Year of the unknown Running Back

Well you might be disappointed this fantasy football season if you spent a high draft pick on the likes of Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander, Frank Gore, or Laurence Maroney. You will also be disappointed if you have any number of runners now on the IR list including such young backs as Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams. In most fantasy football seasons, stud running backs rule the leagues and determine the eventual champions. This year, however, there has almost been a new face every week to surprise us this fantasy season, many of the "one hit wonder" variety.

Let's take a look back at some of the bigger surprises:

Week 1: Chris Brown (Titans) - 175 rushing yards
Week 2: DeShawn Wynn (Packers) - 50 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns
Week 3: Earnest Graham (Bucs) - 75 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns
Week 4: Sammy Morris (Patriots) - 117 rushing yards and a touchdown
Week 5: Kenton Keith (Colts) - 121 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns
Week 6: Jason Wright (Browns) - 59 rushing yards and a touchdown
Week 7: Kenny Watson (Bengals) - 130 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns
Week 8: Ryan Grant (Packers) - 104 rushing yards
Week 9: Justin Fargas (Raiders) - 104 rushing yards and a touchdown
Week 10: Selvin Young (Broncos) - 109 rushing yards and a touchdown
Week 11: Andre Hall (Broncos) - 89 rushing yards and a touchdown
Week 12: Kolby Smith (Chiefs) - 150 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns

Who? So if your stud goes down in any given week there is still hope but good luck guessing which virtually unkown RB will emerge each week.

FF All-Pro's at the Midway Point

Seven weeks in the books, for most FF leagues that marks the midway point of the season. Most teams will find themselves in the 4-3 or 3-4 range hoping to make a run for the playoffs. Those with the following players are probably at or near the top of their league standings:

QUARTERBACK

TOM BRADY - Patroits
The former University of Michigan product, who split time with Drew Henson back in the day, was a sixth round pick who went on to win three rings (so far). Great NFL quarterback, solid but not great FF quarterback. Well until he got some real weapons around him. Bring in Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Donte Stallworth - uh oh. Tom Brady has lite the FF world on fire and if you look at the top of your league's standing your likely to find a Brady lead team. With a league leading 2,125 passing yards, a whopping 27 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions, Brady is on his way to shatter NFL records this season. League MVP, FF MVP, the guy is just playing on another level.

Honorable mention to Tony Romo of the Cowboys with 16 passing TDs and another two on the ground who is second in the league with 1,984 passing yards. The surprise is Derek Anderson with 14 TD passes and two scores on the ground.

RUNNING BACK

LADAINIAN TOMLINSON - Chargers
Everyone's number one overall FF pick had a disappointing start to the season but there he is again the top scorer among running backs. LT has 527 rushing yards but six scores on the ground. Add in another 210 receiving yards and touchdowns both passing and receiving and you understand how LT can score for your team doing everything but the kicking.

ADRIAN PETERSON - Vikings
The rookie is off to the races with an NFL leading 670 rushing yards to go along with five touchdowns. AD (as in all day) also has 187 yards receiving and another score through the air. This guy has it all, unfortunately the coaching staff decided to just run his 12 times against Dallas this past weekend while giving Chester Taylor ten carries. Nooooooooooo.

Honorable mention to Ronnie Brown who started terrible but has been on fire with 602 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. Add in another 389 yards receiving plus another score and Mr. Brown has rewarded those who stuck with him except he is reportedly done for the season after suffering a knee injury this week - not good. The surprises at running back are those that are not doing nearly as well as projected including Steven Jackson, Larry Johnson, Frank Gore, and Shaun Alexander to name just a few.

WIDE RECEIVER

RANDY MOSS - Patriots
How bout this production for the equivilant of a fourth round draft pick, 732 receiving yards (tops in the NFL) and ten touchdowns (also tops in the NFL) through seven games. Still think Moss is washed up? Now with his days in Oakland behind him, Moss has shown that he is still the most gifted receiver in football.

PLAXICO BURRESS - Giants
Who needs to practice. The former Spartan has been on a gimpy ankle virtually all season, but that hasn't stopped Eli Mannings favorite target. With 550 yards and eight touchdowns Plaxico is on his way to making his first Pro Bowl.

