http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1104 Recent articles about Joseph Addai en-us Running back has been labeled the most important position in the history of fantasy football, and quite frankly, it is. Never have you seen a fantasy football squad with the likes of Travis Minor and J.J. Arrington manning the backfield. This year's running back class is stacked with both familiar and fresh talent. Here are the Top 25 Running Backs for the upcoming fantasy football season: 1. LaDainian Tomlinson SD 2. Adrian Peterson MIN 3. Brian Westbrook PHI 4. Joseph Addai IND 5. Steven Jackson STL 6. Marshawn Lynch BUF 7. Marion Barber III DAL 8. Frank Gore SF 9. Ryan Grant GB 10. Ronnie Brown MIA 11. Clinton Portis WSH 12. Larry Johnson KC 13. Maurice Jones-Drew JAX 14. Brandon Jacobs NYG 15. Willis Mcgahee BAL 16. Reggie Bush NO 17. Jamal Lewis CLE 18. Laurence Maroney NE 19. Michael Turner ATL 20. Thomas Jones NYJ 21. Willie Parker PIT 22. Earnest Graham TB 23. Darren Mcfadden OAK 24. Matt Forte CHI 25. Fred Taylor JAX Well now you know my answer to the biggest debate in fantasy football this season, LT or AP? I go with LT because of what he has done over the past few seasons and the certainty his name brings to your team. Tomlinson is probably the 2nd best receiving running back behind Westbrook, and finds the end zone more than anyone else. Heck, LT will even throw you a TD this season. AP is a great running back and if i have the number 2 pick on my fantasy draft I know that he is going to be mine. But he hasn't earned the right to take over that number 1 spot from Tomlinson, even if Peterson thinks he already has. At the end of the top 10 I have Ryan Grant and Ronnie Brown. WIth Brett Favre out of Lambeau, Aaron Rodgers will be leaning on Grant all season long, whether it be running the ball or dumping it off to him. Expect Grant to see a lot more touches near the red zone because of the lack of trust in Rodgers not to turn the ball over on that part of the field. Ronnie Brown was one of the best running backs before he got hurt last year. In fact, Brown was the number 1 ranked RB on Yahoo! for quite some time. This season, Brown says he feels healthy and he's running behind a better offensive line with 1st overall NFL Draft pick Jake Long leading the way. And if Bill Parcells has any say in it, Brown will be getting a lot of red zone carries, so that comeback story Ricky WIlliams can focus on beating down the clock late in games. (Also, can we really expect Ricky Williams to not have some sort of relapse at some point. You know, wake up late for practice once or twice, forget his helmet when going into a game, one of those could happen). At number 16 i put Saints RB Reggie Bush. This is a bit of a reach because of how loaded the Saints ground-game is this year with Deuce McAllister and Pierre Thomas. I have some Reggie Bush bias in me because of his jaw-dropping ability he displayed in college and somewhat in the pros, but i wouldn't be shocked to see Bush either have a breakout year, or be relegated to mop up duty. This may be the year Bush needs to step up on New Orleans, especially if Pierre Thomas has a solid season. Try and get your hands on 2 of these 3 running backs if you are going to take any of them. Two more players I want to talk about are Willie Parker and rookie Matt Forte. Parker has put up solid numbers throughout his career and in The Steel City, there should be more handoffs than Home Runs over at PNC Ballpark. Though Parker may be sharing with rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall has really impressed Steeler coaches with his ability and combination of speed and power, perfect for the Steelers offense. Expect a dip in touches for Parker and take Mendenhall late in your draft. Matt Forte has been put into a solid situation in Chicago. The Bears have no real answer at QB and we could see another season of the Rex Grossman Show. Forte will get the touches, it's just a matter of what he can do with them. The O-Line in Chicago is solid, but aging, but an inspired Forte can rejuvenate some magic in The Windy City. Here are 3 players who may surprise you: Jonathan Stewart CAR- Carolina Panther running backs have always disappointed their fantasy owners in the past couple of years. Stewart, rated by some as the 2nd best running back of this year's draft class, brings versatilely to John Fox's offense. Stewart is a very good receiving back and can burst through a hole better than any of his predecessors in Carolina. I wouldn't be too surprised to see him finish the season as a top 20 running back on a Panthers team contending for a division title. Julius Jones SEA- Written off by many in Dallas, Jones (who was replaced by Felix Jones, who should be owned by Marion Barber owners across the world) brings very good speed as a replacement to former MVP and Madden cover model Shaun Alexander. Jones can handle a lot of carries and is playing for an offense that better suits his running style. Jones likes to run downhill and sneak through the O-linemen, unlike in Dallas where they pound the ball inside behind the guards. Jones has been complaining for the last few years that he hasn't been able to run like he wants to, and this year he will get his chance to show us what he means exactly. Kevin Smith DET- The pride of the University of Central Florida, Smith is one of the best running backs in the history of college football, statistically. He takes over in Detroit, where they have vowed to start having a more balanced offensive attack. Smith almost broke the total yards record in college with Central Florida and wowed scouts with his speed and ability to break tackles. Smith is surrounded by a lot of talent in Detroit and has been given a great chance to succeed and show his skills to the stubborn Lion's fans. Let's just hope they treat Smith better than they treat their owner. