This list is provided to you courtesy of the commissioner of the 
Fantasy Sports Magazine salutes Denver's Terrell
Davis as the top ranked fantasy running back heading into the 1998 season.The
new guard has arrived on the running back scene, and after a year or two of taking
guesses at which youngsters are going to pan out, it appears the ballots have been
tallied and the votes are in. And the winners are ... Dorsey
Levens, Karim Abdul-Jabbar,
Eddie George, Jamal
Anderson, Corey Dillon, Raymont
Harris, Antowain
Smith, Garrison Hearst
and Napoleon Kaufman. Among those on the losers' ballot were Rashaan
Salaam, Greg Hill,
Tyrone Wheatley,
Ki-Jana Carter, Terrell
Fletcher, Rodney
Thomas, Derek Loville and Leeland
McElroy.
For the past couple of fantasy football seasons, the running back position has
been a very difficult one to analyze. Outside of Emmitt
Smith, Ricky Watters, Barry
Sanders and a few other sure things, many teams had two or three backs who shared
the load. By the middle of the 1997 season, however, the picture had cleared up considerably.
Edgar Bennett got injured and Levens became the main man in Green Bay. Anderson began
getting all of the carries in Atlanta. Dillon beat out Carter in Cincinnati. Harris
overcame Salaam in Chicago. Kaufman outlasted a host of Raiders runners. Smith proved
himself as a rookie in Buffalo. Hearst became the man in San Francisco. That's not
to say that it will be easy to draft running backs this year, and that nobody will
make the perennial mistakes (Lawrence
Phillips, Craig Heyward, Fletcher, LeShon Johnson, Mario
Bates, etc.) But the list of solid bets for 10 or more touchdowns is much longer
entering this season. The most difficult decisions will focus on veteran runners
and whether or not they have anything left in the tank. Can Emmitt
Smith regain the magic behind a suddenly average offensive line? Will Thurman
Thomas ever touch the ball again now that Smith has taken over? Will Marshall
Faulk ever regain the TD touch? Will Jim Brown come out of retirement?
But seriously, other than that final question, the successful fantasy football-leaguers
will be the ones who have the correct answers to those questions. You'll certainly
want to grab one of the top 8-10 running backs in one of the first two rounds of
your draft this year. The player you select as your second running back could very
well determine how good your fantasy football team will be this season.
...
...
1. Terrell Davis,
Broncos: There is little doubt that Davis is the top running back to get this year,
and some people may take him with the first overall pick. Daves, the Super Bowl MVP
who ran all over the Packers for 157 yards and three touchdowns, might not be the
best running back in the league, but he's the best fantasy football running back
because he gets those one-yard scores that Barry
Sanders gives away to Tommy
Vardell. Davis is the fantasy-leaguer's dream player. He's missed only three
games in his three seasons, and has improved his rushing yardage totals each year
1,117-1,538-1,750. His TD totals each season are 8-15-15. He runs behind the best
offensive line in football, an offensive line that won the Super Bowl for the Broncos
last season. Last year, he had 10 100-yard games, two of them for 200 yards, and
finished second in the league in rushing despite missing the final game and a half
with a shoulder injury. Perhaps most importantly, unlike Sanders, Davis is priority
No. 1 when the Broncos get inside the 10-yard-line. Davis is just 26 years old, plays
for a great team and also happens to be a fast, strong, elusive running back. There's
no reason to draft anybody else.
2. Barry Sanders,
Lions: The debate will now rage is Sanders the greatest running back of all-time?
Perhaps everyone could sleep better if they called Sanders the best halfback and
Jim Brown the best fullback. Last season was Sanders' finest, garnering him co-MVP
honors with Brett Favre.
He had an incredible performance of 184 yards in the final game to reach 2,053 for
the season, second all-time, and 13,778 for his career, second all-time. It was the
fourth time he's led the league in rushing, and his 14 touchdowns marked the seventh
time he's scored at least 11 touchdowns in a year. After rushing for 53 yards total
in his first two games with new head coach Bobby Ross, the Lions moved the fullback
out of Sanders' way, and he hit the 100-yard mark in his final 14 games. You know
about the moves and the quickness. You know how great he is. Take him with the third
pick of the draft and enjoy the show.
