Week 3 Fantasy Rankings Part 2: Running Backs

Here’s part two of our three part fantasy rankings. Today is tiered rankings for Running Backs. Tomorrow, will be Wide Receivers and Tight Ends rankings to gear you up for Sunday. It should be noted that these rankings are based on matchups this week and not overall player value.

Barry Sanders Division (Sorry Emmitt but Barry is best in my book. These are the guys that you can’t wait to watch on Sunday and you can’t wait to have starting in your fantasy lineup).

1. Adrian Peterson vs. San Francisco- What can you say about this guy, I just love watching him play.

2. Chris Johnson @ NYJ- Some people are down on him because of the matchup but I just don’t see it. The Jets are way better than Houston but they have yet to be tested by an elite runner this year either and there is probably one guy more exciting than this guy.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Houston- After what Chris Johnson did to them last Sunday, I can’t really see him lower than this.

Tiki Barber (after he got rid of the fumble problem) Division (these guys will put up good weeks and you’ll be happy to have them).

4. Matt Forte @ Seatle- Like the matchup, Frank Gore had over 200 yards in the first half coming off a 30 yard rushing performance. This should be a great opportunity for Forte to bounce back.

5. Clinton Portis @ Detroit- I like the matchup a little but more than I like Portis but expect good things against Detroit.

6. DeAngelo Williams @ Dallas- This could be a big day for him as long as Jake doesn’t Delhomme all over this game.

7. Michael Turner @ NE- Fred Jackson did well week one against the Pats mainly on screen passes which Turner will not get too many of. I still see a pretty decent game out of him though.

8. Ryan Grant @ St. Louis- He is healthy and running hard so far. Plus, you have to love this soft matchup.

9. Brandon Jacobs @ Tampa Bay- Expect him to finally get on the board this week in against a defense hasn’t been the same since it said good bye to Monte.

10. Fred Jackson vs. NO- This might be a one sided affair but he still get’s used tremendously in the passing game. He is the all purpose back for one more week, enjoy it while you can and try to sell high.

11. Steve Slaton vs. Jacksonville- The passing game is too good to not open things up for him at some point. At the very least he should get some carries in mop up time because I see Houston winning big here.

12. Frank Gore @ Min- Was huge last week but now he has a much tougher matchup and is a tad on the gimpy side.

Steven Jackson Allstars Division (Guys who I would rank higher but their teams aren’t very good and there is a high likelihood they won’t score).

13. Ronnie Brown @ San Diego- I have him highest out of this group because of the way he played last week and my mild optimism that he finds the endzone. Watch out for Ricky though, he’ll once again take away a lot of carries.

14. Kevin Smith vs. Washington- Not an easy matchup but he should get his touches and his chances here.

15. Steven Jackson vs. Green Bay- He might run hard and he might run well here but his chances of scoring this week are about the same as my chances of scoring with a semi hot girl (So I guess you could say his chances are pretty bad but it could happen).

Priest Holmes Division (These guys are backups or number two guys on their team that may have the opportunity to step up this week).

16. Felix Jones vs. Car- Marion Barber might play this week but even if he does I like Felix a lot here.
17. Willis McGahee vs. Cle- Has been getting more work and more touchdowns than were expected. Cleveland has been shaky thus far against the run.
18. Darren Sproles vs. Mia- Looks like LT isn’t playing so Sproles should get a lot of touches. I think Miami will shut the running game down but Sproles could get lose on a screen or two.

Brian Westbrook Division (On the injury report every week and you have no idea what you are going to get from him).

19. Brian Westbrook vs. KC- See above about being on the injury report every week.

Deuce McAllister Division (These are the guys that are probably your number two running back that you have to start but aren’t too happy starting).

20. Tim Hightower vs. Ind- Gotta love this matchup, too bad the Cardinals are a throw first offense.
21. Darren McFadden vs. Den- I’m Ron Burgendy?? Is what I think when I see Denver’s defense. Everything I know tells me they are terrible but they have been good against the run through two games.
22. Ray Rice vs. Cle- He should get his yards but probably the endzone might get cockblocked from him by Willis McGahee.
23. Thomas Jones vs. Ten- Iffy matchup and Leon Washington should continue to take carries away.
24. Cadillac Williams vs. NYG- I guess
25. Pierre Thomas @ Buf- He should be an honorary member of the Brian Westbrook division this week… check his status.
26. Willie Parker @ Cin- Can fast Willie bounce back, I am not too confident.
27. Cedric Benson vs. Pit- He should get all the carries so I guess he has that going for him and maybe he’ll get to caddy for the Dolly Lama some day.

Chester “Insert Your favorite Timeshare’s name here” Taylor Division (These are guys that are either stuck in time shares or handcuffs so they are borderline starts or flex plays at best).

28. Reggie Bush @ Buf- Haven’t really been keeping up with the Kardashians so I don’t have any good jokes.
29. Leon Washington vs Ten- Could be the Jets best offensive player but does he get enough touches against their good run defense.
30. Cadillac Williams vs. NYG- Insert joke about him being a car not as nice as a Cadillac here.
31. Ahmad Bradshaw @ TB- Definite upside but not really a safe play yet.
32. Donald Brown @ Ari- See Ahmad Bradshaw.
33. Knowshon Moreno@ Oak- See Donald Brown
34. Jonathan Stewart @ Dal- Can the Daily Show avoid getting Delhommed.

