Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

1. LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego)
*WHY:* He has proven in the past how effective he can be as a rusher and a receiver. He led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2004 and led all backs with 100 catches in 2003. He is invaluable as a player and should rival Peyton Manning as the most popular #1 pick. WHY NOT: There aren't many reasons, but his workload over the past 4 seasons has been heavy. No matter how you look at it, drafting Tomlinson is a must if you have a top 3 pick.
*2004:* 339 carries, 1335 yards, 17 TD. 53 catches, 441 yards, 3 TD.

2. Shaun Alexander (Seattle)

WHY: He is consistently among the best backs in the league and will be the focal point of the Seattle offense in 2005, if he is signed by the time the season starts. Alexander can get yards and points for you and will even get you a few points with receptions.

WHY NOT: He has to be in uniform for you to get points. Alexander is threatening a hold out and could either sit out or be traded before the season starts. Drafting him before his situation is resolved is a big gamble, but someone will do it.

*2004:* 353 carries, 1696 yards, 16 TD. 23 catches, 170 yards, 4 TD.
3. Jamal Lewis (Baltimore)
*WHY:* He had the entire summer to rest and rehab in prison and is ready to play with a newfound vigor. He is going to get his carries, around 350 of them and will put up serious yards. He was not much of a receiver last year, but he has put up decent numbers in the past. Either way you slice it, Lewis is a candidate to lead the league in yards and touchdowns. *WHY NOT*: He did spend the summer in prison and some question his conditioning and mentality coming into the season. The Ravens are also going to pass more this season early on; something that could steal carries away from Jamal.
*2004:* 235 carries, 1006 yards, 7 TD. 10 catches, 116 yards, 0 TD.

4. Curtis Martin (New York Jets)
*WHY:* Martin led the league in rushing in 2004 and there are no reasons to believe he will take a step back this year. The Jets will still be a run oriented team and Martin is the leading man here. Some might worry about his age, but Martin looks great and has only missed 4 games in his entire career. He has also rushed for over 1,000 yards every year. *WHY NOT:* Defenses will stack the box to stop Martin this year, but they were doing that last season too. His touchdown numbers are somewhat inconsistent, but he is enough of a receiver to make up the difference there.
*2004:* 371 carries, 1697 yards, 12 TD. 41 catches, 245 yards, 2 TD.

5. Tiki Barber (New York Giants)
*WHY:* Someone will sleep on him and you could be the person in your league to steal him away. He is going to put up at least 1,000 yards rushing and 50 catches every season and is underrated as a scorer. He was fifth in the league in rushing yards last year and will be able to run more this year with a better offensive line and a more potent passing attack. *WHY NOT:* There aren't many reasons not to draft Tiki, but he is aging and the team really likes rookie Brandon Jacobs potential in the redzone. That alone could cause his touchdown numbers to slip this season. The return of Jeremy Shockey and the addition of Plaxico Burress also means more throws in the redzone.
*2004:* 322 carries, 1518 yards, 13 TD. 52 catches, 578 yards, 2 TD.

6. Willis McGahee (Buffalo)
*WHY:* McGahee is going to be a special runner if he plays a full 16 game schedule. In only 11 starts last year he put up 1128 yards and 13 TD, which would average out to over 1600 yards and 18 touchdowns in 16 games. He is an explosive runner that is only getting better as he gains confidence in his knee. With Drew Bledsoe gone to Dallas, the Bills will lean on McGahee to carry the offense. *WHY NOT:* No one knows if and when his knee will buckle again. He looked healthy and strong in 2004, but knee injuries are a scary thing to deal with. The added focus on him and the loss of key linemen will also hurt his chances in 2005.
*2004:* 284 carries, 1128 yards, 13 TD. 22 catches, 169 yards, 0 TD.

