Welcome one, welcome all to the big top. We’ve got every type of Ranking you could imagine. We rank players by their individual positions. We also consolidate them and rank them against each other. We even have IDP Rankings and Dynasty Rankings for you this year. We may even rank beards eventually. I already know my top pick. Not sure where to go to find those rankings, you say? Well let your eyes travel north…on the web page you silly! See that menu up there where it says ‘Rankings’? Click on it. Or hover over it. We’ve got you covered any way you go on that. Good, so now if you’re a Razzball Novice we have you up to speed let’s look at what we’re dealing with this week. We left off on our Top 40 Running Backs with a bit of a cling hanger if you’re the excitable type as I said the ‘Know Your Role’ tier went into the Top 60. Well here we are so let’s not keep the suspense too heightened. Here are the Top 60 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.
41. Shane Vereen – As stated in the opening paragraph, we’re continuing the ‘Know Your Role’ tier as these guys seem to have clearly defined spots in their respective offenses. Picture what Woodhead did with the Pats last year. Now picture it with Vereen’s head on Woodhead. Weird looking, huh? Well, it’s pretty much the same dealio with this guy; he should produce in PPR leagues as Ridley is not a receiving back. Factor in the loss of Hernandez and Vereen might carve out a larger role as the season wears on. 2013 Projections: 340/2/43/520/4
42. Zac Stacy – Yeah, I’m anointing him here. I know y’all want Pead higher. To be fair, I had Pead higher. Then Pead went and got high and got himself suspended. Not much I can do about that. I think character issues play a pretty big role in how much you should invest in a guy, especially on a Jeff Fisher team. I know Richardson is not good between the tackles. Here’s me saying Stacy can be and will fill a bit of a goal to go back role for that Rams offense. And with that we close the ‘Know Your Role’ tier…with a guy whom I’m guessing I know the role of…hrm… 2013 Projections: 553/7/18/108/0
43. Ben Tate – Tate is the start of the next tier and it stretches to Forsett. I call this tier ‘Beep Beep Beep’ cuz they be backing it up! These are the backups I’d own not just for the handcuff factor but due to their ability. That’s why you’re not going to see every backup listed here. Tate had an injury-plagued and down 2012. But as I talked about with my Arian Foster Fantasy over the off-season, there’s cause for concern in Texas this year and I’d like to own Tate for that reason. 2013 Projections: 710/5/15/90/0
44. Bernard Pierce – Ray Rice has already mentioned this off-season he doesn’t mind sharing with Pierce. Well isn’t that sweet? Clearly Ray-Ray knows caring is sharing. But for us Fantasy Footballers, we’d like to see a little greed from our RBs. Not carjacking type greed, 20+ carries per game greed. Even if Rice stays healthy all year, Pierce should be an ownable commodity. 2013 Projections: 705/3/15/94/1
45. Bryce Brown – Kid has wheels. Also has the ball-holding abilities of a blind hooker with tremors. Once teams figured out how to angle on him right, he was pretty much shut down and couldn’t hold onto the ball when he wasn’t. Man, I’m saying a lot of bad things for where I ranked him. In reality, if Chip’s offense does what is expected of it, the secondary back in his offense should have plenty of value even if LeSean stays healthy all year. Just remember the blind hooker with tremor thing. Not for football reasons, just for the oddity of it. 2013 Projections: 554/2/23/127/1
46. Vick Ballard – He was a bit of a boring play coming into the year as a starter. He still is boring but as I mentioned to in my Vick Ballard Fantasy, ‘I like Vick. I like him for the price he’s most likely going to go at. He’s never going to win many 40 yard dashes against other defenses but he’s built well and fights for yardage.’ He’s a ‘does the little things’ kinda guy who’ll be a part of a solid offense that has a lead back with an injury history. He won’t wow you but you’ll be pleasantly surprised by his production if Bradshaw goes down. 2013 Projections: 656/2/30/270/2
47. Joseph Randle – Speaking of lead backs with injury history…I’ve already put Murray pretty low on my RB charts this year for that reason. Randle’s been out with a surgically repaired thumb so it’s hard to get a gauge on what he’ll bring to this Dallas offense but if DeMarco’s injury history plays out like I assume it will, we’ll get a good shot to find out sooner rather than later. 2013 Projections: 418/2/38/342/3
48. Marcel Reece – Funny how I have Randle and Reece back to back just like I have Limp DMC and DeMarco in the Top 40 RBs. Funny introspective, not funny haha. Well you can laugh if you want to but you’re gonna sound weird if you do. Reece was very productive when he filled in for McFadden last year and should remain a part of the offense this year. Of course, it’s the Raiders and the less parts of that offense you have, the better but at least Marcel has shown he can step in when he’s needed. 2013 Projections: 357/1/45/329/2
