FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

Addai's new contract is worth $14 million over three years and that ensures offensive continuity for this high-powered points machine called the Colts. Addai missed half of last season because of a neck injury even though he turned in a 4.3 YPC. Addai typically ends up as an RB2 sort of fantasy player since he has the consistency of every week points, but he almost never has a big game. He has only managed three games over 100 rush yards over the last three seasons. He's a safe pick but never one that wins your league.

Barber's never-say-die rushing style has taken its toll, as his yards per carry dropped significantly in his sixth pro season. He's not likely to see an uptick in the career low of carries he received last year in the Cowboys' backfield rotation, but he could elbow his way into the goal line picture in Chicago. Essentially, he's Matt Forte insurance with a little bit of touchdown upside.

The Bengals brought Benson back as the cornerstone of their offense while they developed the young pitch/catch combination of Andy Dalton to A.J. Green. No reason to expect much of an uptick from what you've seen from Ced the past couple of seasons--but no reason to expect much of a dropoff, either. Plus his 20-plus carries each week into your lineup as a solid RB2 option.

Best shockingly lasted all 16 games last season, though he lost some of his explosiveness to a toe injury in Week 2 and was never at full go the rest of the way. Best can focus on what he does best: take 12-18 touches outside and leave defenders in the dust with video game moves. His rushing total will be dampened, but his value in PPR leagues is positively Westbrookian.

Blount really exploded last year, gaining 1007 rushing yards and yet not really playing until week seven. He racked up four efforts over 100 rush yards but had almost no role as a receiver. He averaged 5.0 yards per carry and managed to make it the entire season without popping anyone in the grill. While there is not a lot of wiggle to him, Blount is a load at 247 pounds and breaks tackles regularly. This is his first season as the starter and there is no other player on the roster remotely as adept at running as he is.

No analysis available.

Bradshaw has improved his stats every season and comes off a career best mark of 1235 rush yards and 314 yards on 47 catches with eight scores. He's trying out the market as a free agent but has not been offered a deal any better than what the Giants are offering. Barring a later signing, Bradshaw is most likely back with the Giants in a familiar offense and role.

08-01-11 Update: Re-signed with Giants.

Brown remains the RB depth that the Colts never want to resort to using. Brown failed to make any mark in the absence of Addai last year and is nothing more than a backup running back.

Brown signed with the Eagles to be the primary backup to LeSean McCoy. Short of an injury to McCoy, there is no fantasy value here and by this stage of his career, there may not be much even of McCoy is out. Brown is a reasonable handcuff for McCoy owners but not worth stealing.

(-Risk) (+Upside) Bush leaves the high-powered Saints offense for Miami and signed a two-year deal worth $9.7 million. The natural assumption is that Bush will be the third down complement to the rookie Daniel Thomas given that Bush has played that role his entire five year career. But Bush says he is looking for 15 touches per game and that HC Tony Sparano has expressed a belief that Bush could play on early downs. The notion that Bush could be a featured back seems practical to at least Bush and his agent but never was born out in New Orleans who gave him every opportunity to do more. This is a run-first offense now and Bush should see more use than in New Orleans. The rookie Thomas is a pounder and Bush makes a nice complement. Bush is also always an injury risk.

08-26-11 Update: Have to consider Bush as better if only because the rookie Daniel Thomas has not looked good and Bush has been impressive. Still hard to buy into Bush shouldering a big load for long, but to start he will be the primary back.

Bush was hit with being a restricted free agent so he remains a Raider and plays a definite #2 role behind McFadden. Bush isn't nearly productive enough to be a fantasy starter but is a reasonable insurance pick for the injury-prone McFadden.

(+Upside) The Syracuse rookie was drafted with the 4.22 pick by the Colts and at 222 pounds, he's a bruiser brought on to address the goal line and short yardage problem. Carter should end up with scores as a rookie to save Addai from up the gut runs at the goal line and he could end up as a surprise since the Colts always have at least a dozen or more rushing scores. He's a watch in camp and an interesting pick very deep in drafts just to see if he does develop into a scoring machine for the offense.

(+Upside) This could be a monster year for Charles who is slated to get more workload. Last year he only had 230 carries but gained 1467 yards and added 45 receptions for 468 yards. He lacks in TDs (8) compared to others but any increase in workload is going to be magic for his numbers. Charles will face one of the toughest rushing schedules in the league this year but he's a dual threat and can prop up every game stats with receptions as well. Bottom line - Charles never had a bad game in 2010. Not one.

