2011 RB Rankings - Fantasy Football Rankings

2011 Running Back RB Rankings for the 2011 Fantasy Football season are based on a standard mixed NFC/AFC single season redraft 2011 fantasy football league for the 2011 season. For additional 2011 Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Tools, Lineup Advice, and Question & Answer Forum, check out my blog at: http://hawkfantasysports.wordpress.com/

2011 Running Back RB Rankings - UPDATED: August 20, 2011

1. Arian Foster - Hou ----- The risk of Foster being a one year wonder should definitely lurk in the back of fantasy football managers minds entering the 2011 season, however with that said, Foster offers just too much talent and potential to pass over as anything but the #1 RB taken in nearly all fantasy football drafts to being the 2011 season. With the ability to not only be an excellent rusher out of the backfield, Foster boasts exceptional receiving skills, which make him a threat to tally 100 total yards on any given Sunday. Add in the fact that Foster is an excellent goal line option, and the odds of him tallying double digit touchdowns once again during the 2011 season is extremely high. So in terms of reliable stat production, Foster can offer any fantasy football team just that in 2011.
2010 Stats: 1616 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 604 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
2011 Stat Projections: 1200-1500 rushing yards, 400-600 receiving yards, 10-15 total touchdowns

2. Adrian Peterson - Min ----- With Brett Favre out and Donovan McNabb in, Peterson should still remain the number one option in the Vikings offense this season. In terms of reliability from the RB position for fantasy football teams, Peterson is likely the safest option among all RBs entering the 2011 season. Another season of 1,000 plus rushing yards and 10 touchdowns is almost money in the bank for Peterson in 2011.
2010 Stats: 1298 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 341 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
2011 Stat Projections: 1200-1400 rushing yards, 200-400 receiving yards, 10-15 total touchdowns

3. Jamaal Charles - KC ----- While many people want to see Charles receive 300-400 rushing attempts in a season, the fact that the Chiefs have limited his carries over the past two seasons has no doubt been a blessing. After tallying a ridiculous 1,467 rushing yards on just 230 rushing attempts last season, which led to a 6.4 rushing yards per carry average, I think that we all need to understand that limiting Charles to no more than 300 rushing attempts this season is likely in everybody's best interest. The only major downside to Charles in fantasy football leagues for the 2011 season, is that he has very little value as a goal line touchdown option, which was evident by his extremely low 5 rushing touchdowns last season. However in fantasy football leagues that value total yardage, Charles is an absolute beast and could easily top the 2,000 total yard mark for the 2011 season.
2010 Stats: 1467 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 468 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns
2011 Stat Projections: 1200-1500 rushing yards, 300-600 receiving yards, 5-10 total touchdowns

4. Chris Johnson - Ten ----- The lingering contract situation in annoying, but Johnson is hard to pass up at this point among RB options in fantasy football drafts. After churning out 2,006 rushing yards in 2009, Johnson followed his history making season with a 1,364 rushing yard performance last year. At age 25 to begin the 2011 season, there is little reason to think that Johnson will not once again tally 1,000 plus rushing yards and 200 plus receiving yards, as well as being a solid touchdown option.
2010 Stats: 1364 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 245 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
2011 Stat Projections: 1200-1500 rushing yards, 200-500 receiving yards, 8-12 total touchdowns

5. Ray Rice - Bal ----- After a phenomenal sophomore season in 2009 that resulted in Rice tallying over 2,000 total yards, many people expected Rice to explode in the stat department for the 2010 season. However that explosion was limited due to the emergence of Willis McGahee as the Ravens goal line option who swiped a handful of rushing touchdowns. Now entering the 2011 season with McGahee gone and Ricky Williams in, Rice could easily see a significant increase in goal line opportunities this season. In fantasy football leagues that score heavily on yardage, Rice should easily continue to be a total yardage beast in 2011 as he definitely has the ability to top the 2,000 total yard mark.
2010 Stats: 1220 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 556 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
2011 Stat Projections: 1200-1500 rushing yards, 400-700 receiving yards, 8-12 total touchdowns