7. Kevin Jones (Detroit)
*WHY:* Over the last 8 games of the 2004 season, Jones led the league in rushing. He is going to rack up yards by the bunches and he is a good enough receiver to pad his stats with receptions and touchdowns. *WHY NOT:* His touchdown numbers left a lot of owners wishing for more last season and he will have to become more of a scoring threat to warrant this high of a selection. Jones has also been somewhat injury prone during his college and short NFL career.
*2004:* 241 carries, 1133 yards, 5 TD. 28 catches, 180 yards, 1 TD.

8. Corey Dillon (New England)
*WHY:* Dillon will be leaned on even more this year. The Patriots are also a team that will get ahead a lot early on and use Dillon to control the clock. This is a team that is big on ball control and will play the field position game, two playing styles that demand a good running game. Dillon also looked great last year and is playing more motivated than ever before. *WHY NOT:* With Charlie Weis gone to Notre Dame, we don't even know who will be calling the plays, much less what kind of offense they will run. There is talk of Tom Brady calling a lot of the plays, and he might be more apt to call his own number rather than Dillon's.
*2004:* 345 carries, 1635 yards, 12 TD. 15 catches, 103 yards, 1 TD.

9. Edgerrin James (Indianapolis)
*WHY:* This is the same running back that led the league in rushing his first two years in the league. He put up over 1500 yards last season and was quietly among the best backs in football, despite his quarterback passing for 49 touchdowns. He is back to 100% health and is playing for a new contract, always a good incentive. He is also a very good receiver and will put up 50 catches in this offense. *WHY NOT:* He did miss significant time in 2003 and 2004 with a knee injury and playing on the worst surface in the NFL, his knee could snap or twist at any time. Regardless, if he is healthy, he could challenge for the rushing title and is a safe pick.
*2004:* 334 carries, 1548 yards, 9 TD. 51 catches, 483 yards, 3 TD.

10. Rudi Johnson (Cincinnati)
WHY: Despite selecting Chris Perry in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, the team looks set on keeping Rudi as their lead running back. He's a tough player who doesn't miss games and should end up around the 1,500 yard mark with 10 10+ touchdowns. *WHY NOT:* It's only common sense to think that the team will try to use Chris Perry more this season, rather than waste him on the bench and that could take touches away from Rudi. Johnson won't contribute much as far as receiving yards with only 42 career catches (and no touchdowns). He also tends to run hot and cold, not once last season, did Johnson rush for 100+ yards in two consecutive games.
*2004:* 361 carries, 1454 yards, 12 TD. 15 catches, 84 yards, 0 TD.

11. Clinton Portis (Washington)
*WHY:* Portis has been successful at every stop in his career. He's a very fast back that does great in space and has the moves to get to the endzone. His 1300 yards last year were below average for him, so if you are in a yards based league he ranks higher than this for you. *WHY NOT*: He is probably only going to get around 5-6 touchdowns a year, unless the offensive philosophy drastically changes in year two of the Joe Gibbs experience. His catch totals are consistently around 40, but he doesn't put the ball in the endzone that way either. He also had over 340 carries last year, mostly inside runs, after averaging 280 carries per season in Denver.
*2004:* 343 carries, 1315 yards, 5 TD. 40 catches, 235 yards, 2 TD.

12. Priest Holmes (Kansas City)
*WHY:* He is getting older, but he still put up 14 TDs last season and could have went for more if he had been healthy. He's a good runner and a very good receiver. The Chiefs will lean on him this season and know their window to win is closing. If Holmes had played a full 16 games last year, he would have led the league in rushing and broken the rushing touchdowns record. *WHY NOT:* Two reasons; he only played in 8 games last year and Larry Johnson will get his carries this year. He's still a great goal line back and will score over 10 touchdowns on the ground and 5 more by receptions.
*2004:* 196 carries, 892 yards, 14 TD. 19 catches, 187 yards, 1 TD.

