Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

1. Julius Peppers (Carolina)
*WHY:* Peppers is the most dominating defensive lineman in the game, with apologies to Dwight Freeney who does little against the run. Peppers will get sacks, tackles, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and interceptions. He is the ultimate defensive end and one of a kind. He is also supported by a very good supporting cast that keeps teams from focusing only on him. *WHY NOT:* There are no reasons not to draft Peppers as your first defensive lineman.
2004: 64 tackles, 11 sacks, 7 passes defended, 2 Int, 2 TD, 5 FF, 1 recovery

2. Dwight Freeney (Indianapolis)

WHY: Freeney is a terror off of the edge and as his supporting cast gets every better, his numbers will improve. He has gone over 10 sacks his first three years in the league and there is nothing stopping him from getting close to 20 this year.

WHY NOT: Off-season shoulder surgery has some GMs scared about his health and durability. He is also not much of a tackler, with only 34 last year.

2004: 34 tackles, 16 sacks, 3 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles
3. Patrick Kerney (Atlanta)
*WHY:* Kerney makes tons of plays and is a great guy to have on your team. He averages close to 60 tackles a season and is coming into his own as a pass-rusher. *WHY NOT:* His 13 sacks last year were twice as many as he had in 2003, although the change from a 3-4 to a 4-3 is largely to thank. Can Kerney sustain these numbers? That is a question many fantasy GMs would love to know the answer to.
2004: 66 tackles, 13 sacks, 1 pass defended, 1 Int, 2 FF, 1 fumble recovery

4. Kevin Williams (Minnesota)
*WHY:* The next great defensive tackle has arrived. Williams has been among the league's best linemen for the past two years, his first two in the league. He is a big man that can play inside or out and will be moved around to get the best possible match up. *WHY NOT:* Again, there is no reason not to draft Williams. He is an underrated player that you should be able to steal if your league isn't paying attention.
2004: 70 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 7 passes defended, 1 Int, 2 FF, 3 fumble recoveries

5. Charles Grant (New Orleans)
*WHY:* Grant's name is on the tip of most fantasy owners this year. If you were lucky enough to grab him in a keeper league last year, you are a happy owner now. He's racking up over 70 tackles and 10 sacks a year now and is settling into the speed of the game. He is going to be a fixture on these rankings. *WHY NOT:* The only reason not to draft Grant would be your preference for more of a traditional pass-rusher. He's not that fast, but uses his exceptional quickness and strength to get into the backfield.
2004: 78 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 6 passes defended, 1 interception

6. Terrell Suggs (Baltimore)
*WHY:* Now that Suggs is moving into a full-time role as a defensive end, look for his numbers to take off. He has been underappreciated as a linebacker, but now that he is man-up with slower offensive tackles, look for him to explode. *WHY NOT:* He is an unproven player at end so far. Sure, he has been a good situational pass rusher, but can he make plays on all three downs from the three-point stance?
2004: 60 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 1 pass defended, 1 FF, 1 fumble recovery

7. Bert Berry (Arizona)
*WHY:* Berry led the NFC in sacks in his first year as a Cardinal. With more help on the line, Berry is expected to take off even more as he settles into the desert. *WHY NOT:* Teams are going to be keying on Berry a lot more this year. The NFC West also has three very good left tackles to keep him off of their quarterbacks. That will be a key at some point.
2004: 49 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 4 passes defended, 4 FF, 2 fumble recoveries

8. Shaun Ellis (New York Jets)
*WHY:* Ellis is starting to show the potential he had as a draft pick. He is a big body that can pile up tackles stopping the run or he can be a strong pass rusher, as evident by his 11 sacks. *WHY NOT:* The longer John Abraham is holding out, the more attention will be paid to Ellis. His bull rush can be stopped.
2004: 57 tackles, 11 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 FF, 1 fumble recovery

9. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (Green Bay)
*WHY:* Gbaja-Biamila is one of the best combinations of speed and agility in the NFL. Very few players are better at getting to the quarterback, and few are as reliable as Gbaja-Biamila, who has missed 1 game and has totaled 49 sacks over the past 4 years. *WHY NOT:* The key to a good pass rush is a solid secondary, something that Green Bay lacks at the moment.
2004: 47 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles

