Fantasy Football Rankings 2013: DeMarco Murray and RBs to Avoid at All Costs

Running back is far and away the most important position in fantasy football. As good as being armed with the knowledge of knowing who to draft at the position is, it is equally, if not more important to know who to avoid. 

The position is like walking through a minefield. For every star like Alfred Morris, there is a bust like the 2012 edition of Maurice Jones-Drew just waiting to be activated by the wrong step. 

Many owners subscribe to the theory of grabbing as many backs as possible while following the board. That is a huge mistake that will land some owners in hot water all season long. 

Don't just grab running backs for the sake of having talent at the position. Instead, know to avoid certain players like the following three guys and either address other positions or find better options—at all costs.

Note: All fantasy rankings courtesy of FantasyPros.com.

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders 

Player Ranking: 21st RB, 40th Overall 

Oakland running back Darren McFadden may be the most polarizing player at his position in fantasy football. Year in and out he is featured on lists like this one, as well as lists naming potential breakout candidates. 

Only one can be correct. 

The safe bet, or at least the smart one, is on McFadden ending up a dud. There's no doubt McFadden is an extremely talented runner. The problem is McFadden's body simply does not agree with his physical style. 

McFadden has never played in a full 16-game season in five years and has cracked 1,000 yards just once. He has had more than three 100-yard games in a season just once. He can be an asset in the passing game, which is great, especially for PPR leagues, but he's caught over 40 passes just twice. 

Many will argue McFadden is a great value, but there's nothing to say he can stay healthy. The trend doesn't look good. He's already been injured this preseason, although Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle says McFadden is good to go:

An injury is an injury, and in this case it's yet another warning sign to avoid McFadden. Add in the emergence of quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who will be asked to run a good amount, and McFadden is in for a quiet year. Owners can do better. 

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati Bengals 

Player Ranking: 34th RB, 84th Overall

Fantasy owners were quick to write off Cincinnati running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis when the Bengals selected Giovani Bernard in the 2013 NFL draft. 

After all, Bernard was the first back off the board and is electric in space—the polar opposite of BJGE, who can only get what is blocked in front of him. 

That was a bit of an overreaction by the fantasy community. Bernard is a smaller back the team is going to want to keep fresh for a potential playoff run. BJGE would still have seen most of the carries in the regular season, which he did last year and racked up over 1,000 yards. 

That forecast changed dramatically this preseason. 

Bernard exploded onto the scene through three preseason games and racked up 104 yards on 23 rushes and 55 yards on six receptions. In other words, he's ahead of schedule and the coaching staff appears ready to use him in a big capacity. BJGE, on the other hand, finished his last preseason game with five carries for five yards.

Owners have always known to avoid BJGE, but there was a point in time where he could have made for a suitable bench player with a decent ceiling. Not anymore, even as the No. 34 back off the board. 

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

Player Ranking: 18th RB, 34th Overall 

DeMarco Murray is a younger version of McFadden in terms of fantasy. He's equally divided among love/hate lists thanks to his questionable first two years in the league. 

Like McFadden, Murray is a very talented back with the potential to be one of the NFL's best. Also like McFadden, his body simply cannot keep itself together for 16 games. 

In two seasons Murray has already missed nine games. More disturbing is his stats show a steady decline from year one to two. In 2011 he rushed for 5.5 yards a carry on 163 attempts. 2012 saw Murray get the ball 161 times, but only averaged 4.1 yards per carry.

Murray has not been without his struggles this preseason, either. Head coach Jason Garrett benched Murray against Cincinnati after he fumbled the ball. He'd go on to add a touchdown late in the game against backups, but the message was sent. 

The Cowboys have been smart to add talent behind Murray because of his issues. A stable crop consisting of Lance Dunbar, Phillip Tanner and even rookie Joseph Randle show the Cowboys are ready if something negative occurs for Murray health or production-wise. 

Fantasy owners should take the hint and steer clear, especially in the top 50. 

Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling