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Greetings and salutations, one and all.  You’re here for the all important last rankings review of the 2013 Fantasy Football season.  We went back through all the important ones so far like the Top 20 Quarterbacks, Top 20 Tight Ends, Top 20 Wide Receivers, Top 40 Wide Receivers, Top 20 Running Backs, and now that we’ve gone to the end of the road…still I can’t let go.  How many guys out there wanted to be Michael McCary?  Like, who needs to sing when you sound like a subwoofer when you talk?  If the movie Private Parts taught me anything, it’s not the size of the speaker, it’s how close you stick the woofer to your tweeter.  But yeah, enough innuendo, this is recap time.  A time to reflect on the year that was in the hopes we can glean a bit about what year is to come so that we can repeat the same mistakes and sit depressed eating a gallon of ice cream while watching The Bachelor, crying…forever alone.  Some of these names will be expected, some un and others ‘ummm…’ but over all there’s as much hope in this group as their was in the top 20 so keep your minds and hearts open y’all, cuz if you don’t I’m going to get a bone saw and a rib spreader to show you how, m’kay?  But enough about my unorthodox version of the board game Operation, let’s have at it.  Here’s the Top 40 Running Backs from the 2013 Fantasy Football season…

Stats based on rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.  Rankings based on a PPR setting.

21. Rashad JenningsIf I had known Marcel Reece was merely a Raiders China doll, I would’ve ranked Roughshod higher than I did to start the year but in fairness, he did himself little favor to sway me after his abysmal 2012.  This 2013 RJ was more in line with what looked to be a growing career.  It’ll be interesting to see where he lands this off-season after the fantasy value he provided late to owners this past year.  Preseason Rank #73, 2013 Projections: 271/1/21/157/1.  Final Numbers: 733/6/36/292/0

22. DeAngelo WilliamsI hate recycling content but basically told you to trade for him and sit on him until December where in his last 9 games he’d averaged 94 total yards and nearly a touchdown a game (8 total).  Well, minus the TDs he had another solid 12, finishing with 404 yards and finished it up with 2 TDs.  For those who care, that was your RB11 in the final month.  Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.  Hate me because I waste this type of research on one month of a Carolina Panther back.  Preseason Rank #36, 2013 Projections: 787/4/17/136/1.  Final Numbers: 843/3/26/333/1

23. Pierre Thomas – PT was the perfect late RB to draft because you knew when to and when to not start him.  PT really didn’t do much outside of prime matchups and because you drafted him so late, he was easy to mix and match as needed.  I’m still waiting to hear if Darren Sproles got lost in one of Ingram’s gut folds or not as it would explain the extreme jolt in the reception numbers as PT became a mini-Sproles…hrm, I don’t think you can get any more mini than Sproles.  Preseason Rank #33, 2013 Projections: 652/3/35/297/2.  Final Numbers: 549/2/77/513/3

24. Andre EllingtonI didn’t rank him.  Mea culpa.  But I also knew Arians loved him some Mendy and it would be hard to name an RB past him to gain any traction.  Ellington was the microbrew to Mendy’s Bud Ice this year and Bruce made us mix the two half the time.  Gross.  Preseason Unranked.  Final Numbers: 652/3/39/371/1

25. Rashard Mendenhall – Like two peas in a pod these two.  Only one of these peas has gone bad and Bruce is still telling us we have to eat it because it’ll put hair on our chests.  We’re hairy enough, Uncle Arians.  Why else would we sit around and play fake sports?  Preseason Rank #25, 2013 Projections: 1064/5/22/154/1.  Final Numbers: 687/8/18/134/0

26. Donald Brown – T-Rich’s failure was someone else’s gain and much like Rashad’s revival, DB had himself an impressive return to prominence in 2013.  The off-season will be interesting for the Colts and their RB situation.  Does Donald come back?  Do they rely on a combo of a broken Ahmad, a healing Ballard and a seemingly worthless Trent?  Only time will tell but Brown could be an interesting FA this off-season depending where he goes.  Preseason Rank #60, 2013 Projections: 431/1/13/104/1.  Final Numbers: 537/6/27/214/2

27. C.J. SpillerWelp…where to begin?  Injuries?  Yeah, that happened.  Sure didn’t help.  A bit of ineptitude before said injury?  Yeah, that happened too.  I said I was a bit tepid with him compared to other ‘perts but I backed it up by saying ‘Trent should go higher’ so yeah, I’m gonna call this one a push.  FJax is one year older, I think we can get one pick bolder on Spiller for 2014.  Unless you picked him first…then I don’t even know what to say.  Preseason Rank #8, 2013 Projections: 1210/5/50/500/4.  Final Numbers: 927/2/33/185/0

28. Ray Rice – Another guy that worried me entering the year due to his previous year’s workload.  Like Arian Foster, Ray Ray cleared the dreaded 400 touch plateau in 2012.  Unlike Arian, he didn’t do us the kindness of getting hurt enough to not take the field, just hurt enough to stay on the field and suck the whole time.  And as he dried up, so did Joe Flacco’s jump ball throws down the field as the team lacked a rushing threat.  It was a messy year in Baltimore to say the least.  The fact they almost made the playoffs with this shizz is just depressing.  I could see a bounce back in 2014 and am willing to buy at the right price but this Rice was pretty overcooked this year.  Preseason Rank #8, 2013 Projections: 1237/8/65/565/1.  Final Numbers: 660/4/58/321/0

