Walker-Sports Presents: Fantasy Football Reality Check No. 3: Running Backs

Here we are again, and I am happy to welcome back Stephen Lamare, courtesy of Gridiron Goddess.net. Stephen is here talking fantasy football, so check it out if you want to make the most of your fantasy draft.

Welcome back to Your Fantasy Football Reality Check.

We’re quickly approaching the ‘08 NFL season, and that means a great majority of you are preparing for your fantasy drafts. Today is the day I’ll be addressing the position most coveted by fantasy owners everywhere: the running backs.

It’s practically a lock that nine out of the first 10 picks in almost all drafts everywhere have traditionally gone to the RBs. I’m not about to present an argument that will go against this sound line of thinking, especially in this age of the running back by committee.

For better or worse, it’s a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon, so it truly puts a priority on how you spend your first-round pick.

To put things in perspective on how quickly your backfield situation can come in to question; last season I had the No. 2 overall pick in a 10-team league. I drafted Steven Jackson at two and by the time it came back for my second pick, the best remaining RBs on the draft board were Maurice Jones-Drew or Cedric Benson—not exactly exciting choices in the second round.

It’s inevitable that one or more of your starters or bench running backs is going to be involved in some sort of committee situation. The trick is determining which back in the particular committee your targeting will be the most productive, or who will get the goal-line carries.

Again, fantasy football scoring systems, by and large, are centered around scoring touchdowns. Identify the TD producers and draft accordingly.

Obviously, we’d all like to have two RBs that each touch the ball 25 times a game. That would be the ideal scenario. If you can manage it, and many of you will—fantastic!

However, with the rise of the committee, and the ebb and flow of the draft, relying on that type of outcome can be somewhat unrealistic. Especially when it’s a choice between the best RB left on the board (in a committee, of course) and a much higher-rated WR or QB, both of whom you could easily justify spending an early choice on.

Make sure to grab your Mr. Reliable, ASAP!!

RBs you’ll relish owning: Fantasy Studs to Solid Producers

1) LaDanian Tomlinson
2) Adrian Peterson
3) Brian Westbrook
4) Joseph Addai
5) Steven Jackson
6) Clinton Portis
7) Frank Gore
8 ) Marshawn Lynch
9) Marion Barber
10) Larry Johnson
11) Willis McGahee
12) Ryan Grant

RBs with some upsides and some downsides:

13) Jamal Lewis
14) Willie Parker
15) Maurice Jones-Drew
16) Brandon Jacobs
17) Ronnie Brown
18 ) Reggie Bush
19) Laurence Maroney
20) Michael Turner
21) Edgerrin James
22) Thomas Jones
23) Earnest Graham
24) Rudi Johnson
25) LenDale White
26) Fred Taylor

Good luck with all the rest! A lot of committees remaining to pick from, I’d just genuinely feel better by only having some combination of the backs I mentioned.

Next week is the wide receivers!

The Dude Abides,
~Stephen Lamare