EJ’s Running Back Rankings

By Guest Writer EJ McKinley:

On continuation with my position rankings I introduce my top 20 Fantasy running backs:      

1. Adrian Peterson: No surprise here. Peterson was head and shoulders above the pack last season. You can’t go wrong when you go “All Day.”
2. Arian Foster: Foster is truly an artistic player. He’s not blindingly fast but runs with a Picasso style stroke across the canvas of the football field.
3. Marshawn Lynch: I expect Lynch’s numbers to dip slightly with the arrival of Percy Harvin from Minnesota. Never the less Lynch is always a solid contributor; especially if he plays the saints.
4. Ray Rice: Departing from the Ravens is receiver Anquin Boldin. Aside from Boldin the only true receiver threat is Torrey Smith. This boosts Rice’s stock through the roof. Expect the Ravens to pound the ball more than ever this season.
5. Jamaal Charles: Charles was a little short on the touchdowns last year. If Charles could hit the end zone just a few more times it would raise him up even higher on this list. His recovery from a torn ACL was a little overlooked, but this guy is a hard worker and will score points for your Fantasy team.
6. Doug Martin: Martin exploded onto the scene last season as a rookie. He’s an amazing talent. His offensive line is only going to get better with guard Jahri Evans recovering from injury. They also added tackle/guard Gabe Carimi from Chicago. Martin is a great pick.
7. Alfred Morris: Mike Shanahan’s special touch with the running backs continued with Morris last season. Nobody and I mean nobody thought Morris would be as good as he was. Morris’s stock also rises this coming season with RG3 getting his sea legs back. Look for the Redskins to run the ball more.
8. C.J. Spiller:  I am a Spiller fanatic. The first time I saw C.J. spill his talent onto the football field I fell in love. Spiller scored a ton of points in fantasy last year but could do even more. I felt that he was underutilized and too many snaps were given to Fred Jackson.
9. Frank Gore: In San Francisco the read option is the style of offense commonly used. In that system the runningbacks tend to run the ball quite a bit. Gore is getting a little older and has had some injury concerns, but should be a force this season.
10. Stevan Ridley: We’re seeing a lot of new faces in the runningback rankings. Ridley is guilty as charged. He had a quiet season and then champagne cork exploded onto the field one year ago. Ridley will be a power this coming season.
11. Maurice Jones-Drew: Here’s a guy who has been at the top and the bottom of the league. He’s coming off an injury plagued season so be careful with him. You can pick him up for a low price and it will pay dividends for your team.
12. Matt Forte: Running is his forte, and the NFL is the matt on which he runs. Matt Forte saw a decline in his numbers last season. A very steep decline I might add. With the arrival of Brandon Marshal in Chicago Forte’s numbers were bound to take a hit. However they took a bigger hit than anyone had guessed. Look for Forte to bounce back this season.
13. Reggie Bush: The Detroit Lions are clamoring for a runningback as they set the NFL record twice in the past two seasons in pass attempts. The Lions captured their runningback with the signing of Bush in the off-season. Bush will be a great receiver for the pass happy lions coming out of the backfield.
14. LeSean McCoy: Watch this kid! McCoy had a terrible season last year. He only ran for 840 yards and two touchdowns last season. Yet the season before last he was second in yards in the league. You can get this guy for a huge discount and he is primed to be a top scorer this season.
15. Darren Sproles: Sproles’s biggest weapon is his versatility. Look to put him into your three spot as he’s a great runner and receiver out of the backfield.
16. Chris Johnson: I don’t like Johnson. I think he has a very bad attitude. Despite this his performance last season was solid. Johnson may lose carries to backup Shonn Greene but he should be a good point scorer if you draft him.
17. Trent Richardson: Richardson fell deep down my list despite the fact he was one of the better scorers in fantasy last season. The reason for this is that the majority of his points were gained from touchdowns. He scored 11 touchdowns last season which is hard to duplicate. The liability is that he only ran for 950 yards. Giving Richardson the benefit of the doubt he was injured most of last season.
18. Ahmad Bradshaw: Bradshaw is one of my favorite sleepers of the draft. He was just recently signed by the Colts and is expected to be the starter from day one. I am highly concerned with his injuries and slight inconsistency. He could turn out to be a great pick in the mid rounds of your draft.
19. Steven Jackson: Jackson has been slowed in the last couple of seasons but is still one of the better backs in the league. I am truly hopeful he will have a renaissance in Atlanta this coming year.
20. Darren McFadden: McFadden is a force if he’s healthy. Unfortunately for him he can’t stay on the field. Draft this guy low and if he’s in good physical shape he is a must start.

Best of the Rest:

1. Rashard Mendenhall

2. Eddie Lacy

3. Benjarvus Green-Ellis

4. Le’Veon Bell

5. Montee Ball

6. Deangelo Williams

7. Johnathan Stewart

8. Mikel Leshoure

9. Vick Ballard

10.  Danny Woodhead

11. Willis McGahee

12. Demarco Murray

13. Ryan Matthews

14. Christine Michael

15. Mark Ingram

16. Pierre Thomas

17. Bryce Brown

18. Johnathan Dwyer

19. Michael Bush

20. Knile Davis