By John Tuvey
January 22, 2008 2:28pm CST

The Super Bowl is set, but now we've got two weeks to kill; what better time than the present to start assessing personnel for next year's drauction? Our position-by-position breakdown of the fantasy football season that was concludes with a look at the running backs.


What Went Right in 2007
It was not exactly the year of the first-round running back; that said, LaDainian Tomlinson delivered—maybe not on the all-too-lofty expectations of some, but he did lead all running backs in rushing yardage and touchdowns. What more do you need?

There were a few first-rounders who didn't disappoint. Brian Westbrook still frustrated with his regular appearances on the injury report, but something about 2,104 yards from scrimmage and a dozen touchdowns salved those wounds. Joseph Addai failed to top 72 rushing yards in the second half of the season but at least he scored six of his 15 touchdowns in the final eight games. And Steven Jackson wasn't bad upon returning from injury after the bye, making it to the 1,000-yard mark despite missing four games and scoring six times in the final two months.

And while everyone thought Adrian Peterson would be good, nobody really thought he'd be this good this fast. Despite encountering injury problems, a coach who kept giving carries to Chester Taylor, and ultimately defenses stacking nine or 10 men in the box to stop him, All Day rushed for 1,341 yards and a dozen touchdowns. And, oh yeah, he set the NFL record for rushing yards in a single game. If Peterson hadn't blown up so huge, folks might have noticed the 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns Marshawn Lynch had.

But 2007 truly belonged to the afterthoughts. Fred Taylor came off the scrap heap to close with a vengeance, scoring all five of his touchdowns in his final seven games and topping the 100-yard mark in five straight. Speaking of the scrap heap, Jamal Lewis flourished behind the retooled Browns line to the tune of 1,303 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. And Marion Barber didn't start a game until the playoffs, yet produced 1,255 yards from scrimmage and a dozen touchdowns.

Let's take this afterthought theme a step further. Guys like <Ryan Grant and Earnest Graham, whose names weren't even uttered on drauction day, led teams deep into the fantasy playoffs. Grant replaced DeShawn Wynn at midseason and turned in 956 rushing yards and eight scores, while Graham stepped in for the injured Cadillac Williams and produced 898 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Kenny Watson did what Rudi Johnson should have been doing, finishing with 1,136 yards from scrimmage and seven scores. And Justin Fargas stepped over Dominic Rhodes and LaMont Jordan to produce 1,009 rushing yards—and building one heck of a resume for his impending free agency—before missing the final two games with a knee injury.


What Went Wrong in 2007
So, you entered 2007 banking on Larry Johnson. Or Reggie Bush. Or Rudi Johnson. Or Shaun Alexander. Or Willie Parker. Or even Frank Gore. Sorry to hear that. None of the above got you more than half a dozen touchdowns. Sure, Bush redeemed himself in PPR leagues and Willie and Gore helpd you in hyper-performance leagues, but if your fantasy backfield relied on two of these guys you likely found yourself with a whole lot of extra time to do your Christmas shopping.

The fall of Travis Henry was perhaps even more dramatic than even the biggest Shanahan haters could have imagined. Henry started like a house on fire, then ended up like a blunt on fire before limping home with assorted injuries and finishing with more DNPs (five) than TDs (four).

Brandon Jacobs can't be considered a huge disappointment; after all, he rushed for 1,011 yards and helped his team to the Super Bowl. But watching a goal line monster cede carries at the stripe to Reuben Droughns, then seeing first Derrick Ward and then Ahmad Bradshaw emerge as more than complementary players has us thinking that the G-Men don't exactly view Jacobs as an every-down back.

The Bears didn't get what they expected from Cedric Benson; in fact, he was almost outperformed fantasy-wise by the other Adrian Peterson. And Thomas Jones wouldn't have been the answer, either, judging from the two-touchdown egg he laid in New York. Despite starting a Who's Who of quarterbacks that would embarrass Ryan Leaf the Falcons couldn't find a way to get the ball to Jerious Norwood. Same with the Panthers and DeAngelo Williams. The Patriots made a conscious decision to exclude Laurence Maroney from the fun until it was too late for fantasy purposes. And anyone who made the ill-advised decision to hitch their fantasy wagon to Ahman Green this season has probably sworn off the sport for good.


Looking Ahead to 2008
Plenty can change between now and next August, but as things stand here are the top 25 running backs heading into Drauction Day 2008:

1. LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers
2. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
3. Steven Jackson, Rams
4. Brian Westbrook, Eagles
5. Joseph Addai, Colts
6. Willie Parker, Steelers
7. Marion Barber, Cowboys
8. Marshawn Lynch, Bills
9. Frank Gore, 49ers
10. Larry Johnson, Chiefs
11. Rudi Johnson, Bengals
12. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins
13. Clinton Portis, Redskins
14. Ryan Grant, Packers
15. Willis McGahee, Ravens
16. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
17. Jamal Lewis, Browns
18. Brandon Jacobs, Giants
19. LenDale White, Titans
20. Kevin Jones, Lions
21. Edgerrin James, Cardinals
22. Justin Fargas, Raiders
23. Reggie Bush, Saints
24. Fred Taylor, Jaguars
25. Earnest Graham, Buccaneers


Bust: Shaun Alexander, Seahawks: Word is he's on the way out, yet someone in your league will draft him on name value alone. Don't be that guy (or gal).

Sleeper: DeAngelo Williams, Panthers: They can't seriously attempt to wring another season out of DeShaun Foster, can they? Seven times this season John Fox gave Williams 10 or more carries; six times, the Panthers won. Seeing as they won seven times all year, it shouldn't take Einstein to do the math.

And thus concludes our review of the "skill" positions and a quick look ahead at the 2008 fantasy football season. Let the games begin.