3. Dorsey Levens,
Packers: Levens showed glimpses of greatness in 1996, sharing time with Bennett while
racking up 566 yards rushing and 10 total touchdowns (five rushing, five receiving).
When Bennett blew out an Achilles tendon in the first pre-season game, Packer fans
knew that Levens was on the way to a 1,000-yard season. His 1,435 yards was second
in team history to Jim Taylor, and although he rushed for only seven TDs, he again
had five receiving for a total of 12. There's no reason to expect any less this season.
Levens is big (235 pounds), elusive and has decent speed. He's on a great offensive
team, and one that runs the ball more than most people realize. Just 28 years old,
Levens should be a 10-14 TD man as long as he's in Green Bay.
4. Jerome Bettis,
Steelers: The Bus rumbled for 1,665 yards last season, but it was a frustrating year
for fantasy-leaguers as Bettis routinely set up QB Kordell
Stewart for one-yard plunges. His total of nine touchdowns was a little lower
than it should have been. The 243-pounder has been in the NFL for five years, but
he still has his best years ahead of him at age 26. The Steelers are a running team
and Bettis is a bruising runner with better-than-average speed, so expect an improvement
this year into the 12-TD range.
5. Eddie George,
Oilers: Like Bettis, George had a fine season for the Oilers, but a not-so-great
season for fantasy-leaguers in 1997. He racked up 1,399 yards, hitting 100 yards
eight times, but scored only seven touchdowns. The opening game of the season was
a sign of things to come 216 yards, one touchdown. That's great in leagues which
have a lot of yardage bonuses (one point per 25 yards, etc.), but extremely annoying
in the standard fantasy league. And it could be somewhat of a trend in his rookie
season, George rushed for 1,368 yards and scored only eight touchdowns. The main
problem is that the Oilers don't have a good offense, limiting his opportunities.
He also had only seven receptions in 1997. George is an excellent back, however,
and worthy of being a No. 1 rusher on your team.
6. Curtis Martin,
Jets: Now that he's reunited with Bill Parcells, you can ignore last season and look
at what Martin did for the Patriots in 1995 and 1996: 32 total touchdowns, 15 as
a rookie and 17 in 1996. Last year, he missed the final three games of the season,
but still finished with 1,160 yards and five touchdowns (four rushing). In three
seasons, Martin has rushed for 3,799 yards and 37 touchdowns, using strength up the
middle and speed to take one all the way, including a 70-yarder for a score last
year. Now that he's back with Parcells, you can expect 1,200 yards and 10-13 TDs
this season.
7. Corey Dillon,
Bengals: Talk about exploding on the scene. Many people wondered why Cincinnati,
which already had Ki-Jana
Carter, drafted Dillon in the second round last year. By the end of the season,
the answer was obvious Dillon is better. With two touchdowns and 196 yards rushing
in the first eight games of '97, Dillon got his chance in Game 9 and put up 123 yards
on 19 carries. By the end of the season, he had 1,129 yards and 10 scores. In the
final eight games of the year, he rushed for 933 yards and eight touchdowns, including
that four-TD, 246-yard performance against Tennessee in Game 14. Dillon is clearly
the top back in Cincinnati, although expecting more than 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns
might be unrealistic even though he'll have a full season.
8. Ricky Watters,
Seahawks: While Watters has had a turbulent career, it has also been remarkably steady
for fantasy-leaguers, until last year. In his first five years in the league, Watters'
touchdown totals were 11-11-11-12-13. Last year, he fell off to seven, and then wandered
off to Seattle. Watters did manage to reach 1,000 yards for the third straight season,
but for the third time in four years, he averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry,
and hit the 100-yard mark only twice. He's certainly not burned out at 29 years old,
and he'll be the main man on the ground for Seattle, so it's a good bet that he'll
be back in the 10-TD range this season.
9. Jamal Anderson,
Falcons: After two seasons in the NFL, Anderson had zero starts and one touchdown.
Two years later, he's had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and is one of the premier
backs in the NFL. A seventh-round pick out of Utah, Anderson is a powerful 234-pounder
who doesn't have great speed (his career long is 39 yards) but it's good enough.
He had 10 touchdowns last year (seven rushing) and six total the year before. He
had only two 100-yard games last season, and the Falcons don't score well enough
to get him 15 touchdowns in a season, but he's the primary back and the No. 1 scoring
option, making him a second-round pick in most fantasy leagues.
