FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT KIT

2008 Rankings Movement - Running Backs Updated: September 2, 2008

Rank Movement : Huddle Rankings: Projected Stats: Huddle Cheat Sheets:   Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Kickers Team Defenses Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Kickers Team Defenses Defensive Linemen Linebackers Defensive Backs Rookies Quarterbacks Running Backs Wide Receivers Tight Ends Kickers Team Defenses Defensive Linemen Linebackers Defensive Backs Huddle Rank Huddle PPR Keeper League Auction 10-Team Auction 12-Team IDP RUNNING BACKS Mv Rank Player Team Bye Tier One   1 Ladainian Tomlinson SDC 9   2 Adrian Peterson MIN 8   3 Joseph Addai IND 4 Tier Two   4 Steven Jackson STL 5   5 Brian Westbrook PHI 7   6 Marshawn Lynch BUF 6   7 Frank Gore SFO 9   8 Clinton Portis WAS 10   9 Jamal Lewis CLE 5   10 Ryan Grant GBP 8 Tier Three   11 Marion Barber DAL 10   12 Larry Johnson KCC 6   13 Maurice Jones-Drew JAC 7   14 Brandon Jacobs NYG 4   15 Earnest Graham TBB 10   16 Thomas Jones NYJ 5   17 Darren McFadden OAK 5   18 Reggie Bush NOS 9   19 Julius Jones SEA 4   20 Jonathan Stewart CAR 9   21 Michael Turner ATL 7   22 Willis McGahee BAL 10   23 Laurence Maroney NEP 4   24 Edgerrin James ARI 7   25 Kevin Smith DET 4 Tier Four   26 LenDale White TEN 6   27 Selvin Young DEN 8   28 Willie Parker PIT 6   29 Fred Taylor JAC 7   30 Matt Forte CHI 8   31 Chris Johnson TEN 6   32 Ray Rice BAL 10   33 Felix Jones DAL 10   34 Ricky Williams MIA 4   35 Rashard Mendenhall PIT 6   36 DeAngelo Williams CAR 9   37 Chris Perry CIN 8   38 Ronnie Brown MIA 4   39 Maurice Morris SEA 4   40 Warrick Dunn TBB 10   41 Ahman Green HOU 8   42 Deuce McAllister NOS 9   43 Steve Slaton HOU 8 Tier Five   44 Chester Taylor MIN 8   45 Kenny Watson CIN 8   46 Ahmad Bradshaw NYG 4   47 Chris Taylor FA x   48 Kevin Jones CHI 8   49 Andre Hall DEN 8   50 Pierre Thomas NOS 9   51 Dominic Rhodes IND 4   52 Jamaal Charles KCC 6   53 Leon Washington NYJ 5   54 Tim Hightower ARI 7   55 Rudi Johnson DET 4   56 Justin Fargas OAK 5   57 Derrick Ward NYG 4   58 Adrian Peterson CHI 8   59 Sammy Morris NEP 4   60 Michael Bush OAK 5   61 Correll Buckhalter PHI 7   62 T.J. Duckett SEA 4   63 Kevin Faulk NEP 4   64 Lorenzo Booker PHI 7   65 Jerious Norwood ATL 7   66 Greg Jones JAC 7   67 Jacob Hester SDC 9   68 Ladell Betts WAS 10   69 Brandon Jackson GBP 8   70 Fred Jackson BUF 6   71 Lamont Jordan NEP 4   72 De'shaun Foster SFO 9   73 Garrett Wolfe CHI 8   74 Michael Pittman DEN 8   75 Brian Leonard STL 5   76 Jesse Chatman NYJ 5   77 J.J. Arrington ARI 7   78 Mike Hart IND 4   79 Michael Robinson SFO 9   80 Jerome Harrison CLE 5   81 Maurice Hicks MIN 8   82 Chris Henry TEN 6   83 Kolby Smith KCC 6   84 Aaron Stecker NOS 9   85 Michael Bennett SDC 9   86 Tashard Choice DAL 10   87 Reuben Droughns NYG 4   88 Darren Sproles SDC 9   89 Ryan Torain DEN 8   90 Antonio Pittman STL 5   91 Thomas Brown ATL 7   92 DeDe Dorsey CIN 8   93 Patrick Cobbs MIA 4   94 Tony Hunt FA x   95 Cedric Benson CIN 8   96 Shaun Alexander FA x   97 Tatum Bell DEN 8   98 Carnell Williams TBB 10   Player Change Now Date Multiple RBs NA 08-30-08 Many changes were made to the rankings due to the roster purge to 53 on Saturday. The most notable were Chris Brown going on IR and Rudi Johnson being released. Player Change Now Date Clinton Portis 8 08-29-08 The Redskins have looked horrible installing the new offense this summer so while Portis will get plenty of work, he drops a few notches since it is questionable how much help he is going to get. Player Change Now Date Chris Brown 68 08-25-08 Brown still has not played and hardly practiced thanks to his back injury. He will do well enough to make the team and falls in the rankings. Player Change Now Date Bengals RBs NA 08-22-08 Rudi Johnson is having hamstring problems again and Chris Perry could start the season. But Kenny Watson also is available and the Bengals will be facing a brutal rushing schedule with a backfield that is almost certain to change as the season progresses. Player Change Now Date Ravens RBs NA 08-21-08 McGahee continues to recover from knee surgery and while he says he'll be ready for the start of the year, that is an obvious risk. Ray Rice has been so thoroughly impressive that it makes more sense to wait and grab Rice later in your draft or auction for a much cheaper price to see what happens than it is to rely on McGahee. Let someone else assume his risk. Player Change Now Date Miami RBs NA 08-21-08 Ricky Williams