top 25 RBs (1 Viewer)

[whitewizard]

i did this last year, and i really appreciated the criticism. now just to get a few things straight this is based on a PPR style scoring, i am basing this off what i think they will stack up not where they were last year. also please do not just say wow what a moron, if my call really does strike you as idiotic go ahead and call me on it but at least tell me why that guy will do better than whoever else i have ahead of him. so in advance thanks for the help and aaawwayyy we go .

#1 peterson

#2 westbrook

#3 MJD

honestly not sure who can be #1 for me it is between these 3

#4 michael turner

#5 matt forte

#6 marshawn lynch

#7 marion barber

8 deangelo williams

#9 chris johnson

#10 felix jones

these guys are the home run type guys i think 2 if not all of them can break in to the top 10

#11 LT

#12 shonn greene (remember thomas jones last year? yeah well say hello to the new model. jones may leave, if he stays he will be a 3rd down and short yardage guy. either way greene will get alot of carries, and catches while being very productive)

#13 ryan grant he had the yards they just could not punch it in i think with rodgers now being so tense after taking over for favre grant will at the very least catch about 6-8 TDs inside the 20

#14 ronnie brown

#15 clinton portis he will probably do better but i have never liked him he has not been consistent and i do not know that the skins can move enough attention away from him to keep him protective also i hate the skins. this is my stupid thing.

#16 kevin smith he was not started very much last year and still got 900 yards he can go higher on the end of the year totals but here is where he can logically be

#17 steven jackson

#18 steve slaton

#19 frank gore

#20 brandon jacobs

#21 willie parker

#22 knowshon moreno he can go up a few spots higher if their D does well other wise here he is

#23 james stewart

#24 TJ duckett a vet normally sneeks in and does pretty well last year it was dominic rhodes this year duckett

#25 earnest graham

there is my list i tried to get guys in good places with alot around him to succeed i am down on a few people like slaton and LT because of people like sproles taking away carries, or just hitting a second year wall. plus some prejudice against a few people that have either not performed or just been inconsistent. pick at it as you want.

 

[Bears_Man2]

#23 james stewart

Would be damn impressive if he came back to the league & did this I think the Felix hype is bit overboard. He may finish in the Top 25, but I think it'll be hit or miss with him this year. I can't put Lynch in the Top 10 given he'll miss no less than 3 games this year.

 

[Biabreakable]

#15 clinton portis he will probably do better but i have never liked him he has not been consistent and i do not know that the skins can move enough attention away from him to keep him protective also i hate the skins. this is my stupid thing.

Ok you may not like Portis. You will be hard pressed to find a more consistent player over their career however.

 

[Mainevent]

#15 clinton portis he will probably do better but i have never liked him he has not been consistent and i do not know that the skins can move enough attention away from him to keep him protective also i hate the skins. this is my stupid thing.

Ok you may not like Portis. You will be hard pressed to find a more consistent player over their career however.

My thoughts exactly, the guy is a work horse, he has a lot of mileage now, but still - inconsistency is not the right word for this guy.

 

[Lott's Fingertip]

A few comments:

It's rather unlikely that Dallas has two top ten RBs.

Gore is ranked too low, he will get a lot of touches.

Steven Jackson at #17 is certifiably insane, especially in PPR.

Grant and Shonn Green do not catch enough passes to be ranked ahead of Gore/Jackson/Slaton/Portis. Jacobs is better than them as well, though he hasn't played a full slate of games yet.

 

[Zigg]

Neither Saint RB in the top 25? I didn't play in a PPR last year, but have to figure PT and Bush were very close with limited playing time.

Wow, no Colt RB either.

 

[Mainevent]

Slaton and Steven Jackson are way too low for my liking, both are top 10 backs, and Jackson is a top 5-8 pick.

Houston didn't draft another RB, Slaton has to be the guy there. He ran surprising well for a smallish back, showed tackling break ability and game breaking speed.

Shonn Greene has been reported to have brick hands, so doubt he'll be catching a lot of balls. He's a 2 down back at best, may rack up some yards, but 12 is too high.

Felix Jones, I agree as said earlier, over hyped. That is going to be a 3 way RBBC in Dallas, and Barber should get the TDs, so he has a legit shot to crack the top 10, but Choice and Jones will be fighting over the rest of the carries.

I find it hard to put TJ Duckett ahead of the likes of C. Wells, DMC, and - I hate to say it - but even Lendale White.

I feel Gore and Jacobs are a little low as well, Gore is a solid PPR back, and Jacobs is going to get his share of TDs.

If guys like Graham and Duckett made your list, I would have liked to see Donald Brown/Addai/Bush/P Thomas on there, did you miss those guys?

 

[jojoh07]

NO Bush ??????

 

[thayman]

Portis at 15? Other of the year he was injured he only has finished outside of the top 10 once, and then he was 11th. Why do you say he is inconsistent?

 

[Plaid Boxer]

I think DWard outscores Graham in TB.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

too many backs in NYJ land for GReen to be at #12 in PPR, Leon takes alot of those passes.

Felix at 10 and MB3 at 7 is impossible.

 

[Balance]

I can't figure out what so many people think is going to change Slaton's productivity, but no complaints here - I hope he stays in the 15-20 range in other rankings as well.

 

[HellToupee]

#6 marshawn lynch#10 felix jones#12 shonn greene#17 steven jackson#18 steve slaton#19 frank gore

something is wrong here.......

 

[Snotbubbles]

Michael Turner finished 6th in scoring in my PPR league. So he'd actually have to match his 1700 yd, 17 TD season just to get back to #6. Even if he has a really good year, say 1400 rush yards and 13 TDs, because he doesn't catch the ball out of the backfield, he's looking at maybe a 8-10 finish among RBs.

