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Here’s my Week 1 running back rankings.

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1. Chris Johnson – #1 runner vs. #29 run defense.
2. Adrian Peterson – Wants revenge against Saints.
3. Frank Gore – 308 total yards and 2 TDs against Seattle last year.
4. Maurice Jones-Drew – MoJo faces 26th ranked run defense.
5. Ryan Mathews – Rookie opens against KC’s 31st run defense.
6. Ray Rice – Jets are different unit Pace and with a likely rusty Revis.
7. Steven Jackson – Bradford will lean heavily on S-Jax.
8. Arian Foster – Should be active in what should be a shootout.
9. Rashard Mendenhall – Without Big Ben Pitt will run more against ATL.
10. Michael Turner – Tough draw against Pitt, but is a beast.
11. Beanie Wells – Should light up St. Louis’s 27th run defense.
12. Joseph Addai – 194 total yards and 2 TDs against Houston last year.
13. Jamaal Charles – Will he pick up where he left off. Faces SD.
14. Matt Forte – Great draw against Detroit.
15. Ronnie Brown – Faces 30th ranked Bills run defense. Fast starter.
16. Ryan Grant – Steady production. Faces Philly.
17. Cadillac Williams – Faces Cleveland’s 28th ranked run defense.
18. LeSean McCoy – Should be active in passing game.
19. Jerome Harrison – Faces the Bucs, who were last against the run.
20. Pierre Thomas – Tough draw against Vikes.
21. Cedric Benson – Will Bernard Scott take some of his work?
22. DeAngelo Williams – Will the RBBC with Stewart still be productive?
23. Jahvid Best – Big play potential vs. Bears.
24. Jonathan Stewart – Finally at 100 percent?
25. Shonn Greene – Greene will test whether Baltimore still has it.
26. C.J. Spiller – Could break a long one against Miami.
27. Ricky Williams – There will be plenty for Ricky too.
28. Ahmad Bradshaw – RBBC with Jacobs. I’ll take yardage guy vs. Carolina.
29. Tim Hightower – Should be a factor vs. St. Louis.
30. Brandon Jacobs – More likely to score a TD than Bradshaw.
31. Darren McFadden – Should get his chance to shine against Tennessee.
32. Clinton Portis – Tough match-up against Dallas.
33. Felix Jones – Will share with Barber.
34. Thomas Jones – Does the old man still have it?
35. Marion Barber III – Sharing with Felix.

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Also check out:
- Week 1 QB Rankings
- Week 1 WR Rankings
- Week 1 TE Rankings
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Montario Hardesty’s injury shook up the rankings a bit as Jerome Harrison . Here are my presumably final preseason 2010 RB rankings.
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1. Adrian Peterson

2. Chris Johnson

3. Maurice Jones-Drew

4. Michael Turner

5. Frank Gore

6. Steven Jackson

7. Ray Rice

8. Ryan Grant

9. Rashard Mendenhall

10. Ryan Matthews

11. Jonathan Stewart

12. DeAngelo Williams

13. Pierre Thomas

14. LeSean McCoy

15. Beanie Wells

16. Cedric Benson

17. Shonn Greene

18. Arian Foster

19. C.J. Spiller

20. Felix Jones

21. Joseph Addai

22. Jamaal Charles

23. Knowshon Moreno

24. Matt Forte

25. Jerome Harrison

26. Ronnie Brown

27. Marion Barber

28. Clinton Portis

29. Jahvid Best

30.Ahmad Bradshaw

31. Ricky Williams

32. Cadillac Williams

33. Thomas Jones

34. Reggie Bush

35. Brandon Jacobs

36. Darren McFadden

37. Laurence Maroney

38. Donald Brown

39. Tim Hightower

40. Darren Sproles

41. Willis McGahee

42. LaDainian Tomlinson

43. Fred Taylor

44. Justin Forsett

45. Fred Jackson

46. Chester Taylor

47. Michael Bush

48. Correll Buckhalter

49.  Steve Slaton

50. Mike Bell
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Notable changes:
- Monatrio Hardesty’s ACL injury knocks him from the list. Jerome Harrison moves up.
- Michael Bush’s thumb moved him down and Darren McFadden up.
- I moved Laurence Maroney down and added Fred Taylor to the list.
- Brandon Jacobs slid down and Ahmad Bradshaw moved up in light of Bradshaw winning the starting gig.
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Also check out:
- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy TE Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Team Defense Rankings
- 2010 Top 15 Fantasy K Ranking

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Image courtesy of Icon SMI

Click here for my latest updated RB rankings.
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Image courtesy of Icon SM

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Injuries to Ben Tate, Fred Jackson, and Marshawn Lynch have changed the RB landscape. Other changes include Brandon Jacobs and Knowshon Moreno sliding down and Shonn Greene rising a few spots. With that said, here’s my updated 2010 fantasy football RB rankings:
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1. Adrian Peterson

