Fantasy Football Running Backs

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Xtreme Team Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

All you have to do is look at the number of incomplete grades below (16) to know what kind of year 2007 was for fantasy running backs. (Of course that worked out well for our members since we ranked QBs and WRs much higher than most sites in the early rounds.) These results also highlight the importance of accurately projecting what the second tier RBs can be expected to do should the big guys go down. On that front we did very well finishing with very solid grades on guys that were very much in question going into last season such as Edgerrin James (98%), Marshawn Lynch (98%), Fred Taylor (97%), Willis McGahee (96%) and DeAngelo Williams (91%). After all, anybody can tell you to draft LaDanian Tomlinson, but the season is usually won or lost in the mid-rounds, not the early rounds. As far as our busts went, the toughest one to accept was Thomas Jones. We only missed his yardage total by 4yds. but his complete lack of TD production killed us. The same thing happened with Willie Parker, but our members will tell you that we were warning them away from Parker from the beginning of training camp.

LaDanian Tomlinson XR: 1 CR: 1 BW: 9 Final 2007 Grade: 85% B+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,722 RushingTDs: 22 Receptions: 51 ReceivingYDs: 463 ReceivingTDs: 2 Fantasy Pts: 357

2007 Final Stats: 1,474 15 60 475 3 303

2008 Projections: 1,506 17 54 411 2 306 2007 Bottom Line: Only Tomlinson could finish with 13 less TDs and 374 fewer yards than the year before and still be the best running back in fantasy football.

2008 Outlook: Until proven otherwise LT remains the overwhelming favorite to go first in just about every fantasy football draft held this season. While we agree with that, there are a few numbers that we see as reason for at least a little concern. In 2007 Tomlinson failed to score a rushing TD in 6 games - an unheard of number for him. As a matter of fact, he only had 3 games with multiple rushing TDs and his numbers for the other 13 games were only 7TDs and an average of 75yds. rushing per game. None of this changes his ranking, but if somebody wants to make you an offer for the first pick overall - you should at least listen.

Larry Johnson XR: 9 CR: 7 BW: 6 Final 2007 Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,776 RushingTDs: 19 Receptions: 44 ReceivingYDs: 448 ReceivingTDs: 2 Fantasy Pts: 348

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections: 1,189 9 42 409 2 226

2007 Bottom Line: A weak offensive line, poor QB play, and injury problems made Johnson a mere shadow of himself in 2007.

2008 Outlook: Other than Johnson's broken foot healing, it appears that little has changed in KC since last year. Brodie Croyle remains the QB - which means teams won't have to respect the passing game and the offensive line is still a huge question mark. We happen to think that the younger players on the OL - though inexperienced - should be an upgrade from last year, but by how much remains to be seen. While OC Chan Gailey isn't known for his high-powered offenses, he is still far better than Herm Edwards at play calling. Overall, we look for Johnson to rebound, but not to the level he was two years ago.

Steven Jackson XR: 6 CR: 5 BW: 5 Final 2007 Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,654 RushingTDs: 14 Receptions: 84 ReceivingYDs: 787 ReceivingTDs: 3 Fantasy Pts: 346

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections: 1,188 10 67 504 1 235

2007 Bottom Line: Injuries to himself and his offensive line made 2007 a season to forget.

2008 Outlook: The addition of Al Saunders as offensive co-ordinator should be good news for Jackson owners as Saunders plans on opening up the offense by establishing the run first. In addition, Saunders has never been bashful about feeding a guy the ball early and often - especially in his Kansas City days. While we don't expect Jackson to put up Priest Holmes in-the-day numbers, we do believe that his involvement in the passing game and the new emphasis on the running game will serve him well. One thing to keep in mind about Jackson - he only scored one road TD in 2007 and definitely plays better on turf than real grass.

Ryan Grant XR: 13 CR: 9 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: N/A

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: N/A RushingTDs: N/A Receptions: N/A ReceivingYDs: N/A ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: N/A

2007 Final Stats: 956 8 30 145 0 159

2008 Projections: 1127 9 31 175 185

2007 Bottom Line: Grant's production over the last half of the season was nothing short of sensational as he averaged 97yds. rushing per game from Week 8 through Week 16.

