Fantasy Football 2011: Running Backs Primed to Improve Upon Last Season

It’s late August and your fantasy draft is right around the corner.

You want to do some heavy research, but Glee re-runs are on and there just isn’t any time. So you take a quick look back at last year’s stats. But is this the best way to build a team in 2011?

I think not.

However, we get it, you’re lazy. Trust us, we know. So let us help you out. We’ve already taken a look back at 2010, and can now tell you which running backs you can rely on to produce greater numbers during their upcoming 2011 campaigns.

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

The dude only had 230 carries last season, despite averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Or maybe, he only averaged 6.4 yards per carry because he got just 230 carries.

I just blew your mind, didn’t I?

Here’s a fact, it’s a joke that Thomas Jones actually got more carries than Charles last year. That's like being a director of a chick flick and casting Steve Buscemi for the male lead over George Clooney.

But Charles is ready for a bigger workload in 2011. Look for him to get about 30 more carries and lead the league in rushing in 2011. You heard it first here…unless of course you already heard it somewhere else.

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens

Yes, he produced 1,220 yards rushing last season, but he only averaged 4.0 yards per carry. So most people considered Rice’s 2010 campaign a disappointment. Don’t worry though, things are looking up for Ray in 2011.

The Ravens have a cakewalk of a schedule in 2011 (Steelers twice, Jets once, that’s it). And with Willis McGahee no longer stealing carries, Rice should challenge Charles for the league lead in rushing.

Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys

Much like the entire Dallas Cowboys team in 2010, Jones was a bust. He barely cracked 800 yards rushing. Where was the explosiveness? Where was the pop?

With Marion Barber now in Chicago, look for Jones to play looser and stop looking over his shoulder. He’s going to remind folks why some said he was better than fellow Arkansas Razorback alum Darren McFadden coming out of college.

LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

No, he won’t get 300 carries this year. Former Eagles running back Brian Westbrook never even came close to sniffing 300 carries, even during his prime. While I do suspect McCoy’s carries to increase, it is his receiving skills that impress me.

Quarterback Michael Vick loves to dump it off to McCoy out of the backfield. If Vick stays healthy, look for him to target McCoy at least 100 times this year (resulting in 90 receptions for McCoy). He has a real shot at delivering both 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards.  I think he’ll come up just short, but will still be impressive.

DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers

Admit it, you were shocked when Carolina re-signed Williams to a long-term deal. Think about it, Jonathan Stewart was always supposed to be the future, right?

Here’s the deal, Williams' injuries last season were fluke injuries. It wasn’t the result of his body breaking down. The fact is he’s only had over 230 carries in a season once in his career.

The Panthers didn’t give him $41 million ($21 million guaranteed) to sit on the bench. I smell 1,200 yards coming in 2011.

LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s simple math. As a starter last year (in 13 games), Blount got 201 carries. He produced 1,007 yards, for a 5.0 YPR average. Over a 16 game season, Blount could be an elite back.

Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions

The stars are aligning for this kid. Last year, he suffered through a brutal turf toe injury, but still managed to have 555 rushing yards, and another 487 yards receiving. But things didn’t look good when the Lions drafted Mikel Leshoure this past offseason.

Yet, when Leshoure went out for the year, Best became the unchallenged starting back again (unless you see Maurice Morris or Jerome Harrison as challengers, which I don’t).

When healthy, Best is a dynamic back, and is also a great receiver out of the backfield. He could easily produce 900 yards rushing, 600 yards receiving, and about eight touchdowns. If I’m not mistaken, that qualifies him as a solid RB2.

Shonn Greene, Jets

Greene heading into the season as a starting back…"Take 2". No one lost their starting job faster than Shonn Greene last year. But by the end of the season, teammate LaDainian Tomlinson began to slow up, and it became clear that Greene was the future.

While L.T. will continue to steal carries, Greene should get about 30-40 more touches this year, which means more production and more stats for you.

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