USA Today's Top 40 Fantasy RBs (1 Viewer)

[David Yudkin]

LINK

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion on things. Alexander at RB14 was something I was not expecting to see . . .

 

[Cowboys#1]

if mojo adp is rb 20 he will be on every one of my teams

 

[lord_helmet]

Bold prediction here, in more ways than one

15. Travis Henry, Broncos - Another guy who got a better job than he deserves. It wouldn't surprise me to see Denver draft a first-day pick, which would hurt Henry's ranking.

 

[Rabbid Patriot Homer]

22. Thomas Jones, Bears - The Jets run a perfect offense to take advantage of Jones' complete skills. He should be a solid value once again.

 

[T Man]

Another shock is Anthony Thomas not even in the top 40. Granted he is not that great of a RB, but he is the only current RB option for the Bills. At this time it does not appear that he will share carries and he performed adequately last year in his backup role.

 

[Rabbid Patriot Homer]

Another shock is Anthony Thomas not even in the top 40. Granted he is not that great of a RB, but he is the only current RB option for the Bills. At this time it does not appear that he will share carries and he performed adequately last year in his backup role.

Actually I don't find that shocking at all.

 

[posty]

LINK

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion on things. Alexander at RB14 was something I was not expecting to see . . .

Blocked at work...

 

[lod2005]

Another shock is Anthony Thomas not even in the top 40. Granted he is not that great of a RB, but he is the only current RB option for the Bills. At this time it does not appear that he will share carries and he performed adequately last year in his backup role.

At this time......Within 2 months, you will find out who will be sending Thomas to the pine where he will resume his backup role.

 

[lod2005]

3. Frank Gore, 49ers- - The inconvenient truth for the three teams that drafted a running back in the top-five of the 2005 Draft (Miami, Chicago, Tampa Bay) is that the total package lasted until pick 65.

Sounds like I wrote that one.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

13. Chester Taylor, Vikings - Like the entire Vikings organization, Taylor tastes vanilla. Unlike the rest of the Vikings offense, he's consistently productive.

I think this is real high, I have him a lot closer to 23 then 13.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

LINK

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion on things. Alexander at RB14 was something I was not expecting to see . . .

Blocked at work...

Top 40 Running Backs

This is the third start to this column. I could write about the remaining free agents available, but most readers don't care nearly as much about Bobby Engram, Marques Tuiasosopo, and Kawika Mitchell as I do. It's taken four years to come to this understanding.

Judging by emails, readers want rankings - especially running back rankings. Rankings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Rotoworld.com could consist entirely of news and rankings, and I doubt anyone would care. Just don't tell my bosses.

After a wild two weeks of activity at running back, lets take a crack at a ridiculously early look at my top 40 ballcarriers. This is a rough draft. There are still a lot of moving parts out there like Chris Brown, Corey Dillon, Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, and all the rookies. A lot will change between now and August, but here's how Rotoworld sees the fantasy football breadwinners

Top 40 2007 Running Backs

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers- Each year, our magazine assigns a column about who the number one pick should be. This year, the column will about who the number two pick should be.

2. Steven Jackson, Rams – My gut says Frank Gore should be second because he's the closest thing to LaDainian Tomlinson. All things being equal, his talent would give him the spot. Life rarely makes things equal though. Gore plays for the 49ers, Jackson plays for the Rams. Jackson is the safer bet to hit 15 scores.

3. Frank Gore, 49ers- - The inconvenient truth for the three teams that drafted a running back in the top-five of the 2005 Draft (Miami, Chicago, Tampa Bay) is that the total package lasted until pick 65. Imagine how Carolina and Arizona feel about selecting Eric Shelton and J.J. Arrington in round two. Gore can be the NFL MVP one day, but the offense around him may not allow it yet.

4. Larry Johnson, Chiefs - The biggest question of the 2007 draft season is where to draft LJ. The probability of a physical breakdown after 416 carries is just too great to ignore. This ranking could get me in trouble, but history doesn't lie.

5. Brian Westbrook, Eagles - Westbrook takes a hit in leagues that don't award points-per-receptions, but he's simply one of the best players in football per-touch. Now that he can handle 300 of them, he's a solid first-round pick.

