Yardbarker: Willis McGahee

Top 40 NFL Running Backs Going Into 2008

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:22:04 -0500

A list of the top 40 fantasy NFL running backs heading into the 2008 season.

Second-round strategy: Draft a RB or WR?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:48:20 -0500

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!

Bruno Boys - Second Round Experts Mock Draft

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:05:23 -0500

In 2007, not only did we see a rise in wide receiver production, which led to more depth at the position heading into 2008, we also saw a decline in everydown running backs. In fact, in '07 just 17 running backs topped the 1,000 rushing yard mark, while in 2006 we saw 23 different rushers achieve that feat. On the flip side, 23 wide receivers surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in '7, while just 19 went for over 1,000 yards in '06. With this in mind, we knew that the depth at the running back position would drop off after the 2nd round, so we went in targeting the best available option at the running back position. Plus, with the rapid growth in the Running Back By Committee approach in the NFL, we wanted to make sure that our top ball carrier was someone who is going to get 20+ touches per contest. To find out who Bruno Boys Fantasy Football took with their second pick, click below....

Fantasy Football Mock Draft #3

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:42:05 -0500

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

NFL Fantasy Draft Guide: Breaking Down the Backs 80s Sitcom Style

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:36:53 -0500

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).

Fantasy Football Running Backs - Second Tier

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:13:12 -0500

We've done the Big Dog RBs so let's continue with the Second Tier Running Backs. These are guys that will go in the first couple of rounds. They aren't quite of the Big Dog ilk, but if you're in the back end of a snake draft you can pick up a pair of these 2TRBs. Marion Barber III - So MB3 can't the chance to shine on his own. Well, not exactly. The Cowboys replaced Julius Jones with rookie Felix Jones. Marion the Barbarian will still be your TD man, but the other Jones will cut into his yardage. Clinton Portis - Portis will still only be 27 when the season kicks off. He seems so much older than that. I guess that's what success will do to you. Will he be like Emmitt Smith and just keep turning it out? I think so. I don't see 1500 yards in him, but 1200 & 10 is attainable. Frank Gore - Here's a guy I love. Everyone was HUGE on him last year and he failed miserably by his draft postion standards. However, he still had over 1500 total yards. If that's a "down year", I'd be glad to grab him and see what he can do in a good year. Larry Johnson - Maybe because I own him I am wishful thinking, but I see a rebound for LJ. He's still a beast. He hasn't reached the 30 mark. He doesn't have a lot of mileage considering his age. He is a year removed from back-to-back 1700 yard 17+ TD seasons. I know Shaun Alexander dropped like a elevator with the cable cut, but I see a different story for LJ. As long as he has some burst and he gets a decent showing from the passing game, LJ will be solid. I don't see another monster year, but if he can turn out 1400 yards and 12 TDs, I'd be stoked. Marshawn Lynch - Here's another guy I own. I was huge on him before his little hit-and-run drama. I hope that was a one-time slip-up and not a sign of things to come. He was the Bills' offense last year. He wasn't a contender for the ROY last year as All Day was unbelievable, but for a while he was at least a part of the conversation. Willis McGahee - Here's another guy who was his team's offense last year. Willis has over 1400 yards and 8 TDs in his first year in Baltimore. All of that despite only having five carries the past two weeks. He should be fully recovered from his rib injury that finished his season a little early last year.

Top 10 Fantasy Football Running Backs For 2008

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:55:29 -0500

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.

Off-Season Run Down: Part 2 (Ravens)

