By Erick Arnold As is said in the football world, the season is ?a marathon, not a race?. No statement could better explain the Running Back position in fantasy football. Just ask those that selected Michael Turner last season with the high first round pick that it would?ve cost them to acquire his services. Turner was a flat out beast up until Week 9 when an ankle injury cut his season short. Sure, he was a great pick if this was 1982 with the NFLPA strike shortened season where the NFL only played 9 games. Turner going on the shelf made Jason Snelling one of the hottest mid-season commodities of 2009. Was Turner?s injury too predictable for you? I mean, he did cross the dreaded ?370+ carries club? that shelved some true FFL greats such as Shaun Alexander, Priest Holmes, LaDainian Tomlinson, etc. Ok, fine. Then let?s look at DeAngelo Williams. Or another injury-prone: Brian Westbrook. Or how about Steven Jackson? ?Frankenstein? Brandon Jacobs ring a bell? That guy played more like Tinkerbell last year. The point to be made here is this: each of the Running Backs I just mentioned were ranked in the Top 12 Overall in 2009. Fantasy owners who selected these backs with a high draft choice either lost games, scrounged the waiver wire for a replacement, made trades, or all of the above. Put it this way, if you drafted one of these turkeys and your company firewall blocked your league?s website, you were pretty much SOL in any real competitive league. So, one begs the question, why are running backs getting all the love this year? The traditional answer in that Running Backs have more of an opportunity to score points in rushing, receiving, and sometimes (albeit extremely rare) passing (Ronnie Brown & Joseph Addai owners can attest to that last year ? but who really started Addai?!). Or, there?s the ?modern? argument being thrown around today which is that most NFL teams have switched to two-back systems leaving the ?Supermen? who once took the rock 20-25 times per game a thing of the past. Obviously the less touches any player gets, the less opportunities they have to score. Or, more importantly, score points for your fantasy team. So that?s it then, right? I mean, if you?re like the majority of us and you?re sitting with picks 5-8 it?s been engrained in our heads to take that running back. If that?s the case then what have we as fantasy owners learned from 2009? Apparently not much at all. What? Are we afraid to pull the trigger that early on a QB only to face scorn from our foes on the chat boards? Are the letters ?l-o-l? that powerful that we simply do what we?re ?supposed? to do? I beg to differ. I find it laughable as I read blogs discussing 2010 and view pre-draft rankings from ?experts? and all I see is the same ole?, same ole? ?pound the rock with your first pick? philosophy. What I find so hilarious about it is the simple fact that it is much easier to replace a Running Back mid-season than it is a Quarterback, Wide Receiver, or even Tight End!! Why on God?s green Earth would you spend such a valuable choice on a position that can be so easily filled at ANY time during the season to get the SAME production?? Or better yet, why on Barry?s Blue moon would you spend such a high draft pick on a position that can be so easily filled LATER IN THE DRAFT?? Don?t believe me? Let?s take a look at 5 options from each vantage point. Waiver wire RB?s of 2009 - Jason Snelling - Mike Bell (I actually drafted him in one league) - Ryan Moats (pick any for this backfield depending on the week last year) - Leanord Weaver - Kenneth Darby Solid later-round RB?s 2010 - Matt Forte - Justin Forsett - Laurence Maroney - Cadillac Williams - Michael Bush Now, because you?ve learned your 2009 lesson, and your foes are still stuck in 200&late (sorry? had to) you?re left to swim in your riches like Michael Phelps hitting up Scrooge?s money bank/house. Targeting either a top WR or QB in the first round is, dare I say, the new black. Choosing either option frees you up to continue to target top, hard to replace talent at WR, TE, & QB for the first few rounds of your draft all the while knowing you?ll be fine at the RB position as well. With this draft philosophy, we look as wise as Indiana Jones did in his third movie (the funny one with Sean Connery) picking the Holy Grail. For example, we could have a squad with Tom Brady, Dallas Clark, and Randy Moss!!! With some smart drafting in later rounds to go with those three, that team could be as dominant as the 80?s 49ers. Look, I?m not about to tell you to not draft stud running backs like Adrian Peterson or Chris Johnson if you?ve hit paydirt and scored the first or second pick. All I?m saying is this: Only a handful of running backs warrant a first round selection in 2010 and they are AP, CJ, MJD & Ray Rice. Even with the proliferation of two-back systems being used by most NFL teams today, drafting a running back in the first round is extremely overrated.