10. Simeon Rice (Tampa Bay)
*WHY:* Rice has been even steadier than Gbaja-Biamila over the past 4 years, posting 53.5 sacks without missing a game. He also has something Gbaja-Biamila doesn?t: an excellent defense behind him, including one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL. *WHY NOT:* The Tampa Day defense is excellent, but it, along with Rice, is aging. Rice is set to begin his 10^th season in the NFL, and may start showing signs of slowing down.
2004: 40 tackles, 12 sacks, 5 passes defended, 1 forced fumble

11. Jason Taylor (Miami)
*WHY:* Taylor is one of the premier defensive linemen in the NFL. He hasn't had less than 8.5 sacks in 5 years, and has played in every game in that span. *WHY NOT:* Miami's defense is a shred of its former selves, and is a mix of totally inexperienced players with aged veterans. The defense is also going into the season with a rookie likely starting at cornerback, which doesn't bode well for the pass rush.
2004: 40 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 9 passes defended, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles

12. Reggie Hayward (Jacksonville)
*WHY:* Hayward may never be double teamed on that Jacksonville defensive line. He's notched up 19 sacks in 2 years, including 10.5 last year. *WHY NOT:* The defensive line is one of the best in the NFL. The rest of the defense hasn't reached that standard yet. Hayward is also the first player on this list to have switched teams in the off-season, and is adjusting to a totally new scheme.
2004: 43 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble

13. Darren Howard (New Orleans)
*WHY:* Howard is a good combination of size and speed, and has shown he can produce in the past. *WHY NOT:* He'll get a lot of reps, but he will be switching off with Smith and Grant fairly often. He's also surrounded by an unsettled defensive backfield, and a young linebacking core. Howard has missed 11 games over the last 2 years.
2004: 36 tackles, 11 sacks, 1 pass defended, 4 forced fumbles

14. James Hall (Detroit)
*WHY:* Hall broke out last year, with 11.5 sacks. With Shaun Rogers on the inside, it's hard to see Hall getting double teamed often. *WHY NOT:* Before last year, he showed very little pass rushing ability, with 11.5 sacks in 4 years.
2004: 48 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 4 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles

15. Robert Mathis (Indianapolis)
*WHY:* Mathis is an edge rusher, pure and simple. His only job is to get after the quarterback, one he does quite well. With Freeney on the other side, he's got one man to beat to the quarterback. *WHY NOT:* Mathis is very small, even for a speed rusher. He's also had one good season, making it hard to put him where last years stats say he should be.
2004: 36 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles

16. John Abraham (New York Jets)
*WHY:* When healthy, Abraham gets after the quarterback like few others can. He's also surrounded by a solid defense, along with Shaun Ellis on the other side of the line. *WHY NOT:* Missed 15 games in 2 years, and as of this writing, is not under contract for the 2005-2006 seasons, having not signed his franchise tender.
2004: 48 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles

17. Jevon Kearse (Philadelphia)
*WHY:* Kearse has been a top defensive end since his breakout rookie year, and few have a better size/speed combo than he does. *WHY NOT:* This "Freak" posted one of the worst seasons in his career last year. His injury past may be starting to take its toll on him.
2004: 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 6 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles

18. Aaron Schobel (Buffalo)
*WHY:* Schobel is one of the best tackling defensive ends in the NFL, and he's posted solid sack numbers over the last 3 years. *WHY NOT:* That is, solid but unspectacular sack numbers. If he posts another 11.5 sack season, look for Schobel to move up the fantasy list.
2004: 73 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 passes defended, 5 forced fumbles

19. Jared Allen (Kansas City)
*WHY:* Allen came on strong in 2004 and the team expects him to explode now that they have serious talent around him. *WHY NOT:* He's very inexperienced, last year being his rookie season. He also hasn't shown the ability to fill up a box score, something the top players are very adept at.
2004: 31 tackles, 9 sacks

20. Richard Seymour (New England)
*WHY:* Seymour is one of the most complete defenders in the entire NFL. He can rush the passer and stop the run as well as anybody. *WHY NOT:* He'll never post spectacular numbers in the Patriots' defense.
2004: 39 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumbles

21. Justin Smith (Cincinnati)
*WHY:* With Marvin Lewis coaching, the Cincy defense will be very well run, and Smith will rack up tackles. He's also a decent pass rusher. *WHY NOT:* The lack of sacks is the only thing keeping Smith from the top 10 on this list. And despite being well run, the Cincy defense isn't exactly a playmaking force yet.
2004: 70 tackles, 8 sacks, 2 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles

22. Marques Douglas (San Francisco)
*WHY:* Douglas has excelled in the 3-4 under Mike Nolan before. He will have another chance to show his all-around game in San Fran. *WHY NOT:* San Francisco isn't exactly a premier defensive lineup. It's not much of a lineup at all, actually.
2004: 72 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble

23. Rod Coleman (Atlanta)
*WHY:* Coleman is an excellent interior pass rusher, and will flourish as defenders continue to plan for Kearney. *WHY NOT:* The rest of the Atlanta defense is still coming together, especially the defensive backs.
2004: 40 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles

24. Chike Okeafor (Arizona)
*WHY:* Okeafor is moving to an up and coming defense in Arizona. Bert Berry will take some pressure off him on the other side, something that Antonio Cochran and Grant Wistrom were unable to do last year. *WHY NOT:* He hasn't shown a lot of pass rushing ability, as the 8.5 sacks he had last year were his highest total in his career.
2004: 53 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles

25. Shaun Rogers (Detroit)
*WHY:* Rogers is the leader of a Detroit defensive line that is coming together as one of the most solid lines in the NFL. With James Hall taking some of the pressure off Rogers, he'll have the easiest road to the quarterback in years. *WHY NOT:* Rogers is an excellent interior lineman, but his job is to collapse the pocket and draw double teams, not to rack up stats.
2004: 68 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 passes defended

26. Marcus Stroud (Jacksonville)
*WHY:* Stroud is one of the best defensive tackles in the league, and with John Henderson, forms the best defensive tackle duo. It's hard to double team either player, and with Reggie Hayward on the outside, defenses are going to have to leave somebody single teamed. *WHY NOT:* See Shaun Rogers
2004: 54 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles

27. Derrick Burgess (Oakland)
*WHY:* Burgess had an excellent run in the playoffs for the Eagles last year, and he looks to prove that he belongs this year. *WHY NOT:* He's playing on one of the least talented defensive lines in the NFL, and he has yet to put up more than 32 tackles or 6 sacks in one year.
2004: 24 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 passes defended

28. Greg Spires (Tampa Bay)
*WHY:* The Tampa Bay defense is getting older, but with Monte Kiffin at the helm, the defense is bound to be very well run. *WHY NOT:* He's not a premier pass rusher or run stopper. Before last year, his highest total in a season was 6 sacks.
2004: 60 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles

29. Will Smith (New Orleans)
*WHY:* Smith is an excellent speed rusher off the edge, and has a nose for the quarterback. *WHY NOT:* He is fighting two excellent defensive linemen for playing time, and it'll be hard to get playing time ahead of Charles Grant and Darren Howard. An unsettled back 7 is also a place to worry about.
2004: 40 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 2 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles

30. Leonard Little (St. Louis)
*WHY:* Little is one of the steadier defensive linemen in the NFL. Between 2001 and 2003 (3 seasons), he averaged 13 sacks a season. *WHY NOT:* He's had a relatively short career, but he is getting older, and is a magnet for trouble.
2004: 46 tackles, 7 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble

31. Michael Strahan (New York Giants)
*WHY:* Strahan is one of the best defensive linemen of all time. When healthy he is a force, getting 18.5 sacks in 2003, at the age of 32. *WHY NOT:* Last year, he missed half the season due to injuries, and it's hard to say that he won't be slowing down.
2004: 34 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble

32. Bryce Fisher (St. Louis)

33. John Henderson (Jacksonville)

34. Greg Ellis (Dallas)

35. Aaron Smith (Pittsburgh)

36. David Bowens (Miami)

37. Adewale Ogunleye (Chicago)

38. Kenard Lang (Cleveland)

39. Erasmus James (Minnesota)

40. Marcus Spears (Dallas)

41. Osi Umenyiora (New York Giants)

42. Raheem Brock (Indianapolis)

43. Alex Brown (Chicago)

44. Corey Simon (Philadelphia)

45. Shaun Cody (Detroit)

46. Aaron Kampman (Green Bay)

47. Kelly Gregg (Baltimore)

48. Tyler Brayton (Oakland)

49. Matt Roth (Miami)

50. Carlos Hall (Kansas City)

QB - RB - WR - TE - DL - LB - DB - K