2006 Fantasy Running Back Rankings

January 10, 2006 5:00 AM ET

Last season, Peyton Manning, Daunte Culpepper, and the rest of the NFL's quarterback club basked in the fantasy football spotlight. This year, the running backs recaptured their mantle as the fantasy sport's most dominant players.

For the first time in NFL history, three different running backs scored 20 or more touchdowns, and for the third time this millennium, a player set the single-season record for most score in a season. Another nine players found the end zone at least 10 times.

But it wasn't all bubble gum and rainbows. Just as Alcoa and Phelps Dodge sent the Dow reeling after a triumphant day, the fantasy football world included its fair share of Debbie Downers – those running backs who made their fantasy owners more spitting mad than Sean Taylor.

We recount the strong efforts, the decent outings, and the poor showings of the 2005 season and take a look forward to 2006:

What Went Right in 2005
We suppose Shaun Alexander is a good place to start. The NFL (and fantasy football) MVP carried the pigskin a league-high 370 times for a league-high 1,880 yards and notched an NFL-record 28 touchdowns. Alexander broke the 100-yard mark 11 times and scored in nine straight contests to wrap up the regular season. Yeah, he was okay.

Tiki Barber managed a mere 11 touchdowns, but the long-time Giant complemented that work with an astonishing yardage season. His 2,390 total yards rank second all-time to only Marshall Faulk (1999), and Barber is the first player in NFL history to combine 1,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same campaign. Also, Barber became just the third running back (O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell) to manage three 200-yard rushing efforts in a single season.

You know you are an outstanding talent when people express disappointment in you after a 23-touchdown season, and such is the case for LaDainian Tomlinson. The electric Bolt ran his record-tying scoring streak to 18 games before failing to find the end zone in week seven, and he left a lot of people unhappy when he managed only one touchdown over the final five games. However, the overall picture of 1,832 total yards and 23 scores (18 rush, two receive, three pass) is still sexier than Jessica Alba in a thong.

Our unofficial year-end poll suggested that 100 percent of teams who had Larry Johnson won their fantasy football league. Johnson opened the season as the backup to Priest Holmes, but he took over the starting gig when it was discovered that Holmes had a bruise on his spinal canal. The understudy proceeded to rush for 1,351 yards, pile up 17 touchdowns, and earn a lot of "he's the number one pick in 2006" votes over his nine starts.

After being overshadowed by teammates in 2004, Edgerrin James quietly carried more of load this season. He rushed for 88 or more yards (and managed more than 100 total yards) in each of the first 13 games, and he strung together an eight-game scoring streak from weeks three-11. Despite a late-season rest, James finished with 1,843 total yards and 14 touchdowns, posting arguably his best overall season since 2000.

To cut a long section short, we also extend applause to Rudi Johnson (1,458 yards, 12 touchdowns), Clinton Portis (1,516 yards, 11 touchdowns), Thomas Jones (1,335 yards, nine touchdowns), and Mike Anderson (1,014 yards, 13 touchdowns) for generally meeting or exceeding expectations for the season.

What Went Somewhat Right in 2005
LaMont Jordan made the transition from Jets' caddy to Raiders' starter, and he received an A for his work at home but an F for his efforts on the road. All nine of Jordan's rushing touchdowns and all three of his 100-yard efforts came in Oakland. Meanwhile, he managed only two receiving scores, 405 rushing yards, and 3.1 yards-per-carry in seven contests outside of McAfee Coliseum. And here we figured that "raiding" meant doing damage on another person's territory.

For the second straight season, Corey Dillon found the end zone 13 times. That's the good news. On the flip side, Dillon did not record a carry in five separate games, and on multiple occasions, head coach Bill Belichick misled fantasy owners to believe that Corey would play. He rushed for over 80 yards only twice. See also: Davis, Stephen.

Offensive Rookie of the Year Carnell Williams set an NFL record by rushing for 434 yards in his opening three NFL games, but the wheels came off after that. Injuries limited Cadillac over the subsequent six contests, but he finished up strong and piled up 662 yards over the final seven games.

On the one hand, Warrick Dunn set new career-highs with 280 carries, 1,416 rushing yards, and 1,636 total yards. On the other, he managed only four touchdowns (worst mark since 1999) and 220 receiving yards (career-low). Dunn's overall stats likely exceeded his fantasy draft position, but he earns only a passing grade. See also: Parker, Willie.

What Went Wrong in 2005
Through four games, Deuce McAllister was on pace for over 1,200 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, the Saints' workhorse then tore his right ACL in week five, and we were subjected to a bland jambalaya of Antowain Smith and Aaron Stecker.

