Early Rankings - Running Backs

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

Cable convinced Lynch to quit dancing around at the line last year and he excelled. Add that to the fact that the young offensive line should improve and they have a possible upgrade at quarterback and I don't see what's not to like. Washington will take a few touches but Lynch is the main game in town. Only downsides I can see with him are injuries due to his physical running style and a possible decline in motivation due to getting paid. I don't get your problem with his ranking, must be a Seahawk hating thing.

 

Now the other two guys you mentioned I get. CJ dropped off the face of the earth last year for seemingly no reason. Fock him, I wont even think of touching him until the 3rd or 4th round. If you want to gamble on him in the 1st or 2nd round hoping he gets his head right or whatever then have at it hoss. I'm backing way off.

 

Peterson was hard to fit in, I moved him up and down the list several times before finally hitting "add reply". It was a gruesome knee injury, but if anybody can come back from something like that it's AP. Still there were several guys I was having a tough time placing and Peterson was one of them.

 

As always, when making a list of your own you realize it's a lot easier to just pick apart other people's lists. 2012 will be an interesting year for FF backs.

Lot of pot smoking going on in the northwest. Paranoid much?

 

The truth I'm gathering from this post is it's a CJ hating thing for you. You probably had him on your team this past year, he didn't do well, and now you're butt hurt about it.

 

I didn't have much problem with your list other than CJ being so stupid low....then you posted about how "safe" Lynch was. I'm not seeing how he's so safe over CJ heading into a new season unless you believe nothing is going to change for either team or running back. If that is the case then good luck to you.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

Good list! Off-season fantasy info to help me escape the reality of how bad my fav mlb team is this year

 

I think the outlook on ADP is way too pessimistic about his recovery. RB14? Behind Murray, Mathews, and Fjax... I hope others agree with this so I can snatch him in the 3rd round lol yeah right.

I think ap would be the fastest healer in history if he ends up producing like a top 12 back.

[Joey Gladstone 33]

It was more about the dump on CJ than anything else. Lynch doesn't have any more opportunity than CJ does, and CJ is much more explosive.

 

He wasn't more explosive last year. In fact, he wasn't much of anything last year. I haven't heard anything about him being hurt. And before we blame it on the offensive line, let me just point out that Lynch played a big chunk of 2011 with 3/5th's of his starting line out, and those guys were all rookies.

[Joey Gladstone 33]

Lot of pot smoking going on in the northwest. Paranoid much?

 

The truth I'm gathering from this post is it's a CJ hating thing for you. You probably had him on your team this past year, he didn't do well, and now you're butt hurt about it.

 

I didn't have much problem with your list other than CJ being so stupid low....then you posted about how "safe" Lynch was. I'm not seeing how he's so safe over CJ heading into a new season unless you believe nothing is going to change for either team or running back. If that is the case then good luck to you.

 

I didn't have him thank god. It isn't a CJ hating thing, it's a "is he already washed up?" thing.

[ralphster 274]

I like the list Dave. Pretty hard to squabble over much of it - good baseline for this early in the year.

 

CJ fell to me @ 6 last year and I regret ever thinking he could or would be anything approaching his 2K year. His 2ypc killed my team last year and I'll never drink the koolaid on him again. Plenty of talent and upside there, but I won't be drafting him on any of my teams. *same with vjax and finley*

 

Richardson reminds me of Barber the way he carries the ball. I don't get Westbrook from him at all. From film that I've seen he's a durable and tough to bring down one cut runner. Those that have him as the best prospect since AP have me thinking he's got a shot to perform depending on where he lands. I rolled the dice on Ingram and Leshoure (early draft) last year in mid rounds and was disappointed.

 

Rice/McCoy/Foster are 1A/B/C for me this year.

[Kent 228]

Watch this play. Focus on the human pile of excrement we call a center. His momma calls him Eugene Amano.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUbIBiQgN2Y

 

That should tell you a lot of what you need to know about why CJ sucked last year.

 

We've added Hutch, and I'm sure will add more interior line in the draft and FA before the season starts.

 

I took CJ at 1.02 last season, and paid the price. I will take him at 1.05 this year again. I expect the line to improve, and that will help a lot. He got hit in the backfield a LOT last season.

 

WOW. Is that guy on the roster this year? I will not take CJ if that guy is his center.

 

As a Skins fan we shipped out our awful center Casey Rabach last year and the line improved all over immediately. A good center makes a huge difference. A bad center can kill the entire line.

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

He wasn't more explosive last year. In fact, he wasn't much of anything last year. I haven't heard anything about him being hurt. And before we blame it on the offensive line, let me just point out that Lynch played a big chunk of 2011 with 3/5th's of his starting line out, and those guys were all rookies.

 

Yeah....because Lynch was a real world beater in 2010, wasn't he?

 

Looking at CJ's young career, he's proven he can take it the distance on any given play.

 

I wouldn't drop a player that far in my rankings because of 1 down season. Especially not a player that has that much speed, is a good receiver, and rarely comes off the field.

[Joey Gladstone 33]

Yeah....because Lynch was a real world beater in 2010, wasn't he?

