A Librarian’s Touch: Which RBs will emerge into Top 10

Oct 21, 2009

A Librarian’s Touch: Which RBs will emerge into Top 10

Last week in my A Librarian’s Touch column here I talked about the running backs ranked in the current Top 10 of fantasy football running backs after Week 5, and I noted which players I believed would no longer be in the Top 10 by the end of the season. I found that based on the 2007 and 2008 seasons, on average six running backs stay in the fantasy football Top 10 while ourf fall out. As a refresher, here’s the list of Top 10 backs as of Week 5:

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Ronnie Brown
3. Chris Johnson
4. Maurice Jones-Drew
5. Cedric Benson
6. Ray Rice
7. Willis McGahee
8. Michael Turner
9. Ricky Williams
10. Kevin Smith

So last week I suggested that Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, Ricky Williams, and Kevin Smith would fall out of the Top 10 by seasons end. My Ray Rice prognosis looks much weaker now that he’s stomped his way all over the stout Minnesota Vikings run defense in Week 6, but I’ll stick with it for the sake of consistency. And because he still has a tough schedule ahead.

Now that we’ve covered the players that I think will fall out of the Top 10, how about those running backs that I think will move on in by the end of the regular season?

DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers) – Any team that gets to face the basement-dwelling Tampa Bay rush defense twice has a leg up on the rest of the RB competition. Throw in a matchup against the Buffalo Bills who just gave up a New York Jets franchise record number of yards to Thomas Jones, and the fact that the Panthers have already had their bye week, and D-Will has a superb chance of shooting up into the Top 10 RB rankings sometime soon.

Thomas Jones (New York Jets) – The Jets had a pretty brutal start in terms of the rush defenses they faced early on this season but the good news is that it’s smooth sailing from here on out. Thomas Jones put up massive numbers against the Bills in Week 6, which is sure to help his cause, but he is lucky enough to face them again in Week 13 not to mention the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, too. Leon Washington has been getting his share of carries but as long as Jones can keep getting about 18+ carries a game, I think he should be able to secure a spot in the lower end of the Top 10.

Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) – I think this call might be a bit of a stretch but Gore had a great start to the season (he’s averaging 18.5 fantasy points a game) putting 200+ rushing yards alone on a middle-of-the-road Seattle run defense, not to mention two touchdowns and a handful of receptions. What a game for Gore and I see a few more like that in his future. Well maybe not quite so monster, but pretty damn good. With their bye week now behind them and Gore likely to return in Week 7 against a weak Houston Texans defense, Gore has nowhere to go but up. Especially since the 49ers franchise is committed to winning games by running the football.

Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints) – See first sentence under DeAngelo Williams. The Saints will be facing a slew of unbelievably easy run defenses for the remainder of the season; The Miami Dolphins in Week 7 poses basically the only real threat. Thomas is healthy again and looking like the most effective back in New Orleans. Yes, Bell is stealing some of his goal line carries and TDs are crucial for Top 10 status, but I think as the season progresses Thomas will reclaim more goal line carries, particularly against some of the easy, breezy defenses ahead.

To see other articles written by the Fantasy Football Librarian click here…. A Librarian’s Touch Archives

The Bruno Boys are pleased to once again welcome guest columnist, Sara Holladay, back for her feature,A Librarian’s Touch, for the 2009 season. The woman behind the web-site, Fantasy Football Librarian, Holladay is someone all fantasy owners should be well familiar with if they want to win their league’s title as she provides some of the best fantasy football insight and resources found around the web!

15 comments
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Luis

Posted at 10:57 Oct 21, 2009

This column is stupid. Please stop putting up girls opinion.

You dont see me posting at perez hilton! Respect the gender!

Posted at 1:06 Oct 21, 2009

FFL is a valuable weekly resource. Who cares if its a woman!

Cheryl

Posted at 1:15 Oct 21, 2009

Hey Luis, Do you live in the 1920’s? I’m a woman and I bet you, that I know more about sports, especially pro football, than you do. Also, do you not watch or listen to TV or radio? There is a big percentage of women NFL fans. Not to mention that women actually DO play fantasy football. Maybe you should get your head out of your bu** (would use a different word, but probably not allowed too), grow up some and quit making yourself look like a bu** (insert other word).