6. Willie Parker, Steelers - Still improving. Parker owners dodged a bullet when the Steelers' salary cap woes prevented them from upgrading Najeh Davenport.

7. Joseph Addai, Colts - If Indianapolis doesn't add true competition for Addai, he'll be among the safest picks in fantasy football. A quality committee partner would knock him down a round.

8. Rudi Johnson, Bengals - I'm running out of reasons to rank Rudi outside the top ten. His 3.8 yards-per-carry average is a concern, but Johnson should enjoy another big year before his decline hits.

9. Reggie Bush, Saints - Reggie in the second half of 2006: 1,013 total yards, 10 touchdowns, 52 catches. If he just keeps that pace, he's ranked too low here. He's a top-five pick in PPR leagues.

10. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins - Now is where the rankings get really hard. I truly believe this is the most closely bunched group of running backs in five years. After the top ten, there will be a lot of disagreement.

After watching tape of the 2006 season, I'm not giving up on Brown. Mike Mularkey and the Miami line ruined his season. The presence of Cam Cameron, Tomlinson's old coordinator, should help. If Ricky Williams returns, I won't be as optimistic.

11. Clinton Portis, Redskins - The shoulder injury could leave him fresh for the 2007 season, which is a plus. If Ladell Betts is traded, he'll move up half a round.

12. Laurence Maroney, Patriots – Get them while they are young. New England's propensity to spread the ball around at the goal-line could be the only thing holding him back.

13. Chester Taylor, Vikings - Like the entire Vikings organization, Taylor tastes vanilla. Unlike the rest of the Vikings offense, he's consistently productive.

14. Shaun Alexander, Seahawks - His breakdown last season may only be the beginning. Alexander will rack up fantasy points if he can stay healthy, but he'll probably disappoint Seahawks fans and get drafted too early.

15. Travis Henry, Broncos - Another guy who got a better job than he deserves. It wouldn't surprise me to see Denver draft a first-day pick, which would hurt Henry's ranking.

16. Willis McGahee, Ravens - I'm not convinced Baltimore made a good trade by acquiring McGahee, but he's going to pile up touches. Lack of backfield competition will be hard to find in 2007.

17. Brandon Jacobs, Giants - Not yet a complete player, but Reuben Droughns shouldn't provide much competition. The total yards could be lacking, but Jacobs is a good bet to score 12 or more times.

18. Carnell Williams, Bucs - Still young, talented, and has the job to himself. Could be a great RB2 value in the third round because he'll be ranked lower in most places.

19. Cedric Benson, Bears- Very difficult player to project. Great on paper, but the questions about his toughness and versatility still concern me. There's no way I'll own him if he stays ranked this low.

20. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars - A top-five pick if Fred Taylor had left. MoJo will have his day in the sun, but he's still a backup and Greg Jones may steal a few touchdowns.

21. LenDale White, Titans - Don't call him a sleeper. White could move up this list if the Titans fail to acquire significant more talent. He could move down if they draft a first-day running back.

22. Thomas Jones, Bears - The Jets run a perfect offense to take advantage of Jones' complete skills. He should be a solid value once again.

23. LaMont Jordan, Raiders- Great candidate for a bounceback year after Oakland's lost season. If he's close to his 2005 level, he'll dominate carries over Dominic Rhodes.

24. Edgerrin James, Cardinals - James is unlikely to reverse his decline, but he still runs hard and gets the touches. He'll slide down the list if Arizona adds another back on day one of the draft. The hire of Ken Whisenhunt is a major plus.

25. Deuce McAllister, Saints- Deuce showed up very well during tape review, and is another year removed from ACL surgery. His role can't increase, though, so 2006 was a best-case scenario.

26. Fred Taylor, Jaguars- I liked him better last year coming off a down campaign. It's possible he could start and get less touches than MoJo.

27. Marion Barber III, Cowboys - I admittedly have no clue what the Cowboys will do at running back. I suspect that will be the case in Week 3, which makes either player tough to start in fantasy leagues. For now, I'm putting off thinking hard though about where to rank them.

28. Julius Jones, Cowboys- He's reportedly on the trading block once again. A committee seems likely if he stays in Dallas.

29. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers - Coming off a strange, wildly uneven rookie season. Williams isn't likely to get the goal-line touches, but he's a better player than DeShaun Foster. If John Fox agrees, this ranking is too low.

30. Ahman Green, Texans - Last of the unquestioned starters, but Green's steep decline in the second-half last season was a red flag.

31. DeShaun Foster, Panthers - Hasn't finished higher than 24th at running back in four seasons. DeAngelo Williams could start sooner than later.

32. Kevin Jones, Lions- His foot injury is a mystery, and Detroit signed Tatum Bell and T.J. Duckett. That doesn't bode well. Even if he's healthy enough to play in September, Jones will probably split carries in 2007.

33. Jamal Lewis, Browns - Value depends largely on whether Cleveland drafts Adrian Peterson. Lewis seems likely to split carries with a rookie regardless, it just might be a second-rounder.

34. Jerious Norwood, Falcons - Warrick Dunn's role is decreasing, but Atlanta's starter may not be on the roster yet. If the Falcons draft a bruiser, knock Norwood down the list.

35. Ladell Betts, Redskins - Rumors persist that the Broncos are still after him. If he stays in Washington, he's the best true backup in the league. Joe Gibbs doesn't seem likely to split the carries.

36. Warrick Dunn, Falcons - A scheme change is rough news for Dunn, already coming off January shoulder surgery. Don't bail a year too late. A high rookie pick in Atlanta will knock him off this list.

37. Vernand Morency, Packers - Dynasty leaguers may want to think about selling high on Morency now while he's the nominal starter in Green Bay. Best player available be damned, the Packers simply have to draft a running back high.

38. Leon Washington, Jets - Too bad Thomas Jones is so durable.

39. Michael Turner, Chargers - I'd rather draft Turner for the chance of Tomlinson getting hurt than accepting mediocrity by drafting Reuben Droughns and Dominic Rhodes.

40. Reuben Droughns - Droughns will compete for a larger role, but he'll probably wind up as a change-of-pace to Brandon Jacobs.

Just Missed: Tatum Bell, Dominic Rhodes, Anthony Thomas, Mike Bell, Ricky Williams, Corey Dillon

 

[Chase Stuart]

I keep doing a double take everytime I look at Frank Gore's 2006 season. I didn't have him on any of my teams, so I guess I didn't notice how incredible his year was. I mean we all knew it was good, but of the last 50 RBs to total 2000 yards in a season (Gore had 2180, 20th most), he had the fifth highest YPC average. The other four? Barry, Barry, Dickerson, Faulk. Pretty lofty company.

I mean, he just did something that only the greatest RBs in the history of the league in their prime ever did.

 

[jurb26]

I keep doing a double take everytime I look at Frank Gore's 2006 season. I didn't have him on any of my teams, so I guess I didn't notice how incredible his year was. I mean we all knew it was good, but of the last 50 RBs to total 2000 yards in a season (Gore had 2180, 20th most), he had the fifth highest YPC average. The other four? Barry, Barry, Dickerson, Faulk. Pretty lofty company.I mean, he just did something that only the greatest RBs in the history of the league in their prime ever did.

We tried to tell you all how talented this guy was about 3 years ago.

 

[coolnerd]

LINK

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion on things. Alexander at RB14 was something I was not expecting to see . . .

I thought this was familiar, USA today's top 40 = Rotoworld's Top 40. http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/features/...articleid=27909

 

[H.K.]

Knowing the scoring system for these would be of interest.

 

[Chase Stuart]

Bush's 2006 season with a weighted average: 162 carries, 652 rushing yards (4.03), 820 receiving yards, 11.3 TDs, 215 FPs.

[Weighted average = 16 *(Gm 1 numbers * 1 + Gm 2 number * 2 ... Gm 15 numbers * 15) / 120. Game 16 numbers were excluded since he barely played.]

 

[lord_helmet]

There was never any doubt about Gore's talent, just his knees and ability to pick up an NFL offense (IIRC he had a wonderlic score of a whopping 8)

 

[BigRed]

I disagree to varying degrees but the only one of the upper RBs that made me snicker was Caddy. Alexander should be higher too - he has at least one good year left (granted probably not much more).

