Top 10 Fantasy Football RBs in 2009

By (Correspondent) on June 15, 2009

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MINNEAPOLIS - JANUARY 4:   Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings carries the ball in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles during the NFC Wild Card playoff game on January 4,2009 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesot

Looking at this year's crop of NFL running backs, it's tough to pick the top-10.

With just about every team attempting to run some sort of tandem in the backfield, it's no easy feat determining which backs will be receiving the majority of the carries, especially near the goal-line, where they matter most.

However, this is good news for fantasy owners, as there should be no shortage of quality RB options available—even later in most drafts.

Looking at the best options out there, it's amazing how young they all are—most of them are in their third or fourth year.

This goes to show just how brutal the position is on these players, and how amazing it is that they can ever manage to stay dominant for a decade or more.

That being said, there should be some significant changes in the top-10 from last year at this time. There were just too many great RB's that came out of the 2008 draft class—not to mention Michael Turner tearing it up in his first year as a starter.

So here is my final word of advice before getting this thing started:

Don't panic if you can't get a top-five or even top-10 RB. There are a TON of solid options out there.

10 - LaDainian Tomlinson

4 May 2001:  LaDainian Tomlinson #21 runs with the ball during the San Diego Chargers Mini Camp at Murphy Canyon in San Diego, California.Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw  /Allsport

I really wanted to rank Tomlinson higher, but I'm not entirely convinced that he's going to be his old self again—even if he's 100 percent healthy.

I'm taking the conservative approach with him this year and assuming he'll at least duplicate his stats from last year—which is still a pretty damn good season.

9 - DeAngelo Williams

CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 10:  Running back DeAngelo Williams #34 of the Carolina Panthers runs the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter of the NFC Divisional Playoff Game on January 10, 2009 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N

After a couple of disappointing seasons, Williams absolutely blew up in 2008. With the help of Jonathan Stewart, he gave the Panthers one of the deadliest rushing tandems in recent memory.

Even with Jake Delhomme injured for half the season, the Panthers barely missed a beat, as they picked it up with the run.

With Jake Delhomme not getting any younger, look for Williams to shoulder a heavy load again this year.

#8 - Chris Johnson

NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 27:  Chris Johnson #28 of the Tennessee Titans carries the ball during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts at  LP Field on October 27, 2008 in Nashville, Tennessee.  (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

He's probably right up there with AP as the most explosive back in the game. The only thing stopping him from ranking higher is a guy named Lendale White, who tends to vulture a ton of goal line carries.

The Titans have a great offensive line and love to run the ball. Even without all the TD opportunities, Johnson's going to get his fantasy points each week.

7 - Clinton Portis

DETROIT - OCTOBER 26:  Clinton Portis #26 of the Washington Redskins carries the ball during the game against the Detroit Lions on October 26, 2008 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.  (Photo by Domenic Centofanti/Getty Images)

The Redskins' passing game still leaves a lot to be desired. This means that Clinton Portis will once again be the centerpiece of the Redskins offense. He should match last year's numbers, at the very least.

Washington's improved defense should help Portis get more touches per game as well.

6 - Steve Slaton

GREEN BAY - DECEMBER 7:  Steve Slaton #20 of the Houston Texans carries the ball during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on December 7, 2008 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  (Photo by: Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

For a guy that didn't take over the starting job in Houston until a few games into the season, Slaton put up some amazing numbers.

Give him a full 16 games as the No. 1 back in Houston, and I think the results could be impressive.

Also, Schaub staying healthy will be huge, as Slaton will contribute heavily in the passing game as well.

5 - Brandon Jacobs

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 07:  Brandon Jacobs #27 of the New York Giants runs against the Philadelphia Eagles during their game on December 7, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Derrick Ward is in Tampa Bay, and that means Jacobs is going to get that many more carries this year. If he manages to stay healthy, he's going to be a touchdown machine.

Also, Eli Manning isn't the same without Plaxico Burress to throw to. The Giants WILL be running the ball a lot this year. You can bank on that.

4 - Maurice Jones-Drew

JACKSONVILLE, FL - DECEMBER 14:  A. J. Hawk #50 of the Green Bay Packers attempts to tackle Maurice Jones-Drew #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the game at Jacksonville Municipal stadium on December 14, 2008 in Jacksonville, Florida.  (Photo by Sam

The departure of Fred Taylor is Christmas come early to any fantasy owner who's lucky enough to snag MJD this year.

For the first time in his career, he'll be getting just about every carry for the Jags. If you look at his numbers since he came into the league, he has some of he best yard-per-carry totals in the game.

Double the carries each year, and he's a perennial MVP candidate—as well as a top fantasy scorer.

3 - Matt Forte

MINNEAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 30:  Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears carries the ball during the game against the Minnesota Vikings at the Metrodome on November 30, 2008 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Finally, the Chicago Bears have found themselves a franchise running back.

Matt Forte reminds me of Marshall Faulk or Bryan Westbrook, as he managed to lead the Bears in receptions as well as carries last season.

With the addition of Jay Cutler at QB, Forte should increase his receptions—and find a few more holes in his opponents, as defenses will be forced to respect Cutler's arm.

2 - Michael Turner

ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 23: Running back Michael Turner #33 of the Atlanta Falcons rushes upfield against the Carolina Panthers at the Georgia Dome on November 23, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.  (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Michael "The Burner" Turner exceeded everyone's expectations in his first year as a starter in Atlanta.

While he's bound to feel a bit exhausted after racking up a career-high in touches last year, there's no reason to think that it'll stop him from doing the same thing this year.

If anything, he should do even better.

The Falcons passing game will improve following the addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez. Defenses will now be forced to respect the pass at all times, leaving Turner open to run over the opposition.

1 - Adrian Peterson

DETROIT - DECEMBER 07:  Running back Adrian Peterson #28 of the Minnesota Vikings rushes the ball for 22 yards during the third quarter of the NFL game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 7, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. The Vikings defeated

Simply put, Adrian Peterson is the complete package.

He's explosive, powerful, and smart—not to mention that he's an excellent receiver out of the backfield, as well.

Barring an injury, AP will easily outpace all other running backs in terms of fantasy production. Now, if he could only cut down the fumbles...

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