Peterson is another one I just don't see as the #1 guy in a PPR for the same reasons as Turner. The guys that finish top 5 in PPR are the guys who catch 50 balls. Otherwise they have to score 18-20 TDs. Now that being said, it's not out of the range of possibility that Peterson could do that, but it's a much safer projection to pick guys you know are threats as recievers. In a PPR, Peterson is overrated.

A guy like Steven Jackson really should be higher, unless you think he will get hurt again. In my PPR league he finished as the #19 RB while missing 4 games. If he stays healthy and plays 15 or 16 games he is a stone cold mortal lock for a top 10 finish in a PPR league.

Felix Jones and Marion Barber both in the top 10 is interesting. I don't think that's gonna happen. I can't imagine with a healthy Felix Jones that Barber is gonna get more touches then he got last year when he finished #13 in my PPR. I would probably drop both guys from the top 10 and put Barber in the 11-13 range and Jones in the 17-20 range.

Personally I think LT has a bounce back year and finishes in the 4-7 range. And I think Westbrook will be the #1 back in FF this year as the Eagles upgraded their OL, added a FB so Westbrook doesn't have to stay in a block, and the development of their young WRs will stretch the field.

 

[comfortably numb]

NO Bush ??????

Guy puts his rankings out for us all to critic, and you have to go bad mouthing his grooming preferences??

 

[Ripleys]

Lynch, Baber, and Felix Jones in front of Portis? EPIC FAIL.

 

[SugarNuts]

NO Bush ??????

Guy puts his rankings out for us all to critic, and you have to go bad mouthing his grooming preferences??

If I had coffee in my mouth, it'd be all over my monitor!

 

[foxco]

Lynch, Baber, and Felix Jones in front of Portis? EPIC FAIL.

Lynch and Barber could easily outproduce Portis IMO, they're all pretty close. Felix probably not, and if he does, it will be at the expense of Barber, so all three will not outproduce Portis.Like many I see Slaton as way undervalued as well. Steven Jackson too.

 

[Wu-banger]

S Jax @ #17 ... ???

OK , that's fine, it's your opinion ... but atleast give a reason behind this ranking.

It could enlighten the rest of us who thinks he is top 5 in PPR...

 

[comfortably numb]

NO Bush ??????

Guy puts his rankings out for us all to critic, and you have to go bad mouthing his grooming preferences??

If I had coffee in my mouth, it'd be all over my monitor!

SugarNuts

 

[thehornet]

It's really hard to take this list seriously when you have Felix Jones and a rookie, Green, ahead of Established STUDS in Non Committees such as S Jackson, Frank Gore and Clinton Portis.

 

[whhwalker]

i did this last year, and i really appreciated the criticism. now just to get a few things straight this is based on a PPR style scoring, i am basing this off what i think they will stack up not where they were last year. also please do not just say wow what a moron, if my call really does strike you as idiotic go ahead and call me on it but at least tell me why that guy will do better than whoever else i have ahead of him. so in advance thanks for the help and aaawwayyy we go .

#6 marshawn lynch

#7 marion barber

#10 felix jones

#11 LT

#15 clinton portis he will probably do better but i have never liked him he has not been consistent and i do not know that the skins can move enough attention away from him to keep him protective also i hate the skins. this is my stupid thing.

#23 james stewart

#24 TJ duckett a vet normally sneeks in and does pretty well last year it was dominic rhodes this year duckett

there is my list i tried to get guys in good places with alot around him to succeed i am down on a few people like slaton and LT because of people like sproles taking away carries, or just hitting a second year wall. plus some prejudice against a few people that have either not performed or just been inconsistent. pick at it as you want.

A few echoes of sentiments from other sharks, but these are the picks with which I think you are moderately to significantly off base.#6 Lynch: is suspended for the first three games of the season and Fred Jackson's performance at the end of last season indicates to me he's capable of eating some of Lynch's touches and TDs in 2009. Lynch will be 18-22 in my opinion

#7 Barber and #10 Jones: TWO RBs from one team in the top 10? If you review historical stats you'll see even in the hey-day of tandems like Taylor/MJD who both got over 900 rushing yards in a season they were both in top 20, but not top 10. Couple this with the emergence of Tashard Choice as a 3rd RB option in Dallas, and I believe it pushes these two players down even further. IMO Barber is top 10, Jones is top 30, Choice is top 40.

#11 LT: And where praytell is Sproles? I'm hard pressed to believe that Barber and Jones will outperform both LT and Sproles as significantly as implied by your predictions. IMO LT is top 10 and Sproles in top 20.

#15 Portis: Not consistent?! uhm what?!! In 7 of his 8 years he's been top 10, and in 4 of these years he's been 4th. IMO Portis will be top 8

#23 James Stewart: Pretty sure you mean Jonathan Stewart of the Panthers, and if so, then yes I agree with this spot.

#24 Duckett: So a part-time back is going to outperform the following: Addai/Brown, Jamal Lewis, Maroney/Taylor, DWard, McGahee, Hightower/Wells, CedBen, Larry Johnson, Hightower/Wells, and the "starter" for his own team Julius Jones?! IMO Duckett only cracks the top 50 if he poaches all the short yardage TDs.

I applaud you making the effort.

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

S Jax @ #17 ... ???OK , that's fine, it's your opinion ... but atleast give a reason behind this ranking.It could enlighten the rest of us who thinks he is top 5 in PPR...

Lots of man love for S. Jackson who hasn't finished in the top 10 the past two years. Injuries .... Bad o-line .... Guy still hasn't done it. I will have him around 8-10 but everyone is acting like he is a lock for top 5, I just don't see it.

