We’re heading into the third week of the preseason, which means that it’s time to get down to business. Not only is real football right around the corner, but so is fantasy football!
If you haven’t drafted already, there’s a good chance you’re drafting this week. And if you’re more of a daily fantasy guy, those competitions are already open.
So with that said, we’ll be running through our top-30 positional rankings this week. So far we’ve covered defenses, tight ends and receivers. Today we’ll be hitting on running backs:
2. Todd Gurley
Why should I be counting Adrian Peterson out? I don’t care that he’s 31 or that he had 327 rushing attempts last season; he’s Adrian “freaking” Peterson. I’m not counting him out until he’s gone.
I’ll give Gurley and Johnson the nod with the top two spots — they earned that last season — but if I’m picking in the earlier first round, there aren’t many players I trust more than Peterson, especially when he has so many people counting him out.
Not to mention, this may be the best Vikings team Peterson’s played on since Brett Favre was his quarterback.
5. Eddie Lacy
7. Lamar Miller
9. Le’Veon Bell
10. C.J. Anderson
I’m not going to beat around the bush … I love C.J. Anderson. I think, when motivated, he’s one of the best running backs in football. We saw that during the second half of both 2014 and 2015. The issue, though, has been the first half of the season.
But with Devontae Booker breathing down his neck, Anderson has all the incentive he needs to remain motivated, and he’s shown that this preseason. He looks slimmer, faster and more agile.
If Anderson can start the majority of the year in a Gary Kubiak offense centered around him, he’ll be a top-10 fantasy back. Easily.
11. Doug Martin
12. LeSean McCoy
13. Latavius Murray
14. Carlos Hyde
15. Jeremy Hill
16. Thomas Rawls
Some people have Rawls a little bit higher, and it makes sense. The Seahawks have long been a one-back offense, and with Marshawn Lynch enjoying the retired life, Rawls looks to be the next man in line.
And he may be; Rawls proved himself last season, and he looks to be the real deal. The only thing holding him back from being a top-tier back is his backfield counterpart, Christine Michael.
Michael was beloved by scouts coming out of college, but personal issues derailed the first few years of his career. Apparently, though, after returning to Seattle late last season, Michael has righted himself and is looking better than ever. If he plays like he did in Week 17 against the Cardinals, he could take a bigger bite out of Rawls’ production than we expect.
18. Melvin Gordon
19. Ryan Mathews
20. Jeremy Langford
21. Ameer Abdullah
22. Matt Forte
23. Chris Ivory
23. DeMarco Murray
24. Derrick Henry
In most drafts, DeMarco Murray is going considerably earlier than Derrick Henry, but if I’m drafting, I’d much rather wait a few rounds and select the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
While most Heisman backs fail to make much of an impact in the NFL, Henry looks the part — as in, he’s a freak of nature (6-foot-3, 247 pounds)
Not only is he averaging 7.5 yards per carry in the preseason, but the Titans have constructed their offense around their run game, and it’s working. Henry will get every opportunity to succeed, and while Murray (who’s averaging 10.3 yards per carry) will, too, Henry’s upside is sky high.
25. Jonathan Stewart
26. Giovani Bernard
27. Matt Jones
28. Rashad Jennings
29. Duke Johnson
30. Devontae Booker
If there’s one thing Devontae Booker has proven this offseason, it’s that he’s ready to contribute right now, and he’ll be given an opportunity to do so.
Even if Anderson is Denver’s No. 1 back, Booker will get plenty of touches — just like Anderson did last year when Ronnie Hillman was the No. 1. But if Anderson goes down, which he’s prone to doing, it’ll be Booker who steps up, and he may not give the job back.
The Broncos have a lot of faith in Booker, as does the rest of the team. If things break his way, he could have a big year.
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