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:36:35 -0500

Coming off their worst season since 1996, the Baltimore Ravens had some big holes to fill. Then came the news that former Pro Bowlers OL Jon Ogden and QB Steve McNair were retiring, and a glaring need emerged. Oh and let's not forget the Ravens uncanny ability to always need a QB. With that in mind the Ravens drafted like such: Round 1 - Joe Flaco, QB, Delaware (18) Round 2 - Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers (55) Round 3 - Tavares Gooden, OLB, Miami (FL) (71) Tom Zbikowski, S, Norte Dame (86) Oniel Cousins, OT, UTEP (99) Round 4 - Marcus Smith, WR, New Mexico (106) David Hale, OT, Weber St. (133) Round 6 - Haruki Nakamura, S, Cincinnati (206) Round 7 - Justin Harper, WR, Virgina Tech (215) Allen Patrick, RB, Oklahoma (240) When it comes to the Browns, I feel that the Ravens are still a few years away from competing, but there's a catch 22 to this scenario, the Ravens aren't getting any younger and most of their defense has been around the block a couple times. Who knows when they'll retire but players like Ray Lewis aren't going to be around forever, and we began to see that this off-season with both Ogden's and McNair's retirements. I was a bit shocked that the Ravens actually spent a 1st round pick on a QB with former 1st rounder Kyle Boller and Heisman winner Troy Smith both on the team's roster. Interestingly enough it's been Smith who performed the best at the team's minicamp. (On a personal note as an OSU fan also, I pray that Smith is not subjected to have to play much longer for the Ravens.) The pick of Ray Rice I believe will really benefit the team as well, and it looks as if Cousins has also been impressive. Aside from these three look for the others to help out on special teams and be more developmental kinds of guys, at least for this coming season. That's not to say that a guy like Zbikowski won't contribute eventually, and personally I really would have liked for the Browns to have drafted him. Draft grade - C, like I stated before I can't for the life of me figure out why the Ravens selected Flaco, I felt that they really reached for him at 18, but I will admit the kid has all the intangibles to be a great QB in a few years; he kind of reminds me of Derek Anderson, with what he brings to the table, he's tall, isn't entirely mobile, and has a cannon arm, plus I know that Ozzie Newsome hated to lose Anderson a few years back. Ray Rice should be a good back-up for Willis McGahee, while the others will be developing over the course of the season. Though I felt that the Ravens could have better drafted by need, Newsome's track record has proven to be right more times than not. Season Prediction - 6-10 3rd in AFC North

Predicting the Top 10 Running Backs Based on Historical Trends

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:56:10 -0500

Find out why we believe that LaDainian Tomlinson and Joseph Addai are the only two amongst the top five running backs that could be in the top five at the end of the season in the second article of this series of three on historical trends.

AFC North Offensive Lines: Strong Offensive Line Play Sets Tone

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:39:56 -0500

Who's got the best line in the North? Stop by and see.

Projecting: Top 20 Fantasy Running Backs

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:34:10 -0500

In most fantasy football formats, running backs are the cream of the crop. If you draft accordingly, you could be put in a good position right away. Unfortunately, if you draft poorly, it could be all downhill from there. Screaming Sports' Hugh Duckwall is here to examine the top 20 projected backs.

Dewey's top fantasy RBs

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:20:52 -0500

I'm testing out the Yard's new feature that allows you to make lists. Improvements to the functionality to follow. In the meantime, here are 10 good fantasy RBs.

Top 10 Fantasy Football Running Backs

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:06:13 -0500

The Sports Muffin's Top 10 Fantasy Football Running Backs are listed below. We have also posted some additional Running Backs that may make your list, but not ours.

Top 10 Fantasy Football Running Backs

1. LaDainian Tomlinson
2. Adrian Peterson
3. Steven Jackson
4. Brian Westbrook
5. Joseph Addai
6. Frank Gore
7. Marion Barber III
8. Clinton Portis
9. Larry Johnson
10. Ryan Grant

Additional Running Backs:
Edgerrin JAmes
Jamal Lewis
Marshawn Lynch
Maurice Jones-Drew
Willis McGahee

