As fantasy owners are well aware, the true workhorse running back
has become a rare breed. They still exist, of course, but many teams
have transitioned to the most frightening acronym in fantasy football:
RBBC, or running back by committee. To help fantasy owners navigate
the murky waters of teams that utilize a RBBC system, here are the
breakdowns of what those teams did last season, and how things might
play out in 2013.
| Buffalo - 2012 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| C.J.
Spiller |
207 |
46.8 |
1244 |
56.1 |
6.0 |
43 |
459 |
| Fred
Jackson |
115 |
26.0 |
437 |
19.7 |
3.8 |
34 |
217 |
| All Others |
120 |
27.2 |
536 |
24.2 |
4.7 |
|
|
| Totals |
442 |
100.0 |
2217 |
100.0 |
5.0 |
|
|
|
2013 Outlook: Spiller had the breakout
season fantasy owners were expecting last year, rushing for an absurd
6.0 yards per carry. Yet Fred Jackson still got plenty of touches,
and had some big games. That is unlikely to happen this season—not
with Jackson’s 32-year-old, injury-prone legs. Spiller didn’t
reach 50 percent of Buffalo’s total carries last year, but
he should eclipse that—and then some—barring injury.
Spiller’s receiving ability and big-play capability combined
with more touches makes him a top-10 pick in upcoming fantasy drafts.
| Carolina -
2012 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| DeAngelo
Williams |
173 |
37.4 |
737 |
35.3 |
4.3 |
13 |
187 |
| Jonathan
Stewart |
93 |
20.1 |
336 |
16.1 |
3.6 |
17 |
157 |
| All Others |
196 |
42.5 |
1015 |
48.6 |
5.2 |
|
|
| Totals |
462 |
100.0 |
2088 |
100.0 |
4.5 |
|
|
|
2013 Outlook: Jonathan Stewart’s ankle injuries hindered him last season,
and they may continue to do so early this year. Either way, the
Panthers have Williams, Stewart, Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton all
getting carries, which is pretty much a metaphorical nuclear bomb
to all but Newton’s fantasy prospects. It’s simply not
possible to tell which running back will be getting the carries
in any given week, or who will get the ball near the goal line.
Fantasy owners aren’t going to stay away from these two backs,
who are still capable of producing, but they should be back-of-the-draft
selections.
| Green Bay -
2012 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| Alex Green |
135 |
31.2 |
464 |
27.3 |
3.4 |
18 |
125 |
| James Starks |
71 |
16.4 |
255 |
15.0 |
3.6 |
4 |
31 |
| All Others |
227 |
52.4 |
983 |
57.7 |
4.3 |
|
|
| Totals |
433 |
100.0 |
1702 |
100.0 |
3.9 |
|
|
|
2013 Outlook: The Packers were a mess
trying to run the ball last year, as Cedric Benson and Ryan Grant
each saw numerous carries. Those two veterans are gone this season,
and in their place is a pair of rookies in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan
Franklin. Add DuJuan Harris into the mix and you have a cluster
of runners who could all receive carries. Most believe the rookies
will be the main ball carriers for the Packers, and we’ll
go along with that line of thinking. Harris was solid at the end
of last year, but fantasy owners shouldn’t gamble that he’ll
be the team’s main runner. Lacy will be the highest drafted
of the Green Bay running backs, but don’t be surprised if
Franklin is snatched up by fantasy owners shortly thereafter.
| Indianapolis
- 2012 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| Vick Ballard |
211 |
48.0 |
814 |
48.7 |
3.9 |
17 |
152 |
| Donald Brown |
108 |
24.5 |
417 |
25.0 |
3.9 |
9 |
93 |
| All Others |
121 |
27.5 |
440 |
26.3 |
3.6 |
|
|
| Totals |
440 |
100.0 |
1671 |
100.0 |
3.8 |
|
|
|
2013 Outlook: Brown failed in his
attempt to claim the Indy backfield as his own in 2012, just as
he had done previously. That opened the door for Ballard; and while
he did an admirable job, it wasn’t anything that got fantasy
owners excited. It looked like the team was going to stay with the
status quo until their recent signing of Ahmad Bradshaw, which flips
the script. Bradshaw should become the top back, but don’t
be surprised if Ballard gets his share of carries, as well, while
Brown figures to be fighting for a roster spot.
