Posted by Bill in Running Backs on Sep 8th 2010 and last modified on Sep 11th 2010. (Print This)
Look Out Chris Johnson, A.P. Wants His Fantasy Title Back
With my last draft tonight, the summer season of fun is officially now coming to an end. The endless hours of phone conversations like a teenage girl talking about who you like better. Team Brees or team Rodgers? The endless debates about when to draft a WR. The hundreds of mock drafts semi-completed. The thousands of trees that were cut down for all the print outs and magazines that you have read. And of course the million stink eyes received from the future ex-wife when the word football was whispered. Ah tis the season. Until next spring when we do it again.
The season kicks off for real tomorrow night in New Orleans and these ranks are for standard scoring leagues. We will begin our in-season content starting on Monday with our 1ST LOOK with Injuries. Tuesday will be 1ST LOOK: Ranks, that are the earliest ranks in the business and are accessible only to our Brotherhood All-Access Members. We will also be releasing our 1ST LOOK Waivers on Tuesday to help our readers get a jump on the waiver wire. Good luck to all of our readers this season, we are rooting for all of you unless of course we are playing you.
8 Man Fronts- No Problem
1) Chris Johnson – TEN – RB
No one is better
2) Adrian Peterson – MIN – RB
Peterson and Company begin their revenge tour which will be kicking off in New Orleans as the Saints get anointed Champions in front of the home crowd.
3) Frank Gore – SFO – RB
Gore starts the year with a cherry match up against what Seahawk fans are hoping is a much improved defense under new coach Pete Carroll. Sorry Seattle fans I don’t think they are there just yet.
SJack Shows The NFL That He Is Ready To Up His 4 TD Total Of 2009
4) Steven Jackson – STL – RB
There is no better way for Sam Bradford to adjust to the NFL than by letting SJack do all of the dirty work. Owners slept on Sjack in every draft I saw, if healthy he is a top 5 guy, all he needs is a few more touchdowns.
5) Maurice Jones-Drew – JAC – RB
MJD will start this Sunday. The fact that there is some concern around his knee is something to monitor.MJD owners must pick up RBs Rashad Jennings and Deji Karim.
6) Ray Rice – BAL – RB
Rice opens the year against allegedly the best defense in the NFL. We will see about that.
7) Ryan Mathews – SDC – RB
Mathews couldn’t ask for a better team to face on Monday Night Football. Wait until the rest of the world finds out what we have been telling everyone since April. The rookie is a beast!
Never Underestimate A Contract Year Player
8) Cedric Benson – CIN – RB
As a Patriot fan I want to believe the defense can get its act together. I just don’t think it will happen this week. Benson could run all over them this week. Shootout alert.
9) Rashard Mendenhall – PIT – RB
Speaking of QB issues. Dennis Dixon doesn’t exactly instill fear into any opposing defense at this point. Add in the fact that the Falcons were a top 10 run defense last year, and now I have scared myself.
10) Michael Turner – ATL – RB
In the 4 billion drafts I participated in, two things happened. I never picked higher than 7th and never had a shot at Turner. Come back player of the year. Write it down.
11) Ryan Grant – GRE – RB
Slow and steady wins the race. A tough Eagles defense might push Grant a little further back in the race.
Charles Is Ready To Leap Into Our Top 12
12) Jamaal Charles – KAN – RB
Seriously is anyone else excited to see what Charles can do with a full year of carries? Put your hands down Charles owners, I meant everyone else.
13) Shonn Greene – NYJ – RB
We know what Greene can do in a short span but what can he do over an entire season? Will he hold up? Can he stop fumbling? Can he even catch a pass?
14) DeAngelo Williams – CAR – RB
Jonathan Stewart has yet to play a down in pre-season. Williams could see a lot of early action over the next few weeks. Sell high anyone?