TJ HOUSHMANDZADEH - Bengals
Chad Johnson is still a stud receiver and is second in the league with 680 receving yards, but is he still the biggest stud wide out on his own team? TJ's 548 receiving yards and eight scores are impressive, and that is not counting what ever stats he puts up tonight. Whose your mama?

Honorable mention Steve Smith. How old is the guy throwing to Smith? Never seems to matter who his quarterback is or how bad the Panther offense is, Smith always seems to put up the numbers. With 496 yards and six scores, he is still the man. Braylon Edwards is having a great season with 552 receiving yards and seven scores.

TIGHT END

JASON WITTEN - Cowboys
Tony Romo's roommate doesn't get much press with TO stealing the show. But his 540 receiving yards and four touchdowns makes him the scoring leader for tight ends.

Honorable mention to Dallas Clark of the Colts who has more scores than Witten with five, but not quite the yards with 300.

KICKER

KRIS BROWN - Texans
Some kicker always surprises, if not more. Brown has 16 field goals including three from 50+ yards. He also has 15 extra points. A great scoring pace from someone who plays for Houston.

Honorable mention to Matt Stover of the Ravens who has 18 field goals, but none form 50+ and just ten point afters. Then there is rookie Nick Folk of the Cowboys putting up big numbers and has 26 extra points.

DEFENSE

VIKINGS

Minnesota has allowed only 108 points this season and has 16 turnovers (7 interceptions and 9 fumbles) to go along with three touchdowns. Who would have guessed that?

Honorable mention to the Giants who got off to a horrible start but have 13 take aways and three scores themselves.

An RB to add, one to avoid

After four weeks into the NFL season players are dropping like the Dolphins, Saints, and Rams. There loss can equal another players gain and an edge in the fantasy football season. At quarterback, there was Dante Culpepper getting five touchdowns for Oakland and rookie Trent Edwards playing solid in relief of JP Losman in Buffalo. I'm not buying into either one just yet with Culpepper throwing for just 75 yards and a number one overall pick sure to start picking up some playing time. Edwards could get more playing time if Losman sits out a bit longer, but he is a rookie and does play for the Bills. A more interesting position during mid season for players to look at is the all important running back position so lets take a peek at two who are likely available in your league after this past week.

One to add: Earnest Graham, Tampa Bay

The Bucs offense isn't going to scare anyone and many folks probably haven't even heard of the 4th year RB for the Buccaneers but Graham benefits from the broken Caddy. With Cadillac Williams gone for the season after being put on IR Graham will likely sbe splitting carries with Michael Pittman but will be more of a factor as he will likely get most of the goal line carries. The Bucs rushing attack was just looking like it was getting going. Through four games Graham already has 30 rushes for 136 yards (4.5 ypc) and three scores. He is not much of a threat in the passing game but if you are looking for a RB now he is your best option on the waiver wire.

One to avoid: Justin Fargas, Oakland

It seems like the five year vet just exploded onto the scene this past weekend for the Raiders. With 22 carries for a whopping 179 yards (8.1 ypc), Fargas had the highest rushing total this past weekend against the Dolphins. Fargas has always had excellent speed, but unlike Graham what he won't get to be is a featured back. First, LaMont Jordan's injured back doesn't look like it will keep him out very long. Secondly, Dominic Rhodes, whom the Raiders signed away from the Colts, just finished serving his four game suspension. That adds up to Fargas falling back to number three on the Raiders running back depth chart.

Uh oh, guys to be worried about after wk 2

Just two weeks into the NFL season and some fantasy footgball owners are starting to worry, and for good reason. Some of the highest picks in the draft are starting to look like busts. Teams can't afford to miss with the second or third overall picks, and some teams might have just done that.

Steven Jackson, RB, Rams
Stats: 118 rushing yards, 39 receiving yards, 0 TD, 2 fumbles
Panic Meter: 5 out of 10
Reason for concern: The loss of left tackle Orlando Pace really hurts the consensus number two overall pick in the fantasy football draft. This doens't help QB Marc Bulger either. The Rams, usually a top ten offense, are ranked 18th and lead the league with five lost fumbles and just 29 total points.

Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs
Stats: 98 rushing yards, 76 receiving yards, 0 TDs
Panic Meter: 6 out of 10
Reason for concern: The Chiefs look grounded on offense. The third overall pick in most drafts is the focus of opposing defenses giving LJ no room to run. The 28th ranked offense in the league have scored just one TD in two games under QB Damon Huard and are averaging just 13 points per game. TE Tony Gonzalez is also struggling to put up points.

Ronnie Brown, RB, Dolphins
Stats: 65 rushing yards, 76 receiving yards, 0 TDs
Panic Meter: 9 out of 10
Reason for concern: The Dolphins also look horrible on offense and have been the worst rushing team through two weeks averaging just 63.5 yards per game on the ground. Trent Green's four picks against the Cowboys don't help matters.

Reggie Bush, RB, Saints
Stats: 65 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, 0 TD
Panic Meter: 7 out of 10
Reason for concern: Is there a bigger surprise than the Saints lack of offense this year? Bush had a bad yards per carrry average last year and that was on a good offensive team.

Running back honorable mention:
Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Duece McAllister (Saints), Injured - Brandon Jacobs (Giants)

Drew Brees, QB, Saints
Stats: 452 passing yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs, 1 Fumble
Panic Meter: 8 out of 10
Reason for concern: Did I mention something about the Saints offense? Last years passing leader was close to being the MVP last year, this year he has been anything but. Did New Orleans just over achieve last year?

Phillip Rivers, QB, Chargers
Stats: 369 passing yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs, 2 Fumbles
Panic Meter: 4 out of 10
Reason for concern: Rivers lacks playmaking receivers, although he does have LT and Gates as options. Don't give up on Rivers just yet as he has faced tough defenses in Chicago and New England. LT and the ground game have struggled, tied for second worst in the league, which hasn't helped the young QB get going.

Alex Smith, QB, 49ers
Stats: 252 passing yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 2 Fumbles
Panic Meter: 6 out of 10
Reason for concern: Norv Turner left to coach the Chargers and seemed to take the niners passing offense with him. Their 31st ranked passing attack makes them just one of two teams to average under 100 passing yards per game.

JP Losman, QB, Bills
Stats: 251 passing yards, 0 TDs, a INTs
Panic Meter: 6 out of 10
Reason for concern: Dick Jaron's team has showed no offensive fire power at all. The Bills offense ended the 2006 season on a roll, a roll that is going uphill to start the 2007 season.

Steve McNair, QB, Ravens
Stats: 203 passing yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 3 Fumbles
Panic Meter: 7y out of 10
Reason for concern: McNair isn't getting any younger and the former co-MVP of the league has taken a lot of punishment over the years that might have caught up with him.

Lee Evans, WR, Bills
Stats: 22 receiving yards
Panic Meter: 5 out of 10
Reason for concern: JP Losman is floundering and the Buffalo passing game is ranked last in the league averaging just 96.5 yards-per-game.

Non-running back honorable mention:
QB Marc Bulger (Rams), WR Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), TE Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs), TE Alge Crumpler (Falcons), TE Vernon Davis (49ers), K Nate Keading (Chargers) Dolphins Defense, Giants Defense

Note: with the Eagles/Redskins game tonight I haven't listed any players from either team but many are on my watchlist after their opening week performance.

In with old and the new...

There is an old saying, "out with the old, in with the new." But in fantasy football, the saying might be "out with the old, out with the new." If you are over 30, nobody wants to touch you anymore. Ditto if you are a rookie. And don't forget, running backs rule fantasy football. Well throw all that out after week one in the NFL.

First, don't look for a running back among the top five or so producers. In fact, let's start with the old and the over 30 crowd...

Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants, born 8/12/1977
This old reciever was a huge fantasy stud on Sunday night pulling down eight catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Too bad the ex-Spartan might have lost Eli Manning in the process.

Terrell Owens, WR, Cowboys, born 12/7/1973
Last year's receiving touchdown leader (13) got off to a nice start with two in his first game as he battled the elder receiver Burress mentioned above.

Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants, born 2/13/1977
What does a fourth round pick nab you? How bout a 30 year old receiver who pulled in nine catches for 183 yards and a score. A fourth round pick? Sounds like cheating to me...