Choice fell from grace last year when he fell to only a 3.7 YPC in the wake of the loss of Tony Romo. The Cowboys remain committed to a rotation and entering training camp, Choice will be firmly locked into the #2 role but will battle the rookie DeMarco Murray. Short of an injury to Felix Jones, Choice will likely disappoint for a fourth year in a row.

Dixon was the backup for Gore but he only managed 3.4 YPC in minimal relief and Gore is one of the rare backs who does not use a committee. Insurance for Gore owners - and he always misses one or two games at least - but nothing special and there is a good chance that the rookie Kendall Hunter supplants him as the #2.

Forsett is still the best back in Seattle though his size limits him to only about 120 carries per season. With receiving yardage figured in he makes a decent bye week replacement but rarely posts stats that merit a fantasy start. The Seahawks are committed to a rotation of mediocre runners.

Forte is playing for a payday this season, as the Bears have yet to extend his rookie contract. He's carving out a niche as a poor man's Marshall Faulk in the Mike Martz offense, but he may have to share more touches with Marion Barber than he did Chester Taylor. Questions about Chicago's offensive line also make Forte a risk, but his value as a pass-catcher keeps at least some of that risk at bay.

(-Risk) Foster revealed that he played most of 2010 with a torn meniscus in his knee. Not bad for leading the entire league with 1616 rushing yards. Foster also is only being paid the third year minimum of $480,000 so he has tremendous motivation to have a big season and stop being the most underpaid player in the NFL. Foster has lost his lead blocker Vonte Leach but Foster already led the league in broken tackles anyway. Throw in that he's a great receiver and there is no cause for concern. Ben Tate has been impressive but he'll remain just the primary backup.

09-01-11 Update: Foster's knee has been a celebrity in its own right for a day but Foster claims it is an non-issue and he will play in week one. Still... makes you wonder.

Gerhart proved worthy of being Adrian Peterson fantasy insurance with 22-76-1 in relief of an injured AP against the Redskins last season. Minnesota's new coaching staff is extremely run-oriented, so don't be surprised if Gerhart squeezes out fringe fantasy value in his own right a la Jason Snelling in Atlanta.

Depth for the running backs and Goodson has some talent with three games over 100 yards last year when subbing in for the injured Deangelo Williams. Problem is - there has to be an injury to a starter before Goodson has any fantasy value.

Gore missed the final five games of 2009 with a fractured hip that has since fully healed. But Gore is holding out knowing that he is underpaid and at 28 he's only got one last chance at a big contract. Gore has been the lone consistently productive part of the offensive for the last five seasons and would have strung together his fifth straight season of at least 1300 total yards were he not injured. Gore is going to be the workhorse of this offense and a bigger component in the receiving game. He gets little benefit from the offense around him but that has been true for his entire career.

08-01-11 Update: Gore has agreed to end his holdout.

Graham has a shot at the third down role since the team is dragging their heels on getting Cadillac Williams back. Graham has fallen from favor for the last two seasons and he is 31 years-old and not the future. But until someone else shows up, he remains the best bet for a third down role.

After back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons, Grant missed the bulk of the Packers' Super Bowl season with an ankle injury. He's expected to compete with James Starks for feature back carries during training camp, and at minimum he should handle some if not all of the third down work while rookie Alex Green learns the system. Even in a best-case scenario Grant isn't likely to return to his gaudy 2009 numbers, but at a minimum he'll be a PPR helper with upside.

(+Upside) Green may only remain the #3 back on the roster but he's added a complementary role to Grant/Starks as the smaller third down back. His stock may never rise to be a fantasy starter but he is worth keeping a casual eye on since the coaching staff wants to involve him.

After two seasons mostly watching, Green-Ellis got his chance last year and responded in a big way - 1008 yards and 13 touchdowns as the preferred goal line and short yardage player in the offense. This year the Pats spent two high draft picks on more running backs including one that is bigger (225 vs. 215 lbs.), faster and at least a much higher pedigree than the undrafted Green-Ellis. No doubt that Green-Ellis remains involved and he could end up just as busy this year but there was a reason why the Pats spent high picks on two backs and it was not to motivate Green-Ellis.

Greene had to share with LaDainian Tomlinson last season and it wasn't until the end of the year that he finally assumed the primary role. This season, the plan is to run Greene much more and rely on Tomlinson for a third down role. The schedule is easier this year and Greene was coming on well last year. He has minimal role as a receiver which impacts his fantasy stats but there is no reason why this should not be his first 1000 yard season and a bigger role at the goal line.

