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Greatest Rookie RB's
Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams (341 points): Dickerson, who was drafted behind John Elway in 1983, came out of Southern Methodist like a man possessed. He rushed for a rookie record 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns, caught 51 passes for 404 yards and scored another two touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield. While Dickerson would never reach those receiving totals in a single season again, he did go on to rush for an NFL record 2,105 yards and 14 touchdowns in his second season (1984). Dickerson also recorded 1,000-plus yards in his first five NFL seasons and finished his illustrious career with 13,259 rushing yards and 96 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Edgerrin James, Indianapolis (316 points): Fantasy footballers who took a chance on James in 1999 drafts were thrilled with the results. He rushed for 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns, hauled in 62 passes for 586 yards and scored four times as a receiver. Outside of 2001-2002, when he endured a surgical procedure to repair a torn ACL, James has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in each of his pro seasons. The bloom has come off the rose for James in recent seasons, however, as he left Indianapolis for Arizona and has failed to provide owners with the same level of production. Now as he closes in on 3,000 carries and the dreaded age of 30, James should be seen as no more than a low-end No. 2 fantasy runner.
Clinton Portis, Denver (289 points): The second running back on our list out of the University of Miami, Portis recorded a memorable rookie season with 33 catches, 1,872 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns. What makes those numbers even more incredible is that Portis rushed for a combined 46 yards and no touchdowns in his first two pro contests and didn't emerge atop the Broncos depth chart until Week 5. He went on to rush for 100-plus yards in seven of his final 12 games that season. Portis has found continued statistical success after a blockbuster trade that sent him to Washington in exchange for Champ Bailey in 2004, and he remains a No. 1 fantasy back headed into the 2008 season.
Billy Sims, Detroit (288 points): When we associate the term "running back" with the Detroit Lions franchise, Barry Sanders is the first name that comes to mind. But it was Sims, not Sanders, who had the team's best rookie season at the position in the past three decades. Sims, the first overall selection in the 1980 NFL Draft, rushed for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first NFL season. He also caught a career-best 51 passes for 621 yards and found the end zone three times as a receiver. Sims had an impressive second season with 1,888 all-purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns, and notched his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection in the strike-shortened 1982 season, but his career fizzled soon thereafter.
Curtis Martin, New England (265 points): When we talk about the greatest draft bargains of all time, the names Tom Brady and Terrell Davis are mentioned. However, we tend to forget about Martin, who was a third-round selection (74th overall) and is destined to have his bust in the halls of Canton. The list of backs taken ahead of him in the 1995 NFL Draft include Ki-Jana Carter, Tyrone Wheatley, Napoleon Kaufman, James Stewart, Rashaan Salaam and Sherman Williams. Martin was a tremendous find for the Patriots and fantasy footballers alike in his first NFL season, as he rushed for an impressive 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 30 receptions for 261 yards and a 15th touchdown as a receiver out of the backfield.
Curt Warner, Seattle (261 points): Before there was ever a Kurt Warner the superstar fantasy quarterback, there was Curt Warner the stud fantasy running back. The former Penn State standout produced immense numbers in his rookie season, as he recorded 42 receptions, 1,774 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. Warner, who was the No. 3 overall selection behind Elway and Dickerson in the 1983 NFL Draft, would tear up his knee in the 1984 regular-season opener and was forced to miss the rest of the season. He would return with a vengeance to rush for a combined 2,574 yards and 21 touchdowns from 1985-1986, but Warner would have just one more 1,000-yard season the rest of his pro football career.
Barry Sanders, Detroit (259 points): Arguably the greatest running back of all time, Sanders came out of Oklahoma State and made an instant impact both on the field and in fantasy circles. Sanders, who was taken with the No. 3 overall selection behind Troy Aikman and Tony Mandarich in the 1989 NFL Draft, rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns in his rookie season. He would go on to rush for 1,000-plus yards in every single season of his pro career and was a first-round staple in most fantasy football drafts for much of his time at the NFL level. Had he not decided to suddenly retire after the 1998 season, it might be Sanders, not Emmitt Smith, who holds the NFL record for career rushing yards.