 

[AnonymousBob]

This appears to be a terrible list. If you would explain some of your reasoning I'm sure this could turn into a useful discussion. Otherwise...oof.

 

[whitewizard]

first the scoring in my league is very specialized we get .02 for every catch, .03 for every recieving yard, and .04 for every rushing yard and TDs are plus 6 plus yardage bonus, so receptions and what not do not make as big an impact as in other leagues. so i have made this list based off those #s and my own translation (not really based on much) in my head. plus who would have thougt slaton would be a top 10 back last year? i am trying to think about what can reasonably happen.

when i talked about portis i did not mean career consistency, i meant week to week. last year he averaged a very respectable 14 points per game and finished 12th in my league. so forgive me if i am not a big portis fan i have seen him collapse at times and with my disdain for the redskins i put him about where he finishes in my league. you guys can critize me all you want over portis but unless he is gift wrapped for me i do not want him.

as for barber and jones yeah it just did not make a connection about 2 cowboys in the top 10 in my head but they can do it. roy may not be able to take the place of TO which can be very beneficial for the backs. they will try and run the ball more now that TO is gone and everybody else's performance will dictate if they get extra bonus carries after that. they are probably not both top 10 but i was trying to make the point that the 3 big speed backs could round out the market.

as for bush and thomas i think this year will be another aerial showcase for brees tappered a bit IF bush can stay healthy. bush is not a the type of guy who can just make a living running to the outside he is a great chaos runner like on punts and screens. he can make it to the top of the market but brees will need to throw alot to him because i do not see him getting it off the hand off. as for thomas he will be their hand off back but again i think brees will be airing it out this year (i am quite positive brees will be the #1 scorer this year BTW) and thomas will have the role of edge when manning exploded. yes edge did good that year, but he was not splitting considerable time with rhodes that year either. thomas and bush will be on a pass heavy team, splitting alot of time and i do not think they will be at the top. can they.. definately but it is the offseason and at this point the lions are as good as everybody else so anything can happen.

then greene i know it could turn out to be a 3 back system like the giants had but i really think greene will get about 80 % of the carries. he is a really strong power guy who will be out of 3rd down situations because they have leon washington and thomas jones. i think he can do better catching than most do just because they will practice it and have a decent guy throwing passes who knows how to make that throw. it will be a bit rough for him to carve out his to spot to begin with but he will not go down much farther from this current ranking.

jacobs he can be a great guy but the transition between the backs will be to eratic for me so i am not high on him. i meant jonathan stewart. i do not know who will be top RB this year so i went with the favorite. as for the last few guys i went with vets cause it is impossible to find ryan grant, and i did think about beanie but i left him off cause i am not sure about boldin and warner.

good criticism i appreciate it.

 

[whitewizard]

i did this last year, and i really appreciated the criticism. now just to get a few things straight this is based on a PPR style scoring, i am basing this off what i think they will stack up not where they were last year. also please do not just say wow what a moron, if my call really does strike you as idiotic go ahead and call me on it but at least tell me why that guy will do better than whoever else i have ahead of him. so in advance thanks for the help and aaawwayyy we go :X .

#6 marshawn lynch

#7 marion barber

#10 felix jones

#11 LT

#15 clinton portis he will probably do better but i have never liked him he has not been consistent and i do not know that the skins can move enough attention away from him to keep him protective also i hate the skins. this is my stupid thing.

#23 james stewart

#24 TJ duckett a vet normally sneeks in and does pretty well last year it was dominic rhodes this year duckett

there is my list i tried to get guys in good places with alot around him to succeed i am down on a few people like slaton and LT because of people like sproles taking away carries, or just hitting a second year wall. plus some prejudice against a few people that have either not performed or just been inconsistent. pick at it as you want.

A few echoes of sentiments from other sharks, but these are the picks with which I think you are moderately to significantly off base.#6 Lynch: is suspended for the first three games of the season and Fred Jackson's performance at the end of last season indicates to me he's capable of eating some of Lynch's touches and TDs in 2009. Lynch will be 18-22 in my opinion

#7 Barber and #10 Jones: TWO RBs from one team in the top 10? If you review historical stats you'll see even in the hey-day of tandems like Taylor/MJD who both got over 900 rushing yards in a season they were both in top 20, but not top 10. Couple this with the emergence of Tashard Choice as a 3rd RB option in Dallas, and I believe it pushes these two players down even further. IMO Barber is top 10, Jones is top 30, Choice is top 40.

#11 LT: And where praytell is Sproles? I'm hard pressed to believe that Barber and Jones will outperform both LT and Sproles as significantly as implied by your predictions. IMO LT is top 10 and Sproles in top 20.

#15 Portis: Not consistent?! uhm what?!! In 7 of his 8 years he's been top 10, and in 4 of these years he's been 4th. IMO Portis will be top 8

#23 James Stewart: Pretty sure you mean Jonathan Stewart of the Panthers, and if so, then yes I agree with this spot.

#24 Duckett: So a part-time back is going to outperform the following: Addai/Brown, Jamal Lewis, Maroney/Taylor, DWard, McGahee, Hightower/Wells, CedBen, Larry Johnson, Hightower/Wells, and the "starter" for his own team Julius Jones?! IMO Duckett only cracks the top 50 if he poaches all the short yardage TDs.

