A month ago, Matt Snyder took a look at the first edition of the FanHouse fantasy rankings and identified several players whom he felt deserved a second look, either ranking too high or too low. This week in On Second Thought, I'll do the same for the second version of our rankings.There's two things you have to do when drafting running backs. With your top dog at the position, you absolutely have to take a guy that doesn't bust. A lot of people chase breakouts with titles in their eyes, but the first contenders to fall by the wayside are ones who don't get solid, consistent production out of their top RB. Before you call out a name on Draft Day, be absolutely sure that your RB selection is a near-lock for top-ten numbers.
The second thing you have to do is pick the right backups. Last year's winners were the teams that correctly grabbed the top breakout candidates, even if they spent an earlier pick on their target than some people believed was warranted. If your breakout target carries a tenth-round grade and you spend a seventh-round or eighth-round pick to be sure you get him, he'll pay huge dividends if he rises into the top 20 of the position.
Guys We Don't Like Enough
LaDanian Tomlinson, Chargers. Limited by several injuries last year, Tomlinson turned in a sub-par year by his standards. Of course, when your standards include finishing the season as the top RB in the league, it's easy to fall short every once in a while. He easily finished as a top-ten RB, and with his track record of consistent excellence, I can't believe he's being taken after the likes of Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, and Chris Johnson.
Knowshon Moreno, Broncos. Each year, rookie running backs come into the NFL and post huge seasons. Moreno looks like a great bet to be one of those breakouts in his first year. The coaching staff loves him, and he'll quickly emerge as the go-to guy in the running game -- when Correll Buckhalter is your main competition, you'll be spending a lot of time on the field. We have him ranked 24th, but I see him as easily top-20 material.
Julius Jones, Seahawks. Jones is slated to fill the Warrick Dunn role in the offense run by former Atlanta coaches Jim Mora Jr. and Greg Knapp. Between 2004 and 2006, Dunn averaged over 1,400 total yards and six TDs. As the 40th RB in our rankings, Jones would represent tremendous value if he came anywhere near those numbers. At only 28 years old, Jones likely has a good season or two left in him.
Guys We Like Too Much
Michael Turner, Falcons. I hate to sound like a broken record, but there's too much bust potential to warrant taking Turner as the number two RB overall. The coaches have said they are planning on giving him less carries. He doesn't get any work as a receiver out of the backfield. Turner has a talented young backup (Jerious Norwood) and a new red-zone weapon (Tony Gonzalez) with whom he'll contend for touches.
Pierre Thomas, Saints. Thomas sits in a great position to be considered underrated, but unfortunately, that's led to him being overrated at this point. He's a platoon back in a pass-first offense, one that won't get the lion's share of passes thrown to him. With Reggie Bush healthy again, Thomas won't be worthy of being an every-week starter, something his owners will smack themselves about after the first few weeks.
Larry Johnson, Chiefs. Matt found Johnson underrated in the last On Second Thought article about RBs, but I think he's terribly overrated. Like Turner, he won't help you in the passing game. Unlike Turner, he can't rely on the offensive line to consistently open holes. At 30 years old, Johnson is nearing the end of the line. It's time for the Chiefs to see what they have in Jamaal Charles.