George Rogers, New Orleans (258 points): Rogers, the No. 1 overall selection in the 1981 NFL Draft, was a serious superstar for owners that participated in fantasy football leagues at that time. He rushed for what was an NFL rookie record 1,674 yards, scored 13 touchdowns and averaged 104.6 rushing yards per game. While he never found that same level of success again with the Saints, Rogers did rush for 1,203 yards and a career-best 18 touchdowns with the Washington Redskins in 1986. He retired after the Redskins beat Denver in Super Bowl XXII. Despite nagging injuries throughout his career, Rogers still averaged 1,025 rushing yards and close to eight touchdown in his seven seasons at the NFL level.
Mike Anderson, Denver (256 points): The reputation of running backs under the watch of head coach Mike Shanahan is evident, as Anderson is the second Broncos back to make our list of the best rookie performances at the position since 1966. Anderson came out of nowhere to produce 1,487 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in Shanahan's offense and was one of the season's best sleepers in fantasy land. Injuries and the selection of Clinton Portis in the 2002 NFL Draft put a halt on whatever value Anderson had from 2001-2003, but he did re-emerge into a viable option with 1,014 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns in 2005. The Utah product has spent the past two seasons as a reserve runner in Baltimore.
Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis (252 points): The 1994 NFL Draft was loaded with first-round busts like Dan Wilkinson, Heath Shuler and Trev Alberts (to name a few), so the Colts looked like brain surgeons with the selection of Faulk. (Or it was at least enough to overshadow that Alberts pick.) The versatile runner out of San Diego State made an immediate impact both for his team and fantasy football owners, as he totaled 1,804 all-purpose yards and 12 total touchdowns in offense that fielded Jim Harbaugh and Don Majkowski at quarterback. Faulk would go on to become one of the greatest running backs of all time between Indianapolis and St. Louis. It's only a matter of time before the talented Faulk is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Edit: Yes, this is fantasy based.
Greatest Rookie RB's
Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams (341 points): Dickerson, who was drafted behind John Elway in 1983, came out of Southern Methodist like a man possessed. He rushed for a rookie record 1,808 yards and 18 touchdowns, caught 51 passes for 404 yards and scored another two touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield. While Dickerson would never reach those receiving totals in a single season again, he did go on to rush for an NFL record 2,105 yards and 14 touchdowns in his second season (1984). Dickerson also recorded 1,000-plus yards in his first five NFL seasons and finished his illustrious career with 13,259 rushing yards and 96 touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Edgerrin James, Indianapolis (316 points): Fantasy footballers who took a chance on James in 1999 drafts were thrilled with the results. He rushed for 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns, hauled in 62 passes for 586 yards and scored four times as a receiver. Outside of 2001-2002, when he endured a surgical procedure to repair a torn ACL, James has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in each of his pro seasons. The bloom has come off the rose for James in recent seasons, however, as he left Indianapolis for Arizona and has failed to provide owners with the same level of production. Now as he closes in on 3,000 carries and the dreaded age of 30, James should be seen as no more than a low-end No. 2 fantasy runner.
Clinton Portis, Denver (289 points): The second running back on our list out of the University of Miami, Portis recorded a memorable rookie season with 33 catches, 1,872 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns. What makes those numbers even more incredible is that Portis rushed for a combined 46 yards and no touchdowns in his first two pro contests and didn't emerge atop the Broncos depth chart until Week 5. He went on to rush for 100-plus yards in seven of his final 12 games that season. Portis has found continued statistical success after a blockbuster trade that sent him to Washington in exchange for Champ Bailey in 2004, and he remains a No. 1 fantasy back headed into the 2008 season.
Billy Sims, Detroit (288 points): When we associate the term "running back" with the Detroit Lions franchise, Barry Sanders is the first name that comes to mind. But it was Sims, not Sanders, who had the team's best rookie season at the position in the past three decades. Sims, the first overall selection in the 1980 NFL Draft, rushed for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns in his first NFL season. He also caught a career-best 51 passes for 621 yards and found the end zone three times as a receiver. Sims had an impressive second season with 1,888 all-purpose yards and 15 total touchdowns, and notched his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection in the strike-shortened 1982 season, but his career fizzled soon thereafter.