Cheryl

Posted at 1:21 Oct 21, 2009

Forgot something. Hey Luis, breaking news, women do have brains. Women DO actually read other things other than gossip magazines and gossip websites. Once again, you have made yourself look like a bu** (once again also, insert other word)

Luis

Posted at 2:57 Oct 21, 2009

Na uh!

tom ace

Posted at 10:53 Oct 21, 2009

Luis, ya sick pig, gender has nothing to do with it. Her problem is that she doesn’t know what she’s talking about with the Thomas Jones call. The guy rattles off one solid fantasy performance, after largely struggling the previous 4 weeks, and she is ready to annoint him top ten status. The RBBC will catch up to him, and there is no way that Jones will be finishing in the top ten - especially now that Dirty Sanchez has already hit the rookie wall.

Sara

Posted at 7:31 Oct 22, 2009

Thanks for the constructive feedback, tom ace. Just wait and see on the Thomas Jones front. He’s not going to be a top 5 back, probably will be #9 or #10 but with the matchups he has ahead of him, I see a solid finish to the season. I’m also not ready to write Sanchez off completely…

Justin Curry

Posted at 9:02 Oct 22, 2009

In regards to Luis, looks like somebody just figured out what the parental controls password is on their family computer!

In regards to Tom Ace, you’re the guy that picks Romo over Schaub this year because you think Schaub is garbage. You’re the guy that takes Shaun Alexander over L.T. with the first overall pick in 2006 because that’s what all the experts are telling you to do.

Who Am I?

I’m the guy that loves playing with guys like you in my league. I’m the guy that trades you A.P. for Anquan Boldin & Thomas Jones and you think you’ve worked me over. I’m the guy that for some inexplicable reason to you always seems to get soooo lucky every year and always has a shot at the championship while you always find yourself near the bottom.

Thank you, Mr. Ace. You make every league you’re in better because everyone knows that there is at least one team in that league that they don’t have to worry about competing for the championship that year.

Keep up the good work, Librarian. I completely agree with you on Frank Gore the rest of the way.

Boom Goes the Dynamite

Pete Barkowski

Posted at 9:22 Oct 22, 2009

The Librarian has the most usefull FF site going. Luis, if you did your homework, you wouldn’t make these silly sexist comments.

Rick

Posted at 10:09 Oct 22, 2009

Very nice column, Sara. I think Ray Rice will be there in the top 10, in the end. Ignore the immature trolls, keep up the great work.

CharleyS19

Posted at 10:37 Oct 22, 2009

How could you have a committee back like Thomas (currently #27) and not a guy like Addai (# 19) who’s getting the majority of the work in a high powered and balanced offense. I just think that it’s too much of a reach

ToddS

Posted at 3:18 Oct 22, 2009

Y’all just fed into Luis’ desperate need for attention and recognition, tsk tsk.

Good predictions all, whether or not I agree with them. I’m fairly new to the Librarian this year; thanks for the long hours of research!

Rick

Posted at 3:27 Oct 22, 2009

It’s not about giving anyone attention, it’s about having respect for all people, regardless of their gender.

Sara puts in long hours doing this stuff, you don’t have to agree with it all, just be respectful of her work. There’s no need for destructive criticism, simle constructive criticism will suffice.

Go Sara! I’ve been using your sight for a couple of years to set my back to back championship lineups. Much appreciated!

Rick

Posted at 3:28 Oct 22, 2009

ETA: a couple of typos, above.

simle = simple & sight = site

will

Posted at 4:45 Oct 23, 2009

Gotta jump in here and say I ‘discovered’ this site about a month ago… and it’s amongst the first ones I check nearly every day. Sara gives great information and links to other sites that help as well… I for one appreciate the info and perspective! I play in 5 leagues (shhhh… don’t tell my wife) and can’t get enough! This site goes a long way to adding to my enjoyment… keep up the good….no… great work!

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

A Librarian’s Touch: Which RBs will emerge into Top 10