2009 Fantasy Football: Top Five Rookie Running Backs

(Left: Who is this year's Steve Slaton?)

Everyone knows who the top players are at each position. Most people can even pick through the muddled "solid" players, and almost everyone knows who the flat-out "duds" are.

However, not everyone follows college football, the NFL Draft, or even NFL teams' position battles or depth charts.

Here's a look at the top seven rookie running backs headed into 2009. Who has the most value, and when will we see it?

It's going to be nearly impossible to match what last year's class of Steve Slaton, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte, and even Kevin Smith accomplished, but there's still some gems to be had.

Honorable Mention: James Davis (Browns)

Davis was an extremely productive back at Clemson, where he scored at least nine touchdowns in all four years, as well as 17 in 2006.

He has experience with being "the guy" and will start the season learning behind Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison.

Lewis is the starter for now, and even if he wasn't, Harrison's experience and solid talent would get him the nod before Davis.

Davis is a fine back, though, and his speed and vision could get him on the field quicker than we'd think.

Verdict: He's an honorable mention for a reason. He needs two quality running backs to drop dead before he gets his chance.

Honorable Mention: Bernard Scott (Bengals)

Scott is a dual-threat play-maker waiting to happen.

With back-to-back 2,000+ yard seasons and two straight years of at least 28 touchdowns, it's clear Scott is immensely talented.

Playing at a small school could have impacted his stats, but his solid speed and quickness attest to them not simply being numbers.

Scott has a realistic chance at playing a good amount in 2009, as his only road-blocks are the inconsistent Cedric Benson, and possibly the often-injured Brian Leonard.

Verdict: Scott will see some time, and is a nice "stash" pick late in the draft if you're a Benson hater.

In other words, if you get Benson (don't), he could be a decent hand-cuff-and yes, possibly even over Leonard.

5. Shonn Greene (Jets)

While he's already been proclaimed as New York's "closer" for 2009, I wouldn't buy too much into that.

GM's and coaches constantly hype rookies who look solid in OTA's, so you have to take those comments with a grain of salt.

Still, Green was very productive at Iowa, and he has all the skills to make an immediate impact for the Jets.

He only put up one good season in the Big Ten, but 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns should be convincing enough.

Verdict: He'll definitely get carries (red-zone fiend), and could very well play out the "closer" role the coaching staff keeps talking about.

Grab him in the late rounds if he's still available.

4. Donald Brown (Colts)

Brown is a fabulous addition to a Colts' offense that relies on the run more than people would think.

With a 2,000-yard and 18-touchdown junior season, Brown clearly has the talent to jump in and steal some carries from Joseph Addai.

However, I'm not believing the hype about Addai losing his job. In fact, I still feel the Colts organization backs him and thinks he can be their back for the future.

Brown should still get onto the field in the early going, but possibly not enough to warrant drafting him before the late rounds.

Verdict: If Addai goes down, you could have just found yourself a steal.

3. LeSean McCoy (Eagles)

As it stands, McCoy is nothing more than a young running back learning a complex offense.

Oh, and he's sitting behind Brian Westbrook.

However, with Westbrook's ankle surgery, there is now a slight chance McCoy could open the season as the starter.

Verdict: Complex offense or not, McCoy is a guy you want on your team if Westbrook isn't 100 percent.

2. Knowshon Moreno (Broncos)

With Kyle Orton at quarterback, this offense is a little less scary.

Defense may put 8 in the box and crowd Moreno, which is one reason to be slightly afraid. However, if you have any faith in Josh McDaniels and his version of Bill Belichick's magic, then you won't worry about it.

Either way, McDaniels runs an offense with several backs, which could even out the touches enough to make Moreno irrelevant.

Then again, when's the last time McDaniels had a running back with this much talent?

Verdict: He's the projected starter, so he deserves a mid-round selection.

1. Chris Wells (Cardinals)

Wells is walking into a perfect situation, and so might you if you draft him.

The Cardinals gave up on Edgerrin James, and it's clear they're doing the same for Tim Hightower.

While Hightower may steal some short yardage and goal-line carries, Wells is the most talented Arizona back, and he'll be the starter, before long.

Verdict: Wells should be the first rookie running back chosen in your draft.