Hardesty was poised to compete for the Browns' feature back gig as a rookie before tearing his ACL in his preseason debut. He's expected to be healthy, but now he's battling Brandon Jackson for Peyton Hillis' table scraps. If he looks like he's back to full speed in training camp he may be worth a late flier, but there's plenty of risk in them thar knees.

Harper was selected with the 4.33 pick by the Titans and he could be more than merely RB depth. Harper is load coming through the line at 5-11, 233 pounds and could eventually see time as a third down back or a short yardage specialist. He's far behind the curve thanks to the lockout and Ringer remains the primary backup, but the Titans acquired Harper on the chance that he may eventually help lighten the load for Johnson.

Harrison has signed with the Lions to replace the rookie Mihkel LeShoure who is out for the season. Excellent chance that Harrison will be the #2 back in Detroit and suddenly has fantasy value.

(+Upside) The Skins traded up to take Helu with their 4.08 pick and the Nebraska product is expected to compete directly with Ryan Torain for the primary rusher role. Helu is a great fit for the one-cut system in Washington and he brings in more talent and pedigree than Torain. Helu is a decent sleeper type this year though the Skins may never settle on one runner and merely rotate backs in every game. He's a nice backup stash to see if anything good happens.

08-20-11 Update: Helu has been very impressive in camp and preseason games. He's earned a spot in whatever rotation that Shanahan comes up with.

Hightower has never supposed to be more than a fullback type that helps out the rushing game. Thanks to Beanie Wells being a flop so far, Hightower has been almost the entire rushing attack. He ran for 736 yards and five scores last year and acts as a receiver as well. In the post-Warner season, his catch total went from 63 down to only 21. Wells is supposedly healthy again and claims he will step up and the Cards drafted Ryan Williams with their second pick. That all means a messy rotation that faces a very tough rushing schedule. There may not be a fantasy starter in this backfield this year.

07-30-11 Update: Forget all of that - Hightower was sent packing to the Redskins where he will join the ever-growing backfield. He is acquired more for his pass catching skills but so far the rotation in Washington suggests getting the right back each week may be impossible.

To no one's surprise, the Fins did not stand pat on Hilliard as the backfield answer and both drafted and acquired free agents for starters. Hilliard is and always will be merely depth.

The Madden cover boy buckled under the weight of carrying Cleveland's offense, as he failed to score after Week 12 and averaged just 67 yards from scrimmage over the final five games. With Montario Hardesty healthy and Brandon Jackson added, Hillis should stay fresher longer; the reduction in touches might hurt some--especially in PPR leagues--but he's still essentially playing the role of Steven Jackson in new coach Pat Shurmur's offense.

(+Upside) The 4.18 pick of the Niners was in part made to give them leverage in case (when) Gore held out for more money. Hunter comes from Oklahoma State and opinions are split on him because of his size - 5-7, 200 pounds. He is a physical clone of Brian Westbrook and certainly showed an ability to run in side in college. Hunter will take a prominent role if Gore holds out into the season and also when Gore has his annual injury for at least a game or two. Hunter has at least minor upside in this offense if only for a few games a year.

(+Upside) Ingram brings a complete package to one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL. He is both built like and draws comparisons to Emmitt Smith. Expectations are that he will emerge from camp as the primary back and the Saints want to pound the ball more this year after a disastrous time in 2009 when injuries ravaged the backfield. Ingram can block, run and catch and should be a great fit for the offense for many years. His fantasy value will depends on the ratio of touches he is given and while that remains to be seen, Ingram is the first back you want to draft from this scoring machine of a team.

Jackson was one of the heaviest worked players in the league last year when he turned in 330 carries and 46 catches. The realistic concern is that the eighth year player needs more help and a lighter load to keep him fresh and healthy. Last season was his first to fall below a 4.0 YPC (3.8) but his yardage and scores remained in line with the past - he just had more carries and catches to get there. It is expected that the Rams will bring in a veteran back to help out but the early days of free agency have not produced anyone and the team did not bother with the position in the NFL draft. That means - intentions or not - Jackson is going to be in line for a heavy workload yet again this year and against a tougher rushing schedule.

Jackson turns 30 years old but he should avoid "the wall" since he has been so sparingly used in his five seasons in the league. Jackson has been a solid part of the running game and has turned in 4.2 YPC or better in every season. He'll have to share some with the potential flop C.J. Spiller but Jackson will continue to shoulder the bigger part of the load.

