2002 Top 20 Running Backs

What is interesting is that like quarterbacks, there are two groupings of players. Either they were older - Holmes, Barber, Garner, Faulk, Staley and Hearst - and caught passes to pump up their fantasy points or they were clear #1 RB's for their team and were less than five or six years into their careers.

In the past two seasons, there are several RB's that you do not see in the top 20 anymore. Guys like Lamar Smith, Antowain Smith, Rickey Watters, Dorsey Levens and so on that were older and yet not big pass catchers. The position obviously moves players in and out faster than any other fantasy position.

Last season, only Tiki Barber was able to end with a high rankings and yet not weight over 200 pounds. Warrick Dunn brought up the end of the Top 20, and this season Dunn is slated to allow T.J. Duckett to run more while Dunn increases his passing game presence. Barber carried a full load by the end of the season, but that was a lot of pounding for a 190 pounder.

Height for successful runningbacks is normally around 5-10 or 5-11, with Priest Holmes, Travis Henry, Michael Bennett and Warrick Dunn were the only runners under that mark and outside of Henry, they make their mark in the passing game and as speedsters. Deuce McAllister is the only runningback that is six feet tall or more who was successful last season and has less than five seasons of experience. College continues to feed the NFL with backs that are under six feet but very few are successful under 5-10. Those are apparently two very important inches in height.

The runningbacks are the most dynamic players in terms of big years and being gone. Whereas quarterbacks and receivers play for many years and need time to come into high performance, runningbacks grind it out and get used up fast. In the top 20 runners, only George, Faulk, Garner and Hearst had over six seasons of experience and each represent rare talents. Interesting is the high number of six year players - Priest Holmes, Tiki Barber, Duce Staley, Corey Dillon and Warrick Dunn. Was the draft class of 1997 that good are those players quickly approaching the wall? Notice that the top eight players last season had six runners with four years or less of experience.

Height is not a great predictor for runningbacks other than those over six feet and those under 5-10 have not been as successful. It takes superior individual talent to compensate for a lack of height and normally those players are used more in a third down, pass catching role since they are usually faster and lighter. Age is the biggest criteria for a runningback and cannot be disregarded. The days of the bruising back also seem over as only three of the top 20 scoring backs last season were over 230 pounds are the exception, not the rule for players.