Samkon Gado Division (This is like fat girl at 2 am desperate, just go him and call it a night).
35. Larry Johnson @ Phi
36. Joseph Addai @ Ari
37. LeSean McCoy vs. KC- Keep up with Westbrook’s status.
38. Tashard Choice vs. Car- Sneaky play if Barber is out which he should be.
39. Derrick Ward vs. NYG
40. Correll Buckhalter @ Oak
41. Michael Bush vs. Den
42. Jamal Lewis @ Bal
43. Chris Wells vs. Ind
44. Ricky Williams @ SD

45. LenWhale White @ NYJ … sorry I meant LenDale, he just went on the tequila diet.

SportsMumboJumbo.com

Monday Night Football – One Weird Game

The Dolphins and the Colts met Monday night in which was expected to be a fairly close game (the spread being only 3.5 points). The game proved to be a star studded event as all of the Dolphin’s new celebrity owners were on hand to witness this crazy game.

The game started off very unconventional as the first play from scrimmage resulted in a 80 yard TD to a TE. Dallas Clark broke free after realing in a ball from Peyton Manning and took it to the house. I can not remember the last time I saw a TE catch a ball for that long.
The Dolphins answered right back with a TD of their own after one of their many powerhouse drives, led by Ronnie Brown and the Wildcat offense.

The main story of the game had to be the dominance of Miami’s offense over the Colts. 45 minutes the Fins held the ball compared to just 15 for the Colts. That is ridiculous ball control to say the least.
However it proved to be a lopsided stat as Manning would need only under a combined 4 minutes to put up 2 TDs in the 4th Qtr. One drive of 32 seconds for 80 yards, the other 3 minutes 17 seconds for 79 yards.

The Dolphins completley botched a last attempt drive in which time management and Tedd Ginn’s hands were clear issues on all of the Fins Fan’s minds.

It was not the final Dolphins offsensive series that lost them the game and it was not Indy’s Offense either. The Dolphins D is 100% to blame for this loss. Maybe the Fins D were distracted by all the new celebrity owners on hand. Who knows?

Manning gets a ton of credit for the Colt’s success and he deserves it, but on this weird Monday night game he was not the reason for the win. He was the beneficiary of one of the biggest Defensive collapses in Monday Night Football history.

Eric Feld

Top Performers In Week 1

This past week had some amazing performances from some amazing players. Drew Brees led the way with over 350 yards and 6 TDs in a victory over the Lions. Tom Brady did his best Tom Brady impression leading a dramatic come from behind win with a league leading 378 yards against the Buffalo Bills. And finally, Adrian “All Day” Peterson shredded the Cleveland Browns for 180 on the ground which was highlighted by his 65 yard TD run (his 3rd of the game), while adding 18 more through the air. Who do you guys think was the top performer in week 1?

Eric Feld

Which freshman QB was more impressive this weekend

The display of freshman QBs was on this week as USC’s Matt Barkley and Michigan’s Tate Forcier each earned huge victories for their teams on Saturday.

Barkley struggled early on but played his butt off when it mattered the most. With his team trailing by 5 points with around 7 minutes left USC’s freshman QB led the Trojans 73 yards in 6 minutes for a game winning drive which was capped by a 3 yard Stafon Johnson TD. This team made the right decision going with Barkley as a starter, the next four years will be fun for the Trojans.

Forcier was not just one of the most unstoppable freshman I have ever seen but he was as dominant as any QB has been for their team in recent memory. His play making ability was reminiscent of Vince Young’s when he was with Texas or Michael Vick’s with Virginia Tech. Notre Dame really had no answer for him as he torched them for 240 passing yards and adding another 70 through the ground. But the stats don’t tell the whole story as Forcier had game changing play after play which included a 31 yard TD scramble on 4th down. He then orchestrated a final game winning drive with just about 2 minutes left and threw the winning TD with just seconds remaining.

Tough call between the two, but I think I have to give the nod with Barkley. Matt Barkley’s performance is a little more impressive as Ohio State’s defense is much more talented then Notre Dame and doing what he did on a primetime game with the whole nation watching in only his 2nd game is quite the accomplishment.

What do you guys think?

Eric Feld

What to expect from Brandon Marshall

Baby T.O is at it again. The center of attention, limelight craving, primadonna WR, otherwise known as Brandon Marshall is the center of the latest Denver Broncos controversy. After being a distraction all during the off season in which he has openly demanded a trade, the Broncos finally had enough and sent Marshall packing for the rest of preseason. However, first year coach, Josh Daniels, has stated after the suspension that he acknowledges how great Marshall is and how the Broncos do want him back for their season opener.

Marshall is one of the NFL’s most talented WRs and any team would be lucky to have talent like him on their team. However, most teams would be just as lucky to avoid his constant distractions.