10. Robert Smith,
Vikings: Echo (echo, echo). Every year it's the same thing with Smith, who, after
four years in the NFL, still hasn't played more than 14 games in a season. Last year
he started in a career-high 14 games, double his previous high, and reached the 1,000-yard
mark for the first time (1,266) while hitting a career-best seven touchdowns. But
despite a 5.5-yard average last year, and a stunning 4.8 average in his career (Barry
Sanders' average is 5.1), Smith simply hasn't been able to stay on the field
long enough to be a top-flight running back in the NFL. Even when he's playing, he
doesn't touch the ball that often just 16.6 carries per game in his 14 games last
year. Still, Smith could be the fastest running back in the league and his potential
in this offense is just too great to ignore, which makes him a Top 10 pick.
11. Natrone Means,
Chargers: Monday morning quarterbacks are laughing at this development. San Diego
dumped Means after a holdout- and injury-marred 1995 season. Of course, the year
before he had rushed for 1,350 yards and 12 touchdowns. So after two seasons in Jacksonville,
which not coincidentally were again dragged down by injuries, Means is back in San
Diego. His total of nine touchdowns last year came in 14 games as he battled ankle
problems. Means is a tough one to figure; if he's healthy, he's a 12-14 TD candidate.
He hasn't been healthy in four years, however, so this 240-pound bruiser is a gamble.
12. Marshall Faulk,
Colts: Once considered one of the top running backs in the NFL, Faulk has been very
average the past few seasons. Faulk scored 11 TDs in each of his first two seasons,
but has fallen off to seven in each of the past two years. He has rushed for 1,000
yards in three of his four seasons (1,054 last year) and catches an average of 50
balls a year. The Colts might struggle with a rookie QB this year, but Faulk is still
an elusive runner who could return to the 11-TD level this season.
13. Napoleon Kaufman,
Raiders: This lightning bolt didn't get enough carries early in the season, but when
he finally got the opportunity to be the main man, he averaged 4.8 yards per rush
enroute to 1,294 yards, while scoring eight touchdowns, including long scores of
70 and 83 yards. He also played in all 16 games, something the Raiders were concerned
about since Kaufman weighs only 180 pounds. He did, however, seem to fade as the
year went along, rushing for 100-plus yards in six of the first 11 games, then missing
the mark in his final five, although that could be credited to his team's pathetic
collapse. He should be more prepared to go the full 16 this year, and he's certainly
exciting to have on your team, particularly in leagues with long-distance TD bonuses.
14. Terry Allen,
Redskins: After leading the league with 21 rushing touchdowns in 1996, the injury
problems returned last season for Allen, who scored just five times in 10 games.
What might surprise some people is that since his rookie year with the Vikings, when
he blew out a knee, Allen hadn't missed a game, playing and starting in all 64 games
over four seasons for Minnesota and Washington. He's still only 30 years old and
if he's healthy, Allen should return to the 8-12 touchdown level this season. He
should also be back in the 1,000-yard range after having his four-year streak snapped
last season when he rushed for only 724 yards with three 100-yard efforts. Allen
isn't the gamble that he appears to be.
15. Karim Abdul-Jabbar,
Dolphins: Quick quiz: Who led the NFL in touchdowns last season? Not very tricky
since we asked this while talking about Abdul-Jabbar, but you have to admit you didn't
know the Dolphins' runner had an NFL-high 16 TDs, 15 of them rushing. On the down
side, he rushed for 892 yards, hitting the 100-yard mark just twice, and averaged
only 3.2 yards per carry. His longest carry of the year was 22 yards. Abdul-Jabbar
is a good runner who hit 1,116 yards as a rookie, but has averaged only 3.4 per carry
in his career. It's likely his total last year was a fluke, and even though the Dolphins
have a new offensive coordinator who plans to rush the ball more, don't expect a
repeat of 1997.
16. Emmitt Smith,
Cowboys: How the mighty have fallen. Smith, once the best touchdown scorer in the
league, is now just another running back. Most of the blame falls on his aging offensive
line. Remember when Emmitt used to waltz into the end zone from the five-yard-line?