13. Julius Jones (Dallas)
*WHY:* In only seven starts in 2004, Jones had 819 yards and 7 touchdowns. If he had played a full season, he would have put up 1600 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Bill Parcells loves running the ball and will use Jones a lot in ?05, especially to set up the play action. *WHY NOT:* Jones will be used a lot in 2005 and he has been hurt a lot in his college career. He's also going to lose carries to Anthony Thomas and Marion Barber. His half-season success could spell greatness or bust.
*2004:* 197 carries, 819 yards, 7 TD. 17 catches, 109 yards, 0 TD.

14. Ahman Green (Green Bay)
*WHY:* Green is a favorite of Coach Mike Sherman and will be used a lot in 2005. With Javon Walker threatening to hold out at WR, there will be an increased focus on the running game. Green has not let anyone down in recent years and is a good pick if you choose to go with a quarterback early on. *WHY NOT:* Losing your two best interior linemen in the off-season can kill your running game. Green will have to do his best work without two familiar backsides in front of him clearing the way.
*2004:* 259 carries, 1163 yards, 7 TD. 40 catches, 175 yards, 1 TD.

15. Deuce McAllister (New Orleans)
*WHY:* McAllister has looked great this off-season and the Saints are prepared to return to the power running game with a renewed emphasis on the playaction and power blocking up front. McAllister is also ready to prove doubters wrong about his play in 2004. *WHY NOT:* Although he went over 1000 yards last season; McAllister had an off year and missed two games. Could he be on a downhill slope or was it a bad year?
*2004:* 269 carries, 1074 yards, 9 TD. 34 catches, 228 yards, 0 TD.

16. LaMont Jordan (Oakland)
*WHY:* He is finally the number one back and is ready to pound defenses in the AFC East. Jordan is the ideal back for Norv Turner's system and should flourish as the feature back in his power offense. *WHY NOT:* He has never had to be the go-to back and has never had to carry the entire load for 16 games. Jordan has looked good in backup duty, but can he be as effective as a starter?
*2004:* 93 carries, 479 yards, 2 TD. 15 catches, 112 yards, 0 TD.

17. Steven Jackson (St. Louis)
*WHY:* In only three starts he averaged 5 yards per carry and looked very solid all around. He's the starter now and will see the kind of opportunities that made Marshall Faulk a fantasy MVP for most of the early 2000?s. *WHY NOT:* Faulk will still see a lot of time and is going to get the majority of the carries around the goal line. Jackson has not proven yet that he can be the same kind of receiver that Faulk was either.
*2004:* 134 carries, 673 yards, 4 TD. 19 catches, 189 yards, 0 TD.

18. Domanick Davis (Houston)
*WHY:* He put up 13 touchdowns and over 1,000 yards last season, an improvement on his breakout season as a rookie in 2003. He has went over 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons and is becoming a threat out of the backfield. *WHY NOT:* His fumbles will kill you and he is still somewhat injury prone. He has missed time in both of his first two seasons and the team doesn't seem sold on him as their primary back.
*2004:* 302 carries, 1188 yards, 13 TD. 68 catches, 588 yards, 1 TD.

19. Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia)
*WHY:* Westbrook is getting better every year and is ready to break out for a 1,000 yard rushing season with over 10 TDs. He is a capable back that doesn't make mistakes and will be used more and more now that he has proven himself. *WHY NOT:* Brian will share carries with rookie Ryan Moats and Correll Buckhalter. Neither is good enough to start over him, but Westbrook could be used more as a receiving back than a runner this year. *2004:*
*2004:* 117 carries, 812 yards, 3 TD. 73 catches, 703 yards, 6 TD.

20. Ronnie Brown (Miami)
*WHY:* Brown steps into a wonderful situation in Miami where he will be used plenty and has a good enough offensive line in front of him to make plays. He has a great offensive line coach scheming and a smart head coach that will use him as the versatile option he can be. *WHY NOT*: Brown might be pushed by Ricky Williams, rather will be, we are just not sure how long he will be there. Either way, rookie running backs do well early on and Brown is in a great place to succeed.
*2004:* College Player

21. Tatum Bell (Denver)
*WHY:* Drafting the starting running back in the Denver system is about as sure as you can get in fantasy football. The only downfall is that Bell has been hurt, a lot, in his career and will be challenged by a strong group of backs behind him. *WHY NOT:* Bell, as we mentioned, has been hurt quite a bit and it is no sure thing that he will start. It is also hard to judge him on his 75 career carries.
*2004:* 75 carries, 396 yards, 3 TD. 5 catches, 80 yards, 0 TD.

