Fantasy Football

Pretty much the same principal as receiver, in that these rankings are for players who won’t break the cusp of third or even fourth tier guys, but will be a great acquisition in later rounds either because they are underrated, or they may see a few carries and potentially more if a teammate sustains and injury(something we don’t really rely on with receivers).

1) Kenny Watson
There is about a 95% chance that he usurps Rudi Johnson as the starter this season. I mean, he kind of already did, but this is the running back equivalent of the Harrison-Wayne “who’s the better receiver?” conundrum in Indy. If you can grab hold of Watson in the 8th round or better, we recommend doing so. Just be wary of Chris Perry, who might start to resemble an NFL running back this season after four seasons years in obscurity.

2) Chester Taylor
Mind you, before Adrian Peterson came to town and broke off over 1,300 yards, Chester Taylor went for over 1,200 the year before. With Peterson healthy, Taylor can only hope to see an absolute max of 35% or so of the carries. But to have him on the bench and use him during bye weeks is enough incentive to draft him in the 9th or 10th round, if Peterson happens to fall victim to injury (like some of us are inexplicably certain will happen), you have another compotent starter on your roster.

Probably the best Pro to come out of Toledo, and he's backing up the best running back to come out of Oklahoma. For shame.

3) Kevin Smith
This guy was an absolute stud for Central Florida last year, and we think he has the potential to be the same with the Lions. Not widely known, but since the Lions seem to hate all their running backs, look to pick up Smith earlier than expected. Right now he is listed as their starter.

4) Felix Jones
Another rookie. While everyone trips over themselves trying to draft Marion Barber, sit back and wait to take his backup, who should see ample playing time that will only increase as the season continues. That may come sooner than later as he has looked phenomenal in the pre-season (if that counts for anything).

5) Matt Forte/Kevin Jones
We have no idea who the starting quarterback or running back will be for this team, but both of these guys should be around late in the draft that you can make a desperate attempt to acquire them if you prioritized receivers and quarterbacks. Who knows, maybe Kyle Orton will lead them to the promise land?

Rounding out the top ten value picks:

6) Jamaal Charles/Kolby Smith: Does anyone have any faith in Larry Johnson’s longevity in the NFL? If not, then it may be wise to pick up one of these two. It’s kind of a cop out to list both backups, but with all this running back by committee bullshit, its the best we can offer.
7) Ray Rice: A beast at Rutgers (something we never thought we would say), with Willis McGahee already listed as questionable on ESPN, look for Rice to get some significant PT.
Brandon Jackson: Think Ryan Grant won’t be able to handle a 16 week workload? or will choke under the pressure with no Favre to rely on? This is his replacement.
9) Ahmad Bradshaw/Derrick Ward: Assign a player to each side, flip the coin, and see which one comes up.
10) Whichever Denver running back you think is willing to murder his teammates to ensure at least 60% of the carries.

Five to avoid later today, if not in the next hour and a half then expect them later tonight.