29. LeGarrette BlountHAHAHAHAHA…*gasps for more air*…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…/dead.  Yeah, no one expects the Blount inquisition.  Preseason Unranked.  Final Numbers: 772/7/2/38/0

30. Stevan RidleyI placed Ridley as my 20th best back entering the year stating, ‘there’s either more stability or more sexy (elsewhere) and I don’t think he provides either this season due to how New England might utilize Vereen.  That’s me throwing you a warning if you draft him not to gaze lustily back into 2012′s eyes’.  Yup.  He fumbled too much in 2012 and as we know, The Hoodie, like, forgives you not.  So we’re in agreement the only New England Running Back we’re drafting next year is maybe Vereen and outside of that just waiting until they find a zombie back of the FA heap, right?  Is Kevin Faulk still available?  Preseason Rank #20, 2013 Projections: 1215/9/5/40/0.  Final Numbers: 773/7/10/62/0

31. BenJarvus Green-Ellis – He probably finishes as RB35 without that lame TD reversal call.  I hope he sent Jeff Triplette an edible arrangement for that one.  Ugh, The Law Firm.  I’m bored, let’s move on.  Preseason Rank #38, 2013 Projections: 703/5/12/48/0.  Final Numbers: 756/7/4/22/0.

32. Steven Jackson – I’d say I’m sorry but…well, then do I apologize for every injury?  I said I was avoiding Foster and Rice if I could help it and you know what you got there.  One was doing well and then got hurt, other did bad and was hurt all year.  Atlanta as a whole looked horrible.  He had a 3.5 ypc, Sky.  He’s done.  Well if it was just SJax, Imaginary Reader, then why did Jacquizz Rodgers have the same YPC and Snelling have 3.7?  Just saying there were problems outside of being a 30 year old running back in Atlanta.  If he’s still the lead back, I’m willing to buy again in 2014 only now he’ll probably go at a discount.  An RB2 season is still doable.  Preseason Rank #9, 2013 Projections: 1144/12/40/328/2.  Final Numbers: 543/6/33/191/1

33. Ben Tate – Overrated.  Don’t ask me ‘where is he gonna land next year’.  The answer is overrated.  I’m not picking on him but Tate is a boring lead back.  Volume is key and he has fumble issues.  If he lands a lead role somewhere the only thing that’ll excite me about it is that he’ll have a back up that may go cheap.  Don’t like that?  COME AT ME, BRO.  Preseason Rank #43, 2013 Projections: 710/5/15/90/0.  Final Numbers: 771/4/34/140/0

34. Trent Richardson – We’ll talk about Trent when we know what the Colts do about their RBs this off-season.  There’s still a useful running back here in my book, but faith in him has to be shown from Indy before I ever invest again.  Preseason Rank #5, 2013 Projections: 1312/12/45/315/2.  Final Numbers: 563/3/35/316/1

35. Bilal PowellBP was a gulf coast oil spill on Ivory owners and a great FA pick up to start the year but he slowly ceded touches to a more dynamic back once the Jets remembered they used to have another Powell and they let him go.  His name was Shonn Greene.  Basically, Ryan needs to be a defensive coach.  His choices on offense are an effing tragedy.  Preseason Rank #59, 2013 Projections: 400/2/20/154/2.  Final Numbers: 697/1/36/272/0

36. Darren SprolesSomething weird happened here.  Either Sproles just hit a wall that no one saw coming or he was injured and concealed it all year.  Given his past performances and his age – he’s only 30 with limited carries on his tiny frame – it just doesn’t seem like the Sprocket Rocket is done.  But will he still be a Saint is probably the more pressing question when it’s all said and done and if he’s not, where else does he go?  So many questions to pack onto such a little guy.  Preseason Rank #19, 2013 Projections: 420/1/85/722/8.  Final Numbers: 220/2/71/604/2

37. Chris IvoryI’m typing this with two fingers with a Rex Ryan pic up in the corner of the screen.  You guess which ones!  Preseason Rank #16, 2013 Projections: 1222/8/15/105/1.  Final Numbers: 833/3/2/10/0

38. Lamar MillerThey say my tuna is Dolphin-safe but who was safe from their Dolphins this year?  Don’t hate the player, hate the game.  Or rather, hate the coaches involved.  They’re inept, y’all!  Miami is better than this based on talent alone.  If Belichick can get the above numbers out of LeGarrette, you’ve failed as an offensive coach if this is where your lead back ends up here.  Preseason Rank #22, 2013 Projections: 1269/7/23/184/1.  Final Numbers: 709/2/26/170/0

39. Mike TolbertI’m actually typing this right after watching the Bowling Ball in the Pro Bowl.  Yes, I watched a lot of Pro Bowl.  It was the first weekend without NFL on of many months, I took what I could get.  As you can see, there’s not much to say about Tolbert.  He’s great in a relief role and short yardage but we’re talking about an RB4 in a 12 team league.  He was probably on your bench when he went off unless you know how to gamble like Riverboat Ron.  Preseason Rank #54, 2013 Projections: 222/8/23/202/1.  Final Numbers: 361/5/27/184/2

40. Bobby RaineyHe was dropped by a team that traded away T-Rich and picked up Willis McGahee.  He had one big game, one big run in another game and a lot of volume but nothing else outside of that.  A good HR running back that will most likely get buried on the depth chart when James/Martin come back next year.  Slow…golf…clap.  Preseason Unranked.  Final Numbers: 566/5/15/46/1