Fantasy Football Season is rapidly approaching and now is the time to start preparing for the up and coming 2007 season. As most participants in fantasy football leagues already know, the running back position is the backbone of any league champion, and a poor performance from the position can be the result for the downfall of the teams who reside in the cellar of their respective leagues. The following is a comprehensive breakdown of all 32 NFL franchise’s running back situation entering the 2007 season, and what to expect from these players in their unique situations in order to best assist you, the reader, in your upcoming Fantasy Football League Drafts.

Editor's Note: This is the first in a two part series that looks at the Running Back situation of every NFL Team from a Fantasy Football perspective

Click Here for the NFC RB Outlook!

AFC EAST: 

• Buffalo Bills: The Bills traded previous starter Willis McGahee to Baltimore in the off-season and drafted his replacement with the 12^th overall selection, when they selected Marshawn Lynch. Marshawn Lynch should be an excellent fit for the Buffalo Bills offense, as he can carry the ball 20+ times, as well as contribute in a featured role in the passing game to help take pressure off QB J.P. Losman. Anthony Thomas, who experienced success in spurts filling in for McGahee in the 2006 season, remains second on the running back depth chart. I would not expect Thomas to contribute much of a fantasy impact unless Lynch goes down due to injury or can not handle the goal-line duties. Shaud Williams and Dwayne Wright round out the RB depth chart for the Buffalo Bills, but I would not expect anything from either back in the 2007 season as Williams is regarded as nothing but a 3^rd down RB at best, and Wright is a developmental prospect.

Recommendation: Proceed with caution and expect Marshawn Lynch to produce numbers similar to 2006 rookie running backs Laurence Maroney and Joseph Addai, which would mean Marshawn Lynch should be selected sometime in the 3^rd round of most fantasy drafts, and it would be wise to select Anthony Thomas as the hand-cuff. 
 

• Miami Dolphins: The Miami Dolphins running game begins with and ends with Ronnie Brown, the 3^rd year running back who has had glimpses of greatness, and now it is up to new Head Coach Cam Cameron to get the most out of Brown.  Cameron was very influential in LaDainian Tomlinson’s All-World performance in 2006. The selection of Lorenzo Booker in the 3^rd Round of the 2007 NFL Draft may initially be dismissed, but this could be noteworthy in the Fantasy Football world. Lorenzo Booker has excellent quickness, good initial burst, and good hands so he could be a factor in the passing game. The offensive philosophy in the NFL is a changing and many offensive minds are looking for that lightning quick player to cause a mismatch.  Lorenzo Booker could be the 2007 version of Jerious Norwood. If you’re looking for a “super sleeper” keep an eye on Patrick Cobbs, with Sammy Morris leaving via Free Agency to New England, the Dolphins may look for more of a power running game if Ronnie Brown were to go down, and this would be in the form of Patrick Cobbs, not Lorenzo Booker.

Recommendation: Ronnie Brown is one of the few running backs that you will not have to worry about losing carries as the season progresses, so Brown is a lock to be selected in the latter portion of Round 1 or early Round 2 in any Fantasy Draft, and if I had to predict a hand-cuff it would be Lorenzo Booker, but this is a situation that most assuredly should be monitored.  
 

• New England Patriots: During the off-season the New England Patriots brought in numerous offensive weapons for QB Tom Brady.  However, Corey Dillon was not brought back and the Patriots did not bring in another running back to share the workload. So, the featured back for the Patriots in 2007 will be 2^nd year sensation Laurence Maroney. Laurence Maroney has had injury concerns and with his aggressive running style he has yet to alleviate those concerns that he can hold up to a full workload during a full season in the National Football League. The Patriots dispense their touches in the backfield in an interesting manor, throughout the season expect the Patriots to give any additional touches to newly acquired Sammy Morris, who excelled in spot duty in 2006, however, as the season nears its end and as the playoffs loom the Patriots have been known to turn to old faithful Kevin Faulk.

Recommendation: Laurence Maroney is a solid 1^st round selection in Fantasy Football in 2007 as he will receive the vast majority of carries for one of the best offenses in the National Football League, however, he will carry a very high “bust” factor due to injury concerns, inexperience as a ‘true’ goal-line running back, as well as the Patriots penitence to spread the ball around on offense. By all means, select Maroney in the bottom half of Round 1, just make sure you also draft Sammy Morris as the hand-cuff and prepare for a roller coaster ride of a fantasy season.  
 

