Early Look: 2010 RB Rankings
31. Jan, 2010 
1 Comment
It is never too early to start looking ahead in fantasy football. For many dynasty and keeper league owners, there is no offseason. Now is a great time to set up your team for another run in the fantasy playoffs with some savvy free agent signings and trades. Information is power, and keeping one step ahead of everyone in your fantasy league is vital.
In the fourth installment of our 2010 rankings we will breakdown the running back position. A lot can happen between now and September, and these rankings will give you a glimpse of how we evaluated each player before the start of NFL Free Agency and the NFL Draft.
Our rankings are based on the following factors:
- Team Offensive Potential
- Consistency
- 2009 Regular Season Production
- RookieBlitz.com 2010 Strength of Schedule
- Experience
Analysis
Chris Johnson surpassed Adrian Peterson as the most exciting running back in the NFL. Although Johnson had a heavy workload in his campaign for 2,000 yards, there is little concern of breaking down because of his young age. Adrian Peterson developed a fumbling problem that could hinder his ability to remain on the field as an every down back. Ray Rice became a fantasy sensation overnight and does not show any signs of slowing down for the Ravens. Willis McGahee is likely to leave Baltimore in the offseason, and it will only increase the value of Rice in the Ravens offense. Despite a lack of offensive weapons around him in Jacksonville, Maurice Jones-Drew continues to play with a chip on his shoulder and remains one of the elite running backs in fantasy football. Jamaal Charles was the most consistent running back in the league for the second half of the season. He scored in the top 10 at running back for eight straight weeks on a struggling Chiefs team. Based on this sample size and his 2010 schedule (Chiefs second easiest schedule in 2010), Charles will be an excellent option in the first round next year. Ronnie Brown (Lisfranc surgery) suffered another setback but will be ready for offseason team activities. Drafting Brown in 2010 will not come without risk, but he remains one of the best fantasy running backs on a per-game basis. LeSean McCoy and Donald Brown did not live up to the high expectations of being day one selections in the 2009 NFL Draft. Knowshon Moreno and Beanie Wells showed they could be a primary ball carrier in the NFL and each will enjoy favorable 2010 team schedules. Shonn Greene only had one good game against Oakland (144 yards rushing, 2 TD) in the regular season. The postseason was a different story for Greene after replacing veteran Thomas Jones as the Jets primary ball carrier. Greene showed more speed than expected and his game is reminiscent of Michael Turner. Matt Forte showed that he will be a steady running back but he’ll never be a dynamic playmaker. Forte was a consensus top-five selection in 2009 fantasy drafts and will fall to the third or fourth round in 2010. Felix Jones will continue to cut into the workload of Marion Barber with his dynamic playmaking ability. Jones will have to show that he can remain healthy for an entire season before you invest an early-round selection. Fantasy stalwarts LaDainian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook are no longer early round options and should be avoided.