15) Arian Foster – HOU – RB
Foster is another break out candidate, that has had all of the right breaks happen for him to put him in this position. Attitude change. Check. Hardest worker during practices. Check. Competing RBs either injured or returning from injury. Check. I am excited about his prospects this year and he was undervalued in a ton of drafts. You know how every year the team that wins the league gets that fifth round pick that turns into a beast? Foster could be that guy this season.
16) Beanie Wells – ARI – RB
As I am writing this I am asking myself why did I rank Wells so high? Hightower was named the starter and Beanie’s knee is a little iffy right now. Plus their QB situation is awful. Oh wait they are facing the Rams on Sunday? I’ll wait to worry about this stuff next week. (Update 9/11:)I lied time to worry now, Wells looks like a no play bump up Hightower.
17) Pierre Thomas – NOR – RB
Thomas just needs to stay healthy. It is that simple. He is a super productive back that could put up silly numbers if he stays on the field. Imagine if he got 275 or more touches this season? We are talking a 1,100 yards rushing at least 10-15 touchdown season on top of the 45 or 50 receptions he could haul in.
18) Ahmad Bradshaw – NYG – RB
Bradshaw has been named the starter for the Giants, what that exactly means is beyond anyone’s clue. Expect Bradshaw to see most of the action minus the short yardage stuff. A closer role for fellow back Brandon Jacobs is not out of the question. The big concern around Bradshaw will be can he get enough red-zone opportunities to give him value, or he is going to be Julius Jones.
19) Jerome Harrison – CLE – RB
Before last season Harrison always wowed us with his huge yards per carry. Last season he ran all over the NFL in the last 5 weeks. The Browns reward Harrison by drafting the bustacular Montario Hardesty who surprisingly went down with a season ending knee injury. This is Harrison’s job to lose but I don’t get why Mangenius has always tried and replaced him. Maybe Mangenius is an oxymoron, or more likely he is just a moron.
20) Joseph Addai – IND – RB
Addai begins a new season where he needs to improve his yards per carry. The Colts are anxious to see what Donald Brown can do in his second year. The Colts will do everything to give Brown a chance to unseat Addai if he is ineffective. Addai makes up for his poor y.p.c. with being the perfect fit at RB for the Colts, great pass catcher and has a knack for finding the endzone.
21) Knowshon Moreno – DEN – RB
Moreno has missed most of the pre-season action but should be plugged right into the starting lineup week one. He has a great matchup facing the Jaguars this week, the only thing that could hold him back is exactly how great of shape is he in after missing so much of the pre-season.
22) Ronnie Brown – MIA – RB
I feel like I say this every year but Brown is returning from a season ending injury. Opening up against Buffalo and their sieve like defense will go along way to building up the Dolphins confidence.
23) LeSean McCoy – PHI – RB
McCoy enter his second year and is expected to break out. The problem is no one really believes he will even though he is supposed to and that is why every time he was drafted in the third round, the entire room did secret fist pumps. Fist pumps don’t lie.
24) Jahvid Best – DET – RB
Listen I like Best, I just don’t see how he can possibly stand up to the rigors of the NFL. He barely made it through his collegiate career. If he is used in small doses, he is a quality flex play/RB2. I just fear that when the Lions see him break one, they are going to want more and more. Maybe they will learn the hard way.
25) C.J. Spiller – BUF – RB
With Fred Jackson still questionable Spiller gets the nod in week one. Spiller is an offensive dynamo who will be most effective with around 15 or so touches. Don’t worry he can make the most of his touches.
26) Matt Forte – CHI – RB
Forte started last season ranked 3 or 4. Now every fantasy owner is afraid of him. Add in the fact that his and Taylor’s roles are still up in the air and that will likely mean no one will play Forte this week but against Detroit how can you not?
27) Marion Barber – DAL – RB
Barber was named the starter, the lost the starting role and now is the starter. Exact roles in Dallas are kind of up in the air. Will Barber return to his closer role? Will he start the game and then alternate series with Felix Jones?