• New York Jets: The New York Jets made a significant upgrade in the off-season when they traded down several spots in the 2^nd Round of the 2007 NFL Draft in order to acquire Thomas Jones from Chicago. Jones will immediately give the Jets the every down presence in the backfield that they thought they had initially had when they traded for Kevan Barlow prior to the 2006 season. Thomas Jones may not do anything spectacular, but he will put up solid numbers in the running game as well as in the passing game and that would be a welcome result for fantasy owners that were terrorized last season with the running back by committee approach the Jets coaching staff took, leaving owners questioning the situation on a week to week basis. Leon Washington should still be kept on the fantasy radar as the Jets coaching staff appears to have a soft spot for him and they like to utilize him in the open field to utilize his shiftiness and speed. Cedric Houston remains on the team as well, but I expect him to drift into fantasy oblivion now that Thomas Jones is on board.

Recommendation: Thomas Jones may become a fantasy steal once again in 2007. Last season he was overlooked because he had Cedric Benson grasping the imagination of Fantasy Football fans everywhere on his team, but this year he gets the backfield all to himself in theory, and yet he will not get as much publicity or attention as will the flashier options at RB. Thomas Jones has late 2^nd, early 3^rd round value written all over him. Leon Washington is one of the better options after the top tier, starting running backs are selected. Consider him when the draft rounds reach double digits.  
 

AFC NORTH: 
 

• Baltimore Ravens: The Baltimore Ravens would not have traded several draft picks and made such an investment in new starter Willis McGahee if they were not planning on making him the focal point of their offense in 2007. McGahee has had an inconsistent career up until this point, partially due to injuries, however, he has never had the benefit of playing with much talent on the offensive side of the ball during his time in the National Football League, but all this is about to change. Running behind an offensive line anchored by LT Jonathan Ogden and playing alongside offensive weapons such as wide receivers Derrick Mason and Mark Clayton and tight end Todd Heap, Willis McGahee is set to have a career season in 2007, and if he were to be available in Round 3 of any fantasy football draft it would be a major steal. Mike Anderson has seen his best seasons come and go and he is now on his last legs, so I see no fantasy contribution from him. Musa Smith has shown he has the ability to run between the tackles and is worth a late round flyer in case McGahee falls victim to injuries once again, Smith could produce stats similar to Ladell Betts who replaced Clinton Portis when he got injured, and as any fantasy owner who owned Betts last season will tell you, it is well worth the investment.

Recommendation: Willis McGahee will be a solid option in round 2 of fantasy football drafts in 2007. I would not advise selecting Mike Anderson from here on out in the fantasy world, but Musa Smith could fly under the radar a bit and a late round selection would make sense. 
 

• Cincinnati Bengals: There is a surging opinion in the fantasy football community that it is possible the days of Rudi Johnson being a type-flight running back are over. He is still considered to be a virtual lock for a 1^st round selection in most drafts, but it was once believed that he was a legitimate contender to become a top five RB, and now that is not the case. The Bengals had planned on utilizing Chris Perry more in the 2006 NFL season, but this concept never really materialized in the Bengal offense, due to Perry's inability to stay healthy. What is even more curious is that for a team that has several deficiencies on the defensive side of the football, Cincinnati used its 2^nd round selection on RB Kenny Irons. It is unclear as to what role Irons will play in the offense, but it is my contention that the Bengals did not use a 2^nd round selection on him not to use him in some form or fashion. Best guess, Rudi Johnson will continue to handle the rock 300 plus times, mostly on 1^st and 2^nd downs and Kenny Irons will be used sparingly, and will handle the 3^rd down duties as he is a better receiver out of the backfield than is Rudi Johnson.

Recommendation:  Select Rudi Johnson in the bottom half of Round 1, however, your job is not done there. Kenny Irons should be one of the first back-up running backs selected in fantasy drafts making him a top-shelf hand-cuff to consider in the middle rounds of your fantasy draft, so make sure if you draft one, you do in fact draft the other. Although talented, I feel that Chris Perry will play sparingly in 2007, and is not worth a look in fantasy football circles unless the Bengals running backs become a M*A*S*H* unit. 
 

• Cleveland Browns: Although at this point in their careers newly acquired RB Jamal Lewis may not be much of a better running back then the Browns 2006 starter Reuben Droughns, I would expect better numbers from Lewis in 2007, due more to the fact that the Browns have upgraded their Offensive Line using the 3^rd overall selection on LT Joe Thomas as well as better QB play then what they had in 2006. Jamal Lewis may not have much tread left on the tires, but if Reuben Droughns can produce 1600 yards of total offense in 2005, then Lewis could put up respectable numbers in 2007. It will be interesting to see who will be the 2^nd string running back entering the 2007 season. Jason Wright may be better suited to carry the full running back duties, but Jerome Harrison has an element of quickness the Browns running backs have not possessed in some time.