2008 Outlook: Now the question is, can he do it for an entire season - or was last year an anomaly? We think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Grant is clearly the featured back on an offense that should produce points, so he has definite fantasy value. Our biggest concern is how the offense will perform without Favre (assuming he doesn't play for the Pack this year).

Brian Westbrook XR: 2 CR: 4 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: 89% B+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,117 RushingTDs: 6 Receptions: 74 ReceivingYDs: 718 ReceivingTDs: 5 Fantasy Pts: 250

2007 Final Stats: 1,333 7 90 771 5 282

2008 Projections: 1,277 8 84 743 4 274

2007 Bottom Line: Our confidence in Westbrook last year proved to be well placed. He was (and is) the closest thing to a one man offense in the NFL. Now, about that kneel down on the one yard line...

2008 Outlook: What's not to like? His numbers of carries and receptions have increased over the last three seasons to 368 touches last year. He only failed to reach 100yds. (combined rushing and receiving) in 3 games last year and one of those games he finished with 99yds. With the Eagles failure to improve their WR position Westbrook remains the best receiver in an offense that loves to throw. Yeah, we'd like to see him score more but keep in mind that he scored in more games than Adrian Peterson in 2007.

Joseph Addai XR: 5 CR: 3 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: 86% B+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,431 RushingTDs: 13 Receptions: 51 ReceivingYDs: 446 ReceivingTDs: 1 Fantasy Pts: 271

2007 Final Stats: 1,072 12 41 364 3 233

2008 Projections: 1,063 12 44 392 3 235

2007 Bottom Line: Addai proved himself to be fantasy football force on an offense that's guaranteed to produce plenty of scoring opportunities.

2008 Outlook: Last year Addai scored 5 of his 15 TDs in three games against the NFC West and we expect him to find the going a little more difficult against the NFC North. Still, if he remains healthy he should finish with very similar numbers to last year since he only played in 15 games last year and played sparingly in two others. His schedule during fantasy play-off time (Weeks 13, 14, and 15) looks very favorable with home games against the Bengals and Lions in Weeks 14 and 15.

Frank Gore XR: 4 CR: 9 BW: 9 Final 2007 Grade: 75% C+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,505 RushingTDs: 10 Receptions: 54 ReceivingYDs: 416 ReceivingTDs: 1 Fantasy Pts: 258

2007 Final Stats: 1,102 5 53 436 1 191

2008 Projections: 1,096 8 74 661 2 236 2007 Bottom Line: Despite injury problems and an offense that couldn't get out of it's own way, Gore still managed to finish 6th in total yardage in the NFL.

2008 Outlook: Last year we weren't as high on Gore as others were, and we turned out to be right. This year we're higher on Gore than most other sites and we're confident we'll be right again. Why? Because Gore (like Brian Westbrook) may very well be his team's best receiver as well as their RB. Now add Mike Martz and his pass happy offense to the mix and we believe Gore will be a consistent 100yd. combined yardage performer this season.

Rudi Johnson XR: 9 CR: 9 BW: 5 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,441 RushingTDs: 13 Receptions: 19 ReceivingYDs: 109 ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: 232

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Travis Henry XR: 10 CR: 11 BW: 6 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,477 RushingTDs: 11 Receptions: 31 ReceivingYDs: 184 ReceivingTDs: 1 Fantasy Pts: 237

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Willie Parker XR: 11 CR: 7 BW: 6 Final Grade: 65% D+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,385 RushingTDs: 12 Receptions: 37 ReceivingYDs: 244 ReceivingTDs: 2 Fantasy Pts: 246

2007 Final Stats: 1,316 2 23 164 0 161

2008 Projections:

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Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Kickers Defenses

Maurice Jones-Drew XR: 12 CR: 16 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: 75% C+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,117 RushingTDs: 13 Receptions: 51 ReceivingYDs: 513 ReceivingTDs: 1 Fantasy Pts: 246

2007 Final Stats: 768 9 40 407 2 184

2008 Projections: 833 9 44 446 1 188

2007 Bottom Line: Fred Taylor's resurgence cut into the number of chances that Drew had in 07 making him one of those frustrating players that you had to play but never knew what to expect from week to week.

2008 Outlook: The Jaguars offense should open up just enough this year to make defenses respect the pass, but not so much that they won't continue to be a run-oriented team. That, combined with another year of wear and tear on Taylor should be enough to make MJD a more consistent fantasy producer.