Now lets look at a younger crowd as some rookies didn't fare too badly themselves:

Adrian Peterson, RB, Vikings, born 3/21/1985
Top rookie opening with 19 carries for 103 yards against the Falcons and turned a short pass into a 60 yard touchdown romp. Second best day by a running back only to LT.

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Bills, born 4/22/1986
Rookie running back had a solid debut with 90 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Lions, born 9/25/1985
Second overall picked pulled in four catches for 70 yards and a touchdown.

FF Hero's week one

Outside of those listed above, other great performances included:

Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys: 345 passing yards, 5 TDs
Eli Manning, QB, Giants: 312 passing yards, 4 TDs
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers, 161 passing yards, 4 TDs
Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Jake Delhomme, Jon Kitna - 3 TDs each
Terrell Owens, Reggie Wayne, Laverneous Coles, Drew Carter - 2 TDs each
LaDanian Tomlinson - 1 rushing and 1 passing TD
Chris Bown - 175 rushing yards
Joseph Addai 118 rushing yards and 1 TD

Keep an eye on these guys...

With your fantasy football draft now in your rear view mirror you are feeling elated or a little apprehensive about the upcoming season. Two stud running backs, a top tier quarterback, three receivers to fear, and a defense/kicker combo sure to give you an edge over the competion each week. With nearly 200 players taken in the draft only scrap heaps remain to upgrade your team. While this is true, now is the time to start building a list of players to keep an eye on as the season begins. This is a group of players flying under the radar who just might be able to contribute if the circumstances are right.

RB - At running back you want to consider who might falter due to injury or production issues and who might be there to capitalize should that occur. While injuries are nearly impossible to predict, production issues aren't. One player taken high in many drafts that just might falter is Ronnie Brown of the Dolphins. The second overall pick in the 2005 draft had a solid rookie season with over 1,000 yards in just 13 games even with Ricky Williams in town. With Ricky smoked out of Miami last season, most figured Brown would greatly improve on his rookie stats. But Brown actually took a step back with just 907 yards and 4 touchdowns, hardly the stuff of a late first, early second round FF draft pick. Brown looked less than impressive in the preseason averaging just 3.1 yards-per-carry on 27 attempts. Could the new coaching staff in Miami be ready for a switch?

Probably not, but a running-back-by-committee approach could be in the works and the player Brown could be splitting carries with? Try Jesse Chatman. Who? Chatman is second on the depth chart to Brown and had a strong preseason averaging 6.4 yards-per-carry while scoring two touchdowns, two more times than Brown. Chatman is a journeyman who has also spent time with the Chargers and Saints. In reality this says more about Brown than Chatman, FF owners beware.

I saw a number of owners draft Denver's Mike Bell this year. Bell burst onto the scene as a rookie last year in Denver with nearly 700 yards and 8 touchdowns while teaming up with Tatum Bell who had more than a 1,000 yards and is now with Detroit. But the Broncos signed Travis Henry who is an adept "one cut" back that fits Denver's running system perfectly. Many owners think that the Broncos always utilize a RBBC approach at running back. Guess they forgot about Clinton Portis and Terrell Davis. Regardless, word out of Denver is that rookie Selvin Young (Texas) has beaten out Bell anyway to be the backup. If you want to handcuff Henry, Young would be the better choice.

QB - Most owners didn't think of drafting a Chief's quarterback with Green off to Miami and Brodie Croyle as the heir apparent. Not so fast. Herm Edwards has named Damon Huard the starter after Croyle struggled big time in the preseason. Now if you are counting on Huard to win you a championship, good luck, but if you are looking for a backup who will most likely only play in your starters bye week Huard isn't a bad option. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes and who isn't impressed by his 11 touchdowns to just one interception a year ago when filling in for Green? His 98 QB rating is probably a lot higher than most of the other backup quarterbacks in your FF league put up a year ago.

WR - Everyone is now wondering who the next Anquan Boldin or Marques Colston will be. Rookie wide receivers aren't supposed to make a big impact, let alone unheralded ones. While Lions rookie Calvin Johnson has likely been drafted, a solid season from him wouldn't be unexpected. Then there are the guys like Mike Furrey who went from being the Rams safety to leading the NFC in receptions with the Lions. Who might be candidates at the receiver spot who could surprise this year?