Recommendation: Jamal Lewis is a bottom level fantasy starting running back, he is still a starting running back nonetheless. I would expect about 1200-1300 total yards and around 7 touchdowns from Lewis in 2007, so that would put his prospective draft selection to come sometime in Round 3, or best case scenario for fantasy owners is the beginning of Round 4. I almost always suggest selecting the back-up running back to ensure you have the hand-cuff in case of injury, but in the Browns case I would take a wait and see approach to make sure you draft the right backup.  
 

• Pittsburgh Steelers: The was concern surrounding drafting Willie Parker in 2006 due to the fact that he has a slight build and the Steelers had in recent memory used a two-back system and used a ‘bigger’ back for goal-line duties, limiting the value of Willie Parker. However, in 2007 Willie Parker went a long way and alleviating any such concerns as he produced 1700 plus yards as well as 16 touchdowns, 13 of which came on the ground. Willie Parker has now officially established himself as one of the more dynamic running backs in the National Football League. If fantasy owners are looking for an intriguing ‘sleeper’ keep an eye on recent free agent acquisition Kevan Barlow. Although Barlow did not work out well in New York last season, and became expendable when the 49ers decided to go with Frank Gore as their featured back, Barlow still has immense talent and could fill the void that Jerome Bettis left when he retired, a void that Najeh Davenport was unable to fill in 2007.

Recommendation: Willie Parker is one of the better fantasy running backs in the game today. After the first tier of LDT, LJ, and Steven Jackson, Willie Parker falls in line with any and all fantasy backs so if you happen to have a middle selection in your 2007 draft, Willie Parker is a player you must keep an eye on and consider selecting. Many fantasy owners may feel jaded in respect to what they may have been through having Kevan Barlow in their fantasy line-ups the past few seasons, but this should not stop you.  If you’re smart, Barlow could be a savvy selection as he should contribute with a few goal-line scores and if Parker goes down due to injury, you would be the fantasy owner who would be reaping the benefits.  
 

AFC SOUTH: 
 

• Houston Texans: The Houston Texans played running back roulette during the 2006 season starting at different times Ron Dayne, Wali Lundy, and Samkon Gado which drove fantasy owners who had these players on their respective teams crazy as they were attempting to figure out who was going to start on a week to week basis as Texans Head Coach Gary Kubiak adapted his running back approach and philosophy from the man who he worked with for many years, Denver Broncos Head Coach Mike Shanahan. All of the running backs listed above are all still on the roster, however, they will all take a step back on the depth chart to newly acquired RB Ahman Green. Ahman Green was once one of the more versatile running backs in the National Football League, but in recent years Green has seen his production drop due to injuries and wear after 1800 plus carries during his professional career.

Recommendation: Remain cautiously optimistic when it comes to Ahman Green as far as the 2007 season is concerned. The trio of Ron Dayne, Wali Lundy, and Samkon Gado had success in the rushing game in 2006, and none of them are even in the same vicinity as Ahman Green’s talent and ability to run the ball. With many areas of need, the Houston Texans would not have given Green such a hefty contract if they were not planning on feeding him the rock during the 2007 campaign. Plan on 1300 yards and 8-9 touchdowns for Green, which would make him a solid early 3^rd round selection in fantasy drafts. If I was held at gun point, and had to select one of the remaining running backs to consider as the hand-cuff I would suggest Wali Lundy due to the fact that I believe his skill set is a better fit in this offense than the other two options and that he has more “upside”. 
 

• Indianapolis Colts: In 2006 the Indianapolis Colts used a running back by committee (RBBC) approach while utilizing the skills of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai all the way to winning the Super Bowl in January. In the off-season, the Colts allowed Dominic Rhodes to walk away to join the Oakland Raiders, so they will now feature Joseph Addai alone in the backfield. Joseph Addai is a very good runner, and he excels catching passes out of the backfield and pass-blocking. One has to assume at this point that the Colts backup entering the 2007 season will be DeDe Dorsey, but he has limited game experience, so it is Joseph Addai’s show now.

Recommendation: Joseph Addai has a ton of upside to consider when entering your 2007 fantasy drafts. He is the primary runner for possibly the most potent offense in the National Football League and will get virtually every touch at the running back position, all of these factors have to make him a very appealing option after the “big three” are off the board and it is not inconceivable that he out produces any of them. Drafting Joseph Addai anywhere in the middle of the 1^st round would be a smart decision as he will produce numbers like Edge did in his prime in this same offense several seasons ago. I would also consider taking DeDe Dorsey in one of the last few rounds, just for insurance purposes. 
 