After a bad showing in 2009, Jacobs has rejuvenated his role with the Giants by rushing for 823 yards on 147 carries (5.6 ypc) last year and scoring nine times. Jacobs agreed to restructure his contract to help keep Ahmad Bradshaw around. That remains the likely scenario but a loss of Bradshaw would actually benefit Jacobs given the fewer options the Giants would have.

Johnson is holding out and wants to be paid like the super- star back that he is. Problem is that he won't report to camp without a new contract and the Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt won't negotiate until he is in camp. Johnson really needs no training camp to hit the ground running for the season so unless this extends into game one, the assumption is that the Titans get the franchise back into camp and happy. In his first three seasons, he has never had less than 1488 total yards and ten scores.

08-25-11 Update: The scariest holdout ever continues with every draft watching Johnson start to slide until someone has to take the plunge. Problem is that it looks like this could extend into the season and even when he reports, he will be eased back into a fulltime role.

09-01-11 Update: The holdout ended quickly and Johnson will be ready for week one. Expect him to not start out with the full load and need a couple of weeks to get back into playing shape.

Jones was a 4.28 pick by the Raiders and he was one of the fastest runners in the NFL draft - always a big plus with Al Davis. But Jones is only 5-11 and 195 pounds and won't challenge for much playing time behind Darren McFadden and Michael Bush. Jones should spend his rookie season mainly on special teams. He's rare - a CB converted into a RB.

Jones remains in the rotation with Jamaal Charles but is slated to get a reduced load this year after slowing down in the final weeks of 2010. The 33-year old back still has some game but it is fading fast and he only managed a 3.7 YPC last year versus 6.4 for Charles. He's not even that attractive to backup Charles on a fantasy roster.

Jones rushed for only 800 yards last year despite playing all 16 games and he only ran in one score. The loss of Marion Barber does not change anything as Jones already took over to marginal results in 2010. The Cowboys are committed to a rotation of three backs and Jones will never carry a heavy load there.

(-Risk) Jones-Drew returns from offseason meniscus surgery on his right knee and has participated in padded practices which is a plus. But the concern is that the heavy workload is too much for his body to handle and there is a plan to use Rashad Jennings more to spell him and keep him fresher and healthier. That often goes to the wayside in the heat of games when MJD is tearing up an opponent but at the least he's now recovering from a knee surgery and has to be considered a health risk. His bad knee did not prevent him from gaining 1324 rushing yards last year but his touchdown totals have fallen to only five rushing scores last year.

08-20-11 Update: Jones-Drew is back to practice though they are taking it easy with him and his knee. He shows speed and cutting ability again. He may be the feast or famine RB in this draft. A steal or an albatross around your neck.

No analysis available.

No analysis available.

The Ravens swapped out a fullback who wanted to be a feature back for Leach, who has three career carries and none since 2008. He may see the ball a couple times just to keep Ray Rice fresh, but his primary duty will be to clear linebackers out of Rice's way--and there's not much fantasy value in that.

Leonard could see a small uptick in fantasy productivity as a pass-catching fullback in the Bengals' West Coast offense, but unless you're in an extremely deep best ball league all his smattering of goal line catches will do is frustrate Cedric Benson owners.

The Pittsburgh rookie was selected with the Eagle's 5.18 pick and he has been impressive at every level he has played. Problem is that he's only 5'7" and 195 pounds and that alone means he'll be viewed more as a scatback. He'll more likely do special teams and float behind LeSean McCoy on the depth chart, particularly if another veteran back ends up on the roster.

No analysis available.

Lynch came over from Buffalo but last year only gained 3.6 YPC on his 202 carries for 737 yards. He added six rushing touchdowns and caught 22 passes for 145 more yards but this was in a season where the Seahawks had one of the best rushing schedules. He topped 75 rushing yards just three times and now goes against one of the tougher rushing schedules this year. He remains the primary back thanks to his size but there is no reason to expect improvement this year. His schedule may see his regress.

(-Risk) (+Upside) It was a mostly disappointing rookie season for Mathews who suffered a high ankle sprain, injured elbow and had a wrist surgery in January. The first RB picked in the draft only managed 158 carries for 678 yards and seven scores that were greatly slanted in week 17 when he gained 120 yards and three scores against the Broncos. Otherwise, Mathews was a fantasy bust of major proportions. You still cannot write him off completely but he's a risk to consider anything more than part of a rotation - and maybe not the best part.

