Cubsfan4evr Fantasy Football Advice: Running backs

Now with the Game Of Inches fantasy draft done I can follow in the footsteps of "Sexy Rexy" and post my football advice which I am following in my drafts. I have worked hard to come up with my strategies and list of players to target that I think will have good seasons better than where they’re going, and of course a list of "sleepers" for deeper leagues.

In the first round I would only take a running back if you get a top 5 pick. If you have the opportunity to take Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Frank Gore you should take them. If not then I would take a WR instead in the first round. My strategy is to take a top RB if I can, otherwise to take WR and QB early by stockpiling many average RB later.

This are my rankings for the top 30 RB:
1) Chris Johnson
2) Adrian Peterson
3) Ray Rice
4) Frank Gore
5) Maurice Jones-Drew
6) Michael Turner
7) Steven Jackson
8) Ryan Grant
9) DeAngelo Williams
10) Rashard Mendenhall
11) Jerome Harrison
12) Cedric Benson
13) Arian Foster
14) Ryan Matthews
15) Shonn Greene
16) Pierre Thomas
17) Jamaal Charles
18) Justin Forsett
19) Jonathan Stewart
20) Jahvid Best
21) Joseph Addai
22) LeSean McCoy
23) Ahmad Bradshaw
24) Felix Jones
25) Tim Hightower
26) Matt Forte
27) Beanie Wells
28) Michael Bush
29) Ricky Williams
30) Clinton Portis

As I said though I don't like many running backs for where they are being drafted. So here is a list of the actual running backs I would draft based on where they are going.

The list of runningbacks I would actually draft:

• Chris Johnson
• Adrian Peterson
• Ray Rice
• Frank Gore
• Maurice Jones-Drew
• Ryan Grant
• Rashard Mendenhall
• Jerome Harrison
• Arian Foster
• Justin Forsett
• Jahvid Best
• Ahmad Bradshaw
• Tim Hightower

I wouldn't reach for these players more than a round early, if I didn't think they would come back to me. I would draft other positions, especially wide receivers early on and wait for these running backs that I am targeting. The reason is I think these running backs are good value for where there going. The other running backs I excluded from this list from my top 30 backs are still good and may have good seasons, but I think these players are better values for where there going. So if one of those other players fall a round or two then I would draft them if they are healthy.

Running backs I like later that I think could be great value out weight their ranking and be difference makers for a team are: Justin Forsett, Jahvid Best, Arian Foster (big on), and Michael Bush. I think some of these guys could develop into getting the lion share of the playing time. I think Bhest could be an injury risk, on a bad team, but if he does well he will get most of the carries. Forsett could also develop into getting enough carries a game. Arian Foster could easily emerge with the Texans being down on Slaton. Thus, these are guys I would target with later picks. I wouldn’t reach for them, but if they come to you, jump on them.

I am really big on Ryan Grant for where he is going. Again, he isn’t a top tier guy, and I wouldn’t reach for him, but he is every down back so I like him. If you don’t get a top six pick or so then I would go after a guy like Grant. Look at how many carries he has had the past two years:
It is for this reason I don’t like Grant for years to come but for the next year or two. Then he will fall apart. Depending on your league with the number of teams, if you have a flex, and the number of positions he would be a good number one back if you took a stud receiver with your first pick or a great 1-2 punch if he was your second pick. You can't go wrong with grant this year.