• Jacksonville Jaguars: Last season the Jaguars, like several other teams, used a two-back running attack on offense. The Jaguars incorporated the talents of then incumbent starter Fred Taylor as well as their 2^nd round selection in the 2006 NFL Draft Maurice Jones-Drew. While they combined to use their skills in 2006, I believe that 2007 will be more of a “changing of the guard” mentality in Jacksonville as Taylor passes the proverbial “torch” to Jones-Drew. LaBrandon Toefield remains on the roster; however, with the emergence of Jones-Drew and with Taylor’s resurrection he does not appear to be a fantasy option entering the 2007 season.

Recommendation: My prognosis for the 2007 season for the Jacksonville Jaguars rushing attack is that initially Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew will once again share duties, but as the season proceeds I feel that Jones-Drew will separate himself from Taylor and become the more featured back towards the conclusion of the regular season, thus making him the more valuable fantasy option due to the fact that he will get more reps during the most important time of the year for fantasy owners, the fantasy league playoffs. The Jaguars are one of the more interesting fantasy situations in 2007. Maurice Jones-Drew seems to be gaining momentum as fantasy drafts get closer so I would expect to see his name in the latter portion of Round 2, at the very worst at the beginning of Round 3. Fred Taylor on the other hand will probably be a good value pick somewhere between Rounds 5-7. 
 

• Tennessee Titans: The Tennessee Titans may have the worst fantasy situation for running backs in the entire National Football League. After flirting with the idea of trading for San Diego Chargers back-up RB Michael Turner, even considering possibly sending them their 1^st round selection in the proposed deal, but eventually the trade possibility fell through and the Titans went with their backup plan at the running back position. They have a pair of 2^nd round selections anchoring their running approach in 2007—they used their 2^nd round pick in 2006 when they selected LenDale White and they followed this past draft in 2007 when they selected Chris Henry. The team says that they are committed to starting LenDale White, but White has done himself no favor by showing up repeatedly overweight and propelling the sentiment that he is a ‘lazy’ ball player. Henry, on the other hand, never really had that great of a collegiate resume and some feel that he might be a ‘workout warrior’ so it is questionable how much success he will encounter in the National Football League.

Recommendation: If you can avoid it, stay away from the Tennessee Titans running back situation. I don’t necessarily know if the Titans coaching staff know what they have in mind as far as their running game is concerned in 2007, so what hope do we have? This is another must wait and see approach, if there are confirmed reports on the status of who is getting the majority of the carries than proceed in drafting whomever that may be LenDale White or Chris Henry and feel confident in drafting that player towards the end of Round 4 or the beginning of Round 5. Whoever is slated as the back-up, should be drafted as one of the top tier ‘back-up’ running backs in any fantasy league, and this situation should be monitored all season long. 
 

AFC WEST: 
 

• Denver Broncos: If you have ever been able to predict on a weekly basis who was going to have the success in the Denver Bronco backfield the past several fantasy seasons than A) you have probably won a fantasy championship or two and B) you are a psychic. The Denver Bronco backfield has been fantasy gold, but determining who was going to be the primary runner and reap most of the benefits has been virtually impossible as the Broncos have taken the success of several of their most recent running backs and traded them to other franchises in order to upgrade their roster at other positions (see: Reuben Droughns, Tatum Bell, etc.). Travis Henry was the RB that Mike Shanahan chose this past off-season as they gave him a hefty contract and envision him as 1,500 yard back. If fantasy owners as smart however, they should keep an eye on Mike Bell, this is, after all, Mike Shanahan we are talking about. If Henry fumbles a time or two, the mad genius could easily pull the switch at any time, and Bell has shown he can produce.

Recommendation: As the fantasy football season approaches many magazines or publications will insist that Travis Henry is a 1^st round selection come draft time, I for one, am going to resist the urge to make such a proclamation. It is to no fault of Henry’s really, and although Shanahan has stated his intentions to use Henry as a true feature back, I still feel that at some time during the 2007 NFL season the Broncos will hand the ball off to Mike Bell, at least to spare Henry so that he can remain healthy throughout the season and possibly into the playoffs. That being said, I feel that Henry is a lower tier #1 back or a top tier #2 and should be selected during the early portion of Round 2 in fantasy league drafts. Bell is just one Travis Henry injury away from stepping into the lead role once again, so he should be one of the top backup running backs selected, probably just before the draft rounds turn to double digits. 
 