 

[Chase Stuart]

There was never any doubt about Gore's talent, just his knees and ability to pick up an NFL offense (IIRC he had a wonderlic score of a whopping 8)

Saying there was never any doubt about Gore's talent isn't the same thing as saying he'd do something Walter Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis, Corey Dillon, Edgerrin James and Priest Holmes would never do. Plus when Barry did it, both times he had at least average passing offenses, and Faulk was on an incredible offense.I don't think there's much synergy between rushing and passing offenses, but that Gore could average 5.4 YPC on over 300 carries on a bad SF team is incredibly impressive.

 

[lord_helmet]

There was never any doubt about Gore's talent, just his knees and ability to pick up an NFL offense (IIRC he had a wonderlic score of a whopping 8)

Saying there was never any doubt about Gore's talent isn't the same thing as saying he'd do something Walter Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis, Corey Dillon, Edgerrin James and Priest Holmes would never do. Plus when Barry did it, both times he had at least average passing offenses, and Faulk was on an incredible offense.I don't think there's much synergy between rushing and passing offenses, but that Gore could average 5.4 YPC on over 300 carries on a bad SF team is incredibly impressive.

I can agree with that, it was the guy touting his "I told you so" horn who triggered my response.

 

[jurb26]

There was never any doubt about Gore's talent, just his knees and ability to pick up an NFL offense (IIRC he had a wonderlic score of a whopping 8)

Saying there was never any doubt about Gore's talent isn't the same thing as saying he'd do something Walter Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis, Corey Dillon, Edgerrin James and Priest Holmes would never do. Plus when Barry did it, both times he had at least average passing offenses, and Faulk was on an incredible offense.I don't think there's much synergy between rushing and passing offenses, but that Gore could average 5.4 YPC on over 300 carries on a bad SF team is incredibly impressive.

I can agree with that, it was the guy touting his "I told you so" horn who triggered my response.

This is laughable for more reasons than I can list.

 

[Tarkin]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

 

[lord_helmet]

There was never any doubt about Gore's talent, just his knees and ability to pick up an NFL offense (IIRC he had a wonderlic score of a whopping 8)

Saying there was never any doubt about Gore's talent isn't the same thing as saying he'd do something Walter Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Emmitt Smith, Terrell Davis, Corey Dillon, Edgerrin James and Priest Holmes would never do. Plus when Barry did it, both times he had at least average passing offenses, and Faulk was on an incredible offense.I don't think there's much synergy between rushing and passing offenses, but that Gore could average 5.4 YPC on over 300 carries on a bad SF team is incredibly impressive.

I can agree with that, it was the guy touting his "I told you so" horn who triggered my response.

This is laughable for more reasons than I can list.

Hurry, I think there's another thread somewhere around here you can go and thump your chest.

 

[delusional]

I keep doing a double take everytime I look at Frank Gore's 2006 season. I didn't have him on any of my teams, so I guess I didn't notice how incredible his year was. I mean we all knew it was good, but of the last 50 RBs to total 2000 yards in a season (Gore had 2180, 20th most), he had the fifth highest YPC average. The other four? Barry, Barry, Dickerson, Faulk. Pretty lofty company.I mean, he just did something that only the greatest RBs in the history of the league in their prime ever did.

I watched alot of his games. When you talk about a running back who takes every yard he can, its him. You only see a few RBs with that determination and every play he had it. Watching him bulldoze people and moving packs for 2-3 extra yards was fun

 

[Ariakis]

Is this the highest anyone has had Jacobs listed?

 

[my man otis]

LINK

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion on things. Alexander at RB14 was something I was not expecting to see . . .

I thought this was familiar, USA today's top 40 = Rotoworld's Top 40. http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/features/...articleid=27909

the wonders of syndication

 

[Otis]

3. Frank Gore, 49ers- - The inconvenient truth for the three teams that drafted a running back in the top-five of the 2005 Draft (Miami, Chicago, Tampa Bay) is that the total package lasted until pick 65.