That doesn't happen anymore. Smith's TD totals the past four years: 22-25-15-4. He's
still a good running back, the Cowboys are still a good team, but notice that I didn't
say ³great.² Last year, Smith had only two 100-yard games, none in the final half of
the season, and now he'll be sharing carries with Warren. On the plus side, with
seven straight 1,000-yard seasons, there's no reason not to expect another one, and
a return to 10 TDs isn't out of the question.
17. Antowain Smith,
Bills: The transition was only partial in 1997, and it should be completed this year.
Smith, the team's top draft pick last year, was expected to be eased into the fold
behind Thurman Thomas
last year. Instead, he got 40 more carries than Thomas over the course of the season
and scored eight touchdowns to Thurman's one. The final nail in the coffin: Smith
is 26 years old, Thomas is 32. We're not saying that Thomas is done, just that Smith
is better at this point in his career. Expect this 224-pounder with good speed to
power his way to 8-10 TDs even if he shares the load with a future Hall of Famer.
18. Adrian Murrell,
Cardinals: A quiet performer with the Jets for five years, Murrell has been a 1,000-yard
rusher the past two seasons and scored seven touchdowns in each campaign. With Bill
Parcells replacing Murrell with Curtis
Martin, Murrell signed with Arizona, where he again will be the featured back.
The problem here isn't Murrell, it's estimating how good the Cardinals' offense will
be in Jake Plummer's
first full year at QB. If their offense is solid, expect another 1,000-yard year
and 7-9 TDs from this steady if unspectacular performer.
19. Warrick Dunn,
Buccaneers: The reigning NFL Rookie of the Year was everything that people thought
he would be (quick and fast) and nothing the naysayers thought he would be (too small)
in 1997. Dunn is truly the closest thing to Barry
Sanders that the league has seen. He rushed for 978 yards with a 4.4 average
and a long rush of 76 yards. He also caught 39 passes, including a 59-yarder. For
the year, he totalled seven touchdowns, a number that should increase this season.
The only downside for this future star, from a fantasy standpoint, is that the Buccaneers
are going to give the ball to Mike
Alstott (244 pounds) instead of Dunn (180 pounds) when they get inside the five-yard-line,
so expect a season of only 6-8 TDs.
20. Garrison Hearst,
49ers: Hearst was everything the Niners hoped he'd be in 1997 quick, fast and a
breath of fresh air for their running offense as he hit the 1,000-yard mark for the
second time in his career despite missing the final three games of the regular season
with a clavicle injury. He also reached 100 yards three times. Unfortunately for
fantasy-leaguers, he was again everything you can expect in the touchdown department
not many. Hearst's total of six TDs was more than his career total (five) for his
first four seasons, including that infamous '95 season with the Cardinals when he
hit the 1,000-yard mark with only one rushing TD. Hearst is a solid running back
with good speed and quickness, and his lack of touchdowns can't really be explained.
With a full year, Hearst should reach 1,000 yards, 5-6 100-yard games and 7-9 scores
this season.
21. Charlie Garner,
Eagles: Finally. Like Kaufman, Garner was buried on the bench instead of rushing
for 1,000 yards every year. Now with Watters finally out of the picture, Garner should
be able to outbattle Duce Staley for the starting job, and when he does, watch out.
Garner's quickness and speed will make him a threat to score every time he touches
the ball, as exemplified by his outstanding 4.7 career rushing average. Expect a
similar year to Kaufman's breakout season 1,200 yards, eight touchdowns and a couple
of long ones for this sleeper pick of the year.
22. Errict Rhett,
Ravens: After two 1,000-yard seasons in his first two seasons, Rhett put his career
on hold with a holdout in 1996 that cost him half the season. Last year, he was benched
and outplayed by Dunn. Now he has renewed life with the Ravens, who are expected
to make Rhett the featured back he once was. Rhett isn't a great running back his
career rushing average is only 3.5 but in his first two years, he scored a total
of 18 TDs. He belongs in the second tier of running backs, those who are not great,
but are the starting tailbacks and will get a chance for 6-10 TDs this season.
23. Mike Alstott,
Buccaneers: Who's the best fullback in the NFL? For pure blocking, it may be the
two who played in the Super Bowl. But for all-around play, including running and
pass-catching, Alstott stands alone. At 244 pounds, Alstott is a bull who reminds
many people of Larry Csonka. He can also catch the ball (88 catches in two seasons)
and has very nimble feet for a big man. While he'll only rush for 600 yards or so,
when the Bucs get near the goal-line, they move Alstott to halfback and put a tight
end in front of him, and it's destination end zone every time. That's how he scored
10 TDs last year, and how he'll do it again this season.
24. Fred Lane,
Panthers: There was a rumor coming out of the Carolina camp last year, pertaining
to this small, undrafted running back who was putting on a show in practice. By Week
9, when he became the starter, everybody knew his name that Lane guy from Lane College.