Besides the Broncos, probably the most anticipated recipients of the Marshall’s status are fantasy owners. The biggest question looming in the fantasy world right now is where do you take Marshall in the draft? Is it worth the risk of having a potential 100+rec. / 1000+ yard / 10+ TD caliber WR who could end up not playing one down? In most fantasy formats the standard starting lineup is 1 QB 2 RB 2 WR 1 TE. I would say that before you take this mega risk, at least have on your team 2 solid RBs , 1 WR and even a good to great QB. Thus, I would probably value Marshall’s stock as a low end No. 2 WR picking him somewhere in the late 4th/early 5th round range. Also, when drafting Marshall you should draft with the mind set that if you are going to take him you should probably have a decent backup available to select in the next pick or two.

Where would you guys draft him?

Eric Feld

Would you want Michael Vick on your NFL Team?

This is a really tough topic to discuss because it is not an easy question to answer. On the one hand you have one of the most talented athletes the sport has ever seen and on the other you have a cruel dog killing villain.

I know he has paid his debt to society, but is what he did forgivable? What he did is not the same as some of the other violations, such as failing drug tests or even drug possession, that have resulted in league suspensions as of late. This is worse than Plaxico shooting himself in the leg and I even believe it is worse than Adam “Pacman” Jones’ stripper nightclub shootings. (Both just standard Friday nights for anyone in America)

No, this is much worse and I will tell you why. Both Plax and Pacman did not go out those nights with the intention to shoot anyone (especially themselves) but Vick, over an extended period of time, was repeatedly and knowingly murdering innocent animals for the sake of a few dollars. I guess his 10-year, $130 million contract extension that guaranteed him an NFL-record at the time $37 million in bonuses was just not enough. That’s what makes it especially confusing. He was doing it the cruel intention of watching these dogs kill each other, the money could not have possibly had any influence on him, right? I guess we will never know.

But even with all that being said, with the recent emergence of the wildcat offenses it would be quite a sight to see the best combination of passer and runner the NFL has ever seen, part of it. No matter where he signs, I just hope it is with a team that plays against the Cleveland Browns. How do you think he would feel playing in one of the most hostile NFL environments nicknamed the “Dog Pound”?

Eric Feld

Eli Manning – The Luckiest Player in NFL History

Brady, Peyton, Brees, Rivers, Rodgers, Cutler, Romo, McNabb, Warner, Roethlisberger. These players do not just represent ten players in the league which I would rather have over Eli, but they are just ten QBs. So why has Eli Manning become the highest paid PLAYER in NFL history by signing a contract totaling 7 years for a nice $106.9 mil? One reason….his name is Manning.

After countless pro bowls, MVPs, and a Super Bowl victory (where he was MVP of the game), Peyton has hyped up the Manning name so much that it has become synonymous with success.

People even think his father, Archie, is a great Quarter Back now even though in 13 professional seasons the guy never generated 1 winning record.

But back to Eli; with a career average passer rating of 73.3, when compared to big brother Peyton’s 94.7 and Tom Brady’s 92.9, is below average at best. This type of rating is much better off being compared with the likes of Trent Dilfer (70.18), David Carr (74.44), and Joey Harrington (69.38). These comparisons certainly do not favor his case either.

It is also very arguable that he might still not be a Giant if he had not won Super Bowl XLIII vs the Patriots. Which brings up the question, had David Tyree not caught a ball against his helmet with one hand, something he would not have done 999 times out of a 1,000, where would Eli be now? He should be setting Tyree up for life or at the least paying for Plax’s defense attorney costs.

Eric Feld

Who is the top WR in this years draft?

Every time I bring this issue up with someone the question does not even get entertained. It is usually a nano second response of, “Of course its Larry Fitzgerald, who else would it be?”

Did Larry have the greatest postseason of any WR in NFL history? Undeniably. Did Larry also lead the league in TD’s last year. Undeniably, again.

But I always bring up a very interesting point. He was arguably not even the best WR last year. That award has to go to Andre Johnson.

Compare the stats and depending on which type of scoring format your league contains the best option could very well be to select Andre ahead of Mr. Fitz. Last year A.J had 115 catches for 1575 yards and 8tds vs Larry’s 96 catches for 1431 yards and 12 tds.

Andre Johnson is the main weapon on his team while Larry has to battle out 2 other 1000 yard WRs in Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. The point is Andre will have a solid game week in week out as he is done the past few years WHEN HEALTHY opposed to Fitzgerald who is never hurt and may have an off game or two due to the talent around him.

The real knock on A.J is that he does get hurt because he is such a physical Wide Receiver, that being said I believe if you want to take a gamble I feel there is more of a risk reward situation in taking Andre Johnson ahead of Larry Fitzgerald. Taking Andre Johnson, you may get a guy who can set the NFL record for catches and yards but you have to deal with the nagging injuries. If you take Larry you probably will not have to worry about injuries and will only have to worry about those games as I said before that Boldin and Breaston shine in. But if the pick is on me I’ll take Andre!

And just a reminder Randy is getting his buddy Tom back, fireworks could be set off again. Let the debate begin.

Eric Feld
http://mvn.com/thefootballwire/2009/08/who-is-the-top-wr-in-this-years-fantasy-draft-3.html