I applaud you making the effort.

for lynch i know he is suspended and that jackson will take carries away. i am thinking that he will fill a brandon jacobs?MB3 role jacobs was about 12th last year in a 3 back system, and barber was grade A. lynch is slpitting with 1 guy and TO is taking nuch needed pressure off the line. 6th is probably too high but he will be right in there. LT is at 11 because i was trying to make a point that the speed backs from last year can take over the top 10. yeah jones is a reach but he is there to try and prove a point but he probably should be at about 16 or so. also i think that split so much time with sproles will hamper LT alot. rivers is throwing more sproles is catching and LT slides. the only reason i did not have sproles up there is because i am fairly certain they will pull him out when it comes time for TDs.

maroney/taylor/faulk/insert practice squad guy too many backfield players taylor can step up but belichik will limit the single power of the RB. they will run a big RBBC

addai, lewis (forgot about him), wells/hightower (thought about them did not really know where to put them exactly, addai/brown, benson, dward all a starters all will be in the 20s to 30s. i did not know what to do with them so i went a bit risky tossed in a few sentimental favs in the last few spots. as for duckett they lost morris to FA duckett will take up the 3rd down role and short yardage situation and i loved him as a lion, granted there was not much to love but still tossed him in there cause as unlikely as it is it is possible. again i appreciate the criticism.

 

[AnonymousBob]

I always enjoy reading people's rankings and if you're open to criticism and willing to debate then I'm looking forward to your future threads.

 

[whitewizard]

I always enjoy reading people's rankings and if you're open to criticism and willing to debate then I'm looking forward to your future threads.

i put this list together because i wanted the critizism. this year there is not a clear cut top and bottom which makes things complicated. jackson could go higher but that team has question marks just about everywhere on the offensive side of the ball. i actually drafted slaton last year 13th round i just think he will hit a wall between not being able to punch it in and people having a full year to see him go. MJD had a rough 2nd year last year was fluked up because the oline was crushed before the first real snap. now he has new bookends and people returning from IR he will be pretty dominant this year all be hiself in the backfield. i am pretty high on grant. does anyone have any strong idea about what grant can do this year?

 

[Banger]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

 

[DoctorFantasy]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

Also seems to be overvaluing players who haven't played in the league in years (James Stewart)

 

[whitewizard]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

LT was actually 7th last year in my league and a standard scoring league. now he is going to lose considerable carries to sproles. LT will not be 6th in the league. i stand by calling him 10th. i should have sproles in there somewhere i just do not know how many TDs he can get this year. felix jones will probably produce to about 16-22 with everyone going up another spot. i put jackson where he has been the last few years, he can do better i just do not trust him or larry johnson for that matter. the last 4 or 5 guys could get switched around a bit, i forgot about lewis he should be in there if robiskie produces but he is going to be hurting without winslow. i made my decision about portis there is not much you can say that will change my mind about him, he is the only person i am really obstinate about. i am not sure about who should really be in the last 5 spots though so please make a case for your not quite there guys.

 

[mikel0254]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

Also seems to be overvaluing players who haven't played in the league in years (James Stewart)

Why do people on this site constantly do this? It's absolutely no added value to the conversation. He clearly meant Jonathan Stewart. Real discussions always get lost in the mix when people just come on here to zing and one-up other posters.

 

[valence]

for lynch i know he is suspended and that jackson will take carries away. i am thinking that he will fill a brandon jacobs?MB3 role jacobs was about 12th last year in a 3 back system, and barber was grade A. lynch is slpitting with 1 guy and TO is taking nuch needed pressure off the line. 6th is probably too high but he will be right in there. LT is at 11 because i was trying to make a point that the speed backs from last year can take over the top 10. yeah jones is a reach but he is there to try and prove a point but he probably should be at about 16 or so. also i think that split so much time with sproles will hamper LT alot. rivers is throwing more sproles is catching and LT slides. the only reason i did not have sproles up there is because i am fairly certain they will pull him out when it comes time for TDs. maroney/taylor/faulk/insert practice squad guy too many backfield players taylor can step up but belichik will limit the single power of the RB. they will run a big RBBCaddai, lewis (forgot about him), wells/hightower (thought about them did not really know where to put them exactly, addai/brown, benson, dward all a starters all will be in the 20s to 30s. i did not know what to do with them so i went a bit risky tossed in a few sentimental favs in the last few spots. as for duckett they lost morris to FA duckett will take up the 3rd down role and short yardage situation and i loved him as a lion, granted there was not much to love but still tossed him in there cause as unlikely as it is it is possible. again i appreciate the criticism.

Don't forget that Dominic Rhodes is also in Buffalo now. I personally think that Lynch is going to have a fine year, but probably not top 10. low RB1/High RB2 is more likely with the suspension and two other proven RBs on the roster. I have no idea why you think that Shonn Greene is going to get more carries than Thomas Jones, unless you are predicting injury. I also don't know how you can think that he will cut into Leon Washingtons receptions as it is clear to everyone that he is a much better receiver than either Jones or Greene.As Far as Duckett goes, Mora didn't even use him that much when they were both in Atlanta 5 years ago. What makes you think that he can be a top 25 back now? In Seattle I really don't think he i can be more than a goal line guy that can occasionally push the pile (much like he was last year).

 

[Coeur de Lion]

S Jax @ #17 ... ???OK , that's fine, it's your opinion ... but atleast give a reason behind this ranking.It could enlighten the rest of us who thinks he is top 5 in PPR...

Lots of man love for S. Jackson who hasn't finished in the top 10 the past two years. Injuries .... Bad o-line .... Guy still hasn't done it. I will have him around 8-10 but everyone is acting like he is a lock for top 5, I just don't see it.

, and I'm a long time Jackson owner in my main keeper league (actually just moved him and I think that I sold high). SJax has had 1500 YFS exactly once in five seasons, and has been a top-10 fantasy RB exactly once in five seasons. His lack of reliability really makes it tough to count on him as a top-5 overall player, which is where his value currently stands.