• Kansas City Chiefs: Larry Johnson is to the Kansas City Chiefs running game that Bono is to U2…EVERYTHING. Johnson carried the ball an astonishing 416 times in 2006, and although he may never produce that amount of carries again during a season, that would be a good thing for his career and his fantasy football future from 2007 on. Few running backs have EVER been able to run the football with that amount of frequency and just about all of them felt the after effects of such sooner, rather than later. Johnson is an absolute beast of a running back, and as past fantasy football participants already know, he can carry a fantasy team all by himself.. Michael Bennett won’t touch the ball often enough to deserve much fantasy consideration, as long as LJ doesn’t go down due to injury. An intriguing player to consider, especially in keeper or dynasty leagues is Kolby Smith. The Chiefs brought him in for workouts prior to the 2007 NFL Draft, and liked him so much they drafted him in the 5^th round, possibly to become Johnson’s eventual successor.

Recommendation: There is little debate who should be selected with the 1^st pick in just about every fantasy draft across the planet (LaDainian Tomlinson), however, there is a raging debate in fantasy circles who should come off the board with the 2^nd selection: LJ or Steven Jackson? I give the ever so slightest edge to Jackson due to his ability as a pass catcher out of the backfield, but this is a decision that you may have to make for yourself, but rest assured, if both players stay healthy in 2007, either Larry Johnson or Steven Jackson would please any fantasy owner. Michael Bennett should only be considered by owners of Larry Johnson, only as an emergency hand-cuff and should only come off draft boards in the latest of rounds. It is not the time for Kolby Smith, so he should not be drafted in 2007, however, his time could very well be on the horizon, so this might be a name you may want to remember. 
 

• Oakland Raiders: After a successful fantasy campaign in 2005, LaMont Jordan entered the 2006 fantasy season with a full head of steam and was predicted by most to be a first round selection or at the very least a borderline 1^st round selection, and now, Jordan has drifted somewhere in the fantasy football abyss along the likes of Reuben Droughns, Corey Dillon, and Kevan Barlow. With the recent free agent acquisition of Dominic Rhodes and recent selection of Michael Bush it appears as if the Oakland Raiders are headed for the dreaded circumstance that fantasy owners hate to see, a running back by committee (RBBC). New Head Coach Lane Kiffin hails from a USC program where a RBBC approach to the running game has been the norm, so I believe my suspicions have a large amount of merit.

Recommendation: Although LaMont Jordan is still considered the starting RB, and all starting running backs should be selected early and often in fantasy league drafts, Jordan is most assuredly just about the last starting RB you should consider during your fantasy drafts. With the possibility of losing his job on the imminent horizon I would only advise the selection of LaMont Jordan at the end of round 4 or beginning of round 5. Dominic Rhodes has an element of quickness in his repertoire that Jordan does not possess, but he is not quite the receiver out of the backfield that Jordan is so he may be the 3^rd down back initially, and could conceivably cut into Jordan’s carries from the beginning. Rhodes appears to be the cog between the current starter LaMont Jordan and the future starter Michael Bush. Michael Bush had 1^st round talent, but fell to the first selection in Round 4 of the 2007 NFL Draft, due to a broken leg that he suffered in the opening game of the 2006 collegiate season. He may struggle initially due to the injury and a weight concern, however, when the Raiders playoff hopes are mathematically dashed, say Week #10, I would expect to see Bush being implemented more into the offense, and deserves strong consideration in keeper league formats. 
 

• San Diego Chargers: LaDainian Tomlinson had a fantasy football season in 2006 that only few have ever even dreamed about, and in the process, claimed the proverbial crown as the KING of fantasy football and should be selected with the #1 overall selection in just about every league. With his jaw dropping combination of rushing, receiving, and his nose for the end zone, do yourself a favor if you have the #1 pick in your fantasy league draft, don’t consider anyone else, select Tomlinson and don’t look back. Some pessimists in the fantasy world will state that ALL good things come to an end (see: Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith, etc.), and if this is true, than keep the name of Michael Turner high on your list. If LDT ever goes down (not wishful thinking, I promise), then Turner becomes a top ten fantasy talent in his own right, as of now, being that LDT is living healthy and well, consider Turner the #1 hand-cuff in the game. I like Darren Sproles as much as the next guy, but with LDT and “The Burner” in tow, Sproles has no place in the fantasy world.

Recommendation: Take Tomlinson with the #1 overall selection…that is all. If you are fortunate enough to have the #1 pick and select Tomlinson, make sure you also select Michael Turner also, preferably with a selection between rounds 9 and 10.