http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/2618 Recent articles about Jamal Lewis en-us A list of the top 40 fantasy NFL running backs heading into the 2008 season. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:22:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295576 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295576 Should owners draft a wide receiver or a running back in the second round? John Juhasz analyzes the scenarios. I looked at both sides of the Tom Brady vs. a running back debate for the first round of a draft, and now I'll focus my attention on what to do in the next round. As I mentioned before, it's crucial you spend at least one of your first two picks on a running back. Yes, I realize all 32 NFL teams have "starters" you can choose from and two rounds of a standard draft only equals 24 picks. But more and more teams are beginning to utilize the two-back system without a clear-cut No. 1 back. If you wait around too long, you'll basically end up starting two half-RB1s at best every week. Lots of luck if you find yourself in that situation. If you didn't select a running back, then I'll assume you addressed your quarterback slot by choosing Tom Brady, Peyton Manning or Tony Romo since picking anyone else in the first round wouldn't make any sense. The good news is there are still plenty of teams who have a featured back that gets the lion's share of carries (and fantasy production). Let's find out where they are: Click below to read the rest of the article! Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:48:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295273 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295273 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 We've done the Big Dog RBs and the Second Tier RBs, now it's time to look at the next wave of RBs. These are likely your #2 backs unless you opted to go QB or WR early (which isn't a bad idea). Willie Parker - Fast Willie piled on the yards last year (1316 to be exact), but didn't make many trips (2) to the endzone. I don't see Big Ben tossing as many TD passes next year so that number should go up. The problem I have with Willie is the drafting of Rashard Mendenhall. He scares me if I'm a Willie Parker owner. Jamal Lewis - Jamal had a terrific season (1552 total yards, 11 TDs) last year with Cleveland, but I just don't trust him to be my #1 RB. I expect their passing attack to take a step back next year, which will make it harder to run. Ryan Grant - Ryan Grant came in and answered Green Bay's prayers for some balance. Lost in the whole QB debate is whether or not Grant will be a fluke. If Rodgers struggles at QB, things could get difficult for Grant. I'd hate to pin my hopes on him. Maurice Jones-Drew/Fred Taylor - MJD gets the TDs. Fred Taylor gets the yards. Will the recipe be the same in Jacksonville next year? Most likely. They compliment each other so well. Unfortunately for fantasy owners it makes it difficult to rely on either one. Obviously I give MJD the edge because of his age and his ability to reach paydirt. Laurence Maroney - Did you see Maroney run in the playoffs? I'm sure the Patriot Coaches did. Heck, they probably even have video on it. Bad jokes aside, I see the Patriots running a more balanced attack next year. With the holes the passing game should open, Maroney should run wild. Ronnie Brown - Until he got hurt, Ronnie Brown was having one of the best years by any RB. Unfortunately he blew out his knee following an Interception (thanks Cleo Lemon) and will likely take a year or so to get back to form. Brandon Jacobs - Brandon Jacobs is a beast. He should have plenty of opportunity to score TDs. He needs to prove he can stay healthy. He'll likely have to share carries with some capable running mates. Edgerrin James - Edge had over 1400 total yards last year, but will turn the dreaded 30 next month. That usually doesn't go over very well for a Running Back. The Cards have two extraordinary WRs to keep defenses honest, but I'd be shocked if Edge replicates his 2007 campaign. Darren McFadden - This one is based on potential, but Run DMC sure seems to be this year's version of Adrian Peterson. I don't see him running for as many yards, or breaking any records, but I wouldn't be surprised in the least if he finished in top ten for RB fantasy scoring. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:34:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292182 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292182 Based on the 2007 final defensive rankings, we picked ut a few top running backs and broke down the first few and last few weeks of the season. Our research turned up some interesting information for the RB crop in 2008. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:50:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291128 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291128 The last time we all came together I broke down running backs 21-30. Today I'll shake and shimmy to bring you running backs 11-20. Unlike 21-30, this next class of running backs has star power. Many of these running backs will be features or RB2 in your league(s). If you're planning on winning your league this season, I'd make sure to select at least one of these running backs during your draft. Before we get to 11-20, let's recap running back 21-30: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:16:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290165 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290165 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 second of many that will reveal what we have seen. This time our look into the future is focused on the likes of Cleveland Brown quarterback, Derek Anderson. To read more, click below. Sun, 13 Jul 2008 23:12:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289974 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289974 Jeff and Greg flip the pigskin around for their first NFL mock fantasy draft, and not a moment too soon. With both of their baseball seasons careening into a dark chasm, the colicky couple need to be pacified, and fast. Neither of them have done a stitch of research for this draft, but they both believe that gives them a strategic advantage. Who the hell can predict anything in football? Not these two, but that's not going to stop them from trying. Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:03:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285473 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285473 Going into any fantasy draft, the last thing you want to do is draft a player too high. Even drafting a guy four or five picks too high can make the difference in your draft. Although the first five rounds are extremely important to the success of your fantasy teams' chances, the fantasy season is decided with the final five picks that you make. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:10:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284654 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284654 The Cleveland Browns were the fantasy darlings of 2007 with the emergence of Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards as legitimate fantasy threats. Further, the resurgence of Jamal Lewis and the continued impressive performance of Kellen Winslow Jr. made the 2007 version of the Browns delightful to many fantasy owners..... Make sure to read more of what Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff writer Joel Stubblefield has to say about the Cleveland Browns and their fantasy worthy players heading into the 2008 season by clicking below... Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:49:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278082 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278082 Let's have a look at how the player on each team with the highest average of carries per game stacked up against the average carries per game for the team. This will give us the average carries that each player lost per game. I think you may be surprised by how some of these guys rank... Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:41:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277665 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277665 According to Las Vegas odds, the chances of the Browns signing recently released RB Cedric Benson are a little too good for comfort. It's no secret that the Cleveland Browns are looking for a RB of the future. Sure, they just signed Jamal Lewis to a 3 year extension through 2010, but as Jamal is reaching the twilight part of his career and is easily past his prime, the Browns need to keep an eye on a backup plan for now and a guy who can carry the load in the future. We already brought up the name Travis Henry a couple weeks ago, and now there are some who think the Browns may look into a different troubled RB. After being arrested for an alcohol related incident for the second time in a month, the Chicago Bears cut Cedric Benson loose. The release ended a pretty tumultuous relationship between the Bears and Benson. Drafted fourth overall in the 2005 NFL Draft, Benson was supposed to be the future of the franchise. The Bears even let team leader Thomas Jones walk last year in favor of keeping the younger Benson in place. After three years filled with injuries, underperforming on the field, and finally trouble with the law, though, the Bears had to let Benson go. Thanks to Hashmarks, we now know that the Cleveland Browns are one of the teams that Las Vegas thinks might look at signing Benson. As Matt Mosley wrote, "The folks at BodogLife.com are already laying odds on Cedric Benson's future: Will Benson play in the NFL this season? Yes -300 No +225 What team will Benson play for? New England 2/1 Arizona 5/1 Denver 4/1 New Orleans 10/1 New York Jets 16/1 Cleveland 12/1 San Diego 18/1? I'm not sure what to really make of this. Benson's career numbers are pretty underwhelming. In 3 seasons he has rushed for just 1,593 yards and 10 TDs. Some of that is because of injuries, some of it is because of splitting time with Thomas Jones his first 2 years, and some of it is just flat out disappointing performance on the field. I'm sure the Browns odds are at 12/1 simply because Vegas knows, just as we do, that the Browns are looking for another RB at some point. And because Benson cleared waivers this week, he is an unrestricted free agent, which would allow the Browns to try to sign him for a bargain basement deal. But is that the wise thing to do? Benson has already shown that he doesn't like sharing his workload with others, something he would have to do with Jamal Lewis here. Then, when you add his recent legal troubles as well as his past injury issues on top of that, and this just has "CAUTION" written all over it. Hopefully the real chances of the Browns signing Cedric Benson are significantly worse than 12/1. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 07:21:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277520 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277520 Whatifsports looks at the AFC North, which looks to be a battle between the improved Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. We simulated every game and provide you with team analysis, projected scores and fantasy sleepers. Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:28:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276975 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/276975 After an impressive 2006 season, in which the Baltimore Ravens finished tied for the second best record in the NFL at 13-3 and came up just short against the potential Super Bowl Champs, the Indianapolis Colts, in an AFC divisional playoff game, 2007 began with high expectations. After all, the Ravens had the number one ranked defense in the NFL heading into 2007, so it appeared just a little more offense would do the trick and get them to the next level. Sat, 07 Jun 2008 01:39:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275508 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/275508 I have to admit, I'm somewhat giddy over the fact that in the first "experts" mock draft I came across on the web features four Browns taken in the first six rounds. Good lord. Fri, 30 May 2008 13:32:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272510 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/272510