 

[Banger]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

LT was actually 7th last year in my league and a standard scoring league. now he is going to lose considerable carries to sproles. LT will not be 6th in the league. i stand by calling him 10th. i should have sproles in there somewhere i just do not know how many TDs he can get this year. felix jones will probably produce to about 16-22 with everyone going up another spot. i put jackson where he has been the last few years, he can do better i just do not trust him or larry johnson for that matter. the last 4 or 5 guys could get switched around a bit, i forgot about lewis he should be in there if robiskie produces but he is going to be hurting without winslow. i made my decision about portis there is not much you can say that will change my mind about him, he is the only person i am really obstinate about. i am not sure about who should really be in the last 5 spots though so please make a case for your not quite there guys.

why is LT going to lose carries to Sproles? I follow the situation very closely and have read nothing at all to indicate that. In fact, I've read the opposite. You are probably inferring that they franchised him so now he's going to get an increase in carries as a result and that's not the case. Heck, he couldn't get the carries last year when LT had a hurt toe all year so if LT is healthy Sproles is not going to cut into his carries.You made up your mind on Portis based on what? A gut feeling? Is he losing carries to Betts? Are they changing their offense? Did their line deteriorate? Do they have a horrible schedule? He's the bell cow there, the situation and personnel are pretty much the same so I don't see why his value would suddenly fall off the table after being one of the most consistent backs in the game over the last 5 years.I would definitely put a Benson, B. Wells, D. Brown/Addai, McFadden, Larry Johnson, Bush, etc. before a stiff like Duckett, Shonn Greene who we don't even know what role he'll play, etc.

 

[switz]

Hey ww, I appreciate the effort in putting out this list. I have to say I wish you woudl give a little more analysis than you did, especially on the more "out of norm" rankings. I'll present my feedback on a few players below...

#2 Brian Westbrook

#3 MJD

With these two players, I would say you are drafting very risk-heavy if you took either at this spot. It's not to say they couldn't put up the needed numbers to finish 2 or 3. However, IMO the likelihood of that is not very realistic. Westbrook rarely finishes a season, and if you look at his career numbers, he's already peaked, and is going downhill. Plus they dded McCoy, who will take some snaps away from Westbrook.MJD - you run the same risk people ran with Barber last season. I have no doubts he'll start off hot, but he's never had to carry the whole load, and we simply don't know how he'll respond. We also have to question if his OL will be 100% healthy, all signs currently point to yes, but it remains a question. And how will he fare when defenses now focus on him, instead of preparing for both him and Taylor.

#5 matt forte

#6 marshawn lynch

#7 marion barber

Forte is a huge question mark for me. Cutler should present a much greater passing threat, but will it take away from Forte's receiving? Plus, Forte was not very impressive as a runner as the season went on. He's not the most talented RB, and I feel he's more of a 10-12 RB.Lynch will be hard pressed to finish a the #6 overall RB after missing 1/4 of the season. He is supposed to be suspended 4 games IIRC. Plus the Bills signed Rhodes to play a role. Despite Rhodes being pretty much washed up, he'll cut into Lynch's carries a bit after Lynch returns.

Did Barber even finish this high last season? Here's a guy who the team is talking about moving to the closing role because he can't handle the starting role. They have two other RBs that both look to be more talented. I just don't see Barber being more than a 11-12 RB. He'll have some great games due to TDs, but I doubt he has any consistent enough impact to be an RB1.

#9 chris johnson

#10 felix jones

These guys will likely both finish in the top 10... You should be able to get Felix Jones MUCH cheaper.

#12 shonn greene

Maybe down the road, but not this season. He'll learn how to block, etc. but this team isn't going to put Sanchez in a backfield without a solid blitz pickup, which is Jones/Washington.

 

[Couch Potato]

Hey ww, I appreciate the effort in putting out this list. I have to say I wish you woudl give a little more analysis than you did, especially on the more "out of norm" rankings. I'll present my feedback on a few players below...

Wait a minute. That was way too polite a beginning, given the list we're looking at and the person responding.Who are you really, and what have you done with our Switz?!

 

[Coeur de Lion]

#9 chris johnson#10 felix jones

These guys will likely both finish in the top 10... You should be able to get Felix Jones MUCH cheaper.

I actually tend to agree with you that Felix Jones fairly screams "difference-making talent," but I have a very hard time seeing him breaking into the top-10 fantasy RBs this season. Even if the carries are split straight down the middle between Felix and Barber, Barber is still going to be the goal-line guy and is also a very effective 3rd down RB. Felix may (I think he will) see a big bump in carries and yardage, but he isn't too likely to catch 50 passes (in 2010 anyway) with Barber around, and no way he sniffs double digit TDs unless Barber blows out a knee in preseason (and even then Choice is around to take a beating running betwee the tackles). Jones is much more likely to be a difference maker for the Cowboys than he is for anyone's fantasy team.

 

[whitewizard]

Hey ww, I appreciate the effort in putting out this list. I have to say I wish you woudl give a little more analysis than you did, especially on the more "out of norm" rankings. I'll present my feedback on a few players below...

#2 Brian Westbrook

#3 MJD

With these two players, I would say you are drafting very risk-heavy if you took either at this spot. It's not to say they couldn't put up the needed numbers to finish 2 or 3. However, IMO the likelihood of that is not very realistic. Westbrook rarely finishes a season, and if you look at his career numbers, he's already peaked, and is going downhill. Plus they dded McCoy, who will take some snaps away from Westbrook.MJD - you run the same risk people ran with Barber last season. I have no doubts he'll start off hot, but he's never had to carry the whole load, and we simply don't know how he'll respond. We also have to question if his OL will be 100% healthy, all signs currently point to yes, but it remains a question. And how will he fare when defenses now focus on him, instead of preparing for both him and Taylor.

