Fantasy: Top 50 Running backs

LaDainian Tomlinson

Sports Ticker

8/31/2005 7:35:13 PM

BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - You can have Peyton Manning as your quarterback, Antonio Gates as your tight end, and Terrell Owens and Randy Moss as your wide receivers, but if your fantasy football team's running backs are Ron Dayne, Justin Fargas and Maurice Clarett, your playoff chances will be slimmer than an Olsen twin.

Running back is the most important position in fantasy football. Case closed. If you do not believe me, read the top 50 rankings in any fantasy football magazine or on any website. They will be dominated by running backs, with maybe half of the players being RBs.

Therefore, you need at least two stud running backs to survive, and it would be better if you had three. So you have to draft running backs quickly and draft them wisely.

Here are the top 50 fantasy running backs entering the 2005 season:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers: Forget about him being the number one running back. He is the unanimous choice for number one fantasy player overall.



2. Shaun Alexander, Seahawks: Averaged 100 yards and a touchdown per game in 2004. Should be the number two overall pick in fantasy drafts.

3. Edgerrin James, Colts: Pencil in Edge for his fourth 2,000-combined yards season of his career.

4. Willis McGahee, Bills: His horrific knee injury is a thing of the past now that he looks like a 1,500-yard runner.

5. Clinton Portis, Redskins: He rushed for 1,315 yards in an off year, so imagine what he can do when he is on his game?

6. Dominick Davis, Texans: Call him Mini Edge after racking up 1,776 total yards and 14 touchdowns last year.

7. Corey Dillon, Patriots: Many thought he needed an attitude adjustment, but all he needed was a uniform adjustment.

8. Deuce McAllister, Saints: The question is not how much will Deuce run for. Sadly, the question is where is he going to run if the Superdome cannot be played in?

9. Priest Holmes, Chiefs: Many other pundits have him ranked higher, but between his hip, knee, age, aging offensive line and Larry Johnson, I do not see how you can.

10. Ahman Green, Packers: He needs to spend time with Dr. Phil to cure his fumble problems.

11. Rudi Johnson, Bengals: The man makes you want to chant, "Rudi!, Rudi!"

12. Julius Jones, Cowboys: I made a smart move and dropped him in a league after he was injured last season, only to watch him run for 805 yards and seven scores over a seven-game period to end the year.

13. Tiki Barber, Giants: Getting 2,096 yards and 15 touchdowns again is not happening.

14. Kevin Jones, Lions: Jones will see the ball on the plays where Joey Harrington is not looking to pass to his
Williams-Williams-Rogers triple threat.

15. Brian Westbrook, Eagles: The most dangerous receiver out of the backfield in fantasy football.

16. Jamal Lewis, Ravens: Does spending time in jail help or hurt a player's fantasy value? We shall find out.

17. Steven Jackson, Rams: Mike Martz's main man has been tearing it up during the preseason.

18. LaMont Jordan, Raiders: Finally gets out from behind Curtis Martin's shadow and gets his shot to start.

19. Curtis Martin, Jets: Speaking of Martin, he ran for almost 1,700 yards in 2004 at age 256.

20. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins: The second pick overall in this year's NFL Draft will become a fantasy stud once Ricky Williams is traded.

21. Fred Taylor, Jaguars: His troublesome knee looks OK for now.

22. Warrick Dunn, Falcons: The Atlanta offense is a perfect fit for this little man's running style.

23. Carnell Williams, Buccaneers: There is a reason his nickname is Cadillac and not Hyundai.

24. Tatum Bell, Broncos: Whomever Mike Shanahan sticks at starting tailback magically becomes a 1,000-yard rusher.

25. Chris Brown, Titans: Travis Henry's arrival might keep Brown healthier, it might also cost him many carries.

26. Kevan Barlow, 49ers: His 3.4 yards per carry average last season is not very impressive.

27. Cedric Benson, Bears: Finally ended his holdout, which delays him from being a fantasy force until Week 4.

28. J.J. Arrington, Cardinals: His speed and shiftiness could make him a lethal weapon in the Cards' new spread offense.

29. Reuben Droughns, Browns: Rushed for 1,240 yards last season after having just 97 over his first three seasons.

30. Larry Johnson, Chiefs: Should get about 25 to 35 percent of the rushing attempts and make Penn State alumni forget about how bad a pro Blair Thomas was.

31. T.J. Duckett, Falcons: He is the thunder to Dunn's lightning in Atlanta's rushing attack.

32. Thomas Jones, Bears: Accounted for 948 yards in 2004 but is still the third-best fantasy back named Jones.

33. Duce Staley, Steelers: Additional knee problems will cause him to miss the first regular season game or two

34. DeShaun Foster, Panthers: I predict injuries will again force Nick Goings to be the Panthers starting tailback sometime during the season.

35. Michael Bennett, Vikings: The former Olympic sprinter always has leg and foot problems slowing him down.

36. Travis Henry, Titans: This tough inside runner should have brought back more than a third-round pick for Buffalo when he was dealt away.

37. Marshall Faulk, Rams: Was gracious enough to step aside and allow Jackson to be the bread winner in St. Louis.

38. Michael Pittman, Buccaneers: Gave fantasy owners a surprising 1,317 combined yards last season, but probably will not give them a repeat performance.

39. Ricky Williams, Dolphins: This former bong hit supporter is the wildest wild card in fantasy football this season.

40. Mewelde Moore, Vikings: Reminds me a lot of David Meggett.

41. Chester Taylor, Ravens: Something tells me we are going to be seeing more of him than we should.

42. Lee Suggs, Browns: When he is injury-free he piles up 100-yard games, but when is he ever injury-free?

43. Derrick Blaylock, Jets: Jordan was never given a fair chance when he was Martin's backup, so why should things be different for Blaylock?

44. Jerome Bettis, Steelers: The Bus has already blown a tire and the season has not even started yet.

45. Mike Anderson, Broncos: Has rushed for 1,000 yards before in Denver's system and could do it again if given the opportunity.

46. LaBrandon Toefield, Jaguars: Odds are 2-1 that Taylor does not last the entire season.

47. Dominic Rhodes, Colts: Good insurance for fantasy owners who draft James.

48. Chris Perry, Bengals: A sports hernia limited him to just two carries in 2004.

49. Stephen Davis, Panthers: I am sure his injury-riddled body has lost a step.

50. Anthony Thomas, Cowboys: A-Train pulls into the Dallas station as merely a backup.

Next week: Rating the defenses and kickers.