With Eric Parker sidelined to start the season in San Diego, keep an eye on rookie Craig Davis out of LSU. He had a solid training camp and brings the kind of deep speed the Chargers have been missing the past few seasons. He showed his potential with a 40-yard touchdown grab in San Diego's final preseason game against the 49ers and could be a nice third wide receiver option this season.

Another rookie receiver to keep an eye on is Jacoby Jones from the Houston Texans. Jones didn't get much attention coming out of Lane (yes, I said Lane) heading to the NFL. Houston has a new quarterback, Matt Shaub, and a solid receiver in Andre Johnson looking for a nice compliment. Jones had an outstanding preseason with 11 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

K - Expect the Cowboys to have a solid offense this season with Tony Romo, TO, Terry Glenn, Julius Jones, and Marion Barber III. But what about the kicker? Well Martin Gramatica has been put on the IR and the winner of the kicking battle, by default, is rookie Nick Folk. Folk didn't miss a kick in the preseason and word of out Valley Ranch was he hardly ever missed a kick in practice either. So if you waited till the last round to draft a kicker and aren't happy after a week or two with their prodution check out how Folk is doing.

Even if you really like you FF team it is a good idea to have you eyes on a number of players to add throughout the season for depth purposes alone. If you can upgrade a starting spot, even better. Knowing who might be a surprise producer this year, watching the injury reports, and keeping aware of who other players are dropping (especially when bye weeks come into play) are the best ways to upgrade your team throughout the season.

Keeper Question:

I am taking over someone else's keeper roster and I need two offensive keepers.

Tiki Barber (NYG - RB)
Ladell Betts (Was - RB)
Chris Cooley (Was - TE)
Vernon Davis (SF - TE)
Lee Evans (Buf - WR)
Brett Favre (GB - QB)
Darrell Jackson (SF - WR)
Greg Jennings (GB - WR)
Eli Manning (NYG - QB)
Randy Moss (NE - WR)
Brian Westbrook (Phi - RB)

We start 2 RB, 2 WR and 1 TE and 1 QB with standard point system.

Im keeping Westbrook but who else do I keep????

--------------------------------------------

Westbrook is the no-brainer, as for the rest:

Barber - retired
Betts - shares load with Portis
Cooley - a TE and not one of the top few
Davis - another TE with some upside but still a TE
Favre - too old to keep
Jennings - #2 WR for GB isn't worth keeping
Manning - don't have him rated very high at QB

So it comes down to one of the following WRs:

Jackson - top 49er, new team
Moss - top Pat, new team
Evans - top Bill, same team

Moss has the most upside this season, but he is 30 and has an equal amount of downside. He had just 553 receiving yards last year and 3 TDs. He is, however, now with Brady. That is much better than anything he saw in Oakland, but Brady will also spread the ball around to Donte' Stallworth, Wes Walker, Troy Brown, Ben Watson, and Laurence Maroney out of the backfield.

Jackson had 956 yards and 10 TDs in 13 games. He is still just 28 but also only played in 6 games in 2005 and that is the concern with Darrell. San Francisco lost Norv Turner which could hurt the passing game a bit and they will focus the offense around running back Frank Gore. Alex Smith will also look to Vernon Davis often as a strong passing option.

Evans had 1,292 yards and 8 TDs last season. He is just 26. The downside is that he plays for the Bills and their offense isn't nearly as dynamic as the Pats or even the niners seem to be. But JP Losman finished the season strong with and average of 222 passing yards per game over the last seven game while throwing for 12 TDs. Over a season that would be 3,550 yards and 27 TDs with most of the looks going Evans way. How did that impact Evans? In his first nine games he avg 12.7 ypc and had 2 TDs, in the last 7 games he avg 19.3 ypc and had 6 TDs. I like players who finish strong.

In my opinion, it is fairly close between the 3 WRs. Given that it is a keeper league I go with the young receiver (who just had his break out 3rd season) over a potential dud in Moss and a guy who might have trouble staying on the field in Jackson.

Ideally you have a different set of keepers next year. Most of the leagues I'm in start 3 WRs making them more valuable than in your league, I'd prefer to keep 2 RBs or a RB and top QB myself but you really don't have that option.