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:56:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294393 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294393 Is Tom Brady worth a first-round draft choice, or should you opt for a running back instead? John Juhasz examines the decision. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:56:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293976 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293976 Players report on Thursday, so this is one of the last days to do a roster prediction.  It feels like now is the best time for one, so here it goes.  53 players make it on the roster, 8 on the practice squad, and I will put 10 that should keep in touch if injuries take their toll. 53 Man Roster QB #18 Peyton Manning-I bet I caught you off guard with this one. #12 Jim Sorgi-Sorgi will get a chance to prove himself this upcoming year.  He better not blow it.  Adam Tafralis and Josh Betts are creeping up on him. RB #29 Joseph Addai-Another shocker. #33 Dominic Rhodes-Rhodes will be a change of pace back who should get somewhere between 100 to 150 carries per game.  He should prosper without all the pressure on him. #32 Mike Hart-I consider Hart a running back, although it seems like he will be used as a fullback/short yardage back. FB #47 Gijon Robinson-Robinson is a fantastic blocker, and he will also be able to catch the ball, as he is "officially" a tight end.  Look for him in the goal line. WR #87 Reggie Wayne-As long as he doesn't hurt himself in a meaningless basketball game, he will be Peyton's number one target, at least until Manning and Harrison get their connection back. #88 Marvin Harrison-Hopefully he can recover quickly and maybe get a few plays in a preseason game so he isn't too rusty. #11 Anthony Gonzalez-Gonzalez could have a breakout year.  Or at least I hope so.  He's on my fantasy team. #83 Roy Hall-Hall will be a surprise player and will be a major difference maker this year.  Mark that down. #14 Sam Giguere-Giguere could never make an impact in the NFL.  He could also be the biggest star wide receiver we've seen in a long time.  We know he has the talent, but can he produce on the field?  Let's give him a shot. TE #44 Dallas Clark-Clark should still be a redzone target even with the Rhodes signing and Marvin's injury recovery. #84 Jacob Tamme-Tamme is an athletic tight end who should help the passing game become even more prolific. #86 Tom Santi-It's all about blocking here.  Someone needs to take Utecht's place. LT #67 Tony Ugoh-If Ugoh would have stayed healthy last year, Joe Thomas may not have been named the unanimous best rookie lineman in the league.  Ugoh replaced a Pro Bowler, and most people would not have noticed Tarik Glenn left. #75 Michael Toudouze-We need some fillers on the offensive line after last year.  Toudouze is a fair lineman when called upon, but he shouldn't start. LG #65 Ryan Lilja-Kansas City made a bad move by waiving Lilja.  He's an unheralded star on this team who is versatile and tough at the same time. #61 Jamey Richard-Not much should be expected out of a seventh round pick.  Richard will see some action in the rotation, but he won't be a difference maker this year. C #63 Jeff Saturday-I hope we can find some legal medicine that can make him play forever.  He's the leader of the offensive line. #53 Steve Justice-In Polian We Trust.  I'm sure he had a plan when he took so many interior linemen. RG #78 Mike Pollak-I'll give him the nod right now, but maybe Charlie Johnson can be a better guard than a tackle (which shouldn't be TOO hard). #74 Charlie Johnson-I was disappointed in his play last year.  We won in spite of him.  He was hapless as a tackle.  Let's see if he can improve as a guard. RT #71 Ryan Diem-Diem needs to stay healthy so Addai and the rest of the backs can get positive yards. #76 Dan Federkiel-Like Toudouze, Federkiel is an insurance lineman. DE #93 Dwight Freeney-Freeney should recover well from his foot surgery and be drawing the usual double and triple teams play in and play out. #91 Josh Thomas-I'm not a big fan, but he can stop the run.  His pass rush is very weak, however. UT #79 Raheem Brock-Brock is unnoticed when he plays, but you know he's missing when you see mediocre backs running up through the middle and QBs having all day in the pocket.  Hopefully he can stay healthy. #96 Keyunta Dawson-Dawson is another 2nd year player who should make a big impact at defensive tackle.  He is now listed as a defensive tackle on Colts.com, so there is no doubt on where he will line up next year. #68 Eric Foster-Last year it was Ed Johnson.  This year it will be Eric Foster.  Foster was made for the Tampa 2. NT #99 Ed Johnson-Big Eddy was a magnificent signing by Polian last year.  Sexual assault, schmexual schmassault.  Ed Johnson can stop the run. #97 Quinn Pitcock-The young players run the nose tackle position.  Pitcock is ridiculously strong, and he played well last season when the offensive line was plagued with injuries. #95 Darrell Reid-This man was the last thing Chris Henry saw before his life flashed before his eyes. DE #98 Robert Mathis-With Freeney back, Mathis should return to his double-digit sack season shortly. #92 Marcus Howard-No he is not a linebacker.  And if he does well, no he is not a surprise.  