2. Chris Johnson

3. Maurice Jones-Drew

4. Michael Turner

5. Frank Gore

6. Steven Jackson

7. Ray Rice

8. Ryan Grant

9. Rashard Mendenhall

10. Ryan Matthews

11. Jonathan Stewart

12. DeAngelo Williams

13. Pierre Thomas

14. LeSean McCoy

15. Beanie Wells

16. Cedric Benson

17. Shonn Greene

18. C.J. Spiller

19. Felix Jones

20. Joseph Addai

21. Jamaal Charles

22. Arian Foster

23. Knowshon Moreno

24. Matt Forte

25. Ronnie Brown

26. Ricky Williams

27. Marion Barber

28. Clinton Portis

29. Jahvid Best

30. Brandon Jacobs

31. Jerome Harrison

32. Ahmad Bradshaw

33. Thomas Jones

34. Reggie Bush

35. Cadillac Williams

36. Laurence Maroney

37. LaDainian Tomlinson

38. Darren Sproles

39. Donald Brown

40. Tim Hightower

41. Willis McGahee

42. Michael Bush

43. Darren McFadden

44. Justin Forsett

45. Montario Hardesty

46. Chester Taylor

47. Fred Jackson

48. Steve Slaton

49.  Correll Buckhalter

50. Mike Bell
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Also check out:
- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy TE Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Team Defense Rankings
- 2010 Top 15 Fantasy K Rankings

Image courtesy of Icon SMI

**Click here for my most recent RB Update**

Here’s my updated 2010 fantasy football RB rankings:

1. Adrian Peterson

2. Chris Johnson

3. Maurice Jones-Drew

4. Michael Turner

5. Frank Gore

6. Steven Jackson

7. Ray Rice

8. Ryan Grant

9. Rashard Mendenhall

10. Ryan Matthews

11. Jonathan Stewart

12. DeAngelo Williams

13. Pierre Thomas

14. LeSean McCoy

15. Beanie Wells

16. Cedric Benson

17. Knowshon Moreno

18. Shonn Greene

19. Felix Jones

20. Joseph Addai

21. Jamaal Charles

22. Arian Foster

23. Brandon Jacobs

24. Matt Forte

25. Ronnie Brown

26. Ricky Williams

27. Marion Barber

28. Clinton Portis

29. Jahvid Best

30. C.J. Spiller

31. Jerome Harrison

32. Ahmad Bradshaw

33. Thomas Jones

34. Reggie Bush

35. Cadillac Williams

36. Laurence Maroney

37. LaDainian Tomlinson

38. Darren Sproles

39. Donald Brown

40. Tim Hightower

41. Willis McGahee

42. Michael Bush

43. Darren McFadden

44. Chester Taylor

45. Montario Hardesty

46. Ben Tate

47. Correll Buckhalter

48. Fred Jackson

49.  Mike Bell

50. Derrick Ward

Also check out:
- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy TE Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Team Defense Rankings
- 2010 Top 15 Fantasy K Rankings

Happy Birthday Sean!

Here’s a look at my top 50 fantasy RB rankings. Click here for my updated 2010 RB rankings that reflect Knowshon Moreno’s injury.

Also check out:
- 2010 Top 30 Fantasy QB Rankings
- 2010 Top 60 Fantasy WR Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 TE Rankings
- 2010 Top 25 Fantasy IDP Rankings

Images courtesy of Icon SMI

We’ve had some player movement that shook up my initial rankings. Here’s my second look at early 2010 fantasy football Running Back rankings.

1.  Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
They said Peterson would have a hard time staying healthy. He has. They said he couldn’t catch the ball out of the backfield. He more than doubled his reception total last year with 43. They say he fumbles too much. Adrian Peterson is a tireless worker. Look for him to improve his ball security in 2010.

2.  Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
The dude is a complete beast. I think he’ll get less work in 2010, which is why I have him pegged as the #2 fantasy RB. I just imagine that teams will have a better answer for him next year.

3.  Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
If you speak fantasian, you already know that MJD stands for PPR stud. He’s a total yardage, reception, and TD machine. He has the quickness to run by you and the power to run over you. Catch him if you can.

4.  Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
If MJD stands for PPR stud, Michael Turner stands for Man of the End Zone. Even injuries couldn’t keep Burner from reaching double-digits in TDs. If he can remain healthy, he’ll dominate once again.

5.  Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
I just love watching Rice play. He’s so quick that sometimes I throw my TiVo in slow motion so I can watch his wiggle. I can’t fathom how people even tackle him.

6.  Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
If the Niners draft C.J. Spiller I may have to bump him down a notch or two. Either way, I’d love to have him as my RB1.