Just 5'10'' and 205 pounds, Lane looks like Joe Morris on the field, although he
has a little more speed and a little less power. In the final eight games of the
year, Lane reached 100 yards four times and scored a total of seven touchdowns. Tricky
and quick, he's a tough one to bring down, and can also run with some strength. To
put it simply, Lane is better than Tim
Biakabutuka and will retain the starting job this season.
25. Lamar Smith,
Saints: Smith, who excelled as a backup to Chris
Warren the past four years in Seattle, now gets a chance to be the featured back
in New Orleans. The battle for the running back spot in New Orleans includes Troy
Davis and Ray Zellars,
with Smith most likely getting the nod over the smallish Davis and Zellars playing
fullback. Smith's career rushing average is 4.6, and he could emerge as a big-time
rusher this season for Mike Ditka.
26. Raymont Harris,
unsigned: Apparently, the Bears grew tired of Harris' injuries, because he clearly
was a producer when he got the chance in Chicago. Harris, who rushed for 1,033 yards
and 10 TDs last season, was released after Chicago drafted Curtis Enis in the first
round. Chicago had been in a contract battle with the fourth-year player, who has
played in a total of only 27 games during the past three years because of two broken
legs. When he's healthy, Harris is a powerful 225 pounder with surprising speed.
He had five 100-yard games last year and is dependable around the goal-line. But
he's now a man without a team. But if he signs with the right team before training
camp, Harris could top 1,000 yards and score 8-10 TDs once again.
27. Tiki Barber,Giants:
A second-round pick from Virginia last year, Barber won the starting job in training
camp and had a touchdown in the first three games of the season. Then he was hurt
and missed four games and didn't play much in the next four, until getting his only
100-yard game against Philadelphia in Week 14. Barber is more elusive than Tyrone
Wheatley and should be able to keep the starting job, but Wheatley will get his
share of carries and fullback Charles
Way will often get the ball near the goal-line. Also, the Giants' offense doesn't
scored many touchdowns. Add it all up and you've got a starting tailback who might
not score more than five TDs this season.
28. Gary Brown,
Giants: Brown, a one-time 1,000-yard rusher for the Oilers, had 945 yards and four
TDs for the Chargers last year, but apparently that wasn't enough as San Diego decided
to bring back Means, allowing Brown to go to New York. Brown, an eighth-round draft
choice in 1991, is 233 pounds and powerful, but not as quick or fast as Barber. One
of them could take over as the featured back, but most likely they'll share the load
and the touchdowns. Watch the Giants' situation early in the year and take your best
guess as to which player will get the ball more.
29. James Stewart,
Jaguars: Stewart has started just 16 total games in the past two years, but he has
19 total touchdowns. A first-round draft pick in 1995, Stewart hasn't developed into
a great player, but he has fumbled only three times on 555 touches in his career
and the Jaguars love that dependability. He's a good pass-catcher, too, with 92 receptions
in his career. The Jags drafted Fred Taylor with the ninth overall pick, but two
scenarios are very possible: 1. Stewart winds up being better than Taylor and fourth-rounder
Tavian Banks; 2. Taylor or Banks gets most of the carries, and Stewart gets the ball
inside the 10-yard line. Either way, Stewart will be the one getting over the goal-line
6-8 times.
30. Lawrence Phillips,
Dolphins: The Rams grew tired of Phillips, who had three TDs in the first game last
year and eight in his 10 games with St. Louis. You know about the troubles Phillips
has had off the field, but he remains a very talented running back. Don't be surprised
if he excels in limited action with Miami, which has an overabundance of running
backs. He might even be the team's goal-line back and could score 4-6 TDs this season,
with a chance at being the featured back.
31. Jerald Moore,
Rams: The Rams gave Moore most of the action after they cut Phillips last year, and
he responded with three touchdowns in the last four weeks and 113 yards in the season
finale. Moore is more of a fullback than a pure halfback, but he's as good as anybody
on this roster, so watch the situation in pre-season, and if it appears that he'll
be the starter, don't be afraid to make him your third running back.