| RANK | NAME | POS | TEAM | EXP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Johnson | RB | TEN | 2 |
| 2 | Adrian Peterson | RB | MIN | 3 |
| 3 | Ray Rice | RB | BAL | 2 |
| 4 | Maurice Jones-Drew | RB | JAX | 4 |
| 5 | Jamaal Charles | RB | KC | 2 |
| 6 | Joseph Addai | RB | IND | 4 |
| 7 | Knowshon Moreno | RB | DEN | 1 |
| 8 | Ryan Grant | RB | GB | 5 |
| 9 | Rashard Mendenhall | RB | PIT | 2 |
| 10 | Frank Gore | RB | SF | 5 |
| 11 | DeAngelo Williams | RB | CAR | 4 |
| 12 | Steven Jackson | RB | STL | 6 |
| 13 | Cedric Benson | RB | CIN | 5 |
| 14 | Jonathan Stewart | RB | CAR | 2 |
| 15 | Ronnie Brown | RB | MIA | 5 |
| 16 | Chris Wells | RB | ARI | 1 |
| 17 | Michael Turner | RB | ATL | 6 |
| 18 | Pierre Thomas | RB | NO | 3 |
| 19 | Shonn Greene | RB | NYJ | 1 |
| 20 | Tim Hightower | RB | ARI | 2 |
| 21 | Marion Barber | RB | DAL | 5 |
| 22 | Kevin Smith | RB | DET | 2 |
| 23 | Ricky Williams | RB | MIA | 11 |
| 24 | Thomas Jones | RB | NYJ | 10 |
| 25 | Laurence Maroney | RB | NE | 4 |
| 26 | Fred Jackson | RB | BUF | 3 |
| 27 | Steve Slaton | RB | HOU | 2 |
| 28 | Matt Forte | RB | CHI | 2 |
| 29 | LaDainian Tomlinson | RB | SD | 9 |
| 30 | Justin Forsett | RB | SEA | 2 |
| 31 | LeSean McCoy | RB | PHI | 1 |
| 32 | Cadillac Williams | RB | TB | 5 |
| 33 | Darren Sproles | RB | SD | 5 |
| 34 | Brandon Jacobs | RB | NYG | 5 |
| 35 | Jerome Harrison | RB | CLE | 4 |
| 36 | Willis McGahee | RB | BAL | 6 |
| 37 | Ahmad Bradshaw | RB | NYG | 3 |
| 38 | Donald Brown | RB | IND | 1 |
| 39 | Reggie Bush | RB | NO | 4 |
| 40 | Jason Snelling | RB | ATL | 3 |
| 41 | Felix Jones | RB | DAL | 2 |
| 42 | Mike Bell | RB | NO | 4 |
| 43 | Julius Jones | RB | SEA | 6 |
| 44 | Larry Johnson | RB | CIN | 7 |
| 45 | Arian Foster | RB | HOU | 1 |
| 46 | Correll Buckhalter | RB | DEN | 9 |
| 47 | Clinton Portis | RB | WAS | 8 |
| 48 | Michael Bush | RB | OAK | 3 |
| 49 | Ryan Moats | RB | HOU | 5 |
| 50 | Justin Fargas | RB | OAK | 7 |
| 51 | Brian Westbrook | RB | PHI | 8 |
| 52 | Marshawn Lynch | RB | BUF | 3 |
| 53 | Darren McFadden | RB | OAK | 2 |
| 54 | Chester Taylor | RB | MIN | 8 |
| 55 | Leonard Weaver | RB | PHI | 5 |
| 56 | Kevin Faulk | RB | NE | 11 |
| 57 | Derrick Ward | RB | TB | 6 |
| 58 | Tashard Choice | RB | DAL | 2 |
| 59 | Sammy Morris | RB | NE | 10 |
| 60 | Fred Taylor | RB | NE | 12 |
| 61 | Quinton Ganther | RB | WAS | 4 |
| 62 | Bernard Scott | RB | CIN | 1 |
| 63 | Jamal Lewis | RB | CLE | 10 |
| 64 | Maurice Morris | RB | DET | 8 |
| 65 | Ladell Betts | RB | WAS | 8 |
| 66 | Mike Tolbert | RB | SD | 2 |
| 67 | Chris Brown | RB | HOU | 7 |
| 68 | Willie Parker | RB | PIT | 6 |
| 69 | Rock Cartwright | RB | WAS | 8 |
| 70 | Brandon Jackson | RB | GB | 3 |
| 71 | Jerious Norwood | RB | ATL | 4 |
| 72 | Leon Washington | RB | NYJ | 4 |
| 73 | Lex Hilliard | RB | MIA | 2 |
| 74 | Glen Coffee | RB | SF | 1 |
| 75 | LeRon McClain | RB | BAL | 3 |
| 76 | Rashad Jennings | RB | JAX | 1 |
| 77 | Lynell Hamilton | RB | NO | 1 |
| 78 | Mewelde Moore | RB | PIT | 6 |
| 79 | LenDale White | RB | TEN | 4 |
| 80 | Chris Jennings | RB | CLE | 1 |
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