7.  Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
Jackson could get some help as the Rams appear to be zeroed in on Sam Bradford. He’ll experience some growing pains, but Jackson will help the cause. He’ll be leaned on heavily.

8.  Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers
Grant slips under the radar because of Aaron Rodgers, but he’s a very capable RB. Back-to-back 1200+ yard seasons and a return to the end zone (11 TDs) have me optimistic for 2010.

9.  Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
My first change. I moved Mendenhall up a notch. I think the Steelers will improve their offensive line, which should allow them to be less reliant on the pass.

10.  Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals
Benson clearly has made the most of his second chance. He runs with so much determination, I can’t help but pull for him. Antonio Bryant was brought in to help the passing game, which should open things up for Benson.
continue reading »

It’s never too early to look at next year. Here’s a look at early 2010 fantasy football Running Back rankings.

1.  Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
I know Chris Johnson ran wild last year, but in his “down year” he had 18 TDs and 1819 total yards. He made great strides in the passing game last year. All he needs to do is get the fumbling in check. If Favre comes back they can’t stack the box against him. If he doesn’t come back, AP becomes the focal point of the offense again.

2.  Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
After putting up over 2500 total yards, including reaching the 2000 yard mark, I can’t see how Chris Johnson can’t be anything less than two. The track record of players who touch the ball as many times as he did (358 carries, 50 receptions) is what keeps him out of my top slot.

3.  Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
MJD showed that he can handle the full load. He’s a machine.

4.  Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
He was limited by injuries in 2009, but still managed to reach 10 TDs. He showed his toughness by trying to play through the pain. He’s shown enough in two seasons with Atlanta to merit the fourth slot in fantasy drafts. In PPR leagues, he slides down a couple of notches.

5.  Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
What a season for Rice. He’s so electric. He can run and catch, and is a threat to take the ball to the house every time he touches it. If Willis McGahee isn’t brought back, he could rack up even more TDs.

6.  Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
Health is a constant concern for Gore, but when he plays, he’s clearly one of the best. He’s also a dual threat and plays in an up-and-coming offense.

7.  Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
Nobody impressed me more than S-Jax last year. He fought through injuries to put up 1738 total yards. Considering the lack of talent around him last year, he has to be commended. He’ll need to increase his TD total (4), which I think will happen as they put more talent around him.

8.  Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers
Often overlooked because of their passing attack, Grant was a force down the stretch. He should continue to put up big number for the Pack.

9.  Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals
Safe to say this guy is for real. I loved the way he played against he Jets despite little help from the other key talent.

10.  Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
The passing game will take the pressure off of Mendenhall, and he should build on his somewhat surprising 2009 success.

11.  Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
Speaking of surprising success. Charles, who I like to call Chris Johnson Lite, was a machine down the stretch. I don’t think he can keep up that pace, but he should be a solid fantasy contributor. I caution you though. I get a little Steve Slaton vibe from him.

12.  Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
Moreno had a solid rookie campaign. I see him taking a step forward in 2010.

13.  DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
If D-Will or J-Stew leave, they will both move up the chart. As it is, their ceilings are lowered a touch because of the timeshare.

14.  Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
Ditto.

15.  Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
After struggling early, the Bears figured out he needs to be more involved in the passing game. I expect him to bounce back in 2010. He should be a nice value pick.

16.  LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles
Brian Westbrook’s return is unlikely meaning the keys will be handed over to McCoy. I don’t see him scoring TDs like Westy, but he should still be a yardage machine.

17.  Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys
I believe Felix passed his audition to become the Cowboys’ next feature back. He’ll have to share the load, but should still be quite productive.

18.  Shonn Greene, New York Jets
Replace Marion Barber III with Thomas Jones and you have the same scenario with the Jets as you have with the Cowboys.

19.  Jerome Harrison, Cleveland Browns
He finished with a flurry, but I’m not convinced he can repeat.

20.  Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills
Jackson proved he’s Buffalo’s best RB. Lynch will steal, but Jackson is the back you want.

21.  Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals
He’ll have to share with Hightower, but he should be the feature back in 2010.

22.  Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
I’m not ready to write Addai off yet, and I doubt the Colts are either.

23.  Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
It’s hard to forget a player of his size, but that’s what his 2009 season was…forgettable. Look for him to bounce back.

24.  Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
I’m an admitted Ronnie Brown fan. If he can stay healthy, he’s a beast. That if keeps him at the bottom of this list rather than near the top.

25.  Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints
Health was an issue with Thomas, as was consistency. He has a ton of talent, and in that offense is worthy of a top 25 ranking.

Also check out:
Early 2010 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
Early 2010 Fantasy Football WR Rankings
Early 2010 Fantasy Football TE Rankings

Not ready for fantasy football, check out my fantasy baseball rankings.

