Gather ’round the camp fire children as this long story about how the 2013 rankings were made is winding down. This will be the last Running Back rankings post for the 2013 season. We stopped caring by the Top 40, Sky. You’re too kind, Imaginary Reader…no wait, you’re not kind, you’re an a-hole but that’s alright, at least you’re imaginary reading my stuff. I’ll take what I can get…well, I guess I should stop the inner monologue just in case we have guest readers hanging around. I find it best to weed out the weirdos by starting off being a weirdo. Yup, that’s my bi-polar story and I’m sticking to it. WHO SAID THAT?!? Anywhoo, when we last left off on our Running Back journey, we were in the ‘Back Off’ tier which is for backups who aren’t exactly enticing ones to own and I’d rather steal someone else’s then get these guys. If you’re curious where to find said rankings, you can click on this link: 2013 Fantasy Football Rankings. However, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can guide yourself up to the menu bar and poke around with your mousey where it says ‘Rankings’ and get similar results. I can’t say they’ll be the same results namely cuz I have no idea what ‘poking around with your mousey’ means to you comparative to me and I don’t want to assume. But now that I’ve guided you as best as possible, let’s journey on to the end of our RB rankings with the Top 80 Running Backs for 2013 Fantasy Football…
Stats based on rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. Rankings based on a PPR setting.
61. Toby Gerhart – This has zero to do with talent when doing this type of ranking. I called Toby a sleeper in 2012 due to AP’s health issues heading into the year and plus Gerhart ain’t a bad player in and of himself. But All Day came back and played just like his namesake and Toby got left in the dust. I don’t see any reason to draft Gerhart when he’s playing second fiddle to Purple Jesus outside of the deepest of leagues. 2013 Projections: 280/1/28/196/1
62. Robert Turbin – Turbin is the start of the next tier and it runs to James. I call this tier ‘Explosive Diarhea’ because…wow, I’ve kinda stumped myself on this one. I think it’s because even though they’re flashy and ‘explosive’, drafting them will probably leave you feeling like you’re sitting on the crapper. Yeah, we’ll go with that analogy even though it’s held together by gum and hairpins. If the Seahawks run game were The Rock and Seann William Scott from The Rundown, Skittles would be the Thunder and Turbin would be the Lightning. And then the Seahawks went and drafted Christine Michael and mucked up any and all references I could make to that movie. I don’t even think Turbin takes over if Lynch goes down. He’s just an exciting player in the wrong situation. I think he can be safely avoided this year. 2013 Projections: 399/3/30/255/1
63. Roy Helu – There was a time not so long ago that Helu looked like a viable fantasy option at running back. Then The Butler stepped in and did all of RGIII’s dirty work while Roy was sidelined with various injuries. I do think Roy MIGHT have PPR value this year as it’s not really Morris’ job in that offense but I still question it being enough to draft him too high in rankings. I don’t know why you say Helu, I say goodbye. 2013 Projections: 282/0/45/315/2
64. Ronnie Hillman – I don’t have much to say about Hillman other than he was given the bench and Moreno was given the ball down the stretch in 2012 when Willis went down hurt. There are rumors that the Broncos want to incorporate him and Ball a lot this year in tandem but I just have a hard time believing an organization would do that quick of an about face on a guy. If you didn’t give him a chance last year, what makes this year so special? He was a rook, I know, but you couldn’t let him prove it just a little bit? Ok, enough with the yadda to the third, I probably wouldn’t draft Hillman in regular leagues this year anyways. 2013 Projections: 373/1/25/150/2
65. LaMichael James – Now hear this: I like James. Good, with that covered now hear this. That’s what I think it’ll be like to own James this year. With his size, he seems destined in my mind to be a Sproles type but he has to play for the right team to make that work or for his current team to make that role more prominent. Well he’s not getting traded and I don’t think the latter is happening in 2013 so here we are. 2013 Projections: 345/1/35/263/2
66. Mike Gillislee – Mike is the start of the next tier and it runs to Denard. I call this one the ‘Well Rookie What We Got Here’ tier cuz…well yeah, they’re all rookies. But not only are they rookies, they aren’t destined for primary touches but do provide more upside potential then the pile of players below them. If Gillislee provides any major help to owners this year, I’d have to guess it would be in 3rd down PPR situations or maybe going wide in the slot a few times. In reality, I’m starting to think Lamar Miller is in for a monster year and Gillislee might be a forgotten man by the end of it all for this year. 2013 Projections: 306/1/25/200/2
67. Christine Michael – Remember above how I said I don’t think Turbin takes over if Lynch goes down? Depending on how quickly Michael catches on with the ‘hawks, I see Michael taking over as second fiddle in that backfield sooner rather than later and is probably the lead back next year. But of course, we don’t care about next year right now. This year will do. 2013 Projections: 405/2/12/76/0