28) Jonathan Stewart – CAR – RB
Stewart saw zero pre-season action this summer and ordinarily that would be a concern, but he did the same thing last year. I just worry about the Panthers bringing him along slowly in the first few weeks.
29) Cadillac Williams – TAM – RB
Williams get no love despite being the stater and getting 200+ carries. He is now a year removed from a serious knee injury and could surprise this season.
30) Justin Forsett – SEA – RB
Forsett was named the starter after all. We expected this all along but with Pete Carroll we just don’t know how many touches each back will get. I hate committees.
31) Clinton Portis – WAS – RB
Portis is the starter this year in Washington, at least for now. We all know how much Shanahan loves mixing and matching his backs. If Portis is effective week one he will remain a legit flex option, but if anything goes wrong for him and all bets are off in Washington at the RB spot.
32) Tim Hightower – ARI – RB
Hightower has been named the starter. We know he will get the goal line carries. He is a must start in TD heavy leagues with Wells dinged up. (Updated 9/11: With Wells Looking Like He Might Not Play Bump Up Hightower If Wells Is Out)
33) Ricky Williams – MIA – RB
Williams still plays second fiddle to Ronnie Brown but a matchup with the Bills this week he gets a bump in the rankings.
34) Michael Bush – OAK – RB
Bush can play with his broken hand the question is how well can he hold on to the ball.
Jones will be boom or bust, making fantasy owners nuts all season long.
36) Brandon Jacobs – NYG – RB
If he plays some sort of closer role, I love him for the rest of the season. Just a backup, then wait and see.
37) Reggie Bush – NOR – RB
Bush only had 70 carries last season. Now that is just Pierre Thomas and Bush expect his carries to go up, but not as high as you think, he was most effective as a pass catcher, so bump him up in PPR formats.
38) Laurence Maroney – NEP – RB
Is he the starter? Is he not the starter? Will he play. I love the Patriots but I hate RB roulette.
39) LaDainian Tomlinson – NYJ – RB
LDT will see more action than anyone thinks this season.
40) Darren McFadden – OAK – RB
McFadden might end up starting if Bush can’t go. To all of the McFadden owners enjoy this might be the only time he starts for anyone and anywhere all season. Bump him up in PPR.
41) Fred Jackson – BUF – RB
Jackson is expected to see action on Sunday. The question is how much will he see? C.J. Spiller has been named the starter and week one will be a good indicator of how much the Bills are going to use him.
42) Donald Brown – IND – RB
Brown needs to play well if he has any hope of unseating Addai.
43) Thomas Jones – KAN – RB
Jones is just a back up to Charles. This team is just the wrong fit for him. Then again Rob reminds me all the time that I have hated on him for the last three years.
44) Willis McGahee – BAL – RB
McGahee will get all of the goal line and short yardage work. He could see more early season work outside of the red zone than some are expecting.
45) Darren Sproles – SDC – RB
Speaking of PPR bump ups.
46) Leon Washington – SEA – RB
Washington will be the second guy off the Seahawks bench.
47) Chester Taylor – CHI – RB
Taylor gets a good opportunity to make some noise with a matchup against the lowly Lions.
48) Correll Buckhalter – DEN – RB
Buckhalter just go it done last season. Despite the fewer carries he was the more productive back. The Broncos are still going to give Moreno all of the carries.
49) Fred Taylor – NEP – RB
50) Bernard Scott – CIN – RB
The Bengals want Scott to be the eventual replacement for Benson. For that to happen he needs to stay on the field for starters.
51) Kareem Huggins – TAM – RB
Huggins was the sexy draft pick in late drafts, but the Bucs showed their confidence in him by scooping up Lagarrette Blount. I’m just saying.
52) Brian Westbrook – SFO – RB
It will be interesting to see where and when Westbrook gets used.
53) Javon Ringer – TEN – RB
Ringer only makes this list because he is Mr. Handcuff 2010
54) Kevin Faulk – NEP – RB
Faulk gets a bump in PPR leagues. I expect that Pats might be throwing a ton this week.
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