Top 10 Undervalued Players

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:37:14 -0500

#10 Torry Holt: He has finished in the top 15 for wide receivers for eight consecutive seasons and has only missed two games in his entire NFL career. Last season, which many considered a disappointing season, he had the same number of receptions and yards as the previous year but his touchdowns dropped from ten to seven. He finished 11th for wide receivers in a year where the Rams offense was a disaster because of injuries. Put all that together and you have a wide receiver that cannot finish worse than 11th but who has consistently shown that he can be a top five receiver. #9 Willis McGahee: He finished last season as the ninth best running back in his first year with Baltimore and in the 14 full games that he played, he averaged 20.6 carries per game. New Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron loves to throw the ball to his running backs as we saw with Tomlinson in San Diego and last season with Ronnie Brown who had 39 receptions in only seven games. The retirement of Ogden may be a concern but his replacement, Jared Gaither, is a very good run blocker which may make the Ravens run the ball even more than last year. McGahee has only missed three games in four seasons and he will at least get as many carries as last season so he can only improve if we consider the improved line and the Cam Cameron factor. #8 Jerricho Cotchery / Laveranues Coles: They are both being drafted in the 25 to 30 range for wide receivers even though Cotchery finished 20th last year and Coles was as good as him in points per game. The Jets line is much improved this season with the additions of Faneca and Woody as well as Ferguson and Mangold who should improve in their third season. The quarterback play is still inconsistent but it cannot be worse than it was last season. Both of these receivers have been good for two consecutive seasons so they are pretty safe picks and they also have a lot of upside because of the much improved offensive line. #7 Maurice Jones-Drew: He is once again being drafted much lower than he should be because everyone fears that Fred Taylor will continue to steal carries away from him. He was the 8th best running back in 2006 and the 11th best in 2007 and he is only 23 years old. Those numbers alone should make him a top ten pick but his average draft position is about 13th for running backs. If you now consider that he has reached those numbers with less than 170 carries, that Fred Taylor is 32 years old, that the Jaguars line is better than last season and that it has a lot of depth, it makes him a very good safe pick in the late first or early second round. #6 David Garrard: His numbers from weeks 11 to 16 when his offensive line was the same as it will be this year would have made him the ninth best quarterback and only ten points behind the fifth best. Of the eight quarterbacks above him, one retired, one lost his best offensive lineman and one had 70 more pass attempts than his average of the past three years. The additions of Porter and Williamson give Garrard more options this season and the depth on the offensive line makes him a pretty safe pick. The concern with Garrard is that he has yet to play 16 games in a season but it is also only the second time that he enters the season as the starter. Nonetheless, he should finish much higher than number 13, his current average draft position. #5 Owen Daniels: He was the seventh best tight end last season in only his second NFL season and had only three touchdowns. Schaub played eight full games last season and Daniels had 41 receptions for 528 yards and 1 TD in those games which would have made him the fifth best tight end over 16 games. He is currently being drafted as the 11th best tight end which means as long as his numbers decrease by less than 10% he will be a good pick. That is a little ridiculous if you consider that he is 25 years old and his projected numbers over 16 games with Schaub are 25% higher than his actual statistics from last season. #4 Aaron Rodgers: His average draft position is about 18th at the moment for quarterbacks even though he is on one of the best teams in the NFC. You can find a full article that explains why we believe Aaron Rodgers is much better than that here. If we assume Rodgers will run for about 150 yards and a touchdown which should not be too hard to do for him, his passing numbers only have to be 70% of what Favre's were last season for him to finish above his average draft position. #3 Tony Scheffler: He became the starting tight end for Denver in week 5 and still finished the year as the 11th best tight end. Over the past two seasons he has started 17 games at tight end and had 61 receptions for 768 yards and 9 touchdowns; those numbers make him a top six or seven tight end. Furthermore, last season Denver was missing two of its best offensive linemen for most of the season and their starting quarterback was playing with diabetes and did not know it. There are slight concerns about his foot injury but the season is still three months away and it should not be a concern when you are drafting a potential top five tight end in the tenth round. #2 Marques Colston: Only ten wide receivers finished in the top 20 in each of the past two seasons and Colston only played 14 games in 2006. He is by far the best wide receiver on an offense that was first in passing yards in 2006 and third in 2007. If we look at the receivers who finished above Colston last season, Moss and Wayne should still be above; Owens is 35 years old and could slow down; Edwards could very well be a one-year wonder considering similar receivers dropped by an average of 16%; Fitzgerald has been inconsistent; Houshmandzadeh and Johnson were only slightly better and there are quite a few question marks in Cincinnati this year. On average only three or four wide receivers will remain in the top ten the following year and Colston is one of the few safe options in the top 10 from last year, yet he is only being drafted in the early third round. #1 Clinton Portis: In six seasons in the NFL, Portis has never had less than 250 points per 16 games in a point per reception league. He will be only 27 years old when the season begins, he was the third best running back last season, he has missed only 12 games in six seasons in the NFL and yet he is only being drafted as the eighth or ninth best running back. Moreover, last season the Redskins were missing its two best run blockers on the offensive line for most of the season. New head coach Jim Zorn will probably use an offense similar to Seattle's where he was quarterback coach for the past few seasons and Alexander managed to put up very solid numbers from 2001 to 2006 in that offense. Portis is a much safer option with your first round pick than someone like Marion Barber who has not proven much or Gore, Jackson and Johnson who have poor offensive lines. Portis is not a spectacular pick but remember that since 2004, only 7 of the 28 running backs that were drafted between picks 6 and 12 finished the season in the top 12. This means that if you make a pick in the middle to late first round, it has a 25% chance of living up to those expectations; Portis has shown much more consistency than any other running back taken in the middle to late first round.

Fantasy outlook: Willis McGahee

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:00:30 -0500

Will McGahee be a decent fantasy RB this season?