32. Ki-Jana Carter,
Bengals: For the first half of last season, it appeared the Bengals were going to
give Carter a chance to become a premier running back in the league. Through eight
games, Carter was the go-to back and had five TDs and one 100-yard game, in Week
3 against the Broncos when he had a 79-yard touchdown run. But starting in Week 9,
Corey Dillon took
over and is now the starter. Carter had seven TDs last year, but will be lucky to
reach five this season as the backup to Dillon. At just 25 years old, perhaps Carter
will be traded to a team that will give him more opportunities.
33. Charles Way,
Giants: Will it be Brown, Wheatley or Barber at halfback? We don't know the answer
to that question, but we do know that Way will play all the time at fullback and
get as many carries as either one of them. Last season, the 245-pounder had 698 yards
rushing with a 4.6 average and scored five times. He's only 25 years old and could
become one of those rare fullbacks that contributes to a fantasy football team.
34. Tommy Vardell,
Lions: Vardell is the latest recipient of the Barry Sanders-got-it-this-far-you-take-it-in
sweepstakes. Vardell was the Lions' goal-line back last year, scoring six touchdowns.
He's a 230-pounder with straight-line power, and when the Lions put a tight end in
front of him in the fullback spot on the goal-line, it's destination end zone. Look
for Touchdown Tommy, who scored all of seven TDs during his first five seasons prior
to last year, to get 5-8 cheapies again this season.
35. Chris Warren,
Cowboys: After four straight 1,000-yard seasons for the Seahawks, Warren fell to
around 850 yards during each of the past two seasons. After scoring a combined 27
TDs in 1994-95, he had a total of nine the past two seasons. But he's still only
31 years old and there's new hope in Dallas. Injuries were part of the problem in
Seattle, but he still averaged 4.2 yards per carry over the past two seasons, so
that doesn't explain it. If Warren had gone to most of the other teams in the league,
you could project him as a starter and 1,000-yard rusher. In Dallas, he makes an
interesting duo with Emmitt
Smith, but Warren will come out on the short end of this stick. Expect only a
couple rushing TDs and maybe a few more receiving for this veteran running back.
36. Edgar Bennett, Bears: A 1,000-yard rusher with seven TDs for the Packers in
1995, Bennett shared time with Levens in 1996 and fell off to 899 yards and three
TDs. Last year, an Achilles tendon injury cost him the season. Most likely, Levens
would have assumed the bulk of the load anyway. Bennett is a good running back and
an excellent receiver, but he's not a featured back in this offense. When he reached
the 1,000-yard mark in Green Bay, he averaged only 3.4-yards per carry. He'll be
the backup to Curtis Enis and should catch 30-40 passes, worth a few TDs. Keep an
eye on the situation if Enis should falter, or if the Bears don't trust a rookie
near the goal-line because Bennett has fumbled only seven times in his career on
1,178 touches.
37. Ray Zellars,
Saints: A halfback in a fullback's body, Zellars has been part of the running back
parade in New Orleans for three years with 10 NFL touchdowns. Now that Mario
Bates is gone, Zellars might get to carry more of the load. At 233 pounds, he
could be a Bettis-type basher at halfback, but it's more likely that New Orleans
will bury him at fullback and hold his carries to 7-10 per game. That would give
him 3-4 TDs this season, but watch the situation closely because there's a chance
Zellars will emerge as the featured back and produce 6-9 touchdowns.
38. Kimble Anders,
Chiefs: With Marcus Allen
retiring and Greg Hill
getting waived, there's suddenly an opening for the featured running back position
in Kansas City. Anders, who has been a pass-catching fullback thus far in his career,
might be the man, at least until the Chiefs sign a veteran halfback. Anders had only
two scores last year, both on TD receptions, and 397 yards rushing, so keep an eye
on the Chiefs' running back situation before making this pick.
39. William Floyd,
Panthers: A versatile fullback who scored six TDs as a rookie with San Francisco
four years ago, Floyd averaged only 3.0 yards per carry last year and scored four
times. He appears to be most of the way back from a devastating knee injury and could
become the Panthers' goal-line option, although Fred
Lane will get most of the carries. There are worse gambles to take late in the
draft as Floyd should score 3-5 times this season.