Brandon Jacobs XR: 17 CR: 23 BW: 4 Final 2007 Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,292 RushingTDs: 10 Receptions: 29 ReceivingYDs: 231 ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: 212

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections: 1,207 6 20 147 0 171

2007 Bottom Line: When healthy all Jacobs did was average over 100yds. per game including a four week run in December when he averaged 125 combined yards per game.

2008 Outlook: Just like we said last year, Jacobs is not getting the respect he deserves. The Giants can, and will run the ball and Jacobs will get the majority of the carries. We don't look for him to be involved in the passing game, but we do expect him to improve on his 4TDs. Once we're convinced that he's totally healthy we wouldn't be surprised to see his ranking improve.

Laurence Maroney XR: 13 CR: 10 BW: 10 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,097 RushingTDs: 13 Receptions: 26 ReceivingYDs: 202 ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: 207

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Reggie Bush XR: 14 CR: 12 BW: 4 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 691 RushingTDs: 7 Receptions: 91 ReceivingYDs: 777 ReceivingTDs: 3 Fantasy Pts: 206

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Clinton Portis XR: 3 CR: 8 BW: 10 Final 2007 Grade: 84% B

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,158 RushingTDs: 10 Receptions: 24 ReceivingYDs: 177 ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: 194

2007 Final Stats: 1,262 11 47 389 0 231

2008 Projections: 1,331 12 42 336 1 245

2007 Bottom Line: Portis quietly put together a dominant fantasy season finishing 3rd in total yardage and 4th in RB TDs despite playing for an offense that lacked at QB and WR. (It could be argued that HC Joe Gibbs' decision not to play Portis at the 1yd. line against the Giants in Week 3 was the reason the Giants were able to move on and win the Super Bowl.)

2008 Outlook: Portis scored in more games last year than any RB not named Tomlinson or Addai, and over the last four weeks of the 2007 season he averaged over 125 combined yards and 1TD per game. Needless to say, we think he is being under-valued by most analysts. Sure there's a new coaching staff in place but that should be offset by somewhat improved play from Jason Campbell.

Ronnie Brown XR: 17 CR: 17 BW: 9 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,161 RushingTDs: 6 Receptions: 41 ReceivingYDs: 303 ReceivingTDs: 1 Fantasy Pts: 188

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Edgerrin James XR: 15 CR: 21 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: 98% A+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,245 RushingTDs: 7 Receptions: 33 ReceivingYDs: 201 ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: 187

2007 Final Stats: 1,222 7 24 204 0 184

2008 Projections: 1,195 7 22 198 0 182

2007 Bottom Line: Despite many thinking James was finished, he finished 13th in the NFL in total yards. (Bet you could win a few water cooler bets with that stat - but keep it to yourself.)

2008 Outlook: He's not flashy, but James is a consistent yard producer (12 games with 75 or more combined yards) which is what you want from your # 2 back. HC Ken Whisenhunt's offense always provides plenty of opportunities for the primary running back and none of the guys behind James look ready to cut into those chances significantly. Added bonus: he'll be available in the 4th round.

Thomas Jones XR: 19 CR: 25 BW: 5 Final 2007 Grade: 79% C+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,115 RushingTDs: 10 Receptions: 24 ReceivingYDs: 131 ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: 185

2007 Final Stats: 1,119 1 28 217 1 146

2008 Projections: 1,171 5 26 198 0 167

2007 Bottom Line: Thank God for the Miami Dolphins - otherwise Jones would have gone the entire season without scoring a rushing TD.

2008 Outlook: Assuming that he has overcome his end-zone allergy, Jones will be a decent # 2 fantasy RB in 08. He is a grinder on a team that needs to grind if they want to be competitive so he will once again get his chances. Don't believe the myth that says that Jones has added value because of his receiving ability - his TD reception last year was the first of his career.

Willis McGahee XR: 11 CR: 14 BW: 6 Final 2007 Grade: 96% A+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,182 RushingTDs: 9 Receptions: 17 ReceivingYDs: 121 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 184

2007 Final Stats: 1,207 7 43 231 0 192

2008 Projections: 1,224 9 38 282 0 204

2007 Bottom Line: The Ravens points-challenged offense impacted McGahee's value as he failed to score in 9 games.

2008 Outlook: The presence of new OC Cam Cameron should be good news for McGahee owners. Over the last three seasons McGahee's weakness has been his low TD production (averaging just 6 TDs per season) but that should improve under the new coaching regime. We are still concerned by the QB issues, and a difficult schedule during fantasy play-offs but overall we look for him to be more consistent than those ranked below him. (If you've been with us over the years, you know we value consistency.)

