FANTASY FOOTBALL ARTICLES

Height - The best running backs tended to remain between 5'10 and 6' - a pretty small difference. Seven of the top nine runners were either 5'10 or 5'11. Larry Johnson actually skewed the numbers from being taller as does Steven Jackson. Warrick Dunn is a rather extreme case since he was the only back less than 5'10".

Weight - The average is 218 and of the top 12 players last year, only four players were actually less than that mark. Barber and Dunn bring down the average significantly but overall, the better backs tend towards being around 220 pounds or more.

Age/Experience : Youth be served. The average age was just five years and yet only four players were four players were over that mark. Dunn and Barber were remarkably productive last year despite being 30 years old and having 8 years of playing time. Then again - neither had heavy use earlier in their careers and both are lighter players. Overall - best runners are good sized and young or in the rare case, older but lighter than normal.

Rookies: This is true every year. Though the most successful backs tend to being over 210 pounds and 220 is prototypical, college always produces lighter backs. Lendale White comes in as a monster bruiser by comparison, but the reality is he's about the same weight as Jackson, Jordan or Johnson. Most of the backs drafted are also shorter than ideal. This is why so many end up as third down backs because they have speed and moves but just not the size to succeed in the NFL

Of the top eight tailbacks drafted, only two exceed the 218 pound average of a top NFL back. Bush may have the rare talent to succeed, but only Maroney, Williams and White really have the desired size. Addai is borderline but his lack of fulltime play in college is more bothersome.