40. Marc Edwards, 49ers: With Floyd leaving via free agency, Edwards becomes the
starting fullback in San Francisco. A second-round pick out of Notre Dame last year,
he reminds many people of Tom Rathman. Expect Edwards to catch 30-40 passes and rush
the ball enough to score 4-6 TDs per year over the next several seasons.
41. Darrick Holmes, Bills: Once Thurman
Thomas' backup, Holmes had nine total touchdowns in his first two seasons in
the league, but scored only twice in 1997 on 22 carries and 13 receptions. He's a
third-stringer behind Smith and Thomas, so don't bother unless there's an injury
or other development in July or August.
42. Bam Morris,
unsigned: In four NFL seasons, Morris has played in 50 NFL games and scored 25 touchdowns.
He was released by the Ravens during the off-season mainly because of his off-field
problems, which resulted in two jail sentences. But he claims to be a changed man
and could make a good sleeper pick late in the draft if he signs with the right team
before training camp. Don't forget about this bruising 246-pounder.
43. Byron Hanspard,
Falcons: Hanspard is one of the backups who is worth a gamble late in the draft,
especially if you already have Jamal
Anderson. Hanspard, a second-rounder from Texas Tech in 1997, had a 77-yard run
and averaged 6.3-yards per carry on 53 attempts as a rookie. He also had two kickoff
returns for scores, adding another one receiving. If he gets a chance, Hanspard has
the speed to be a fine player, so don't be afraid to draft him late in the draft.
44. Jay Graham,
Ravens: A third-round draft pick in 1997, Graham had 299 yards and two TDs as a rookie.
There's a chance he could beat out Rhett for the starting position, but most likely,
he'll be the backup and put up similar numbers this season.
45. Zack Crockett, Colts: Crockett has shown flashes of brilliance at times, but
last year in 16 games he had only 95 rushes, 15 catches and one TD. As long as Faulk
is healthy, there aren't going to be many opportunities for Crockett, who can be
expected to score no more than 3-4 TDs this year. 46. Thurman
Thomas, Bills: It just might be too early to count out Thomas, but based on last
year, when he had one TD and Smith had eight, it's very difficult to draft ³Thermal²
this year. Before you pass on him as your third back, however, consider that Thomas
is still only 32 years old, and prior to last year's total of 643 yards, he had rushed
for 1,000 yards eight straight times. But his long rush last year was 24 yards, and
Smith is clearly bigger, stronger and faster at this point in his career. Thomas
is probably still going to get 10 carries a game and catch 40 passes, but it will
result in only 3-4 TDs at best.
47. Tim Biakabutuka,
Panthers: A first-round pick in 1996, Biakabutuka blew out a knee as a rookie and
was injured again last year. In is absence, Lane took over. Lane is now the starter
and deserves to be. In fact, Lane has shown the quickness that the Panthers have
yet to see from Biakabutuka since he came from Michigan. This is not a case of Lane
winning the job by default and Biakabutuka winning the starting job again this year.
He will begin the season as Carolina's backup and will have a hard to replacing Lane
in '98.
48. Tyrone Wheatley,
Giants: Wheatley hasn't been the phenomenon many people expected when he came out
of Michigan with blazing speed. It's becoming obvious that he either isn't as fast
as he once was, or he lacks shiftiness so he never breaks free to exhibit his speed.
Wheatley's career rushing average is 3.6; his long gain is 38 yards. He has scored
10 TDs in his three years in the league, but unless he beats out Brown and Barber
for the starting job, his worth in fantasy football will be minimal. This is his
make-or-break season in New York.
49. Larry Centers,
Cardinals: For years now, Centers has been invaluable to the Cardinals and almost
useless to fantasy-leaguers. Although he had nine TDs in 1996 (seven receiving),
last year's total of two was more indicative of his eight-year career. Centers, who
had 200 total receptions in 1995-96, fell off to 54 last year and rushed for a typical
276 yards. He's a bye-week move at best who will score only a few touchdowns this
season.
50. Amp Lee, Rams:
One of the finest third-down backs in the league, Lee has averaged 44 receptions
per season in his six years in the league. An elusive runner who scares the dickens
out of opposing linebackers, Lee scores three touchdowns a year, mainly on receptions,
and is a decent bye-week move.