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There aren’t many RBBC that work as well for fantasy owners as they do for the actual NFL team, but the Panthers 1-2 punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are the exception.

In 2008 they combined for 2351 yards and 28 TDs (D-Will 1515, 18 & J-Stew 836, 10). Last year they combined for 2250 yards & 17 TDs (J-Stew 1133, 10 & D-Will 1117, 7).  DeAngelo Williams has the better combined numbers of the two seasons, but which one do you prefer for 2010?

Currently D-Will seems to be the favorite with a ADP of 13 compared to 30 for J-Stew. ESPN has a narrower gap with Williams ranked 15 and Stewart ranked 17. I tend to think the opposite in this scenario and actually favor Jonathan Stewart.

Williams had more carries per game, but that number should be more even in 2010 after Stewart exploded for 440 yards and 3 TDs (plus 30 receiving yards and a receiving TD) in the final three games against the Vikings, Giants, and Saints.

Stewart is a bigger back (5’10″, 235) than Williams (5’9″, 217) and better suited for smash-mouth football, which is what the Panthers figure to employ with an inexperience QB (Matt Moore) and minimal weapons in the passing game. Plus, even if they split the carries evenly in the early part of games, Stewart is the better option to close out games.

Stewart has been bothered by injuries in his first two seasons, but was still able to play every game. He has nearly 2000 yards and 20 TDs in two seasons despite those injuries. Can you imagine how good he’ll be now that he’s healthy?

That’s not to say I don’t think D-Will can be successful. He is an elusive back that can score any time he touches the ball. He is as capable as any RB in the league of turning in a monster performance. I just think he’ll have less opportunities to do his thing in 2010.

Predictions:
J-Stew:  1500 total yards, 12 TDs
D-Will:  1300 total yards, 8 TDs

Which Carolina RB do you prefer?

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Thomas Jones is coming off an unbelievable year in which he ran for 1312 yards with 13 TDs, and added 36 receptions for 207 yards and 2 TDs.  Though he’s in great shape, he will turn 31 this year, which has typically been the beginning of the end for RBs.  He has carried a pretty heavy workload the past four seasons, which didn’t go unnoticed by the Jets as they drafted Shonn Greene from Iowa.  Also in the mix will be Leon Washington, who was electric (5.9 yards per carry) when he had the football last year.  Washington had 9 TDs (6 rushing, 2 receiving, 1 Kick Return).  I suspect Jones will have one more year to be the lead dog, but will be pushed out next year.  If the Jets struggle they could start planning for the future with more Greene for the Green & White.

The Jets have a pretty tough schedule playing in the AFC East along with tilts with Houston, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Carolina.  Their fantasy playoff schedule consists of games against Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Indianapolis, which shouldn’t prove too difficult.  It’s just a matter if he’s getting the bulk of the carries still when those games roll around.  My expectations have lowered of Jones, but he always seems to prove people wrong.  I’ll take my chances and figure him for 900 total yards and 6 TDs.

Pierre Thomas has been a trendy pick in fantasy football leagues this year.  The hype train has finally let Reggie Bush off.  Pierre Thomas is the more complete Running Back and will take the lion’s share of the carries as well as the goal line duties.  He has bulked up to handle the beating that 100+ additional carries will bring.  He gave a glimpse of what he can do with regular touches last year in Weeks 11-16 when he averaged 112.83 yards (79.16 rushing) on 15.5 carries and 3.2 receptions with 9 TDs.  Reggie will still get his touches, but Pierre is clearly the feature back.

That doesn’t mean that Reggie Bush should be an afterthought.  If he can stay healthy, he is still one of the most explosive players in the league.  He will likely have more receiving yards than rushing yards.  He should have 70+ receptions to lead all Running Backs.  He will add a Punt Return for TD if he is given the opportunity, though at this point I would take that duty away for his health’s sake. 

In an offense like the Saints have matchups are almost irrelevant, but I’ll point out his favorable matchups against Detroit (Week 1) and St. Louis (Week 10) and his challenging ones against Philly (Week 2), the Giants (Week 6), Carolina (Week 9), New England (Week 12), and Washington (Week 13).  Their fantasy playoff schedule is Atlanta, Dallas, and Tampa Bay, which is fairly difficult.

Pierre Thomas will likely go in the second or third round in your fantasy draft.  I expect him to be very productive with 1400+ total yards and 10+ TDs.  Meanwhile, Reggie Bush should have around 1100 total yards (400 rushing, 700 receiving) with 8 total TDs.  Bush will be drafted in the third or fourth round, with a significant bump in PPR leagues.

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Well, Marshawn Lynch’s three-games suspension was upheld so you’re looking at 12 games of fantasy production from Beast Mode.  The good news is he’ll be there at the end of the season when it counts the most.  The suspension should drop him in drafts to at least the third round so he could end up being a great value.  There are some major concerns with Lynch though, other than the suspension.  The offseason addition of Dominic Rhodes means that the Bills will have three capable RBs, along with Fred Jackson.  While Lynch should remain the lead back, clearly the other two will cut into his production.  As long as he gets the ball at the stripe, he should be fine.  That’s where the other problem lies.  The Bills also added Terrell Owens, who puts up TDs in a hurry.  If Lynch is sharing his yardage with Jackson and Rhodes and TDs with T.O., that diminishes his fantasy value dramatically.

Lynch misses one of the Bills’ best matchups in Week 3 when they face New Orleans.  Playing in the AFC East he has a pretty tough schedule.  They also draw Carolina, Houston, Tennessee, and Jacksonville.  They open the fantasy playoffs with a favorable matchup against Kansas City, followed by New England and Atlanta.

The odds seem to be stacked against Lynch this year.  He’s missing three games, will share yards and TDs, and if he messes up one more time, he’ll be done for the year.  Plus, if Buffalo is successful without him, they may ease him back to the rotation slowly.  He’s a tough one to put numbers to, but I’m guessing he has 1000 total yards and 6 TDs.