Super Sleeper Running Backs
June 26, 2008 at 8:58 am | Article by Paul Hickey |
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Because five of the top 25 and 13 of the top 40 fantasy RBs were plucked from the waiver wire in 2007, and guys like Earnest Graham, Ryan Grant, Kenny Watson, Chicago’s Adrian Peterson and Justin Fargas made names for themselves, fantasy owners are now forced to pay attention to just about every single running back on all 32 rosters - but how do you sift through the clutter to find the best super sleepers?
Even New Orleans’ Pierre Thomas got into the action for one week, lighting up the Bears for 226 total yards, 12 receptions and a TD in Week 17. So, even if it’s for one week of solid use, familiarize yourself with the following names. You may not care to know them now, but you will when Week 5 rolls around.
Michael Bush, Raiders RB (pictured) - At first glance, the Raiders RB situation seems like deeply muddied waters that fantasy owners wouldn’t dare go near. Bush, a second year former fourth rounder from Louisville, must compete with last season’s 1,000 yard rusher and likely starter Justin Fargas, along with 2008 fourth overall pick Darren McFadden. Don’t count him out of the fantasy picture though. He’s 6′1″, 245 lbs., incredibly fast, powerful, and a solid receiver out of the backfield. He’s an athlete. A former QB. Oh yeah, and the fact that he hasn’t played in a game in nearly two full years due to a broken leg means that he really has something to prove. This extremely talented beast is only a couple injuries away from 25 carries a game, and is worth a late round flier.
Ryan Torain, Broncos RB - The 6′1, 222 pound rookie from Arizona State, suffered a lisfranc foot injury last season in college, which resulted in him slipping to day two of the NFL Draft. Even with Selvin Young’s progress, don’t think for a second that Mike Shanahan doesn’ t want Torain to play…and when he does, expect big numbers in that offense. It’s likely to happen, even for only a game or two in 2008, but owners who can time it well will be rewarded.
Steve Slaton, Texans RB - The first of a few scatback types on this list, Slaton enters a solid situation after being selected in the third round out of West Virginia. Not only does Slaton enter an offense with a new zone blocking scheme implemented by genius O-line coach Alex Gibbs, but he also joins a depth chart that really doesn’t have a clear cut favorite. The fact that Ahman Green and Chris Brown are always likely to miss time due to injuries, and Darius Walker and Chris Taylor aren’t guaranteed squat, means Slaton could find his way into the Texans’ rotation sooner rather than later, potentially blossoming into a solid flex option in deep PPR leagues.
Lorenzo Booker, Eagles RB - Booker had 28 catches in five games last season with Miami, and will be in an even more explosive situation in 2008 with Philly. Although he may only see limited reps behind Brian Westbrook, he will light up the stat column at least a few times, and is worth carrying due to the fact that he’ll be an absolute PPR stud if Westy goes down.
Tim Hightower, Cardinals RB - The next Marion Barber? Hightower is a fifth round pick from Richmond, who seems very unlikely to make an impact, but he has great size, a bruising rushing style, and is likely to be Edgerrin James’ primary back-up after J.J. Arrington’s recent legal woes. James will be 30 this season, and may not be able to handle 300 carries, meaning there’s a good chance we could see Hightower have some 10-12 carry games in Ken Whisenhunt’s run-friendly attack. We love Hightower as a late round dynasty option and a potential early waiver wire pick up in seasonal formats.
Jamaal Charles, Chiefs RB - Charles fell to the Chiefs in the fourth round, giving them more than enough depth at RB. He’ll have to battle Kolby Smith for back-up duties to Larry Johnson, but head coach Herm Edwards has already spoken positively about his chances to get 10-12 carries in at least a few games. Charles is definitely worth watching in dynasty formats as LJ gets older.
Ray Rice, Ravens RB - Wow, Rice reminds us a lot of Michael Turner, except that he’s a much better receiver out of the backfield - which could make him extremely valuable long-term in Cam Cameron’s offense. While Rice is more of a dynasty value, he is draftable in seasonal PPR formats, as the Ravens have already said they’re confident in him carrying the load should something unfortunate happen to Willis McGahee.
Brandon Jackson, Packers RB - The Packers’ second year back has put on 15 pounds of solid muscle this off-season, and has taken advantage of his first team reps in practice due to Ryan Grant’s mini-holdout, impressing the coaches greatly. BJack definitely won’t challenge Grant’s starting gig, or steal many of his looks, but he would be very productive if Grant went down. He may be worth drafting as a handcuff come August.
Chris Perry, Bengals RB - Sorry, but I still haven’t forgotten about his 51 catches in 2005. Perry, if healthy, could be extremely productive in PPR formats. Granted, he’d have to beat out Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson for time, then eventually contend with 2007 second round pick Kenny Irons, but we’ve seen more unlikely things happen. Keep Perry in your back pocket as well.
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