 

Looking at CJ's young career, he's proven he can take it the distance on any given play.

 

I wouldn't drop a player that far in my rankings because of 1 down season. Especially not a player that has that much speed, is a good receiver, and rarely comes off the field.

 

Like I said, Cable got Lynch to quit dancing at the line. He ran more decisively and had a career year.

 

Maybe I was a little harsh where I ranked CJ but I'd definitely rather own Lynch in 2012.

[Jarvis Basnight 119]

Maybe I was a little harsh where I ranked CJ but I'd definitely rather own Lynch in 2012.

We disagree.

[Pavlov 0]

Way too low on Wells (24th overall? That's nuts). More significantly, you're using inconsistent logic.

 

The knock on Wells

A closer look reveals some major inconsistency, with Wells having ten games (out of 15) with 67 or fewer yards and just two 100-yard performances.

 

This is cherry-picking stats. What matters in FF is points, and Wells was one of the more consistent point generators for the first half of the season, before he got hurt and faced SF twice (no one starts their RBs vs SF). CJ has 12 games under 67 yards and manages to be 5th overall on apparently nothing more than professional pride. Does CJ have more talent than Wells? Sure, absolutely. Has anyone heard about how CJ realized his mistake and has fully committed himself to off-season conditioning? Shonn Greene, whose numbers weren't as good and now plays with Red Zone Jesus, ends up ranked ahead of Wells. Wells deserves a spot in the top 15, even with his injury risk.

[Joey Gladstone 33]

We disagree.

 

Agreed. For what it's worth, I do see where you are coming from.

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

WOW. Is that guy on the roster this year? I will not take CJ if that guy is his center.

 

As a Skins fan we shipped out our awful center Casey Rabach last year and the line improved all over immediately. A good center makes a huge difference. A bad center can kill the entire line.

 

As of right now, he is still the C. But they have talked to every FA C, and I'm sure we will draft one. He won't be the starting C next season, and Hutch being there should help too.

[IGotWorms 3,302]

As of right now, he is still the C. But they have talked to every FA C, and I'm sure we will draft one. He won't be the starting C next season, and Hutch being there should help too.

 

Why didn't they try to get Koppen from the Pats?

[titans&bucs&bearsohmy! 2,745]

Why didn't they try to get Koppen from the Pats?

 

They did. He opted to stay in NE.

 

We also talked to the GB and HOU centers.

 

I'm beginning to think that the coach's "we will not take a lineman in the first" was a smokescreen, and we are targeting Konz. Either that or they have their eye on someone in later rounds. With two HOF offensive linemen on staff (Munchack and Matthews) I'm sure they'll fix it.

[IGotWorms 3,302]

Why would Koppen stay in New England over Tennessee? The Pats have made it clear that Connolly is their guy now so Koppen will be a backup at best.

[Frozenbeernuts 1,652]

Yeah....because Lynch was a real world beater in 2010, wasn't he?

 

Looking at CJ's young career, he's proven he can take it the distance on any given play.

 

I wouldn't drop a player that far in my rankings because of 1 down season. Especially not a player that has that much speed, is a good receiver, and rarely comes off the field.

Is cj washed up? I doubt it. Can he produce at a high level again this year? Probably. I think its a bit risky to draft him in the first round unless you are in a large league.

[Joey Gladstone 33]

Why would Koppen stay in New England over Tennessee? The Pats have made it clear that Connolly is their guy now so Koppen will be a backup at best.

 

I think Waters is considering retirement. Maybe he'll start at guard for them.

[IGotWorms 3,302]

I think Waters is considering retirement. Maybe he'll start at guard for them.

 

I don't see Koppen playing guard. Maybe Connolly switches to Guard and then Koppen gets center back, but the Pats have somebody waiting in the wings at guard. That kid from Boise State that had ball cancer - can't remember his name ATM

[Daves Take 0]

Way too low on Wells (24th overall? That's nuts). More significantly, you're using inconsistent logic.

 

The knock on Wells

 

 

This is cherry-picking stats. What matters in FF is points, and Wells was one of the more consistent point generators for the first half of the season, before he got hurt and faced SF twice (no one starts their RBs vs SF). CJ has 12 games under 67 yards and manages to be 5th overall on apparently nothing more than professional pride. Does CJ have more talent than Wells? Sure, absolutely. Has anyone heard about how CJ realized his mistake and has fully committed himself to off-season conditioning? Shonn Greene, whose numbers weren't as good and now plays with Red Zone Jesus, ends up ranked ahead of Wells. Wells deserves a spot in the top 15, even with his injury risk.

 

 

Pavlov,

 

I cherry-picked those stats (what FF writer doesn't?????) to point out that Wells was a decent fantasy producer as the undisputed starter in 2011 but his performance last season does not merit him having a workhorse back type role in 2012 and Ryan Williams returning from injury makes it easy for the Cardinals to add competition for him. That pushes him down the rankings. On the other hand, Greene loses his top backup and the Jets currently have a pair of unproven backups behind him. Of course, he's not moving up because of the presence of Tim Tebow.