#5 matt forte

#6 marshawn lynch

#7 marion barber

Forte is a huge question mark for me. Cutler should present a much greater passing threat, but will it take away from Forte's receiving? Plus, Forte was not very impressive as a runner as the season went on. He's not the most talented RB, and I feel he's more of a 10-12 RB.Lynch will be hard pressed to finish a the #6 overall RB after missing 1/4 of the season. He is supposed to be suspended 4 games IIRC. Plus the Bills signed Rhodes to play a role. Despite Rhodes being pretty much washed up, he'll cut into Lynch's carries a bit after Lynch returns.

Did Barber even finish this high last season? Here's a guy who the team is talking about moving to the closing role because he can't handle the starting role. They have two other RBs that both look to be more talented. I just don't see Barber being more than a 11-12 RB. He'll have some great games due to TDs, but I doubt he has any consistent enough impact to be an RB1.

#9 chris johnson

#10 felix jones

These guys will likely both finish in the top 10... You should be able to get Felix Jones MUCH cheaper.

#12 shonn greene

Maybe down the road, but not this season. He'll learn how to block, etc. but this team isn't going to put Sanchez in a backfield without a solid blitz pickup, which is Jones/Washington.

for some of the later picks it was late and really i am not sure who should or can be there and i wanted to see who everyone else thought should be at the bottom of the top. LT will lose carries they have not said it publicly but can you really tell me the guy who got franchise type money will be happy as a return guy/oxygen tank. add to that rivers is throwing better and sproles is a beast out of the bakfield, not that LT is not. everyone slows down the chargers have sproles who is not going to less carries for more money even if LT is doing good it is just not happenning. everyone has talked about how i have not put sproles up here, and how barber and jones can not be in the top 10. i understand that no problem i do not know where to put sproles and it makes sense about jones and barber. for barber and jones just trying to indicate the type of playmaker he is/can be. LT will have a hard time being #6-7 while sproles takes carries away. also why would anyone with the chargers say we are going to run sproles more? so that ESPN can have something else to talk about?

as for portis he has never been a solid receiving target with 4TDs in his entire career, decent yards but nothing special. yes he was great 2 years ago and he has proven to be consistent over his career but not so much week to week. his division is brutal he plays the vikes, and the panthers with the chargers being a bit of a wild card at the end of the year. so not a big receiving threat, bad last year and year before sort of on a on off cycle so this year could be his year, but a brutal schedule, as well as playing against him the last 4 years in the playoffs he has never really hurt me, plus he is a redskin. i understand he is very respected around here i do not mind that but i do not like him.

as for westbrook and MJD health is a crap shoot. the top 10 players from last year could all brake a leg or get into a car crash God forbid and then where we be. peterson for that matter could still be a health risk. i get your point and i appreciate the comment but i am not sure who will be the top of the league next year. MJD can be the guy he will be undervalued and the sole back with a solid oline and holt out there to take some coverage away.

as for greene, jones is moaning about a contract, and i am thinking there will be a large phase out with jones being 30 years old. the receptions i am not saying he will take alot away from washington but he will get better at catching the ball. if not then either a coach needs to be fired or he needs to find stickum. i am thinking things will flow the same way taylor and peterson worked that first year. washington throws the biggest kink into things making greene 12th to a ceiling for about 16th. JMO

i did not take value that much into the prediction for the list but i really appreciate that appraisal. this is what the list is for anyways right.

 

[jurb26]

as for portis he has never been a solid receiving target with 4TDs in his entire career, decent yards but nothing special. yes he was great 2 years ago and he has proven to be consistent over his career but not so much week to week. his division is brutal he plays the vikes, and the panthers with the chargers being a bit of a wild card at the end of the year. so not a big receiving threat, bad last year and year before sort of on a on off cycle so this year could be his year, but a brutal schedule, as well as playing against him the last 4 years in the playoffs he has never really hurt me, plus he is a redskin. i understand he is very respected around here i do not mind that but i do not like him. as for westbrook and MJD health is a crap shoot. the top 10 players from last year could all brake a leg or get into a car crash God forbid and then where we be. peterson for that matter could still be a health risk. i get your point and i appreciate the comment but i am not sure who will be the top of the league next year. MJD can be the guy he will be undervalued and the sole back with a solid oline and holt out there to take some coverage away.

All due respect, but this portion is a bit confusing to me. You have Portis downgraded so much because you say he isn't consistent from week to week. Health is the only thing that has prevented him from being any more or less consistent than any other RB in the NFL though. As a matter of fact, despite everything, Portis has been one of the most consistent RBs in all of football for just about 8 years now. Yet health, which leads to consistency doesn't bother you in the least with Westy or MJD? I've read through this thread so I know nothing is going to change your mind. You don't like Portis. I suppose there doesn't need to be rational reasons for not liking someone and I'll be the first to say that a lot of the fun in fantasy football is going with your gut at times. But still, I think you've gone to an extreme here. I can see downgrading Portis because you don't like him. No matter how much you don't like him though I just can't see how he would end up outside the top 12. It's almost as if you simply downgraded him far enough to ensure no matter what you don't end up having to draft him. Eventually, even players you don't like are going to provide value though.

 

[fsufan]

#6 marshawn lynch#10 felix jones#12 shonn greene#17 steven jackson#18 steve slaton#19 frank gore

something is wrong here.......

i was thinking the same thing.