49. Jacquizz Rodgers – Last year, Michael Turner was terrible but it masked something from most eyes: Rodgers wasn’t that good either. Of all the guys in this tier I’m least likely to spend my time on, it’s Jacquizz but who else steps up if S-Jax goes down? Snelling? I wouldn’t put it past the Falcons, honestly, but this jacuzzi needs to be cleaned out and sent to a team that wants him at this point. 2013 Projections: 370/1/41/324/3
50. Justin Forsett – Forsett has been fantasy relevant before and is now backing up the fresh off injury Oompa Loompa. If MJD were to miss any time, Forsett should be a solid back to own. But what about Denard Robinson! Yeah, imaginary reader, I’ve heard his name before in years past. His name was Kordell Stewart. Or was it Antwaan Randle El? I can’t remember, these fantasy irrelevant guys all blur together for me! 2013 Projections: 495/2/18/153/1
51. Isaiah Pead – Let this be a lesson to you children: don’t do drugs. Unless you’re in college and even then well…don’t do drugs. Pead is the start of the next tier and it goes to Bell. I call this tier ‘What Would You Say You Do Here’ as I’m not sure of the role of these players. They’re all talented in their own way yet there are questions about what they’ll do for their team. Pead will miss a game after being suspended and I just don’t trust him and his role due to those off the field problems. I fully admit this ranking could/should blow up in my face but I’m fine with losing Isaiah this year. 2013 Projections: 564/2/30/261/2
52. Mike Goodson – Goodson’s signing got squished when the Jets nabbed Ivory. Then you factor in the off-field issues of gun charges and plea deals and yadda to the third degree and we have a bit of a Fuster-Cluck on our hands with how good we can reasonably expect Goodson to be this year. If there are no legal hangups, he should be the receiving back for the Jets as Ivory has not proven himself to be a big pass catching back. All this to say, I’m willing to drop the Mike and walk off stage if Goodson’s off-season woes continue. 2013 Projections: 368/1/45/360/3
53. Joique Bell – I have a secret confession to make. You watch Drop Dead Diva episodes with your wife and even though you roll your eyes, you secretly enjoy it? Noooooo…he says in a Norm MacDonald voice. I kinda liked Bell coming into 2013 before the Reggie Bush signing. Still do but he’s not the goal to go back and he’s not the receiving back in that offense so he’s…what? I don’t know. I just know I like him. 2013 Projections: 360/1/35/305/3
54. Mike Tolbert – Tolbert is the start of the next tier and it runs to LeShoure. I call it the ‘Goal To Go’ tier which is pretty self-explanatory and not witty at all. It’s also full of guys I’ll probably pass on in the draft. Tolbert had a few good games last year. That’s about all I can say. If either Panther back gets hurt, he’d see a larger role but as we know about owning a Panther back it’s not the easiest nor bestest of times. 2013 Projections: 222/8/23/202/1
55. Michael Bush – He’s the short yardage back in Chicago. And even when Forte is hurt and misses work, Bush is the short yardage back in Chicago. You get the cut of my jib? Good. He’ll have a couple of start-worthy games this year either via Forte health problems or goal line vulture work but I’d suggest you not get too excited here. 2013 Projections: 444/5/21/149/1
56. Shonn Greene – What’s blue and White with Greene all over? The Tennessee Endzone of course! But by ‘all over’ I mean ‘rarely in it’. The Titans are just not a very good team and they don’t get to the goal line much. And in the end, you hated Greene when he was a starter so why would you want him as a backup anyway? 2013 Projections: 513/6/16/96/0
57. Mikel LeShoure – Soooo fluky. That’s how to best describe Mikel’s good season in Detroit last year. So many receptions that were touchdowns in 2011 became 1st and goal at the 3 in 2012. I have zero doubt Mikel is gonna get overdrafted this year because of last year’s line. But he won’t be anywhere near my team. 2013 Projections: 368/7/10/65/0
58. Ryan Williams – Williams is the start of another tier and it stretches into the top 80. I call this tier ‘Back Off’ because these guys are backups/handcuffs for the respective owners of their starting counterparts but I’d rather own someone else’s if given the chance. Ryan has stated he ran scared last year. To be fair, I’d run scared to if I was playing behind the Cards O-Line but that doesn’t mean I wanna draft a man who says that even as a handcuff. 2013 Projections: 388/1/32/224/1
59. Bilal Powell – I don’t hate Bilal at all. Hard worker, does his job. But when it’s all said and done, his line last year looked pretty similar to a guy’s line that everyone hated: Shonn Greene. Simply put, he’ll get the job done but he plays on a bad offense and is very workman-like and lacks explosiveness. Necessary evil of drafting a handcuff with a bad injury history like Ivory needs to come at the right price and hopefully Powell does. 2013 Projections: 400/2/20/154/2
60. Donald Brown – Honestly, I don’t even know if he survives training camp. He might be Delone Carter’ed off the field by training camp. Third stringer, not a cash money bringer. That’s what my Mom always said. 2013 Projections: 431/1/13/104/1