The Eagles did not run that much last year - only 285 RB attempts as a team and just 207 for McCoy who still had the lion's share of work. More important was his role as a receiver with 78 catches for 592 yards and with no new players to challenge that role, McCoy remains a safe bet for moderate production and a hot property in reception point leagues.

McFadden had a breakout season in 2010. After two years of marginal play, he exploded for six games over 100 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. The challenge this year is that his biggest games were against STL, ARI, SEA, JAC and DEN twice. Only Denver remains on the schedule and McFadden still had a toe injury later in the year. In fairness, McFadden balanced his rushing with 47 catches for 507 yards and three scores and often showed up better as a receiver in games when his rushing was held in check. McFadden is in great shape this year but he'll have to work harder to equal the totals of last season since he's become the only real weapon on the team. And he only had 32 catches in the 13 games that Campbell was the QB.

The Broncos acquired the 30-year old McGahee and signed him to a four-year contract worth $10 million. But the aging back is not there to compete for the primary job and should end up more as a goal line back. At 6-0 and 235, he will reprise the role he had in Baltimore when he would steal the easy scores away from Ray Rice. There is still a chance another back is brought into Denver but regardless, McGahee is a very good goal line back and should get work regardless. Just not enough to make him a safe fantasy start.

Remains the #3 back but could be challenged by the rookie Bilal Powell

Mendenhall closed last year with a six-game scoring streak including all three playoff tilts, establishing himself as a top-tier fantasy back. There's no one to threaten his 300- plus carries in Pittsburgh, so he's a bankable commodity heading into 2011. Just don't sign up for his Twitter feed.

The undrafted rookie has been impressive in camp and could wind up as the #3 back in Dallas. Tashard Choice has fallen from favor now and allowed Miller to likely keep the job.

Moreno enters his third season and barring a veteran RB free agent showing up in camp, he will be the primary back this year. While his rushing totals decreased thanks to missing three games, Moreno had a better time later in the season and recorded two 100+ yard games even if both were against the Chiefs. He also came on much better as a receiver with 37 catches for 372 yards. But what is concerning is that he went from 4 or 5 catches per game to only one reception in each of the three games that Tebow started. His rushing totals also dropped though he was nursing bruised ribs. Moreno gets a third chance to make good on his high draft pick and there may not be a fourth try. Worse yet - Denver has one of the toughest rushing schedules this season.

Morris has minor fantasy value with the loss of rookie Mikhel LeShoure but he remains not worth a draft pick.

(-Risk) (+Upside) The OU rookie could eventually become the #1 back in Dallas or he could follow more true to form and continue to be haunted by injuries and dings. Murray has the chance to be a complete back if he can remain healthy and the 3.07 pick says they want him to play. Murray will battle with Tashard Choice for playing time in camp but is one to watch. The Cowboys are not looking for a full-time back from anyone though.

Norwood lands in St. Louis and should see some action as the primary backup for now. But outside of a handful of carries and catches, he won't have much impact and couldn't be relied on to carry the load if Jackson was injured.

Peterson will once again be the centerpiece of the Minnesota offense, and the new coaching staff won't be afraid to push him towards the 363 carries he had in 2008. He's still a work in progress in the passing game, but AP is a lock for double-digit touchdowns and should challenge for the league's total yardage crown.

The Jets spent their 4.29 pick on the Louisville back and while he'll be 4th on the depth chart for now, he's one to remember in case of injuries this year to starters or at least for next year with Tomlinson is likely gone and the depth chart changes again.

Redman was announced as the goal line back to start last season, but that role never materialized. He'll battle Jonathan Dwyer and others for the right to back up Rashard Mendenhall.

No analysis available.

Rice had one of the better fantasy offseasons: goal line vulture and touch stealer Willis McGahee is gone, and disgruntled fullback Le'Ron McClain was replaced by premier lead blocker Vonta Leach. Oh, and the Ravens plan to rededicate themselves to the running game. 400 touches, 2,000 yards from scrimmage, and double-digit touchdowns--all benchmarks of a stud fantasy back--are on the radar.

The Pats spent their 3.09 pick on this LSU star who brings in the same between the tackles pounding ability that BenJarvus Green-Ellis supplied last season. The Pats now have four viable options to use in the backfield and history says they'll wind up using them all to some measure. There is always a committee going on in NE so no matter what - any RB carries a lot of risk there. The only certainty that Ridley brings is risk to relying on Green-Ellis this year.

