ZoneBlitz Fantasy Football Running Back Ratings

In the coming weeks, ZoneBlitz will feature rankings for each fantasy position in five scoring formats. The rankings will be accompanied by a brief article highlighting some of the big names, surprises and sleepers. Combined cheat sheets for each format will be available August 1 and constantly updated based on the latest news to keep you prepared for your drafts.

Editor’s Note: Running back rankings are the second of six rankings to be posted to ZoneBlitz.com. Quarterback rankings can be found here.

Photo credit: AJ Guel via Wikipedia

Will he or won’t he see his three-year run of fantasy dominance come to an end. This question about Arian Foster is being hotly debated in fantasy circles and drafters decide whether he’s worth taking second overall. The upside seems too high NOT to take Foster there, and in fact he’s my No. 1 runner in touchdown heavy formats after reaching paydirt 47 times the last three years. That said, I won’t deny the faint chimes of warning bells. He’s coming off a career-low in yards-per-carry, though 4.1 is hardly worth complaining about. He also carried the ball a career-high 351 times, though his 391 total touches were second most to 2010 when he added 66 receptions to his 327 carries. That said, his 2011 season marked low points in yardage and touchdowns over his last three seasons as he was forced to miss three games. If this is enough to scare you, you shouldn’t have trouble shopping that second pick.

Photo credit: Mike Morbeck via Wikipedia

Montee Ball and Le’Veon Bell should jump into the mix as RB2s right away as rookies, though I don’t think they are capable of sneaking into RB1 territory the way Trent Richardson and Alfred Morris did a year ago. Steven Jackson also gets plenty of love from me as an RB2, as he’ll get more goal-line opportunities thanks to pass-interference calls drawn by Roddy White and Julio Jones alone than he did total chances in the red zone his last few seasons in St. Louis. Speaking of the Rams, that’s a team to watch during training camp as Daryl Richardson, Isaiah Pead and Zac Stacy all vie for top dog status in what should be a solid offense. Expect those three to see their rankings move quite a bit based on what happens.

Green Bay’s running back battle is another to watch, though I do think the upside of both Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin is limited to RB3 status unless one is able to win virtually all the work in that backfield. Keeping with that theme, Detroit has an interesting duo to watch in Reggie Bush and Mikel LeShoure, though the two backs fill specific roles and we basically know how they will be used barring health. It’s a different story for the Jets, who have Chris Ivory and Mike Goodson as their new toys, assuming Goodson doesn’t wind up in an orange jumpsuit thanks to his recent legal woes. Ivory’s rank has been bumped up accordingly, though training camp could shift both of them significantly.

If you’re looking for a deep sleeper, rookie Stepfan Taylor is my guy. He’s a great fit for that Arizona offense. Problem is, Rashard Mendenhall is Bruce Arians’ guy from their days in Pittsburgh. So Mendy will need to look bad in August or get hurt somewhere along the way for Taylor to truly get a shot at enough work to be a useful fantasy asset.

Have a question? Take umbrage with any of my rankings? Want to discuss the topic further? Post in the comments section and let’s chat! And if enough questions trickle in through the course of the offseason and training camp, I’ll post a few mailbag stories. Thanks for reading. Now comment away!

For ZoneBlitz.com’s quarterback ratings, click here.
For ZoneBlitz.com’s wide receiver ratings, click here.
For ZoneBlitz.com’s tight end ratings, click here.
For ZoneBlitz.com’s kicker ratings, click here.
For ZoneBlitz.com’s defense ratings, click here.