Curtis Martin, New England (265 points): When we talk about the greatest draft bargains of all time, the names Tom Brady and Terrell Davis are mentioned. However, we tend to forget about Martin, who was a third-round selection (74th overall) and is destined to have his bust in the halls of Canton. The list of backs taken ahead of him in the 1995 NFL Draft include Ki-Jana Carter, Tyrone Wheatley, Napoleon Kaufman, James Stewart, Rashaan Salaam and Sherman Williams. Martin was a tremendous find for the Patriots and fantasy footballers alike in his first NFL season, as he rushed for an impressive 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns. He added 30 receptions for 261 yards and a 15th touchdown as a receiver out of the backfield.
Curt Warner, Seattle (261 points): Before there was ever a Kurt Warner the superstar fantasy quarterback, there was Curt Warner the stud fantasy running back. The former Penn State standout produced immense numbers in his rookie season, as he recorded 42 receptions, 1,774 all-purpose yards and 14 total touchdowns. Warner, who was the No. 3 overall selection behind Elway and Dickerson in the 1983 NFL Draft, would tear up his knee in the 1984 regular-season opener and was forced to miss the rest of the season. He would return with a vengeance to rush for a combined 2,574 yards and 21 touchdowns from 1985-1986, but Warner would have just one more 1,000-yard season the rest of his pro football career.
Barry Sanders, Detroit (259 points): Arguably the greatest running back of all time, Sanders came out of Oklahoma State and made an instant impact both on the field and in fantasy circles. Sanders, who was taken with the No. 3 overall selection behind Troy Aikman and Tony Mandarich in the 1989 NFL Draft, rushed for 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns in his rookie season. He would go on to rush for 1,000-plus yards in every single season of his pro career and was a first-round staple in most fantasy football drafts for much of his time at the NFL level. Had he not decided to suddenly retire after the 1998 season, it might be Sanders, not Emmitt Smith, who holds the NFL record for career rushing yards.
George Rogers, New Orleans (258 points): Rogers, the No. 1 overall selection in the 1981 NFL Draft, was a serious superstar for owners that participated in fantasy football leagues at that time. He rushed for what was an NFL rookie record 1,674 yards, scored 13 touchdowns and averaged 104.6 rushing yards per game. While he never found that same level of success again with the Saints, Rogers did rush for 1,203 yards and a career-best 18 touchdowns with the Washington Redskins in 1986. He retired after the Redskins beat Denver in Super Bowl XXII. Despite nagging injuries throughout his career, Rogers still averaged 1,025 rushing yards and close to eight touchdown in his seven seasons at the NFL level.
Mike Anderson, Denver (256 points): The reputation of running backs under the watch of head coach Mike Shanahan is evident, as Anderson is the second Broncos back to make our list of the best rookie performances at the position since 1966. Anderson came out of nowhere to produce 1,487 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in Shanahan's offense and was one of the season's best sleepers in fantasy land. Injuries and the selection of Clinton Portis in the 2002 NFL Draft put a halt on whatever value Anderson had from 2001-2003, but he did re-emerge into a viable option with 1,014 rushing yards and 13 total touchdowns in 2005. The Utah product has spent the past two seasons as a reserve runner in Baltimore.
Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis (252 points): The 1994 NFL Draft was loaded with first-round busts like Dan Wilkinson, Heath Shuler and Trev Alberts (to name a few), so the Colts looked like brain surgeons with the selection of Faulk. (Or it was at least enough to overshadow that Alberts pick.) The versatile runner out of San Diego State made an immediate impact both for his team and fantasy football owners, as he totaled 1,804 all-purpose yards and 12 total touchdowns in offense that fielded Jim Harbaugh and Don Majkowski at quarterback. Faulk would go on to become one of the greatest running backs of all time between Indianapolis and St. Louis. It's only a matter of time before the talented Faulk is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Edit: Yes, this is fantasy based.
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