I love Gore this high, and I agree with the writer that he could be as high as #2 since he is the next best thing to LT2:

2. Steven Jackson, Rams – My gut says Frank Gore should be second because he's the closest thing to LaDainian Tomlinson. All things being equal, his talent would give him the spot. Life rarely makes things equal though. Gore plays for the 49ers, Jackson plays for the Rams. Jackson is the safer bet to hit 15 scores.

As a runner I think he is as good as anyone, and he also is a solid receiver. Can't wait to see what he can do next year

 

[ATC1]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

P. Manning down?

 

[Domination]

I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate all of the Gore owners who got a wondeful year out of him last year. Also wanted to introduce you to Dominic Davis, I mean Williams. That is what I have seen from Gore and would expect in the future. Players with injury issues, don't normally just stop getting injured. Best of luck if you would take him at #2 this year.

 

[ATC1]

I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate all of the Gore owners who got a wondeful year out of him last year. Also wanted to introduce you to Dominic Davis, I mean Williams. That is what I have seen from Gore and would expect in the future. Players with injury issues, don't normally just stop getting injured. Best of luck if you would take him at #2 this year.

There is a difference betwen chronic swelling in the knees/reoccuring problems and what Gore has overcome. Gore has had both labrums and ACLs reconstructed. By my count that means he had work done on 4 limbs and he has none left to repair. DD has had chronic knee pain for several years now, and it relates to even his days at LSU. It's a degenerative cartliage. As long as Gore is not getting the chronic knee swelling, he should be fine from degenerative knees for a few years.

 

[ThePittbully]

Wow Gore at 3? Hadnt seen that on any rankings yet, as a Gore owner that brings a to my face. I got him in my dynasty league in round 6 last year. After watching his finish to the 2005 season where he put up a good deal of points in 4 games I couldnt believe people were still sleeping on him. No one is sleeping on him now, thats for sure

 

[cstu]

I keep doing a double take everytime I look at Frank Gore's 2006 season. I didn't have him on any of my teams, so I guess I didn't notice how incredible his year was. I mean we all knew it was good, but of the last 50 RBs to total 2000 yards in a season (Gore had 2180, 20th most), he had the fifth highest YPC average. The other four? Barry, Barry, Dickerson, Faulk. Pretty lofty company.I mean, he just did something that only the greatest RBs in the history of the league in their prime ever did.

13th best season by a 1st or 2nd year RB and 5th best by RB's with over 5 YPC (only Dickerson, Portis (twice), and Sanders had better seasons).

 

[cstu]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

Ranking Westbrook higher than Bush is just odd. Even in non-PPR you would have to take Bush over Westbrook. The tough call for me would be Bush or Rudi in non-PPR.

 

[David Yudkin]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

Ranking Westbrook higher than Bush is just odd. Even in non-PPR you would have to take Bush over Westbrook. The tough call for me would be Bush or Rudi in non-PPR.

Why is that so odd? With 0 PPR, Westbrook averaged 18.4 ppg in 2006 and Bush averaged 11.1 ppg.

 

[supermark_28]

LINK

Certainly everyone is entitled to their opinion on things. Alexander at RB14 was something I was not expecting to see . . .

David,I'm with you. If he looks anything like he did at the end of the yearhe's a steal at # 14.

 

[02025]

I found this continuation on rotoworld....

Guys who just missed the cut..

http://blogs.rotoworld.com/Fantasy_Footbal...missed.php#more

 

[cstu]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

Ranking Westbrook higher than Bush is just odd. Even in non-PPR you would have to take Bush over Westbrook. The tough call for me would be Bush or Rudi in non-PPR.

Why is that so odd? With 0 PPR, Westbrook averaged 18.4 ppg in 2006 and Bush averaged 11.1 ppg.

My mistake, I thought it was a dynasty list. Must've been Alexander at 14 that threw me off.

 

[brednbuddah]

Bold prediction here, in more ways than one

15. Travis Henry, Broncos - Another guy who got a better job than he deserves. It wouldn't surprise me to see Denver draft a first-day pick, which would hurt Henry's ranking.

Denver taking a first day RB would be great for Henry. competition usually brings out the best in people. I think Henry is a stealthy pick. Shanny won't trust a rookie early on with a known commodity like Henry, yes, I know Henry has been known to put the ball on the carpet, but I think Henry, given the opportunities, will put a lock on the job ala Thomas Jones in Chicago with Benson applying the pressure.

