5 Alex Green, Green Bay Packers
4 Shane Vereen, New England Patriots
3 Ryan Williams, Arizona Cardinals
2 Mikel Leshoure, Detroit Lions
1 Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
This is an interesting class of rookie running backs because Mark Ingram, picked at number 28 overall, was the first running back taken off the board which is very low. Most of the quality running backs were taken in the second or third round, which is why we will see a lot of sleepers emerge this year.
Top 40
 |
| C.J. Spiller |
40 Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals
39 Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
38 C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills
37 Donald Brown, Indianapolis Colts
All four of these guys have talent, but all of them except for Spiller have been underachievers early in their pro careers. I had higher hopes for Beanie Wells, but he still has plenty of time to turn it around. I also think that C.J. Spiller will have a breakout year for the Bills, rushing close to 1,000 yards.
The Solid Complementary Backs
36 Michael Bush, Oakland Raiders
35 Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
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| Marshawn Lynch |
33 Ronnie Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
32 Danny Woodhead, New England Patriots
31 Shonn Greene, New York Jets
30 Tim Hightower, Washington Redskins
Every one of these guys is capable of having stellar games and being a playmaker. You look through the list; Marshawn Lynch had what might have been the greatest playoff run of all time last year against the Saints, Reggie Bush is capable of going to the house on any play and Danny Woodhead is capable of slashing up a defense in any game. All of these guys are solid playmakers to have on your squad.
The Low End Starters
29 Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys
28 Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts
27 Chris Ivory, New Orleans Saints
They might be low end starters, but with an 1,000 yard+ season this year, any of these guys is capable of climbing the ladder.
 |
| Fred Jackson |
26 Ryan Matthews, San Diego Chargers
25 Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos
24 LaDainian Tomlinson, New York Jets
23 Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills
22 Ryan Torain, Washington Redskins
21 Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants
None of these guys are great, but if they are one of two or three options, then they are capable of being great. Brandon Jacobs, when used after a dose of Ahmad Bradshaw, is unstoppable sometimes. Fred Jackson is one of two options on the Bills which is why he consistently has good seasons. When these guys are number one options such as Knowshon Moreno, they tend to disappoint.
Top 20
20 Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
19 Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
18 Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals
17 LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16 Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis, New England Patriots
All five of these guys have had their breakout seasons. Forte, Stewart and Benson have all fallen off a tad since their bursting onto the scene and now we'll see whether Green-Ellis and Blount have that same fate.
 |
| Darren McFadden |
15 Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns
14 Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders
13 Ahmad Bradshaw,New York Giants
I saw Peyton Hillis absolutely tear apart the Patriots. I would see numerous highlights of Darren McFadden tearing up the Denver Broncos and the San Diego Chargers. I would always see Ahmad Bradhsaw rack up 125+ yards in the box scores. These guys are all high-caliber running backs, but they lack the consistency to be amongst the top 10 for now.
Top 12
The Game Changers
 |
| LeSean McCoy |
11 DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers
10 Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers
9 Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
8 Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
When healthy, all of these guys are game changers. When healthy, DeAngelo Williams and Frank Gore are dynamite backs, always capable of 100 yard performances week in and week out.
LaSean McCoy is versatile and is a perfect complement to
Michael Vick.
Steven Jackson was a big reason for the Ram's success last year. Though his numbers went down due to defense's stacking the line, his presence helped Sam Bradford become confident in his rookie season.
Ray Rice might be the most versatile running back in the game, capable of being a receiving or running threat. He can slash through defenses from anywhere on the field; he is certainly one of the most dynamic backs in the game.
 |
| Arian Foster |
7 Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
6 Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers
5 Arian Foster, Houston Texans
4 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars
3 Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
All of the guys in the top 7 not only can change one game, they can change their team for the better for an entire season and they are always a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Michael Turner has been a consistent leader in many stat categories in his time in Atlanta. He provides Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense with a go-to guy that can get it down when they need him.
Rashard Mendenhall is one of the best running backs to have in the months of December and January because he is a bruising, tough runner. He is the perfect fit for the Steelers.
Arian Foster was the breakout star of last year. He was consistently racking up ridiculous amounts of yardage, which only a select few are capable or doing week in and week out.
Mo-Jo has been one of the league's most consistent and outstanding backs over the last few years. He is reliable, dependable and superb at whatever he does on a football field.
Jamaal Charles had an average yards per carry of 6.4. Most guys have an average of 4.4. Charles is explosive and dangerous and he is still very young.
Top 2
A Cut Above the Rest
2 Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
1 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson are the two best running backs in the game. They are dynamic, explosive and they make plays. What puts Adrian Peterson a tad above Chris Johnson is his ability to take more pressure off his teammates, allowing his teammates to perform better. Chris Johnson seems to have slightly less of an impact on his teammates and on the defense than Adrian Peterson does.
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