22. Warrick Dunn (Atlanta)
*WHY:* Dunn is an underrated runner that picks up enough yards and enough catches to remain a player in the fantasy world. He is not a player that you would pick up as your number one back, but he is solid as the number two guy and could have an even bigger year if the passing game picks up. *WHY NOT:* Dunn may be too low on this list, but with Michael Vick in the offense, he'll never be the primary ball carrier. Dunn has also started to battle with some minor injuries that are hurting his production. If teams don't respect Vick as a passer, we'll also start to see more men in the box to stop the run.
*2004:* 265 carries, 1106 yards, 9 TD. 29 catches, 294 yards, 0 TD.

23. Carnell Williams (Tampa Bay)
*WHY:* Williams is stepping into a role where he can be the go-to guy from day one. He's in a great situation to produce and will be given every chance to carry and catch the ball in this offense. He really has no challengers. *WHY NOT*: The Bucs do not have a great history of producing running backs with good fantasy numbers. If Mike Alstott is back, he'll steal a lot of goal line touches and touchdowns. Williams is a good sleeper and a quality #2 fantasy back, but not a #1 guy by any means.
*2004:* College player

24. Cedric Benson (Chicago)
*WHY:* The Bears are going back to a power running game under Ron Turner as the offensive coordinator and envision giving Benson the ball 25 times a game. They have improved the offensive line and look the best on paper than they have in sometime. *WHY NOT:* Benson is a rookie and will be challenged by Thomas Jones, the incumbent. Benson is a powerful back, but he does lack the speed to make plays in the second level. If you have faith in the Bears line, draft Benson with the idea that he could only be a two-down back as a rookie.
*2004:* College player

25. Michael Bennett (Minnesota)
*WHY:* Bennett is finally healthy and looks to return to his 2003 form. He is very fast and very effective at getting outside and has the speed to beat defenders. He is also a good receiver out of the backfield. *WHY NOT:* He will lose carries to a stable of backs and is not a goal line option for the team. He has also had some injury concerns recently.
*2004:* 70 carries, 276 yards, 1 TD. 21 catches, 207 yards, 1 TD.

26. JJ Arrrington (Arizona)
*WHY:* Dennis Green is in love with this stud rookie from Cal. He put up over 2,000 yards in his senior season and has a knack at finding the endzone. He could have a better year than the three first-rounders ahead of him. *WHY NOT:* Arrington is still a small back and will be challenged for the starting role. The job is likely his, but the Arizona offense will feature a throw first attack and could limit his touches.
*2004:* College player

27. Lee Suggs (Cleveland)
*WHY:* The Browns new regime is committed to running the ball and they like Suggs' ability. The offensive line is improved and the smart play of Trent Dilfer at quarterback will only help. *WHY NOT:* Suggs will be challenged by William Green and Reuben Droughns for carries. He is the most talented, but if he struggles with injuries as he has in the past, he'll be gone.
*2004:*199 carries, 744 yards, 2 TD. 4 catches, 20 yards, 1 TD.

28. Kevan Barlow (San Francisco)
*WHY:* The 49ers are a young team with an improved offensive line; they will run the ball a lot this year. Under the defensive minded Mike Nolan, controlling the ball and the line of scrimmage will be key. Barlow is a good runner, but he was lost at times last year behind a horrible line and with no protection from the passing game. *WHY NOT:* The team did not spend a third-round pick on Frank Gore to watch him sit on the bench. Gore will see his share of carries and there is always the chance that Barlow's bad play and sometimes bad attitude will cost him.
*2004:* 244 carries, 822 yards, 7 TD. 35 catches, 212 yards, 0 TD.