 

[gonzobill5]

guys in my top 25 that aren't in yours:

Sproles - my biggest worry about this year's fantasy draft: LT is going to fall to a position where I can't resist taking him, then I'll have an opportunity to take Sproles around ADP and not want to have both on my roster.

Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush - I'm not one to hedge my bet and put him and Reggie on the list if I believe there's only room for one. I think both end up one the list.

Leron McClain - I really admired the way the Ravens played football last year. I worried about having a FB in my top 25 in ppr, but then I saw that he had a respectable 19 catches and didn't feel as uneasy.

McFadden - not a huge fan, but 29 catches in 13 games is solid and there is a lot of room for improvement.

Fred Jackson - He'll have a 3 game audition and if he doesn't win the job outright, he'll carve out an even bigger piece. I believe he was ranked in the lower 30s in my league last year, so top 25 isn't out of reach.

Ahmad Bradshaw - Giants are a force on the ground. They aren't giving Jacobs 300 carries even if he's healthy. Bradshaw is in line to get 180 or so. I believe he's more of a homerun threat than Ward, who was top 20 last year (or very close to it).

Donald Brown - I thought Addai was your classic buy low until Brown came around.

Larry Johnson - feels funny that I need to argue as to why he can squeak into the top 25. I think KC will be very competitive this year, and if LJ is on board (might be a big if, i'm not in touch here) he will have lots of opportunities. QB upgrade goes a long way.

guys in your top 25 that aren't in mine:

marshawn lynch - the suspension was already mentioned. i'll throw in that he wasn't very good receiving the ball (just over 6 ypc) where Fred Jackson was very good.

Marion Barber - ok, i'll admit it, I hate the cowboys. But let's face it, the Cowboys offense is in a state of flux. The first 6 weeks they put up 24+ every week. Then they only went over 20 points in 2 of their last 10. Marion won't score the TD's that he did in 06 and 07, and you have to bet his 3rd down role will be diminished.

felix jones - Your ranking of felix was my favorite thing about your list. i could definitely see how that offense might evolve with him as THE GUY by the end of the season. He is definitely a guy I'll target, but he's not in the top 25 yet.

shon greene - Leon and Shon will be on my list if jones gets traded.

willie parker - he barely broke 30 catches in his best season, he hasn't been a big TD producer, and he's coming off an injury. I'm not sold on Mendenhall either. Is MeMo being overlooked?

earnest graham - I think TB takes a big step back. We've seen new coaches come in and have pretty much instant success for a few years in a row, I think that comes to an end this year. Also, if I took a TB back it would be Ward.

knowshon - I don't care for denver's offseason one bit, and until I'm proven otherwise, I'm assuming they don't have a clue/plan. However, even if I'm wrong, there are too many backs to choose from. It's a shame because I would have been all over JJ Arrington on any other team.

tj duckett - not even close

jonathan stewart - not in ppr. I don't believe that Carolina will be as successful running the ball. I still have DeAngelo #2 because I believe he can and will catch a significant number of passes next year (and he's a homerun threat). I know most will disagree here.

 

[Tanner9919]

#2 westbrook

#4 michael turner

#6 marshawn lynch

#7 marion barber

#9 chris johnson

#10 felix jones

these guys are the home run type guys i think 2 if not all of them can break in to the top 10

#12 shonn greene

#14 ronnie brown

#15 clinton portis

#16 kevin smith

#17 steven jackson

#18 steve slaton

#19 frank gore

#20 brandon jacobs

#21 willie parker

#22 knowshon moreno he can go up a few spots higher if their D does well other wise here he is

#23 james stewart

#25 earnest graham

wow.where to start? Westbrook at #2 is wishful thinking..his best days are behind him,he's constantly hurt, and consistently misses games..

Lynch at #6 isn't going to happen, the guy is suspended for 4 games this season.Lynch wasn't even the 6th best RB in the NFL last season, and he played 15 games...

I think you nailed Barber, Felix Jones, Steven Jackson ( yeah,17th is about where he'll wind up)..I think you're a tad low on Kevin Smith, crazy-low on Steve Slaton - the guy is top 5 RB material -

and Clinton Portis at #15 is ridiculously low.have you seen the Redskins schedule for 2009? it's as easy as pie!

Shonn Greene might be good, but not #12 RB good..

Willie Parker is very low at #21..

How did Earnest Graham make the top 25, but Donald Brown ( Colts) does not make the list? Clearly the writing is on the wall in Indy, Addai either puts up or loses his starting gig..one of these guys will post top 20 RB numbers..

Ronnie Brown is in a contract year, is now a full season removed from knee surgery, and should be ready to dominate the NFL..easily a top 10 RB for 2009.

Brandon Jacobs at #20 is way too low..

where is Derrick Ward?

Why do you have Chris Johnson at #9, he might finish in the top 5 this year..

where is Lendale White, Pierre Thomas, Cedric Benson? Benson is one of a small handful of RB's left who are not embroiled in a RBBC, and that has to be worth its weight in gold..Benson could easily finish with 1300 yards rushing, 10+ tds...

 

[Biabreakable]

Hey ww, I appreciate the effort in putting out this list. I have to say I wish you woudl give a little more analysis than you did, especially on the more "out of norm" rankings. I'll present my feedback on a few players below...

Wait a minute. That was way too polite a beginning, given the list we're looking at and the person responding.Who are you really, and what have you done with our Switz?! :(

It's like bizzaro world. This thread has me a bit stunned too.

 

[Snotbubbles]

#9 chris johnson#10 felix jones

These guys will likely both finish in the top 10... You should be able to get Felix Jones MUCH cheaper.