68. Knile Davis – Really, he needs an ‘s’ on the end of his first name. I wonder if his parents were a big Miles Davis fan but said ‘we gotta name him something close but not the same or else people will pick on him…I know, let’s add a silent K and change the ‘M’ to an ‘n’ and remove the ‘s’…GENIUS!’ I don’t have too much to say about Davis other than he’s playing behind a guy I have in the top 3 for a coach that likes to run the ball. Good set up but he needs more then just his talent to get him higher in these rankings. 2013 Projections: 338/1/12/109/2
69. Denard Robinson – Um, they keep calling him a Running Back…to put it in the words of Inigo Montoya, ‘I don’t think Running Back means what YOU think it means’. I mean, he’d be the 3rd stringer behind Justin Forsett anyway, right? Actually, they’ve been calling him an ‘OW’ short for ‘Offensive Weapon’. Really, we’ve seen this before. His name was Kordell Stewart. They called him ‘Slash’ because he was a QB/WR/RB/CIA/GNR…well, you get the point. I hope you also get the point that he’s going to be a nice asset for his team, not yours. In reality, the best case scenario for Denard is he gets Wide Out designated – which he already is in yahoo leagues – and actually plays QB for the Jags, a la Joe Webb did in helping a few fantasy teams back in 2011. All this to say, these kinds of guys can be exciting to watch but the reality is they’re not going to have a huge affect on your fantasy world. 2013 Projections: 147/1/35/308/2 (and at least 3 miscellaneous touchdowns)
70. Knowshon Moreno – Moreno is the start of the final tier with projections. I call this tier ‘We’ll Always Have Paris’ as a way of saying ‘the world has moved on around you but I will cherish our memories together’. My memories of Knowshon are beautiful. I said for you to buy him over Hillman. I was right. That’s really the only beautiful thing about Moreno, he’s a pretty boring player who’s injury prone. That all said, he’s serviceable when he’s the starter. So I ranked him. And I’m done. 2013 Projections: 492/2/35/210/1
71. DuJuan Harris – He was a nice little find down the stretch for desperate running back owners. Then GB drafted not one but TWO viable starting RBs. I honestly don’t know what Harris’ role with his team is at this point without an injury. So unless you’re into handcuffing handcuffs, Harris is not DuJuan that you want. 2013 Projections: 540/2/12/102/1
72. Kendall Hunter – I’d try and give you hope and say he’s the heir apparent to Gore in San Fran but I think that’ll be Lattimore’s when we start talking 2014 fantasy football. But we’re not there yet, we’re in Kendall Hunter limbo. How low can he go? This low. 2013 Projections: 428/2/15/95/0
73. Rashad Jennings – Another back up of a back up as he moves to Oakland. And when he started last year for the Jags, you have to ask yourself: how stankonia was he? His roses really did smell like poo-oo-oo to me. And he goes from the Jags (bad) to the Raiders (worse). Pew… 2013 Projections: 271/1/21/157/1
74. Daniel Thomas – Battled through injuries last year and is considered an afterthought for the lead role in Miami this year. Maybe he gets a shot at being a short yardage guy? Eh, maybe he gets cut, I’d say it’s just as possible. 2013 Projections: 333/2/13/78/0
75. Jonathan Dwyer – I hate you Dwyer. I know you all want some form of analysis here but that’s all I can say. imers[-ef=[…sorry about that, it’s really hard to type while giving two middle fingers. 2013 Projections: 340/1/10/60/0
76. Isaac Redman – Le’Veon is really gonna have to mess up to let this pile of Armpittsburgh players into the game. 2013 Projections: 254/1/15/75/0
77. Evan Royster – Morris’ stability last year made Royster a non-factor. An injury gives Evan another chance but I don’t see him having a big role this year without one. 2013 Projections: 164/0/10/60/0
78. Michael Turner – Turner is the start of the final tier and it stretches through to McGehee. I call this tier ‘FU FAs’ because I ain’t ranking you any higher until you show me you got a job, you slackers! You’re gonna see some talent in here and you’re gonna see some old guys who might be past their prime. I’d say Turner was past his prime all of last year and he still scored 10 touchdowns. Of course, that’s why I ranked Steven Jackson so high. Turner was proof you could put raw meat in the Falcons backfield and still be an RB2.
79. Felix Jones – He’s had a few interviews over the off-season. One of them with the Eagles – a team I thought he might fit on – but nothing ever materialized. He’s not an every down back but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t have a job by the Fall somewhere. He’s not great but he’s not Rashad Jennings either.
80. Beanie Wells – That offensive line in Arizona is atrocious and so is Wells’ health history. Put them together and you got 8 games of blech. I’d say he’s even better then Felix at being an actual lead back but there’s no place for him to play that role as of now so we just sit back and watch…TV, or your kids play, something. But definitely not Beanie.
81. Cedric Benson – I think any RB with a modicum of talent can excel in Green Bay. That’s why you won’t see me talking about Alex Green anywhere. Benson was actually pretty good for a flex play last year until the injury bug hit. It’s gonna take some major injury somewhere for him to resurface on a team at this point, though.
82. Willis McGehee – Moreno was a cheaper 3rd back to keep. That’s really the only reason Willis doesn’t have a job right now. There have been rumors in San Diego about him but nothing’s materialized yet. Would probably be the only landing spot for him to come close to a full time gig, though. Yes, I’m pretending Ryan Mathews doesn’t exist and you should too.