29. Larry Johnson (Kansas City)
*WHY:* Johnson will be running behind the best offensive line in football in 2005 and will be sharing carries with an injury prone starter in Priest Holmes. Johnson shocked the world last year with his play in limited carries. He is now the #2 back and will see more and more time out of the backfield. *WHY NOT:* Priest Holmes is still the starter, and a very good one. As long as he is healthy, Johnson will only be used to spell him and in blowouts. Something they don't have a lot with KC's defense.
*2004:*120 carries, 581 yards, 9 TD. 22 catches, 278 yards, 2 TD.

30. Travis Henry (Tennessee)
*WHY:* Now that Henry has a home in Tennessee, he's a lock to get a fair share of carries. The Titans will use him in rotation with Chris Brown, but look for Henry to steal the starting gig. *WHY NOT:* Henry has battled with injuries and his style doesn't fit the Titans old scheme of inside runs. New coordinator Norm Chow will find ways to use him, but he won't get 20 carries and 5 catches a game. In fact, he has never shown he is a capable receiver.
*2004:* 94 carries, 326 yards, 0 TD. 10 catches, 45 yards, 0 TD.

31. Fred Taylor (Jacksonville)
*WHY:* When he is healthy Taylor is among the best in the game. If he's on, the rushing record is in jeopardy. *WHY NOT:* Taylor has been plagued with a mysterious knee injury all off-season and it now appears more serious than we were originally led to believe. Draft at your own risk.
*2004:* 260 carries, 1224 yards, 2 TD. 36 catches, 345 yards, 1 TD.

32. Marshall Faulk (St. Louis)
*WHY:* Faulk is still a threat when he's on the field. He'll be used more in a third-down role in St. Louis this year, but that could fit him even better. He'll see fewer men in the box and will be used as a receiver/runner in single back sets. He could also see more time split wide in the slot, something he excels at. *WHY NOT:* Faulk is no longer the starter and his age and injuries are starting to become noticeable. If you are looking for a third back or an injury replacement, he will get you points, but he can't carry a team anymore.
*2004:*195 carries, 774 yards, 3 TD. 50 catches, 310 yards, 1 TD.

33. Chris Brown (Tennessee)
*WHY:* Brown looked very good last season as a runner. He's a powerful guy that can break tackles and get the extra yards. He is very effective in the redzone. If he's on and healthy, he'll push for a 1,000 yards. *WHY NOT:* The Titans traded for former Pro Bowler Travis Henry and plan to use both this season. Brown has also had a lot of trouble staying healthy and is even now questionable.
*2004:*220 carries, 1067 yards, 6 TD. 20 catches, 147 yards, 0 TD.

34. DeShaun Foster (Carolina)
*WHY:* Foster is a dynamic runner with a rare speed and power combination. He is also in a system that prides itself on the running game and has seen improvements along the offensive line this off-season. *WHY NOT:* He has never been fully healthy for an entire season and will split carries with at least two other backs. If he wins the starting job, grab him off of waivers or draft him with one of your later picks.
*2004:* 59 carries, 255 yards, 2 TD. 9 catches, 76 yards, 0 TD.

35. TJ Duckett (Atlanta)
36. William Green (Cleveland)
37. Jerome Bettis (Pittsburgh)
38. Ricky Williams (Miami)
39. Thomas Jones (Chicago)
40. Michael Pittman (Tampa Bay)
41. Eric Shelton (Carolina)
42. Frank Gore (San Francisco)
43. Maurice Clarett (Denver)
44. Moe Williams (Minnesota
45. Derrick Blaylock (New York Jets)
46. Marcel Shipp (Arizona)
47. Chester Taylor (Baltimore)
48. Reuben Droughns (Cleveland)
49. Mewelde Moore (Minnesota)
50. Mike Anderson (Denver)
51. Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants)

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