September 3, 2010 | Filed Under Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Fantasy Football, Felix Jones, Free Fantasy Football Tips, Jonathan Stewart, Marion Barber, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Reggie Bush, Ricky Williams, pierre thomas, ronnie brown | Comments Off
In 2010 you should consider yourself lucky if you can draft a feature back to your fantasy football team. What about those guys in the back end of the first round? They are likely going to be looking at some WRs and QBs while they build a Running Back by Committee themselves.
With the emergence of players like Andre Johnson and Aaron Rodgers, as well as some others at their positions, some owners may find themselves missing out on some RBs when they use a top pick on the other positions too. In fact, Johnson, Rodgers, and Randy Moss all have an Average Draft Position in the first round. Reggie Wayne, Drew Brees, and Calvin Johnson are right there at the top of the second. The owners going with those guys are going to have to do their homework on Running Backs later in the draft.
Today we are going to look at the Top Five Running Backs to own that are not considered the starter on their teams. It is important to be aware of these guys as they will still be getting you fantasy points on a weekly basis and they are a twisted ankle by the starter away from a great sleeper position. If you use an early pick on QB or WR, keep a look out for these guys later on.
Jonathan Stewart (ADP-Rd 4, pick 10): Stewart is in a unique situation in Carolina. He is considered the #2 RB, but he still gets more touches than a first stringer on some teams, as reflected in his 221 rushes for 1133 yards and five TDs in 2009. For owners that don’t go with two running backs in the first three rounds, Stewart is just about the best RB2 that you can get in your lineup.
Felix Jones(ADP-Rd 6, pick 2): If Jones can stay healthy himself, he can find himself in a situation where he is the lead back in Dallas. The Cowboys are not ready to give up on Marion Barber yet, but if he can’t stay on the field they will not have a choice but to give way to Jones. While they would have Tashard Choice in there, Jones gets more touches that can very easily turn into home runs. even with Barber in there, the split will keep him alive in games. If you go RB, WR, QB, or a combination of those, Jones can still make a decent #2RB.
Brandon Jacobs (ADP-Rd 6, Pick 12): The Giants are ready to get back to some smash mouth football in New York. It appears they have taken the corner to Ahmad Bradshaw as the starting tailback, but Jacobs is still around…and not happy about it. Since Jacobs has not made a full season since his rookie year in 2005, it may keep him healthy. we see Jacobs as a decent later pick up as a RB3 for your bye week filler with the potential to do more depnding on the carry split and the health of Bradshaw.
Reggie Bush (ADP-Rd 6, pick 8): “I wouldn’t draft Reggie Bush unless it was a PPR league.” That is what you will hear by many owners, yet he goes on average in the later half of the sixth round. The important thing with Bush is to play your match ups. Pay attention to who else is out on the Saints in the Running and Passing game. Pay attention to who they are playing. Reggie will score big some weeks, not so much others. If Pierre Thomas goes down, you will see more Reggie Bush. Fact. Did we mention that he is worth a little more in PPR?
Ricky Williams (ADP-Rd 7, pick 7): Ricky Williams is often forgot about. His numbers in 2009 were very similar to Jonathan Stewart (241 carries, 1121 yards, four TDs) with Ronnie Brown going down. In fact, it is important to note that Ronnie Brown has only completed one sixteen game season in his career. While other owners in your league think about how Ricky is getting old and Ronnie is the Wildcat guy for the offense, you pick up a solid #3RB with an upside that shoots up if Brown goes down. Keep in mind that the Fins should even have a bit of help from the passing game taking pressure off the run.
Check out our Redraft Running Back Rankings with Average Draft Position from three sources for more later round sleeper possibilities.
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- Top 10 NFL Draft Eligible Running Backs
- Fantasy Football Rankings Update|Redraft Running Backs
- Maurice Jones-Drew Fantasy Football Jabber
- Running Back Rankings-ADP-Sleeper Update
- Cowboys Fantasy Camp Storylines
August 4, 2010 | Filed Under 2010 fantasy football, Anquan Boldin, Cedric Benson, Chris Wells, DeAngelo Williams, DeSean Jackson, Fantasy, Fantasy Football Draft, Greg Jennings, Jonathan Stewart, Marques Colston, Tom Brady, expert mock draft, lesean mccoy, pierre thomas, ryan mathews | Comments Off
Round 3 Pick 1
Ryan Lester- Lester’s Legends
Pick: RB Ryan Mathews SD
Mathews is stepping into a perfect situation. He will get the bulk of the carries in a potent offense. He should get most of the carries at the stripe.