 

[Willowdoc]

I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate all of the Gore owners who got a wondeful year out of him last year. Also wanted to introduce you to Dominic Davis, I mean Williams. That is what I have seen from Gore and would expect in the future. Players with injury issues, don't normally just stop getting injured. Best of luck if you would take him at #2 this year.

What evidence do you have that Frank Gore is an injury risk? If you look on this site (search under Doug Drinen's name) Doug Drinen has done a statistical analysis of risk of injury which essentially says that Gore's risk of injury is only slightly higher than LT's (unless he has some lingering condition which wasn't apparent last year). Frank Gore may get injured this year, but if he does its just bad luck.

 

[David Yudkin]

I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate all of the Gore owners who got a wondeful year out of him last year. Also wanted to introduce you to Dominic Davis, I mean Williams. That is what I have seen from Gore and would expect in the future. Players with injury issues, don't normally just stop getting injured. Best of luck if you would take him at #2 this year.

What evidence do you have that Frank Gore is an injury risk? If you look on this site (search under Doug Drinen's name) Doug Drinen has done a statistical analysis of risk of injury which essentially says that Gore's risk of injury is only slightly higher than LT's (unless he has some lingering condition which wasn't apparent last year). Frank Gore may get injured this year, but if he does its just bad luck.

Hmmm . . . I have read Doug's articles on injury risk and IIRC it deals with players that had injuries having another injury (nonspecified) that would cause that player to miss significant time and thus getting the tag of being an "injury risk." Gore has torn his ACL in both knees, and while I doubt that makes him any riskier in having say a shoulder or a finger injury I do think that may be something to watch in terms of future knee injuries.He clearly did not look any worse for wear last season and medical science has done wonders for players ability to return from major knee surgery. However, we still have not reached a point where we can point to RBs that have had reconstructive knee surgery and have played say 10 more years played post-surgery.Some players heal better than others and some have lingering issues. For now things look bright for Gore but it certainly is a situation that bears monitoring at least for awhile.

 

[thecatch]

Some players heal better than others and some have lingering issues. For now things look bright for Gore but it certainly is a situation that bears monitoring at least for awhile.

How is this really different than any other RB? I'd have to agree with the previous poster that said he shouldn't be considered any more of a risk than any other RB. How many RBs are great for 10 years even without major knee surgery?

 

[Tyrion]

I find it interesting that he knocks MJD down the list because of Fred Taylor but leaves Bush at the top of the list with Deuce who is probably a better and healthier back right now. (Better and healther than Fred that is.)

 

[dickey moe]

Other than Ronnie Brown, I agree with almost all of his rankings in the top 10.

 

[dickey moe]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

 

[dickey moe]

Anyone else surprised that Portis didn't (barely) break the Top 10?

 

[Ministry of Pain]

I wonder if Gore would have done as well if Turner were not the OC...he has had success everywhere with a lot of RB. Emmitt Smith, Ricky Williams, Lamont Jordan(70 rec in 1 season), I think Stephen Davis way over performed in Washington under Turner as the H/C there.

I am a big UM fan and watched Gore for several years. I posted like many others that the guy had a lot of talent. he also had 2 very rough ACL tears and was pretty much coasting his Senior year at the "U" so he didn't wind up getting hurt again and could actually make it into the draft.

I think Gore is one of the younger RB in the league but Dynasty owners need to take special note of him. He just had one of the top20 seasons of all time...did some things that Chase pointed out which very few RB have done ever...it stands to reason that his numbers could/should take a hit this season. He also IMO is a major injury risk. I would be dealing this guy in the off season while you can get a primo return for a guy you probably at best spent a mid to late 1st round pick on...2 seasons later its time to cash in that lottery ticket. What if Gore has another injury setback this season? He has 2 ACL tears already...a 3rd would likely end his career.

I also think with Turner moving on that SF will look different on offense. And btw there really are no WR that can stretch the field...Bryant looked good at times last season. Alex Smith is not a guru at QB yet...Eric Johnson is gone, maybe Vernon Davis will excel this year but that's not a guarantee.