All three backs are going around the 4th or 5th round in fantasy drafts.  Derrick Ward has an Average Draft Position of 47, while Reggie Bush’s is 49 and Ray Rice’s is 61.  The question, is which back will be the most reliable fantasy option?

Obviously if he can stay healthy, Reggie Bush has the ability to put up some huge numbers in that Saints offense.  1000 receiving yards is not out of the question, with an additional 500-600 on the ground.  He will score his TDs in a variety of ways, but they usually come in bunches.  He is steadier in the passing game than carrying the ball, which gives him a major advantage in PPR leagues.  He was much better at home (93.4 yards per game, 4 TDs) than on the road (75.4, 2 TDs) last year.  His career numbers on the road (86.1 ypg) are actually slightly better than his home numbers (76.6), but he does almost all of his scoring at home (15 TDs compared to 5 road TDs).  The talent is there.  It’s just a matter of staying on the field.  Aside from the injuries, the only thing that worries me is the plethora of weapons at Drew Brees’ disposal.  Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey are good bounceback options.  Lance Moore was steady and reliable last year.  Robert Meachem as big time potential.  Devery Henderson is still in the mix.  Pierre Thomas can catch the ball out of the backfield.  Bush isn’t a lock to catch 80 passes.  If he doesn’t do serious damage in the passing game, he won’t meet his expectations.

Ray Rice has won the starting RB job in Baltimore, but is unlikely he will get the ball at the stripe. Those duties will belong to Le’Ron McClain and/or Willis McGahee.  Rice was productive in a limited capacity last year with 454 yards on 107 carries (4.2 ypc) and 33 receptions for 273 yards.  He failed to score a TD though, which really hurts is fantasy value.  It’s great if you’re going to pile up the yards, but if you don’t get the occasional six point TD bump from Rice, he’s not going to give you the big games you occasionally need from your RBs to win a fantasy matchup.  Even though the Ravens are a run-first team, there just won’t be enough yards for Rice because if he’s healthy McGahee is going to get 8-10 touches per game.  McClain will probably get a couple as well.  He’s a borderline RB2 in PPR leagues, and if he wants to make the leap to RB2 in non-PPR leagues, he’ll have to prove he can cross the goal line. 

Derrick Ward will have to prove that his production was based on his ability, rather than the New York Giants system.  The Giants led the league with 5.0 yards per carry, while Tampa was tied for 18th at 4.1 ypc.  He hasn’t officially won the starting gig with the Bucs, but he should win out over Earnest Graham after signing as a Free Agent in the offseason.  That said, Earnest Graham will get plenty of carries making this a pretty even RBBC.  Graham will likely get the goal line looks while Ward will get the passes out of the backfield.  Clifton Smith and even Cadillac Williams could also work their way into the mix for the Bucs.  It’s hard to predict what Ward will do on a new team with a first-time Head Coach.
 
Of the three, Ward looks to be in the biggest time share.  Reggie will get fewer carries, but he’ll also catch more passes.  All three should catch 40+ passes this year.  If Rice can get in the end zone, he could be the top scorer of the three.  To me Reggie has the most potential while Rice is the safest play.  Plus, if you can sneak an extra round in and still get him, your fantasy squad will be that much tighter.

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Knowshon Moreno finally came to terms with the Denver Broncos.  Thankfully his holdout didn’t extend too far into Training Camp for Moreno to have a major setback.  He obviously won’t start the first couple of preseason games, but he should be able to get plenty of opportunities to compete for the starting Tailback gig.

Moreno was selected with the 12th pick in the NFL Draft, which is significant considering the shape their Defense was in last year.  He has the strength to run between the tackles, the speed to get outside, and the hands to catch the ball out of the backfield.  He’ll have to show he can pick up the blitz and he could be a three-down back eventually.  He’ll be pushed by fellow newcomer Correll Buckhalter, but Buck has been an career backup with a history of knee injuries, so I wouldn’t count on him to have too heavy of a workload.

Playing in the AFC West, Denver has some nice matchups.  They face Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Oakland to start the season, so it’s important he win the starting job by then.  He has another nice three game stretch starting in Week 13 when the Broncos face the Chiefs, and going into the fantasy playoffs when they face Indianapolis and Oakland again.  It’s not all a walk in the park though as Denver takes on New England (Week 4), Baltimore (Week 8), Pittsburgh (Week 9), Washington (Week 10), New York Giants (Week 12), and Philadelphia (Week 16).

If you’ve drafted already, perhaps you were able to sneak him a little later, but now that he’s signed he’ll likely go in the third or fourth round of fantasy drafts.  I’m expecting 1200 total yards and 8 TDs with 45 receptions.

1.  Adrian Peterson
2.  Michael Turner
3.  Maurice Jones-Drew
4.  Matt Forte
5.  LaDainian Tomlinson
6.  Steven Jackson
7.  Chris Johnson