Round 3 Pick 2
Vin Sadicario- FF Toolbox
Pick: RB DeAngelo Williams CAR
This pick came down to Williams or Pierre Thomas, and I like Williams to have another big year in 2010. Despite Jonathan Stewart cutting into Williams’ workload, Williams has averaged at least 5 yards per carry in each of the last 3 seasons. With the Carolina quarterback situation as poor as it is, the Panthers should run the ball more than ever in 2010, giving both Williams and Stewart the opportunity to reach at least the 1000 yard mark. I would love to get Williams in the third round of any draft.
Round 3 Pick 3
Jeff Malloy- Beast or Bust
Pick: WR DeSean Jackson PHI
We need a WR at this point and it really comes down to two options – DeSean Jackson or Greg Jennings. While we don’t love either of these players as our WR1, we anticipate a big year for Jennings, and we love the “score from anywhere on the field” ability of DJax. We like the foundation built in the first two rounds and we will therefore look past the question marks of Kevin Kolb and go for the “high octane” pick in DeSean Jackson. He’s got some serious juice, and while his reception totals may not be Beastly, we hope to see him go for at least 1,000 receiving yards and find the end zone 10 times in 2010. We like this pick in a non-PPR.
Round 3 Pick 4
Steven Lourie- Football Fan Spot
Pick: WR Greg Jennings GB
I need a WR after going RB-RB in the first two rounds. Jennings is my best available receiver. He’s got a great quarterback and with Driver suffering injuries, he is going to be getting the bulk of the targets for his team. He really caught fire late last year and I expect that to carry over to this season.
Round 3 Pick 5
Hunter Ansley- Draft Zoo
Pick: WR Marques Colston NO
Colston has required work on his knee in three straight offseasons, but he appears to be fully healthy now, and I’m willing to take the chance here. I don’t want to wait and miss out on the last of the sort-of-elite receivers, and I like Colston slightly more than fellow injury risk Anquan Boldin.
Round 3 Pick 6
Sam Arker- Rothstein Sports
Pick: QB Tom Brady NE
Brady seems to have the most value here at a position of need, the others being Benson and Stewart. Since I think both Benson and Stewart have just as good a chance busting as players I can target in later rounds, I’ll settle for the New England QB whose playing for a contract.
Round 3 Pick 7
Eric Stashin- Rotoprofessor
Pick: RB LeSean McCoy PHI
Already with a top WR on my roster and Tom Brady off the board, I wanted to strengthen my RB duo. While I considered other options, McCoy is the top RB left on my draft board, so he gets the call here.
Round 3 Pick 8
Scott Carasik- Scardraft
Pick: RB Jonathan Stewart CAR
I can’t believe he lasted this long. Carolina’s RB by committee is the best possible thing for me to believe in when I make this pick. Even so, Stewart just gets the ball near the goal line and is good for at least 10 TD’s normally.
Round 3 Pick 9
Steve Adler- Fantasy Daddy
Pick: RB Chris Wells ARI
Wells finished strong in 2009 and would be a great play in 2010 even if Kurt Warner returned. With so many questions about the passing game in Arizona, Wells will be given the opportunity to carry the team. Love the value of this pick in round three.
Round 3 Pick 10
Paul Greco- Fantasy Pros 911
Pick: WR Anquan Boldin BAL
The No. 1 WR on a team that is talking like they want to pass more. Boldin now becomes the man in Baltimore and has shown that he can handle the pressure of being the main man.
Round 3 Pick 11
Walter Cherepinsky- Walter Football
Pick: RB Pierre Thomas NO
Mike Bell is gone, so maybe Sean Payton will stop playing games with his running back rotation and give Pierre Thomas the touches he deserves. And even if Payton falls in love with a new mediocre running back, Thomas is still a very good RB2 because he’ll have tons of scoring opportunities in that great offense.
Round 3 Pick 12
Justin Mertes-Mistretta- The Sports Bank
Pick: RB Cedric Benson CIN
I went QB-WR with my first two picks, so I had to go RB-RB with my next two. I’m not high on Benson by any means, but at the end of the third round he provides really nice value. I’m concerned about his durability, off-the-field issues and his overall ineffectiveness in the second half of last year, but he is getting all the carries in a run-heavy offense.
Round One >>
Round Two >>
Round Four in progess….