| New Orleans
- 2011 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| Mark
Ingram |
156 |
42.2 |
602 |
38.2 |
3.9 |
6 |
29 |
| Pierre
Thomas |
105 |
28.6 |
473 |
30.0 |
4.5 |
39 |
354 |
| Darren
Sproles |
48 |
12.9 |
244 |
15.4 |
5.1 |
75 |
667 |
| All Others |
61 |
16.3 |
258 |
16.3 |
4.2 |
|
|
| Totals |
370 |
100.0 |
1577 |
100.0 |
4.3 |
|
|
|
2012 Outlook: The Saints’ best
running back last season was Chris Ivory, though the team pretty
much sat him on the bench as they continually watched Mark Ingram
waddle his way just past the line of scrimmage before getting tackled.
Ingram was arguably the teams’ fourth-best back last year
despite getting the majority of the carries. Ivory is with the Jets
now, and Ingram is apparently behind Thomas and Darren Sproles on
the depth chart, though that could change quickly. Thomas has long
been underutilized, in our opinion, and even if he does get more
carries than Ingram this season, it’s likely that Ingram will
be getting the goal-line looks. Alas, that makes Thomas, who also
has to share pass-catching duties with Sproles, a later pick than
Ingram, with Sproles going ahead of both as a RB/WR hybrid.
| Pittsburgh
- 2012 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| Jonathan Dwyer |
156 |
37.9 |
623 |
40.5 |
4.0 |
18 |
106 |
| Isaac Redman |
110 |
26.7 |
410 |
26.7 |
3.7 |
19 |
244 |
| All Others |
146 |
35.4 |
504 |
32.8 |
3.5 |
|
|
| Totals |
412 |
100.0 |
1537 |
100.0 |
3.7 |
|
|
|
2013 Outlook: Dwyer and Redman did
all they could last season, but it just wasn’t very good.
Neither was the effort of Pittsburgh’s other backs, which
is why the team drafted Le’Veon Bell in the second round and
brought in LaRod Stephens-Howling as a backup. Bell will become
the team’s top running back, and we think Dwyer will stick
around to be the No. 2 man, with LSH coming in to change the pace
and catch passes. It’s not hard to see Bell going as early
as the second round in fantasy drafts (everyone loves rookie running
backs), though we’d caution that it seems at least one round
too early.
| San Diego Chargers
- 2012 |
| Player |
Rush Att |
% of
Tm Atts |
Rush Yds |
% of
Tm Rush Yds |
Yds/Carry |
Rec |
Rec Yds |
| Ryan Mathews |
184 |
44.8 |
707 |
48.4 |
3.8 |
39 |
252 |
| Jackie Battle |
95 |
23.1 |
311 |
21.3 |
3.3 |
15 |
108 |
| All Others |
132 |
32.1 |
443 |
30.3 |
3.4 |
|
|
| Totals |
411 |
100.0 |
1461 |
100.0 |
3.6 |
|
|
|
2013 Outlook: Mathews was injured
last season—shocker, we know—which allowed Battle to
get some carries. And the only thing fantasy owners need to know
about Battle is that he is not currently on any team’s roster.
Mathews will get his fourth opportunity to stake a claim to San
Diego’s chief running back spot, and his competition is less
than fierce. Ronnie Brown was essentially a pass-catcher last year,
and the team signed Danny Woodhead also. We can see Woodhead getting
some carries, but mostly on third down, so Mathews will once again
get a chance to break the hearts of fantasy owners who take him
too early.
|