will enter the season as the primary back and that could remain for much of the year. Ronnie Brown continues to come along from his ACL injury last year but Williams is healthy now. It would be a risk to expect the same level of production from either to last the whole season, it will depend on how well Brown progresses and in all cases will be part of a tandem backfield. Player Change Now Date Andre Hall 68 08-17-08 It currently looks like Hall will be sharing the load with Selvin Young in Denver but as always, it's not worth more than a very late draft pick on the risk that nothing happens. Player Change Now Date Steven Jackson 4 08-11-08 Jackson drops just one spot but his continued holdout is fast becoming an issue that will affect his 2008 season. Regardless of fines and bad will, he is not there learning the new offense or getting into playing shape. His prospects in this offense are great but he has to be there to realize them. Player Change Now Date Chris Johnson 32 08-11-08 Johnson couldn't have asked for a better debut in TEN. He ran five times for 11 yards and one other run for 66 yards a touchdown. He was there, then he was way down there. Johnson also added one catch for 13 yards. Granted it came against the Rams in a preseason game, but Johnson looked every bit as explosive and dangerous as hoped. Player Change Now Date Felix Jones 34 08-11-08 Jones gets a minor bump after looking sharp in the preseason game against the Chargers. Jones ran for 32 yards on six carries and added 29 yards on two catches. No worries about him displacing Barber but he is definitely earning playing time. Player Change Now Date Ryan Torain 97 08-07-08 Torain suffered a broken elbow and is expected to miss six to eight weeks. That places him around mid-season but there is some speculation that he may end up on IR. Only take Torain if you have a spot to spare with no expectations this year. Player Change Now Date NY Jets RBs NA 08-07-08 The addition of Brett Favre is hardly a magic bullet but should have at least a minor positive effect on the rushing game with a chance that it could have a major one. Secondaries will back up more for Favre than Pennington. Player Change Now Date Rudi Johnson 23 08-03-08 Johnson has reported to camp at 230 pounds instead of 212 like last year and yet his body fat percentage has decreased. He looks and feels better than he has in recent seasons and should rebound from an injury plagued 2007. Player Change Now Date Ravens RBs NA 07-21-08 Made a small adjustment to reflect just how good Ray Rice has been in camp and in the minds of the coaching staff and how McGahee could be on slightly shakier ground than he may think. The stated plan is to involve Rice more and the shorter (5'8") Rice is being likened to Maurice Jones-Drew in his ability to run. That's far too optimistic at this point, but the situation merited a small change in the rankings. Player Change Now Date Chicago RBs NA 07-16-08 The addition of Kevin Jones to the Bears only makes a mildly bad situation even worse. The Bears like their committee backfield and the addition of Jones means that Forte will have to share carries at least to some degree. Jones is healed from his foot injury of last year and will want to show up big on his one year contract. Player Change Now Date Travis Henry 105 07-15-08 Henry has finally bottomed out with his one year suspension for marijuana which means he will not be eligible for any playing or practice time this year with any team. Most likely his career is over and he only deserves a roster space in the deepest of all dynasty leagues, right next to Michael Vick and Emmitt Smith. Player Change Now Date Matt Forte 26 06-09-08 With the release of Benson the path has been cleared for the talented rookie to become the feature back for the Bears this season. This will likely shake out with him splitting the workload with likely backup Peterson, but odds are good that Forte will end up with the lion's share. Player Change Now Date Adrian Peterson 40 06-09-08 With Cedric Benson hitting the road Peterson will again find himself as the backup and change-of-pace back for the Bears in 2008. Player Change Now Date Cedric Benson 81 06-09-08 Benson was released by the Bears after three under-productive seasons. The former #4 draft pick from 2005 has had two recent run-ins with law enforcement involving the abuse of alcohol and the operation of a boat and automobile. It remains possible for Benson to end up with another team this pre-season if an NFL team has a sudden need.