I actually tend to agree with you that Felix Jones fairly screams "difference-making talent," but I have a very hard time seeing him breaking into the top-10 fantasy RBs this season. Even if the carries are split straight down the middle between Felix and Barber, Barber is still going to be the goal-line guy and is also a very effective 3rd down RB. Felix may (I think he will) see a big bump in carries and yardage, but he isn't too likely to catch 50 passes (in 2010 anyway) with Barber around, and no way he sniffs double digit TDs unless Barber blows out a knee in preseason (and even then Choice is around to take a beating running betwee the tackles). Jones is much more likely to be a difference maker for the Cowboys than he is for anyone's fantasy team.

Agree with this. The Dallas situation will create 2 RBs who could finish in the 12-20 range, but none (barring injury) in the top 10, simply becuase Barber seems like the goalline back and it will be tough for Jones to finish in the top 10 without getting double digit TDs. In fact, he'll probably have to get around 14 TDs, 50+ receptions and about 1300 total yards to get there, and even that might not be enough.

 

[DoctorFantasy]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

Also seems to be overvaluing players who haven't played in the league in years (James Stewart)

Why do people on this site constantly do this? It's absolutely no added value to the conversation. He clearly meant Jonathan Stewart. Real discussions always get lost in the mix when people just come on here to zing and one-up other posters.

There was no intention on my part to do that. There is a big difference between a typo or grammatical error and mixing the names "James" and "Jonathan". James Stewart was a very productive back a few years back before sort of vanishing out of the league. I actually thought the author pegged James Stewart making a comeback - Especially since these rankings were very bold (which is okay) and it is arguable whether Jonathan Stewart belongs in the top 25 RBs. Once again, that was my initial impression at the time of the posting - there was no intent to devalue the conversation.

 

[switz]

#9 chris johnson#10 felix jones

These guys will likely both finish in the top 10... You should be able to get Felix Jones MUCH cheaper.

I actually tend to agree with you that Felix Jones fairly screams "difference-making talent," but I have a very hard time seeing him breaking into the top-10 fantasy RBs this season. Even if the carries are split straight down the middle between Felix and Barber, Barber is still going to be the goal-line guy and is also a very effective 3rd down RB. Felix may (I think he will) see a big bump in carries and yardage, but he isn't too likely to catch 50 passes (in 2010 anyway) with Barber around, and no way he sniffs double digit TDs unless Barber blows out a knee in preseason (and even then Choice is around to take a beating running between the tackles). Jones is much more likely to be a difference maker for the Cowboys than he is for anyone's fantasy team.

Agree with this. The Dallas situation will create 2 RBs who could finish in the 12-20 range, but none (barring injury) in the top 10, simply becuase Barber seems like the goalline back and it will be tough for Jones to finish in the top 10 without getting double digit TDs. In fact, he'll probably have to get around 14 TDs, 50+ receptions and about 1300 total yards to get there, and even that might not be enough.

Fair assessments on both of your parts. I find it hard to peg where the Boys RBs will really finish, because we have NO idea how they'll split up carries. So you guys both could be entirely right. I guess I don't expect "goalline RB" to have an impact on Felix's TDs, because I don't see him getting dragged down inside the 3 that often, and that's the only a time a GL RB is going to replace him. As for the 50 receptions, maybe not, but I do see him being used in a lot of different positions, which may result in more touches than we expect.I wouldn't draft him as a top-10 RB, but I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up a top-10 RB.

 

[gonzobill5]

In general, you're overvaluing the young guys and undervaluing the solid vets. I know it's boring to put LT 6th and Portis 8th and it's always fun to look like a genius and call a breakout guy but I see a lot of guesses based on little fact.

Also seems to be overvaluing players who haven't played in the league in years (James Stewart)

Why do people on this site constantly do this? It's absolutely no added value to the conversation. He clearly meant Jonathan Stewart. Real discussions always get lost in the mix when people just come on here to zing and one-up other posters.

There was no intention on my part to do that. There is a big difference between a typo or grammatical error and mixing the names "James" and "Jonathan". James Stewart was a very productive back a few years back before sort of vanishing out of the league. I actually thought the author pegged James Stewart making a comeback - Especially since these rankings were very bold (which is okay) and it is arguable whether Jonathan Stewart belongs in the top 25 RBs. Once again, that was my initial impression at the time of the posting - there was no intent to devalue the conversation.

Funny, because I figured he was referring to the guy from It's a Wonderful Life.

 

[by_the_sea_wannabe]

I'll throw mine out there, very fluid but my first rankings in ppr

Tier 1

Huge tier 1, I forsee Portis climbing up my rankings and MJD-Westy falling

1. MJD

2. Peterson

3. Slaton

4. Jackson

5. Westy

6. Forte

7. Gore

8. Portis

Tier 2

Again a large tier, which just makes my initial thoughts more clear, I will be looking to trade down.

C. Johsnon and D. Williams will probably move up and Barber will probably drop

9. Barber

10. LT2

11. Turner

12. C. Johnson

13. D. Williams

14. Jacobs

15. Grant

16. Bush

Tier 3

I like this tier as to me they all have nice upside but don't quite make tier 2

17. LJ

18. K. Smith

19. R. Brown

20. Moreno

21. McFadden

22. F. Jones

Tier 4

Benson could move up but I am not really sold yet

23. P. Thomas

24. Stewart

25. Benson

Outside 4 now but looking to come in

Lewis/Addia/T. Jones/White/Parker/Lynch - Could see any of these guys making top 25 but don't love the upside of any

Beanie Wells - I am bigger fan than most but ppr hurts his value, I think

 

[AngryGorilla]

Neither Saint RB in the top 25? I didn't play in a PPR last year, but have to figure PT and Bush were very close with limited playing time.Wow, no Colt RB either.

and Duckett on there...anywhere