An early look at the RB's.

Since we have plenty of time till fantasy drafts roll around, I thought I'd take an early peek at the top running backs.





1) Adrian Peterson (Vikings) - It would be a bit of a surprise not to see Peterson as the #1 overall pick in fantasy drafts. Hopefully, with the addition of QB Sage Rosenfels, the Vikings QB problem will not be as noticeable and will help A.P. even more. Peterson can simply do it all. The only thing that can stop Peterson is injury.



2) Michael Turner (Falcons) - Turned busted out in a big, big way last season. After spending time backing up LaDanian Tomlinson, Turner came through with a huge season. One of the best things about drafting Turner...he's not in a RBBC.



3) Stephen Jackson (Rams) - Many of the 'ifs' about Jackson's fantasy draft position has nothing to do about his own incredible talent, but more about problem areas concerning the team. The offensive line needs to be a more cohesive unit. It also wouldn't hurt to find help at WR. If the Rams don't address this, Jackson will find a lot of, 8-in-the-box defenses chasing him.



4) Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars) - The biggest 'mover' since the end of last season is without question, Jones-Drew. With the departure of Fred Taylor, the primary RB job falls to MJD. Another plus is, in PPR leagues, Jones-Drew is absolute money.



5) Chris Johnson (Titans) - Johnson had an immediate impact in his rookie season last year. Possessing incredible speed, Johnson was a threat to score anytime he got the ball. Johnson had almost 1500 total yards and 10 TD's despite sharing time with LenDale White. Look for Johnson to get the ball more in '09.



6) Matt Forte (Bears) - Another rookie that made many fantasy owners very happy was Matt Forte. Forte stabilized what had been a very unsettled backfield for the Bears. Not a 'flashy' player, Forte does everything well and doesn't make mistakes. A solid receiver coming out of the backfield (477 yds 4 tds), he's a must-have for owners in PPR leagues.



7) DeAngelo Williams (Panthers) - Wow! Williams had an amazing 2nd half to his '08 season. In the last 4 games alone Williams rushed for 560 yds and scored 7 td's. Even though he shares time with Jonathan, look for Williams to continue to post big numbers.



8) Marion Barber (Cowboys) - After an off year in '08 I expect Barber to return to the form of his previous seasons. A bruising runner, Barber looks for contact rather than avoid it. Although 2nd year RB Felix Jones will steal some of the playing time, Barber is the primary back and should see the majority of the playing time.


9) Frank Gore (49ers) - Gore struggled a bit last season and didn't look very comfortable in head coach Mike Singletary's offense. But Gore is an immense talent and should rebound nicely this season. A fine back coming out of the backfield (43 rec...373 yds), Gore will go higher in PPR leagues.

10) LaDanian Tomlinson (Chargers) - I struggled with #10. There were 3-4 backs that could have been slotted here, but I still think Tomlinson has more to offer overall. He never was completely healthy last season which led to most people believing his time as a premiere RB was over. I don't think he's quite done just yet.