With the first five picks (and beyond) in the 2007 FF draft...

August is one of the best times for fantasy football owners, you are still undefeated and you get to put together your own championship team. At least you have dreams of a championship. It is critically important not to make a mistake with your first round pick as you need a high production level to compete with the other top picks in the draft. Here is one fantasy football geek's ranking to help guide you through the first five picks should you select that high:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego Chargers
The easiest pick in the draft. LT had a career year in 2006 with over 1,800 yards rushing and a whooping 28 rushing TDs. That alone was almost enough to make him the FF MVP and the co-MVP of the league. LT lacks the questions of other top tier backs and his versitility sets him apart from the field. Add in 56 catches for 500+ receiving yards and three more scores through the air. LT is also capable of a 100 reception year as he proved in 2003. Lets also not forget that LT had a 125 passer rating with two touchdowns, which is actually quite pedistrian for the former Horned Frog who has a career passer rating of 152. If you get the first pick in the draft, time to start worrying about who your second pick in the draft will be because their is no question about the first pick.

2. Steven Jackson, RB, St. Louis Rams
You could make the argument for three players at this pick with Larry Johnson and Sean Alexander both worthy of consideration. Jackson, however, has youth on his side entering just his fourth year and he is a key cog in an explosive offense that returns all their key pieces and actually added more in the offseason. Jackson's carries have increased each year from 134 to 254 to 346 last year. His 1,500+ yards rushing and 13 rushing TDs last season vaulted him into the "stud" category. His league leading 90 catches for a RB for 800+ yards and another three scores push him into the elite category and right behind LT.

3. Larry Johnson, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
LJ is the big risk big reward pick in the draft. The good news is he is still young just entering his fifth year in the league and has posted back-to-back 1,700+ rushing yard and 17+ TD seasons. He will also get involved in the passing game with 410 yards last season along with another two scores. The bad news is that Johnson is holding out so far, Priest Holmes is back in camp, his 416 carries last year signal troubles, and his supporting cast is a big question mark heading into the season. With Trent Green gone, teams will load up in the box to stop LJ. With G Will Shields no longer around, the holes LJ is used to just won't be there anymore.

4. Frank Gore, RB, San Francisco 49ers
I was personally surprised when I ranked my RBs and Gore came in at number four, albiet in a virtual dead heat with Sean Alexander. Gore's breakout 2006 season included 1,695 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He added almost 500 more yards receiving and another score. He is entering just his third season so age/punishment is not a facor. The 49ers did lose offensive coordinator Norv Turner, which is a concern. But QB Alex Smith's career, also entering his third season, is on the upswing and he has more weapons (such as WR Darrell Jackson) than ever which will take some of the attention off of Gore. The niners finished 2006 strong and

5. Shaun Alexander, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Given that Alexander had 28 scores just two seasons ago and lead the Seahawks into the Super Bowl makes it tough to rank him as just the fifth best back in the 2007 fantasy draft. But Alexander has a few question marks that drop his status. First, he turns the dreaded 30 to start the season. Second, he missed six games last year with an injured foot. After losing star G Steve Hutchinson last year, his yards-per-carrry average plummeted to just 3.6. Alexander had never averaged below four yard in any of his first six seasons including a 5.1 average in 2005. Alexander and Johnson are the biggest risks among the top five draft picks given all their question marks.

After the top five the FF world becomes even more cloudy. While I'm a two-stud RB kind of guy, I think serious consideration has to be made for Peyton Manning at pick number six depending on league scoring rules. The difference between my sixth ranked RB and tenth is minimal. Other running backs to consider in the top ten include two second year players who both become their teams unquestioned top backs, Joseph Addai of the Colts and Laurance Maroney of the Patriots. Both proved to be capable runners last year and play on potent offenses. Steady and productive veterans make up the rest of the top ten which includes Brian Westbrook of the Eagles, Rudi Johnson of the Bengals, and Willie Parker of the Steelers. Ronnie Brown of the Dolphins I have ranked as just outside of the top ten. After the those backs you will be looking at plyayers who have switched teams, players in the nightmare running-back-by-committee systems, players who are coming off of injuries, and backs who have yet to prove they can carry the load.