6. Rashard Mendenhall - Pit ----- *VALUE PICK*

7. Michael Turner - Atl

8. LeSean McCoy - Phi ----- *VALUE PICK*

9. Darren McFadden - Oak

10. Frank Gore - SF

11. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jac

12. Matt Forte - Chi

13. Steven Jackson - StL

14. Shonn Green - NYJ

15. Ahmad Bradshaw - NYG

16. Peyton Hillis - Cle

17. DeAngelo Williams - Car ----- *VALUE PICK*

18. Ryan Grant - GB ----- *VALUE PICK*

19. LeGarrette Blount - TB

20. *Daniel Thomas - Mia ----- *OVERRATED*

21. *Mark Ingram - NO

22. Ryan Mathews - SD

23. Marshawn Lynch - Sea

24. Knowshon Moreno - Den

25. Fred Jackson - Buf ----- *UNDERRATED*

26. Joseph Addai - Ind ----- *UNDERRATED*

27. Jahvid Best - Det ----- *BREAKOUT*

28. BenJarvus Green-Ellis - NE

29. Jonathan Stewart - Car ----- *OVERRATED*

30. Felix Jones - Dal

31. Beanie Wells - Ari

32. Cedric Benson - Cin

33. Mike Tolbert - SD ----- *UNDERRATED*

34. *Ryan Williams - Ari ----- *SLEEPER* (INJURED - OUT FOR SEASON)

35. Tim Hightower - Was ----- *OVERRATED*

36. Reggie Bush - Mia ----- *OVERRATED*

37. Rashad Jennings - Jac

38. James Starks - GB ----- *SLEEPER*

39. Michael Bush - Oak

40. CJ Spiller - Buf

41. Danny Woodhead - NE

42. Thomas Jones - KC

43. Ronnie Brown - Phi

44. LaDainian Tomlinson - NYJ

45. Brandon Jacobs - NYG

46. *Roy Helu - Was

47. *DeMarco Murray - Dal

48. Pierre Thomas - NO

49. Donald Brown - Ind

50. Ryan Torain - Was

51. Darren Sproles - NO

52. Marion Barber - Chi

53. Willis McGahee - Den

54. Jason Snelling - Atl

55. Leon Washington - Sea

56. Bernard Scott - Cin ----- *SLEEPER*

57. Toby Gerhart - Min

58. Justin Forsett - Sea

60. Brandon Jackson - Cle

61. Javon Ringer - Ten

59. *Stevan Ridley - NE ----- *SLEEPER*

62. *Alex Green - GB

63. *Shane Vereen - NE

64. *Delone Carter - Ind

65. *Jacquizz Rodgers - Atl

66. *Jordan Todman - SD ----- *SLEEPER*

67. Isaac Redman - Pit

68. Carnell Williams - StL

69. Ben Tate - Hou

70. Jerious Norwood - StL

71. Mike Goodson - Car

72. Montario Hardesty - Cle

73. Tashard Choice - Dal

74. Chris Ivory - NO

75. Keiland Williams - Was

76. Ricky Williams - Bal

77. Steve Slaton - Hou

78. John Kuhn - GB

79. Chester Taylor - Chi

80. Maurice Morris - Det

81. Deji Karim - Jac

82. Joe McKnight - NYJ

83. LaRod Stephens-Howling - Ari

84. LenDale White - Den

85. Anthony Dixon - SF

86. Jerome Harrison - Det

87. *Kendall Hunter - SF

88. *Dion Lewis - Phi

89. *Taiwan Jones - Oak

90. *Evan Royster - Was

91. *Johnny White - Buf

92. *John Clay - Pit

93. Kevin Faulk - NE

94. Le'Ron McClain - KC

95. Javarris James - Ind

96. Derrick Ward - Hou

97. Marcel Reece - Oak

98. Stafon Johnson - Ten

99. Thomas Clayton - Sea

100. Mewelde Moore - Pit

101. Aaron Brown - Det

102. James Davis - Was

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FREE AGENTS

Kevin Smith - Det (NA)

Laurence Maroney - Den (NA)

Ladell Betts - NO (NA)

Julius Jones - NO (NA)

Kareem Huggins - TB (NA)

Brian Westbrook - SF (NA)

Correll Buck halter - Den (NA)

Fred Taylor - NE (NA)

Mike Hart - Ind (NA)

*Mikel LeShoure - Det = INJURED - out for season

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2011 Running Back RB Rankings are based on a standard fantasy football scoring system:

Rushing Yards: 1 point = 10 rushing yards

Receiving Yards: 1 point = 10 receiving yards

Rushing/Receiving Touchdown: 6 points

Fumble Lost: -2 points

Passing Yards: 1 point = 25 passing yards

Passing Touchdown: 4 points

Interception: -1 points

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Player status' include: SLEEPER, BREAKOUT, OVERRATED, UNDERRATED, VALUE PICK, BUST, based on their potential heading into the 2011 fantasy football season. ( * = rookie status)