Who would you have taken in this round? Let us know by commenting below.
Follow Justin Mertes-Mistretta on Twitter at MertesMist_TSB or at www.percysperspective.com.
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July 9, 2010 | Filed Under Dallas Cowboys, Darren McFadden, Donald Brown, Felix Jones, Jonathan Stewart, NFL, Rankings/List, pierre thomas | Comments Off
Winning a starting job as a running back in this league is as hard as ever. With the increased reliance the league has on running back committees, players realize that when you have the opportunity to perform—leave nothing on the field.
The window of opportunity in this league comes and goes as fast as Chris Johnson on a straightaway to the end-zone.
Last year, it was Chris Johnson, Cedric Benson, Rashard Mendenhall, and Ray Rice who got the chance to be "The Man."
This year, we look at a new group of young guns who will, or have been given a chance to perform at a high level.
Only time will tell.
Begin Slideshow
January 7, 2010 | Filed Under Illini in the pros, Illinois Fighting Illini, NFL, fighting illini in NFL, former illini in NFL, illini nfl, illinois fighting illini in professional football, pierre thomas, pierre thomas rashard mendenhall | Comments Off
It was a brutal season for the Illinois Fighting Illini football team, but for former Illini in the NFL, it was quite fruitful. Twelve Former Illini in will take part in the NFL Playoffs beginning this weekend
Kelvin Hayden and Pierre Thomas members of teams that clinched Home-field Advantage
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Twelve former Illinois football players have helped lead their teams to the NFL playoffs, including cornerback Kelvin Hayden and running back Pierre Thomas whose teams have clinched home-field advantage for the entire run.
PLAYOFF BOUND ILLINI
Kelvin Hayden, CB, Indianapolis Colts - Started eight games in nine games played, helping lead the Colts to a 14-2 season. Recorded 50 tackles, an interception and five passes broken up. He missed seven games with a knee injury.
Pierre Thomas, RB, New Orleans Saints – Rushed for 793 yards in 14 games, starting six. Carried the ball 147 times for a 5.4 average, while also catching 39 passes for 302 yards and scored eight total touchdowns. The Saints finished the regular season 14-2, led the NFL in total offense and clinched home-field advantage. An early season knee injury kept Thomas from getting in full-swing until midseason.
Brandon Moore, OL, New York Jets – Started in all 16 games, bringing his consecutive streak to 93 straight starts. Helped lead the Jets to an NFL rushing title, averaging 172.2 yards per game with 2,756 yards.
Neil Rackers, PK, Arizona Cardinals - Helped lead the Cardinals to its second straight playoff appearance with a 10-6 record, leading the team in scoring with 85 points. Made 94 percent of his field goals, 16-for-17, and was 37-of-38 in extra point attempts for 97 percent. Also handles kickoff duties, averaging 63.3 yards and 14 touchbacks.
Alan Ball, DB, Dallas Cowboys – Played in all 16 games, starting three at free safety. Recorded 31 tackles and three passes defended in leading the Cowboys to an 11-5 mark.
Steve Weatherford, P, New York Jets - Played in all 16 games, kicking a career-most 80 punts, averaging 42.0 yards per kick. Downed 25 punts inside the 20-yard line and allowed only a 34 percent return rate.
Greg Lewis, WR, Minnesota Vikings – Played in 13 games, starting one, while catching eight passes for 96 yards, including a 32-yard game-winning touchdown.
Will Davis, LB, Arizona Cardinals – Played in 11 games and recorded 19 tackles and two sacks for the 10-6 Cardinals.
Duke Preston, OL, Dallas Cowboys - Was on the active roster for the 2009 season.
J Leman, LB, Minnesota Vikings – Was activated from practice squad for the final three games of the season, but didn’t record any statistics.
Jason Davis, FB, New York Jets - Was on practice squad with the Jets for the 2009 season.
Ryan McDonald, OL, San Diego Chargers - Was signed to the practice squad before suffering a back injury and placed on injured reserve.
FORMER ILLINI WRAP UP 2009 SEASON
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers – Topped the 1,000-yard mark in his second year in the league with 1,108 yards. Scored eight total touchdowns, while adding 261 receiving yards, nearly made the playoffs with a 9-7 record.
Dave Diehl, OL, New York Giants - Completed his seventh season in the NFL, starting an astounding 112 consecutive games, every one of his pro career. Helped lead an offense that ranked eighth in the NFL averaging 25 points per game and 366 yards of total offense per contest.
