2010 RBC Fever

Now on to what some would argue is the most important position in fantasy football: running backs. The dynamic of the NFL has been overhauled in the last 5 years as the passing game now rules the play-calling of most offenses and more running backs are being used by each team. This has also completely changed the dynamic of fantasy football drafts. Many people this year are advocating going WR-WR in the first 2 rounds, whereas taking running backs in the first 2 rounds of the draft used to be followed like a commandment. Nowadays, the first round is mostly dominated by running backs and the second round is mostly dominated by wide receivers, with 4-5 quarterbacks sprinkled in there. So while the average draft positions of running backs as a whole is steadily declining, their importance has actually become greater. With only a small handful of guys being their team's go-to running back, there are far more draft-able prospects and far more opportunities for running backs to vastly exceed the value of their draft position. However, a lot of these guys will be tough, annoying, or almost useless to own as the season progresses. The fact that training camps haven't started yet makes this list overwhelmingly primitive, and over the next month my list will transform based on the results of the rest of the preseason, but as of now, here are all the running backs that I would draft in a 10 or 12 team league, and anyone beyond this list I consider as someone who needs an extraordinary event or major injury to be fantasy relevant in 2010:

1. Chris Johnson

2. Adrian Peterson

3. Maurice Jones-Drew*

4. Ray Rice*

5. Frank Gore*

6. Michael Turner

7. Steven Jackson*

8. DeAngelo Williams

9. Rashard Mendenhall

10. Ryan Grant

11. Shonn Greene

12. Cedric Benson

13. Beanie Wells

14. Ryan Matthews*

15. Jamaal Charles*

16. Knowshon Moreno*

17. Pierre Thomas

18. Jonathon Stewart

19. LeSean McCoy*

20. Joseph Addai

21. Jahvid Best*

22. Felix Jones*

23. Ronnie Brown

24. Matt Forte*

25. Brandon Jacobs

26. Ricky Williams

27. Marion Barber

28. Fred Jackson*

29. Michael Bush

30. Reggie Bush*

31. Ahmad Bradshaw

32. C.J. Spiller*

33. Justin Forsett*

34. Montario Hardesty

35. Carnell Williams

36. Ben Tate*

37. Jerome Harrison

38. Thomas Jones

39. Donald Brown

40. Chester Taylor*

41. LaDanian Tomlinson

42. Tim Hightower

43. Steve Slaton*

44. Clinton Portis

45. Laurence Maroney

46. Darren McFadden

Players with an (*) are the ones that should receive the biggest upgrades if receptions count for points.