Fantasy Football: RBs 1-12
Anyone who has ever played fantasy football or watched “The League” knows that running backs are the most important position in the game. Unfortunately, aside from a small handful, most RBs this year have big question marks. That’s why it is more important than ever to get these picks right.
These rankings are for standard, 12-team non-PPR leagues.
1. Chris Johnson- Something tells me he won’t run for 2,000 yards again. Having said that, I wouldn’t bet against 1,600 and 10 touchdowns. Nor would I complain.
2. Adrian Peterson- More of a 1B than a 2. You can’t go wrong with either of these guys. He obviously takes a hit if Favre retires.
3. Ray Rice- The development of Flacco and the addition of Boldin should open things up for the former Rutgers standout.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew- An eyelash behind Rice. Hard to find a flaw in his game, but it should be noted that he saw an increase of 115 carries last season.
5. Frank Gore- If Alex Smith makes any kind of improvement, Gore should add to on his career best 10 touchdowns.
6. Michael Turner- He was having another fantasy MVP type season before his injury. Don’t hesitate to trust him; every RB after him has bigger question marks.
7. Steven Jackson- One of the toughest runners in the NFL, but his supporting cast is dreadful.
8. DeAngelo Williams- He has to be one of the league leaders in broken tackles. High upside, bit the presence of Jonathan Stewart makes him one of the riskier first round backs.
9. Rashard Mendenhall- I dread his fantasy playoff schedule, which includes the Jets in week 15, but his talent, his team’s willingness to run the ball and the question marks about other running backs make him the pick.
10. Shonn Greene- The Jets cut their 1,400 yard starter, so they must be pretty high on this guy. He showed great explosiveness in the playoffs and even with Tomlinson, he’ll get enough touches to be effective. Too bad he can’t catch.
11. Jamaal Charles- “Chris Johnson light” they say. Maybe in talent, but Chris Johnson doesn’t have Thomas Jones, he of 2,700 yards over the past two seasons, stealing carries. Moderate risk, high reward.
12. Pierre Thomas- He’s going to have some big weeks and some weak weeks. Mike Bell is gone and Lynell Hamilton is done for the year, so he could be in for more goal line work, but Reggie Bush will also steal some touches.
Stay tuned for RBs 13-24.