Vontae Davis, CB, Miami Dolphins – Started nine games and played in all 16 in his rookie year with the Dolphins. Posted 53 tackles, had 11 passes broken up and four interceptions. His four picks are tied for second and ranks 12th in tackles among rookies this season.
Danny Clark, LB, New York Giants - Played in all 16 games, starting 13 for the Giants. Registered 53 tackles, two sacks and two passes broken up.
Eugene Wilson, DB, Houston Texans – Played in and started eight games before injuring his toe and being placed on injured reserve. Recorded 29 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and three passes defended.
Brandon Lloyd, WR, Denver Broncos – Played in two games, starting one, but recorded eight catches for 117 yards in those contests, averaging 14.6 yards per catch.
Brit Miller, FB, San Francisco 49ers - Was activated from practice squad for five games, recording four special teams tackles in his rookie year.
Carey Davis, FB, Pittsburgh Steelers – Was picked up by the Steelers in Game 4 and played in six contests. Rushed for 15 yards on two carries, helping block for fellow Illini Rashard Mendenhall. The Steelers narrowly missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record.
Derek Walker, DL, Seattle Seahawks – Was active for eight games, including the final seven contests, but didn’t record any statistics.
Xavier Fulton, OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Suffered a knee injury in the preseason finale, which kept him from the 2009 roster, and was placed on injured reserve before the start of the season.
Tony Pashos, OT, San Francisco 49ers – Played in five games for San Francisco, starting one before injuring his shoulder and being placed on injured reserve.
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November 2, 2009 | Filed Under Erin Andrews, Illinois Fighting Illini, Kim Kardashian, NFL, Reggie Bush, erin andrews thong, illinois running backs, pierre thomas, pierre thomas better than reggie bush, pierre thomas more productive than reggie bush, pierre thomas reggie bush, pierre thomas versus reggie bush, pierre thomas vs. reggie bush, reggie bush kim kardashian, sica, sica athletes, t.f. south | Comments Off
By Paul M. Banks
Among Saints RBs, the un-drafted free agent is playing vastly superior to 2006’s #2 overall pick.
The New Orleans Saints offense has been RIDONKOLOUS this season, averaging a NFL best 40 points per game. The next closest team is the Indianapolis Colts and they’re a whopping ten points per game behind. The Saints offense is also naturally number one in yardage, and they rank 6th in passing. Drew Brees and his high powered air attack often come to mind first, but it’s actually the ground game where the Saints are truly heavenly: New Orleans is currently 3rd in rushing. And the backfield’s big star is the highly touted Heisman trophy winner with the flashy reality star girlfriend, right?
WRONG! It’s his “back-up,” the undrafted afterthought from the south suburbs of Chicago that no one thought would even make the team.
Take a look at Pierre Thomas’s numbers this season: 56 carries, 314 yards, 5.6 yards per carry average, 3 TDs. Now take a look at Bush’s: 45 carries, 175 yards, 3.9 ypc, and 1 TD. Bush is listed as the starter, but Thomas is (deservedly) getting more work. Well, you might argue that Bush’s strength is pass-catching, but Thomas has him beat there too with a better yards per catch on both the season and in career averages.
Also, take a look at career rushing numbers. Thomas- 237, 1191, 13, 5.0 yards per attempt, Bush- 463, 1725, 15, 3.7. Since they’re running behind the exact same offensive line, I think we know who should truly be “starting”.
Is it any wonder Reggie Bush is much more known for his reality “star,” famous-for-doing-absolutely-nothing-of-value girlfriend Kim Kardashian than he is for his game?
Aside from having one good pass catching year (his rookie season of ’06), he’s done next to nothing in the NFL, but still has a $12 million a year contract. Because of those facts, you could say he’s been a bigger bust than…insert your own joke about his insipid celebutante significant other here. And perhaps motivation is the problem with Bush. He already has the money and the women, so maybe he doesn’t care about working hard to obtain anything else?
The journey from college to the NFL could not have been more different for NOLA’s two tailbacks. Bush came in with more hype than a summer event movie, and emerged from the nation’s most dominant program, USC. Although picked 2nd, he was expected to be #1 overall while Pierre Thomas went undrafted out of Illinois, a program which has been among the worst in all of FBS for most of this decade. Look no further than the 2008 Rose Bowl, where USC slaughtered Illinois 49-17, to figure out who had the pub working for them in their college days. In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that Thomas attended the same alma mater as this author, and grew up pretty close to where I did. He prepped at Thornton Fractional South, a rival SICA Conference school in Lansing, IL. So I know his roots well. 