The theory was that Jamal Lewis would spend his months in between the halfway house and a fat 2006 contract beating up on would-be tacklers and making frequent visits to the end zone. In reality, Lewis gave a halfway effort and looked like a man who didn't care that free agency was looming. He set career-lows with 906 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.

Despite his claims to the contrary, Willis McGahee is not the best running back in the NFL, and we have the stats to prove it. McGahee scored more touchdowns in the last four weeks of 2004 (six) than he did in all of 2005 (five). His 1,247 rushing yards were decent, but given our high expectations and a lack of a run longer than 23 yards, we can't help but feel grossly disappointed.

Like McGahee, Domanick Davis finished strong in 2004 and moved up the 2005 fantasy rankings. Davis carried a nine-game scoring streak into this season, but that chain was quickly cut down in week one. Double-D proceeded to find the end zone only six times, and thanks to a knee injury, he fell short of 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.

We're four running backs into this section and haven't even made it out of the first round of most 2005 drafts. As such, let's cut the pain short and simply reel off the rest of the top duds. Veterans Curtis Martin and Ahman Green were terrible prior to injuries, sophomores Kevin Jones and Julius Jones slumped, and rookies Cedric Benson and J.J. Arrington failed to take their talents to the next level.

Looking Ahead to 2006
The running back list will fluctuate more than any other position over the next eight months. Coaching changes, the draft, injuries, free agency, open competitions, committee whispers, offensive line changes, and other factors will undoubtedly disrupt the following order. That being said, here's a quick look at this editor's 2006 running back rankings without the rookies (Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Williams, Laurence Maroney, etc.) and with a feeling that it's currently best to steer clear of injuries and committees (Jets, Packers, Bears, Titans, etc.).

1. Shaun Alexander, Seahawks/FA: The MVP has to stay in Seattle, right? Beware the loss of guard Steve Hutchinson.
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers: His four-year averages are 2,038 total yards and 19 total touchdowns.
3. Larry Johnson, Chiefs: Questions about the coaching staff, offensive line, and Priest Holmes' status.
4. Edgerrin James, Colts/FA: He's here until we know where he's playing next year.
5. Tiki Barber, Giants: Age is a concern, but three of the past four seasons have been great.
6. Rudi Johnson, Bengals: His upside is limited by miniscule receiving stats.
7. Clinton Portis, Redskins: Gibbs and Portis got on the same page this season.
8. Carnell Williams, Buccaneers: Mike Alstott's retirement would help his scoring.
9. Corey Dillon, Patriots: The touchdowns are great, but he's broken down in two of the last three seasons.
10. LaMont Jordan, Raiders: New coach could affect his ranking but don't discount his great receiving stats.
11. Willis McGahee, Bills: If he can manage 1,247 yards in an awful season, his ceiling remains pretty high.
12. Steven Jackson, Rams: We need to see the new coach and O-line improvements before he moves up.
13. Willie Parker, Steelers: If Jerome Bettis retires, Fast Willie will see more goal line action.
14. Deuce McAllister, Saints: ACL victims often need two full seasons to be back to 100 percent.
15. Brian Westbrook, Eagles: Philly RBs managed 2,465 total yards and 27 touchdowns the season before T.O. showed up.
16. Mike Anderson, Broncos: He's still Shanahan's starter until we hear differently.
17. Julius Jones, Cowboys: Parcells needs to shore up the O-line (again).
18. Domanick Davis, Texans: Double-D is hanging in limbo land until Bush Day.
19. Jamal Lewis, Ravens/FA: The current bet is that the Ravens retain Lewis over Chester Taylor.
20. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins: Higher if Ricky goes; maybe lower if Ricky stays.
21. Tatum Bell, Broncos: Early pick to be the 2006 version of L.J. (2005) or McGahee (2004).
22. Reuben Droughns, Browns: Potential holdout is a problem but O-line projects to improve.
23. Kevin Jones, Lions: Tempted to not rank him, but it has to get better, right?
24. Warrick Dunn, Falcons: If he was younger and still caught passes, he'd be higher.
25. Priest Holmes, Chiefs: Will he retire? If not, will he be back with the Chiefs? If so, what role?

Bust: Thomas Jones, Bears: We spent nearly all of the 2005 offseason and regular season predicting the demise of Jones and the rise of Cedric Benson. Why stop now?

Sleeper (1): Greg Jones, Jaguars: Jack Del Rio's club finished in the top-10 in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and Jones looks ready to take on more of the load.

Sleeper (2): DeShaun Foster, Panthers/FA: It may not be quite as stringent as Samuel Alito's process, but the Panthers are putting Foster through a lengthy tryout as the workhorse back. If he passes and earns a contract, there's decent fantasy potential.

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