I think Gore at #3 offers no value in redraft leagues. I would be glad to watch someone else pick him up.

 

[cstu]

I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate all of the Gore owners who got a wondeful year out of him last year. Also wanted to introduce you to Dominic Davis, I mean Williams. That is what I have seen from Gore and would expect in the future. Players with injury issues, don't normally just stop getting injured. Best of luck if you would take him at #2 this year.

What evidence do you have that Frank Gore is an injury risk? If you look on this site (search under Doug Drinen's name) Doug Drinen has done a statistical analysis of risk of injury which essentially says that Gore's risk of injury is only slightly higher than LT's (unless he has some lingering condition which wasn't apparent last year). Frank Gore may get injured this year, but if he does its just bad luck.

Hmmm . . . I have read Doug's articles on injury risk and IIRC it deals with players that had injuries having another injury (nonspecified) that would cause that player to miss significant time and thus getting the tag of being an "injury risk." Gore has torn his ACL in both knees, and while I doubt that makes him any riskier in having say a shoulder or a finger injury I do think that may be something to watch in terms of future knee injuries.He clearly did not look any worse for wear last season and medical science has done wonders for players ability to return from major knee surgery. However, we still have not reached a point where we can point to RBs that have had reconstructive knee surgery and have played say 10 more years played post-surgery.Some players heal better than others and some have lingering issues. For now things look bright for Gore but it certainly is a situation that bears monitoring at least for awhile.

Just off the top of my head I can think of Greg Jones and Jamal Lewis as RB's who tore their ACL's in college and the NFL. On the other hand, Westbrook had two knee injuries in college and has been fine. I'd like to know what other RB's tore their ACL in college and if they've had another knee injury.

 

[ThePittbully]

Boy, pick #5 this year is tough.

Ranking Westbrook higher than Bush is just odd. Even in non-PPR you would have to take Bush over Westbrook. The tough call for me would be Bush or Rudi in non-PPR.

Why is that so odd? With 0 PPR, Westbrook averaged 18.4 ppg in 2006 and Bush averaged 11.1 ppg.

My mistake, I thought it was a dynasty list. Must've been Alexander at 14 that threw me off.

I thought this was a dynasty list too, I definitely dont agree with Alexander being 14 then...

 

[Banger]

It's looking like Portis, T. Jones, A. Green, MB3 may all provide decent value this year. Don't understand the L. White ranking at all, what has he done to show that he can be as good as A. Green, E. James, T. Jones, etc.

 

[Arm Chair Express]

I just wanted to take the chance to congratulate all of the Gore owners who got a wondeful year out of him last year. Also wanted to introduce you to Dominic Davis, I mean Williams. That is what I have seen from Gore and would expect in the future. Players with injury issues, don't normally just stop getting injured. Best of luck if you would take him at #2 this year.

What evidence do you have that Frank Gore is an injury risk? If you look on this site (search under Doug Drinen's name) Doug Drinen has done a statistical analysis of risk of injury which essentially says that Gore's risk of injury is only slightly higher than LT's (unless he has some lingering condition which wasn't apparent last year). Frank Gore may get injured this year, but if he does its just bad luck.

Hmmm . . . I have read Doug's articles on injury risk and IIRC it deals with players that had injuries having another injury (nonspecified) that would cause that player to miss significant time and thus getting the tag of being an "injury risk." Gore has torn his ACL in both knees, and while I doubt that makes him any riskier in having say a shoulder or a finger injury I do think that may be something to watch in terms of future knee injuries.He clearly did not look any worse for wear last season and medical science has done wonders for players ability to return from major knee surgery. However, we still have not reached a point where we can point to RBs that have had reconstructive knee surgery and have played say 10 more years played post-surgery.Some players heal better than others and some have lingering issues. For now things look bright for Gore but it certainly is a situation that bears monitoring at least for awhile.

Just off the top of my head I can think of Greg Jones and Jamal Lewis as RB's who tore their ACL's in college and the NFL. On the other hand, Westbrook had two knee injuries in college and has been fine. I'd like to know what other RB's tore their ACL in college and if they've had another knee injury.

Magahee's knee was one of the worst that comes to mind and he's been fine.