And Thomas’ humble beginnings are probably a big part of his desire to succeed, and that drive is making him a much more productive player than the “can’t miss” prospect. Thomas’ 5.6 ypc is 6th in the NFL, his former Illini teammate Rashard Mendenhall is 7th at 5.4. Very ironic; a program which has been the worst in the Big Ten much of this decade has produced two of the NFL’s top runners this season.
When the Saints take on Atlanta Monday night (Notice I did not use the “when the Saints march in” expression, I didn’t want to torture you by repeating one of the most shopworn phrases incessantly spewed by the laziest of journalist hacks) it will be Thomas, not Bush who sets the pace on offense.
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August 12, 2009 | Filed Under ADP, Adrian Peterson, Average Draft Position, Fantasy Football, Matt Schaub, Mock Draft, New York Giants, PPR Rankings, Points per reception, Position Battles, RB, Rankings, Running Back, Sleepers, Steve Smith, Terrell Owens, antonio bryant, busts, cheat sheets, dwayne bowe, fantasy football mock drafts, football injuries, injuries, matt forte, maurice jones-drew, pierre thomas | Comments Off
There is not much more annoying for a fantasy football owner doing their research than clicking somewhere only to be told that the content is for “Premium Members” and they are not allowed access…unless of course they want to join. Fantasy Football Quick Reads are a collection of FREE fantasy football links for you from around the net. Choose what applies to you and have a look before the boss comes back around the corner…
I was recently somewhat disappointed when Adrian Peterson fell to me at #3 in an Experts PPR league. I never thought that Peterson would have fell and was liking the idea of either Maurice Jones-Drew or Matt Forte leading my team in the format. I will learn to live with it and it was likely for the best. When playing in a PPR (Points per reception) league you have to shake up your Running Back rankings a little bit. FFJungle.com gives their Top 40 Rankings with PPR HERE.
Kevin at FantasyFootballCalculator.com poses this question…Late Round WRs, do you take a risk or play it safe? Myself I’m more worried about putting points up with my #3 WR than I’m “discovering” the next best player. If I’m high on a sleeper I will take him, not for the discovery bragging rights but because he fits in my plans to win.
Offseason moves can help and hinder the fantasy football outlook of not only the player changing places but the team he joins or leaves behind. KansasCityStar.com has a look at some of the players making a move this year and what it does to their fantasy stock.
Scott Pianowski at Yahoo Sports makes a good point regarding NFL Strength Schedule. Fantasy owners should be more worried about putting together a strong roster than guessing about how the NFL schedule will be playing out months from now.
Sports Data Hub isn’t buying Philip Rivers after crunching the numbers.
Pancake Blocks thinks Matt Schaub will be the #1 QB this year.
There are some very important position battles going on in camp at the Running Back position. Have a look at what Mike Harmon at ESPN has to say on these.
Pro Football Weekly has a nice writeup on which #3 WRs are ready to take off. The way the WR position is flying off draft boards this is some important information here!
The Hazean beats me to the punch on the Most Overrated RBs for 2009. Another article in the “draft” bin I can scrap. Procrastination gets you nowhere Lee!
I love looking at Average Draft position (ADP) and seeing where these players are going. There are some things that you have to take into consideration though, FantasyFootball.com has a look.
FFGeekBlog has updated their Running Back Cheat Sheet. Pierre Thomas is moving on up!
Terrell Owens fantasy football production this season is being questioned. Fantasy Pros 911 have a look at whether or not you should throw a draft pick at him.
KFFL tells about a message being sent to Dwayne Bowe. A message that has him demoted to practicing with the 2nd and 3rd stringers.
Adam Levitan at RotoWorld.com has a look at the tailbacks on bad football teams. Interesting nugget they throw out there…
“Over the last 10 seasons, just 19 running backs have managed to be a top-10 fantasy back while their team had a losing record.”
Should you use a Fantasy Football draft pick on these injured Wide Receivers like Steve Smith and Antonio Bryant? Gene Wang at The Washington Post asks an Orthopedic Surgeon for fantasy purposes.
The New York Giants Wide Receiver position could lead to an uprising fantasy star. But which one? 4for4.com has a look at the NY Steve Smith.
For more free fantasy football info, check out Football Jabber. Subscribe via RSS or get Quick Reads delivered to your Email.