MarShawn Lynch XR: 10 CR: 11 BW: 6 Final 2007 Grade: 98% A+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,074 RushingTDs: 9 Receptions: 22 ReceivingYDs: 144 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 175

2007 Final Stats: 1,115 7 18 184 0 172

2008 Projections: 1,291 9 26 221 0 205 2007 Bottom Line: It would be hard for us to do much better than a 98%. Lynch proved to be exactly what we thought he would be - a capable running back who would get the majority of the team's carries.

2008 Outlook: With his off-season legal problems now behind him, we look for Lynch to continue to be a very solid fantasy RB. This year he will be facing the NFC West instead of the NFC East which should give him even more opportunities to put up good numbers. (He only score 1TD against the NFC East defenses last year.) His schedule during the fantasy football play-off run (Weeks 13, 14, and 15) is favorable consisting of the Niners, the Dolphins, and the Jets.

Ahman Green XR: 23 CR: 24 BW: 10 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,056 RushingTDs: 6 Receptions: 30 ReceivingYDs: 264 ReceivingTDs: 1 FantasyPts: 173

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Marion Barber XR: 8 CR: 7 BW: 10 Final 2007 Grade: 83% B

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 702 RushingTDs: 12 Receptions: 19 ReceivingYDs: 153 ReceivingTDs: 1 FantasyPts: 163

2007 Final Stats: 975 10 44 282 2 197

2008 Projections: 1,206 12 38 229 2 227

2007 Bottom Line: The Cowboys finally realized that they were a much better team with Barber instead of Julius Jones.

2008 Outlook: It would seem that the sky is the limit for Barber in 2008, but don't get too carried away with your expectations. For starters, as long as Romo, Owens, and Witten are healthy there will be a limit to the number of rushing TDs available for Cowboy RBs. Secondly, we think Felix Jones is better than Julius Jones and he may well steal a couple of TDs from Barber by breaking off some long runs. Thirdly, Barber scored 7TDs on the road and only 3 at home, which is most likely a function of the passing offense putting on a show at home. That being said, the starting RB for a high-powered offense is always a good pick and Barber will almost certainly be one of the first ten players drafted.

Deuce McAllister XR: 20 CR: 36 BW: 9 Final 2007 Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,104 RushingTDs: 9 Receptions: 21 ReceivingYDs: 107 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 175

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections: 1,021 8 21 158 0 166

2007 Bottom Line: Another year, another knee injury.

2008 Outlook: Yeah, we know this is risky but McAllister has proven that he can come back from serious injury and we think he will do it again this year. He may start slowly but by mid-season we expect him to once again be a consistent points producer. (It's not like Reggie Bush is going to steal carries from him.) The beauty of this pick is that despite where we have him ranked, you won't need to draft him there. In mock drafts that we are participating in he has consistently lasted into the 7th round. That's a lot of upside for a 7th round pick.

Adrian Peterson XR: 7 CR: 2 BW: 8 Final 2007 Grade: 66% D+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,010 RushingTDs: 7 Receptions: 24 ReceivingYDs: 151 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 158

2007 Final Stats: 1,341 12 19 268 1 238

2008 Projections: 1,359 11 22 281 1 235

2007 Bottom Line: Peterson far exceeded our expectations for 2007. However, with the exception of two games he averaged 68yds. per game which is only 5yds. more per game than we expected.

2008 Outlook: Peterson is the clear consensus at the # 2 pick overall, but we just don't see it. Here's what the numbers say: AP scored in just 7 games last year and hit the 100yd. rushing mark in six while averaging 48yds. per game in the other eight games he played. The last four road games the Vikings played last year Peterson averaged 36yds. rushing per game and scored one TD. In addition, the Vikings play the AFC South this year which will pose a much sterner challenge than the defensively challenged AFC West. Don't get us wrong, we like Peterson - we just wouldn't feel comfortable taking him with the 2nd pick in the draft.

