Fantasy Football

I have shown you the Yards Per Touch numbers. I have shown you the Points Per Touch numbers. Now it is time for me to reveal my overall ‘07 RB rankings. Here we go with 1 through 15.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson (SD)- No drama here. 5.75 YPT and 1.04 PPT with 404 touches in ‘06 is quite unbelievable. No reason to think the Chargers offense will suffer with Norv Turner now running the show. Only thing that can stop Tomlinson from #1 status will be an injury. That is why you handcuff him with Michael Turner.

2. Steven Jackson (STL)- Jackson is the clear cut #2 this season. The Rams have become more run balanced with Mike Martz in Detroit, and Scott Linehan loves Jackson. What is not to love about 5.35 YPT in 436 touches in ‘06. Expect the same workload, and the same production in ‘07.

3. Frank Gore (SF)- In my opinion, this is a toss up between Gore and Joseph Addai. The reason Gore ultimately occupies the spot is because his 5.84 YPT in ‘06 topped both Tomlinson and Jackson. His 0.73 PPT number should go up with increased TD opportunities. Alex Smith is a year older and wiser, and Darrell Jackson should help the 49ers offense improve.

Can Addai score 20+ TDs in ‘07? You better believe it.

4. Joseph Addai (IND)- Yes that is right, #4. What is there not to like about Addai? 5.29 YPT in ‘06 and now he is the featured back in perhaps the most explosive offense in the NFL. He showed effectiveness on the goal line in ‘06, and he could top 20 TDs this season. There just aren’t many RB in the league that will have the scoring chances Addai will in ‘07. Take him here with confidence.

5. Larry Johnson (KC)- He was less productive in ‘06 than ‘05 from both a YPT and PPT standpoint, but that is to be expected when you break the NFL record for carries in a season. He is still holding out, but being a Kansas City native, I expect Scary Larry to sign before the season gets underway. When he does ink his new contract, the Chiefs will feel obligated to force feed him the ball once again. He’ll top 400 touches barring injury, and he’s too talented not to produce solid numbers. Just don’t expect 19 TDs with the offense the Chiefs are putting on the field in ‘07.

6. Brian Westbrook (PHI)- When Westbrook gets the ball, the man is explosive. 6.04 YPT for a RB with over 300 touches is simply amazing. His knee troubles are a bit scary for a guy that is only 28, but he should be good for another 300 touches in ‘07. He will break enough long TDs to reach 10 once again, which will make him worthy of this pick.

7. Willie Parker (PIT)- Parker sits below Westbrook for two reasons. One, his ‘06 YPT of 4.66 wasn’t outstanding. Two, it is questionable as to whether he will be able take on another 368 touch season as he did in ‘06. Steelers’ new head coach Mike Tomlin maintains that Parker will play on third downs and receive goal line carries as he did last season. The Steelers offense is very equipped, so nothing but a Parker injury would suggest his numbers will drop off too much.

8. Maurice Jones-Drew (JAX)- Surprised to see Jones-Drew this high? If you have read my previous blogs, you shouldn’t be. Jones-Drew just might be the most explosive RB to enter the league since Barry Sanders. Let me repeat that in case you read it wrong. Jones-Drew just might…….ok so I’m not going to repeat it, but it is true. To finish 7th in total points in a standard RB scoring league despite touching the ball only 212 times, is special. Jones-Drew is just too good not to get the ball to more, and the Jaguars know it. If he touches the ball just 250-275 times, he’ll be a top 5 back. If he touches the ball 300+ times, look out! 6.5 YPT and 1.07 PPT numbers are just too impressive to let this guy slip far in your draft.

9. Laurence Maroney (NE)- Maroney had a solid 4.77 YPT in ‘06, and punched in 7 TDs while only receiving 197 touches. With Corey Dillon (13 TDs in ‘06) out of the picture in New England, Maroney should be able to get close to 300 touches and score 10-15 TDs. The only downside to Maroney is that the Patriots use Kevin Faulk on 3rd downs.

10. Rudi Johnson (CIN)- The fact that the Bengals have no one else to give the ball to forces me to slot Rudi here. 3.94 YPT and 0.59 PPT are just plain ugly numbers for a RB in the Bengals offense. Maybe Johnson will improve those numbers this year, but there is also a chance that he just isn’t that good. One thing is certain; he is going to get the ball.

11. Reggie Bush (NO)- We all know about Reggie Bush. 5.38 YPT in ‘06 tells us he’s a big play guy, but again, we already knew that. He should see a few more touches (243 in ‘06) in ‘07, but Deuce McAllister will again see most of the goal line action. How high Bush can climb in ‘07 will depend on how many long runs and catches he can bust for TDs. He is ranked this high because he has the ability to break off quite a few.

12. Deuce McAllister (NO)- Deuce and Bush go hand in hand. If Bush is ranked as a 1st round RB, McAllister has to be as well. He receives goal line carries in a very productive offense, which should get him to 10+ TDs again in ‘07. His 4.58 YPT is not too bad either, which means he will put his 250+ carries to good use.

13. Willis McGahee (BAL)- Yes, I have heard the hype. He has lost weight, he looks good, he is going to see 3rd down action, yada yada yada. That is all fine, but I have to see it to believe it. McGahee is just not that impressive from a statistical standpoint, no matter what team he is playing for. It is not as if the Ravens are an offensive juggernaut either, so he is still going to see the line stacked against him as he did in Buffalo. Having said all of that, he has good chance to get 350+ touches, which would make him worthy of a pick around this time.

14. Brandon Jacobs (NYG)- Don’t be afraid to take Brandon Jacobs, because he is going to be the next great big back in the NFL. He is not just a goal line guy, as he has swift feet and good explosion. While he only had 107 touches in ‘06, his 5.35 YPT is still impressive. He will put the Reuben Droughns factor to bed very quickly early in the season.

15. Clinton Portis (WAS)- 4.81 YPT and 0.77 PPT before going down with injury in ‘06 proves Clinton Portis can still be a huge fantasy factor. Yes, he’s injury prone, but he’s only 26, and he still has a lot of speed left in him. Ladell Betts success last season only tells me that the Redskins offensive line is solid, and that Portis will find running room when he gets the ball. Betts will play in 3rd down situations, but they aren’t paying Clinton $50 million to share 1st and 2nd down carries. He would be a bargain here.

Sunday, August 19 Blog: 2007 Fantasy Running Back Rankings (16-30)
Monday, August 20 Blog: 2007 Fantasy Running Back Rankings (31-50)