I expect him to do great along with many other Colts fans. SLB #55 Clint Session-I was stuck between Keiaho and Session here, but Session is bigger and could be a better run stopper.  We've all seen what he can do in the passing game. #56 Tyjuan Hagler-He's hurt, but it won't cost him a roster spot. MLB #58 Gary Brackett-Brackett was up there with the Pro Bowl snubs last year.  He was the leader of a top-5 defense, and he will only get better. #50 Philip Wheeler-Wheeler can play anywhere at linebacker.  I expect him to be a starter in 2009.  It depends on how Session and Keiaho do this upcoming season. WLB #54 Freddy Keiaho-To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how anyone can pass on us this year.  The linebackers are all ballhawkers, and the secondary is one of the best in the league.  Keiaho is a great example of a prototypical Tampa 2 linebacker. #52 Ramon Guzman-He's here for special teams and special teams only. CB #28 Marlin Jackson-Like all Tampa 2 corners, Jackson is way underrated.  He can shut the passing lane for any QB on any team. #34 TJ Rushing-Rushing will not be a returner, but he is good enough to be a dime cornerback. FS #41 Antoine Bethea-Bethea is a breakout player who will contend for another Pro Bowl spot this upcoming year. #40 Jamie Silva-The team of dark horses and surprise players strike again with Silva.  Boston College has some good players in the pros. SS #21 Bob Sanders-70% of the Earth is covered by water.  The rest is covered by Bob Sanders. #43 Matt Giordano-After Giordano lacerated Bo Scaife's liver, John Madden had a funny quip.  "[Giordano] just knocked all of his [own] hair off!" CB #26 Kelvin Hayden-He's the same corner as Marlin Jackson.  I would love to see him get a long-term contract. #20 Dante Hughes-Hughes is expected to be a standout at nickel back.  Also, it's Dante, not Daymeion. #25 Michael Coe-Fitting that one of the fastest players on the team shares the same number as Rocket Ismail, my favorite football player of all-time. K #4 Adam Vinatieri-His leg will be better, and his accuracy will be as well. P #17 Hunter Smith-Not a big surprise he's over Adam Crossett right now. LS #48 Justin Snow-Longsnappers normally do not get any attention.  For obvious reasons. RS #35 Chad Simpson-Simpson is just the kind of player the Colts need at returner.  Someone who is extremely fast and may take a chance and not call a fair catch. Practice Squad QB Adam Tafralis RB Clifton Dawson WR Devin Aromashodu OL Corey Hilliard DL Colin Ferrell DL Curtis Johnson LB Jordan Senn DB Brannon Condren 10 Who Should Keep In Touch RB Kenton Keith WR Courtney Roby WR Pierre Garcon OL Mike Elgin OL Darren Marquez DL Jeff Charleston LB Victor Worsley DB Tim Jennings DB Brandon Foster RS Rudy Burgess Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:16:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293513 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293513 I did my third The Sporting News Live Mock Fantasy Football Draft today. They offer 10 & 12 Team Drafts that go 15 rounds, which I use to gauge where people are picked. As the season approaches, these Mock Drafts become better because everyone is more up-to-speed on the players and you get a full draft. When there isn't a full draft, there is an Autopick in place. They go by Sporting News rankings. It's not ideal, but it's acceptable. Another cool feature is the chat board which allows you to discuss players with other fantasy football fanatics. Here's how my team shaked out: This time I joined a ten-man league and had the fifth pick. I knew I was going to get one of the Big Dog Running Backs. It was just a matter of which one. I had the choice between S-Jax and Joseph Addai. I chose Addai because he's the safer of the two in my opinion. If Bulger gets hurt again, S-Jax could struggle. With my second pick I was undecided between an RB (Willis McGahee) or a WR (Andre Johnson). I decided to go with McGahee with my second pick and was fortunate enough to have AJ still there with pick #3. With my fourth and fifth picks I rounded out my WR corps by adding Torry Holt and Brandon Marshall. In the sixth round I opted for RB depth. I chose LenDale White over Michael Turner and Darren McFadden. In Round 7 Run DMC was still there so I snatched him up. I figured I should grab a QB in Round 8. I had a choice between Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, and McNabb. I went with Hasselbeck. I've had him my first two mocks so it's natural I grabbed Jonathan Stewart once again in the 9th round. In the 10th, 11th & 12 rounds I went for WR depth by adding Jerricho Cotchery, Reggie Brown and Javon Walker. In the 13th I decided to finally take a TE. I went with Tony Scheffler. In Round 14 I decided to get a backup QB so I added Matt Schaub. I wrapped up by grabbing Pittsburgh Defense. QBs Matt Hassellbeck Matt Schaub RBs Joseph Addai Willis McGahee LenDale White Darren McFadden Jonathan Stewart WRs Andre Johnson Torry Holt Brandon Marshall Jerricho Cotchery Reggie Brown Javon Walker TEs Tony Scheffler DEF Pittsburgh Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:42:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293392 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293392 Fantasy football drafts are right around the corner, so who looks to be the hits and misses? This guide's a long read, but it's in-depth, and it channels the wayback machine for some who are older than they'd like to admit (or buy lots of old DVDs). Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:36:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292572 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292572 Ouija Boards, magic eight balls, tarot cards. For centuries, man has looked for supernatural ways to try and get answers. We here at Bruno Boys Fantasy Football are no different. Always looking for an edge for the upcoming fantasy season, we look to higher powers and turn to our magical crystal ball. The article below is the fifth of many that will reveal what we have seen. This time our look into the future is focused on the likes of Minnesota Vikings running back, Adrian Peterson. To read what's in store for Peterson's 2008 fantasy football season, be sure to click below. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:18:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292443 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292443 Top 10 running backs in the NFL. What do you all think? Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:57:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292384 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292384 How should you plan for your standard drafts in your fantasy football leagues this year? AccuScore Analyst Tim Williams previews his strategy and offers two words of advice: wing it. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:10:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292281 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292281 Too much of a good thing is usually a bad thing. That's how AccuScore fantasy expert Tim Williams feels about Oreo cookies and touchdown leagues. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:02:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292275 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292275 If you're looking for a change of pace from the usual standard leagues, why not try points per reception leagues. Tim Williams gives you his draft strategies for each position in PPR leagues. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:58:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292273 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292273 So, part of the beauty of being a fantasy football website owner, is the fact that we get to partake in Mock Drafts with other publications out there. In large part we do this in attempt to help you, the fantasy football fans, prepare for your upcoming fantasy football drafts. Below you can see the 1st round results for "The Hazean's" Mock Draft, which is currently taking place over email, as well as the different publications which are partaking in the draft. The scoring is standard scoring, but all touchdowns are worth 6 points (passing included): 2008 Experts Mock Draft - Round 1 1. Curveballs 4 Jesus: LaDainian Tomlinson 2. Football Outsiders: Adrian Peterson 3. Football Burrito: Joseph. Addai To see who the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff took in the 1st round, as well as expert analysis, make sure to click the link below... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:29:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291398 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291398 On Draft Day you have to know when to draft the right RUNNING BACK. This TIER list helps you break down each running back and where you took take them in your 2008 Fantasy Football Draft. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:44:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291389 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291389 Don't be to quick in selecting Adrian Peterson with the number 2 pick if the first selection is LaDainian Tomlinson. We all know about his 2 monster games against the Bears (224 yards) and the Chargers (296 yards). But his durability is a question mark. So is his role in the Vikings passing game. Think about how many people, myself included, got killed with Steven Jackson's injuries last year. With that in mind who could you take with the second pick. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:12:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291345 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291345 When we talk about players as being RB1 or RB2 caliber, we are not trying to confuse you. Okay. Okay. Well, maybe we are just a tiny bit, but that's a small satisfaction of mine. I have to compensate for all the spammy emails I get from Russia that make me feel "small," okay? There exists in the fantasy football lexicon a set of definitions that helps in classifying your expectation for players. These definitions break down the projected performance of a player over the course of a season. "RB2" is just one of many. Associating these tags with players on your cheat sheet -- maybe by tiering them off into RB1 and RB2 categories -- you can better prepare for the kind of team you want to build and better evaluate potential trades. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:24:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291286 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291286 Finally, we've reached the Top 10 running backs for 2008. It's been an epic journey to get here, but here we are, counting down the Top 10. STUD, is the easiest word to classify these 10 running backs. Most will go in the first round, skip one and it may cause your season to go up in flames. These running backs have pros and cons, but before we discuss them, let's recap the Top 11-30 running backs for 2008. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:55:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291131 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291131