while trying to return from ankle surgery against his former team the Jaguars this week.

1) Chris Johnson – TEN – RB
2) Adrian Peterson – MIN – RB
3) Cedric Benson – CIN – RB
4) Frank Gore – SFO – RB
5) Maurice Jones-Drew – JAC – RB
6) Thomas Jones – NYJ – RB
7) Ricky Williams – MIA – RB
8) Ray Rice – BAL – RB
9) Steven Jackson – STL – RB
Injured But Has Said Wants To Finish Out The Year, Will Not Practice This Week

10) Ryan Grant – GRE – RB
11) Jamaal Charles – KAN – RB
12) Pierre Thomas – NOR – RB
13) Beanie Wells – ARI – RB
Dinged Up At The End Of His Breakout Performance We Will Monitor Him Closely

14) DeAngelo Williams – CAR – RB
Injured His Ankle Sunday Night Waiting For His Injury To Be Updated The Panthers Are Not Usually Very Forthcoming With Injury Information/Will Likely Be A Game Time Call

15) Jerome Harrison – CLE – RB
Should Be Announced As The Everydown Starter/Waiting For Mangini To Screw That Up Too

16) Laurence Maroney – NEP – RB
17) Rashard Mendenhall – PIT – RB
18) Joseph Addai – IND – RB
19) Ahmad Bradshaw – NYG – RB
20) Jason Snelling – ATL – RB
Turner Will Likely Be Out After Re-injuring His Ankle For The Third Time.

21) LaDainian Tomlinson – SDC – RB
22) Knowshon Moreno – DEN – RB
Rank Will Hinge On Buckhalter’s Availability

23) Fred Jackson – BUF – RB
24) Jonathan Stewart – CAR – RB
If Williams Is Out Bump Him Up

25) Quinton Ganther – WAS – RB
26) Brandon Jacobs – NYG – RB
27) Matt Forte – CHI – RB
28) Justin Forsett – SEA – RB
A Serious Injury To Jones Will Bump Forsett Up

29) Reggie Bush – NOR – RB
Injured Hamstring

30) LeSean McCoy – PHI – RB
Westbrook May Return This Week

31) Maurice Morris – DET – RB
32) Cadillac Williams – TAM – RB
33) Marion Barber – DAL – RB
34) Michael Bush – OAK – RB
35) Ryan Moats – HOU – RB
36) Darren Sproles – SDC – RB
37) Tim Hightower – ARI – RB
38) Chester Taylor – MIN – RB
39) Mike Bell – NOR – RB
40) Julius Jones – SEA – RB
Injured Ribs Sunday/Missed Time Two Weeks Ago With Rib Issue