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| Authored by Andrew Perna - 7th July, 2006 - 2:21 am
 Last week, I highlighted the best quarterbacks in fantasy football. While having a stud quarterback is important, running backs are the work horses of any and every fantasy team. Without an elite running back, you might as well pack up your season now. Starting a guy like LaDainian Tomlinson every week could carry you to your league title, but naming Kevan Barlow as your top running back could give you the top pick in next year?s draft
Once again, I?ll be filling a spot in my fantasy football challenge league this week, so please read to see how you can become the second contestant in the league!
1. Larry Johnson, Kansas City
For years, the Chiefs gave fantasy owners the number one running back option in Priest Holmes. Now with Larry Johnson, Kansas City appears to have grab hold of the top fantasy running game once again. Johnson runs with one of the best offensive lines in all of football, and has the skills to capitalize just as Holmes did a few years ago. Don?t expect him to hold the pace he was at during the last eight games of the season when he averaged over 150 yards per game, but something close will do.
2. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
With Drew Brees in New Orleans, Tomlinson will be asked to carry a heavier load for the Chargers in 2006. He?s the Peyton Manning of the NFL?s running backs. You can count on him to produce for you week-in and week-out. I wouldn?t be surprised if Tomlinson ended up as the top fantasy performer of 2006 when it?s all said and done.
3. Shaun Alexander, Seattle
Alexander may have broken the single-season touchdown record last season, but it?ll take a mammoth effort in 2006 for him to remain on similar pace this season. Not only will teams be paying special attention to Alexander this season, but he?ll also be running without some of the help he received last year on Seattle?s offensive line.
4. Tiki Barber, New York Giants
Tiki lit up like a torch last season, his ninth in the league. His career-high 1,860 rushing yards made him a fantasy stud for the entire world to rely on. He may be the oldest back on this list, but if you underestimate him, your opponents will capitalize on your mistakes and ride him all the way to the playoffs.
5. Ronnie Brown, Miami
With Cheech, I mean Ricky Williams gone for the season, fantasy owners should snatch Brown up as a top-tier running back option. Last year, Ronnie?s rookie season, he rushed for over 900 yards on just over 200 carries. In 2006, he won?t be sharing carries with Williams, and he?ll be able to run with Daunte Culpepper drawing the attention of the defenses in Miami.
6. LaMont Jordan, Oakland
In his first year as a starting running back, Jordan posted impressive numbers, over 1,000 yards, in just fourteen games. However, often times last season the Raiders were forced to pass the ball when they fell behind early in games. With Aaron Brooks at quarterback and a new coaching regime expect him to get consistent touches in 2006.
7. Steven Jackson, St. Louis
With the Marshall Faulk era over for the Rams, it looks as though everything will fall on the shoulders of Jackson in 2006. That?s good news for owners lucky enough to pick him up in their fantasy drafts this summer. I wouldn?t be surprised if Jackson was able to rack up over 1,300 yards and double-digits in touchdowns for St. Louis this year. As with Jordan, a new coaching staff should help his production.
8. Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati
Rudi ran like a bat out of hell towards the end of 2005, rushing for ten touchdowns in a six-game span in the second half of the season. Second half performance is a great indicator of a fantasy stud, and with Carson Palmer coming back from injury look for the Bengals to ride Johnson to the end zone early and often.
9. Clinton Portis, Washington
He may not be the fantasy king?. he was as a member of the Denver Broncos, but he?s still one of the league?s most dangerous rushers in the open-field. Portis is athletic, young, and talented; three very important characteristics for a good fantasy running back. Keep your eye on the quarterback situation in Washington because it?ll have big effect on the production of Portis in 2006.
10. Edgerrin James, Arizona
If James was still in Indianapolis, then he?d definitely be a top-five running back. In Arizona, James? production will take a serious hit because of their suspect offensive line and the lack of a premier passing game that he had with the Colts. If Kurt Warner can come through and connect with the Cardinals elite receivers (Fitzgerald and Boldin) expect James to become a top-five option at running back.
Best of the Rest:
11. Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay
12. Willis McGahee, Buffalo
13. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia
Think you have a better top-ten list than mine? Want to challenge my fantasy football skills in a season-long competition? Today is your lucky day because I?ll be hosting a 12-team fantasy football challenge league this fall where eleven readers will take me head-on during the 2006 NFL season!
I?d like to select one reader to be the second entrant in my fantasy football challenge league. How can you become the lucky reader? Just be the second person to e-mail me with the answer to this question: RealGM?s Jeff Risdon has been doing a wonderful job previewing the 2006 season for many of the NFL teams. What record did he predict that the Buffalo Bills would finish the season with?
Congratulations to Ben Solesbee for becoming the second entrant in RealGM?s Fantasy Football Challenge! He answered my trivia questions about the Bills correctly! Jeff Risdon predicted the Bills would go 3-13!
Stay tuned all summer to The Red Zone where you can earn yourself a spot in my 12-team fantasy football challenge league!
Andrew can be reached at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com
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