Fred Taylor XR: 26 CR: 29 BW: 4 Final Grade: 97% A+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 931 RushingTDs: 5 Receptions: 22 ReceivingYDs: 218 ReceivingTDs: 1 FantasyPts: 151

2007 Final Stats: 1,202 5 9 58 0 156

2008 Projections:

Julius Jones XR: 27 CR: 35 BW: 8 Final Grade: 63% D

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,107 RushingTDs: 4 Receptions: 15 ReceivingYDs: 136 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 147

2007 Final Stats: 588 2 23 203 0 92

2008 Projections:

Jamal Lewis XR: 14 CR: 18 BW: 5 Final 2007 Grade: 67% D+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,003 RushingTDs: 6 Receptions: 19 ReceivingYDs: 104 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 147

2007 Final Stats: 1,304 9 30 248 2 220

2008 Projections: 1,182 7 27 216 0 182

2007 Bottom Line: We can't argue with the final numbers, but keep in mind that Lewis failed to reach 65yds. rushing in 8 of his 15 games and only scored in 6 games overall.

2008 Outlook: OK, we'll admit he was better than we expected last year (which explains the D+) but we remain unconvinced that he can duplicate those numbers for several reasons. The schedule is more difficult this year (NFC East instead of NFC West), the Browns are hoping to get special teams ace Joshua Cribbs a few offensive touches, and last year was a contract year. Still, Lewis will once again be what we've always thought he was - a solid # 2 fantasy back.

Warrick Dunn XR: 29 CR: 25 BW: 8 Final Grade: 83% B

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 1,098 RushingTDs: 3 Receptions: 21 ReceivingYDs: 181 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 145

2007 Final Stats: 720 4 37 238 0 120

2008 Projections:

Tatum Bell XR: 31 CR: 31 BW: 6 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 551 RushingTDs: 5 Receptions: 39 ReceivingYDs: 461 ReceivingTDs: 3 FantasyPts: 149

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Cadillac Williams XR: 32 CR: 21 BW: 10 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 909 RushingTDs: 4 Receptions: 33 ReceivingYDs: 211 ReceivingTDs: 1 FantasyPts: 141

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Chester Taylor XR: 33 CR: 38 BW: 5 Final Grade: 88% B+

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 869 RushingTDs: 5 Receptions: 31 ReceivingYDs: 185 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 136

2007 Final Stats: 844 7 29 281 0 154

2008 Projections:

LaMont Jordan XR: 30 CR: 32 BW: 5 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 684 RushingTDs: 4 Receptions: 54 ReceivingYDs: 427 ReceivingTDs: 1 FantasyPts: 141

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

Brandon Jackson XR: 34 CR: 39 BW: 7 Final Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 754 RushingTDs: 4 Receptions: 44 ReceivingYDs: 288 ReceivingTDs: 1 FantasyPts: 94

2007 Final Stats: Incomplete due to injury

2008 Projections:

DeAngelo Williams XR: 35 CR: 26 BW: 7 Final Grade: 91% A

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: 801 RushingTDs: 4 Receptions: 34 ReceivingYDs: 271 ReceivingTDs: 0 FantasyPts: 131

2007 Final Stats: 717 4 23 175 1 119

2008 Projections:

COMING SOON: Ranking 21-30

LenDale White XR: 16 CR: 25 BW: 6 Final 2007 Grade: N/A

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: N/A RushingTDs: N/A Receptions: N/A ReceivingYDs: N/A ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: N/A

2007 Final Stats: 1,110 7 20 114 0 164

2008 Projections: 1,206 8 17 96 0 179

2007 Bottom Line: The RB by committee employed by HC Jeff Fisher lead to the occasional disappearing act (4 games with less than 5 fantasy points) but overall he showed improvement from his rookie season.

2008 Outlook: We look for the Titans offense to improve slightly this year which should mean more chances for White. Once again he won't be a fantasy monster, but he did have 5 100yd. games last year which is as many as guys like Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, and Jamal Lewis.

Michael Turner XR: 18 CR: 19 BW: 7 Final 2007 Grade: Incomplete

2007 Projections: Rushing YDs: N/A RushingTDs: N/A Receptions: N/A ReceivingYDs: N/A ReceivingTDs: 0 Fantasy Pts: N/A

2007 Final Stats: N/A

2008 Projections: 1,044 5 33 299 1 170

2007 Bottom Line: Rarely has a guy who has played so little created so much buzz.