The durable Chris Johnson has not allowed Ringer to get much playing time but he still has a 5.4 YPC career mark on his 59 carries these last two seasons. Ringer is a needed handcuff for Johnson owners and until Johnson reports to the team, Ringer could have major value if it extends into the season.

09-01-11 Update: Johnson reported finally but Ringer is still very much a needed handcuff.

Rodgers adds depth to the Falcons but he's most likely slated for just special teams play this year. He's a bit under-sized for every down work anyway at 5-6 and 196 pounds.

08-19-11 Update: Rodgers may be small, but he's been impressive as the perfect change up pitch from Michael Turner. He is headed towards third down work most likely.

To ensure that he would have more options this year, HC Mike Shanahan made Royster his second back drafted when he used his 6.12 pick and while he'll likely do no more than #3 or #4 on the depth chart, Royster could see some playing time. The ex- Nittany Lion comes in with inside rushing ability but also can be a third down player and receiver. If this year ends up with as many injuries as 2010 did, then Royster might show up. A good name to know and track in case of injuries.

The Bengals don't believe Scott is up to handling a full feature-back workload, so they'll continue to use him in small doses. He does have the upside to cover a Cedric Benson injury for a week or two, but don't bank on him taking the job and running with it; if he does, he's bound to pop a hammy or twist an ankle soon after.

The 9th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, Spiller has done little to justify his selection. As a rookie, he only averaged 3.8 yards per carry and scored only once. The intention is to get Spiller more work this year and hope that he can fill a "Reggie Bush" sort of role but so far Spiller has been a waste of a pick.

Reggie Bush is gone but you may not realize it because Sproles will take over his role and should be every bit as good if not better. Historically he has had a higher average run (4.6 vs. 4.0), catch (9.6 vs 7.3) and even better at punt returns. Sproles could produce as a low-end fantasy starter in reception point leagues and comes off a career best 59 receptions in San Diego last season.

Starks is still looking for his first regular-season NFL touchdown, but his 81- 315-1 during Green Bay's postseason run has some predicting big things this year. However, he's a one-dimensional back who needs to batter defenses into submission, and the Packers are still a pass-first team. Plus, Ryan Grant returns to handle third-down duties as well as a share of the feature back workload. Starks will be a fantasy contributor, but don't slot him for every-week starter status just yet.

No analysis available.

Stewart came close to being "the man" but $43 million later, DeAngelo Williams is there for five more years. Stewart had a few nice games last year but the entire team was imploding and there was no way he could have done enough to warrant being the primary back this year. Same old, same old in Carolina.

Tate is a full participant in camp after missing his rookie year with a fractured right fibula and torn ankle ligaments. He will compete with Derrick Ward to be the primary backup for Arian Foster and he bears watching in camp since he originally was picked to help out Foster. Instead he was injured and Foster set a franchise record because he was largely by himself last year. There is no clear backup yet for Foster but at least Tate should eventually win the job. He has missed out on much work thanks to the lockout.

09-01-11 Update: Tate has looked sharp in preseason games and is a must-handcuff for the Foster owner. With Foster nursing a hammy, Tate could be even more important.

No analysis available.

Thomas lost ten games to an ankle injury last year and he's actually never had a 16 game season in his four seasons in the league. Thomas is nearly fully recovered from his surgery but worse yet was the Saints picking the best back in the draft with their first round pick. Thomas stepped up when Reggie Bush made it clear he was not a primary back but now Thomas will need to step back himself. There is always a committee system in New Orleans, but Thomas could easily end up as the #3. Until it is clearer after camp, let someone draft him.

08-25-11 Update: Thomas will likely be a factor in the backfield for at least the first part of the season but the future and all upside still resides with the rookie Mark Ingram.

(-Risk) The Fins grabbed the Kansas State star with the 2.30 pick in the draft with the intention of making him a workhorse in this offense. Thomas has excellent inside ability at 6-0, 230 pounds and yet is also an underrated receiver. The Fins always use a committee system but the addition of Reggie Bush puts the backfield into more of a "Thunder and Lightning" mode as opposed to previous years where Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown just alternated carries. Thomas lands in a fortuitous spot with an opportunity to have a good rookie year and - if Bush gets injured and with some luck - Thomas may have a great season. The Fins prefer to run.

08-25-11 Update: Thomas has just not been impressive and runs tentatively. At best he is starting very slowly and that means marginal fantasy points early in the season - if not the entire way.