RUNNING
BACKS
1. LaDainian Tomlinson
- Tomlinson just finished putting up the best regular season for an NFL
running back...EVER! LT2's touchdown total (31...and it's 33 if you include
his 2 passing TDs) doubles the total (16) of the #3 ranked fantasy RB
on the board! So bascially, LaDainian by himself outperformed the TD output
of any opponent duo fantasy RB combo (if LJ is taken from the mix). If
scoring weren't enough for fantasy owners, Tomlinson led the league in
rushing yards (1815) and was just 11 yards behind in total yardage (2323).
If there was a knock on Tomlinson for 2006, it was that he and his team
were possibly too good...LT didn't score in weeks 16 or 17 (most fantasy
superbowls). But if you were lucky enough to have Tomlinson on your roster,
he single-handedly gave you a chance to win your league.
2. Larry Johnson
- Take LaDainian out of the mix and Larry Johnson was the man this season.
As predicted, Johnson is busted out and pounded defenses for massive yards
and more than his share of TDs. Coach Herman Edwards stated in preseason
that the Chiefs would run the ball 550 times in '06 and he's proved to
be a prophet as Johnson got 416 of them (most in the league). LJ has nearly
exact yardage totals to LaDainian throughout the season, but his TD totals
and yards per carry paled in comparison. Regardless, his 2199 total yards
and 19 TDs were more than respectable and rewarded owners who drafted
Johnson with solid production. The only down numbers from Johnson were
in weeks 1-2 and 13-15 where LJ wasn't able to find the endzone, but he
still scored in every other week and put up consistent yardage all season.
3. Steven Jackson
- Jackson is a Hoss! His 2334 total yards led the league as he complimented
his rushing touches with 90 (NINETY) receptions (and only 3 WRs had more)!
The primary difference between SJax and the top two RBs on our board is
in Jackson's TD production (16). But to the thrill of his fantasy owners,
Jackson scored 10 of his 16 TDs in the final 4 games!...which was absolutely
huge to his owners who made their fantasy playoffs. If Jackson owners
made their playoffs, Jackson's production in weeks 14-17 (684 yards and
10 TDs) should have been enough to give them a Superbowl victory. Steven
Jackson is the real deal and should be toward the top of draft lists in
2007.
4. Willie Parker
- Fast Willie was "up and down Willie" throughout
the season. Parker had 7 games of 125+ yards and scored multiple TDs in
most of those games, but he also had 4 games where he put up 47 yards
or less (and didn't have a score in any of those 4 games). While getting
a considerable number of touches, Parker's yards per touch are fairly
low. But although inconsistent, Parker's 16 total TDs and respectable
yardage were enough to boost him to 4th overall of NFL fantasy RBs for
'06.
5. Maurice Jones-Drew
- This phenominal diminutive rookie was huge down the stretch
for fantasy owners who noticed him early. Jones-Drew scored in every one
of his last 8 games (10 of his 15 total TDs) and went for over 100 total
yards in half of them. Yardage totals or touches on the season may not
have been among the leaders, but J-D made the most of his opportunities
and his final stats boosted him to the #5 fantasy RB in just his rookie
season.
6. Brian Westbrook
- Mr. Versatility is stayed true to form and continued to put up nice
numbers in 2006. With 77receptions (huge for a RB), Westbrook led his
team and was huge in fantasy leagues that rewarded RBs with receptions.
Westbrook's TD total (11) tied him at 9th overall among running backs,
but his combined yardage-TD factor were enough to boost him up to 6th
in fantasy RB value for the year. BW's final 8 games yielded him only
4 TDs, but he did manage to go for over 100 total yards in evey game except
week 17 (due to lack of playing time with a lock on the playoffs).
7. Frank Gore
- In a previous thought to be suspect offense, Frank Gore rushed for 1695
yards (3rd most in the NFL) with the San Francisco 49ers. Gore was consistent
in his weekly total yardage performances (4th behind SJax, LT, and LJ
with 2180) and rewarded owners who started him each week. Frank Gore's
TDs totaled just 9, but 6 of his TDs came in the last half of the season.
8. Rudi Johnson
- Rudi put up 12 TDs on the season and was able to spread his scoring
across the year...which was some nice consistency for his fantasy owners.
Ironically, Rudi's numbers are almost identical to last year's totals
(12 TDs and 1400+ rushing yards). As with Rudi Johnson's scoring, yardage
totals were okay and also spread across the entire season. But with Cincy's
growing experience on offense, many Bengal fans and fantasy owners expected
much more from Rudi and the Orange & Black.
9. Marion Barber
- Marion Barber might be one of the best fantasy "finds" of
the season. Barber was listed as a backup to Julius Jones, and all Barber
did was to score the touchdowns...and he finished tied at 3rd in the NFL
with 16 total TDs. For his fantasy owners that started believing in him
early, Barber spread his 16 TDs evenly across the season and scored in
11 of Dallas' 16 games. And to show how important Barber was to the Cowboys,
they lost all 5 of the games in which Barber didn't score.
10. Corey Dillon
- Rookie Laurence Maroney was the big story in the New England Patriot
offense and led to fantasy owners shying away from veteran Corey Dillon.
But down the stretch, it was Dillon who had the numbers. Dillon's 13 rushing
TDs (T-4th) were enough to help the Pats get the divisional crown and
help his fantasy owners with a top ten running back.
11. Deuce McAllister
- Similar to Corey Dillon, some thought that newcomer Reggie Bush would
upseat McAllister and ruin any chance of a fantasy showing. But it was
McAllister that quietly put up over 1000 rushing yards and 11 TDs on his
way to a very successful season.
12. Tiki Barber
- As predicted, Tiki Barber went off in the yardage department. His 1662
rushing yards were 4th (behind LT, LJ, and Gore) and his combined total
yardage of 2127 was 5th overall. But Barber had a tough time getting himself
into the endzone. He didn't score until week 9 and found himself with
only 2 TDs going into the final week of the season before Tiki scored
3 TDs against the Redskins (too late for many fantasy leagues).
|
Top Fantasy Running Backs
2006
|
|
RB
|
Rush Att
|
Rush Yards
|
Rcptns
|
Rec Yards
|
Total Yards
|
TDs Rush
|
TDs Rec
|
|
LaDainian Tomlinson
|
349
|
1815
|
56
|
508
|
2323
|
28
|
3*
|
|
Larry Johnson
|
416
|
1789
|
41
|
410
|
2199
|
17
|
2
|
|
Steven Jackson
|
346
|
1528
|
90
|
806
|
2334
|
13
|
3
|
|
Willie Parker
|
337
|
1494
|
31
|
222
|
1716
|
13
|
3
|
|
Maurice Jones-Drew
|
166
|
941
|
46
|
436
|
1177
|
13
|
2
|
|
Brian Westbrook
|
240
|
1217
|
77
|
699
|
1916
|
7
|
4
|
|
Frank Gore
|
313
|
1695
|
61
|
485
|
2180
|
8
|
1
|
|
Rudi Johnson
|
341
|
1308
|
23
|
124
|
1432
|
12
|
0
|
|
Marion Barber
|
136
|
654
|
23
|
196
|
848
|
14
|
2
|
|
Corey Dillon
|
199
|
812
|
15
|
147
|
959
|
13
|
0
|
|
Deuce McAllister
|
245
|
1061
|
30
|
198
|
1259
|
11
|
0
|
|
Tiki Barber
|
327
|
1662
|
58
|
465
|
2127
|
5
|
0
|
* - plus 2 Passing Touchdowns