2008 College Fantasy Football
Running Back Rankings
(Top 25) By Brandon Anderson
7/29/08
Email Brandon Like the NFL, college fantasy football teams win or die by the running
back most of the time. The studs can really put up huge numbers and a hot RB
or two can carry an entire fantasy team for most of a season. Most college
leagues do not use PPR scoring (a point per reception), so we’ll assume
basic scoring here. TDs are worth 6, and then 1 point for rushing or
receiving yards. **Sleeper Alert**
1. Luke Lippincott, Nevada
I can tell you one thing – you probably won’t find Lippincot at the top of
anyone else’s list out there. But the guy does it all. He rolls up a ton of
TDs, he racks up yardage, and he even catches passes. The biggest problem
last year was doing it consistently from week to week. If he can even come
close to solving that, he will be a huge steal for you in the 2nd or 3rd
round. 2. Harvey Unga, BYU
You probably weren’t expecting two guys from the middle of the Western
desert locking down the top two spots, but Unga is a stud who does
everything well. He catches a ton of passes and gets into the endzone by
land or air, and he’ll get plenty of rushing yards as well. Don’t hesitate
to take him as one of the first few RBs off the board, even if you’ve never
seen him play. 3. Ian Johnson, Boise State
You’ll find Johnson at the top of the list on many sites, maybe even the
recommended #1 pick overall. Not so here, where Johnson does plenty on the
ground but not quite enough in the air to stay atop the list. Still, you
can’t really go wrong with this stud. 4. Chris Wells, Ohio State
If you watch college football at all, you know about Beanie and how he tore
up Michigan last year and how he may be running toward the Heisman this
year. Agreed on all accounts. But like Ian Johnson, and even more so, he
does basically nothing in the passing game so he’s not quite at the top of
my list. 5. Knowshown Moreno, Georgia
You probably heard of this guy last November, if not for his superstar stats
he was putting up, then at least for the weird first name that made you look
twice. Moreno is such a stud that he could finish #1 and by a ways, but I’ll
temper my expectations a bit with the arrival of fellow stud RB Caleb King
into the offense. 6. LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
I count six RBs I can legitimately make a case for as the #1 guy on this
list, and that ends here in Pittsburgh with a bruising guy who should rack
up the numbers but may lack a bit on the TD opportunities to be a true
superstar. But make no mistake about it, LeSean is the real McCoy. 7. Arian Foster, Tennessee
Foster has yet to be healthy enough to really hit on all cylinders for a
whole season. But with Erik Ainge finally gone, it may at last be his turn
to shine. **Sleeper Alert**
8. Justin Anderson, Northern Illinois
You’ve probably heard of guys like Michael Turner and Garrett Wolfe. NIU has
a rich history of RBs, and trust me on this one, Anderson is the next great
Husky. 9. Eugene Jarvis, Kent State
The MAC is the land of offense, not even as much on talent alone as on lack
of defense. But Jarvis is talented in his own right and the centerpiece of
an offense that can put up good fantasy points in a Golden Flash. **Sleeper Alert**
10. Noel Devine, West Virginia
Chances are pretty good that you’ve seen this guy play, maybe not this year,
but sometime in your past on YouTube lighting up some poor Florida high
school students. Lucky for him, the Mountaineers’ schedule is just about as
tough, so he should explode onto the national scene this year. **Sleeper Alert**
11. James Starks, Buffalo
Starks isn’t the most talented player in the world, and you probably don’t
know the first thing about Buffalo or their football team. But this guy is
like a poor man’s Harvey Unga with a ton of catches and apparently the only
one on his team who can score TDs. 12. DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
Promise me that Murray stays healthy all year and fellow Sooner RB Chris
Brown doesn’t, and I’ll happily throw him into the top spot on my board. But
without either of those assurances, he remains a dicey option at best as the
star of your team. 13. Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss
I’ve seen Fletcher ranked in many top 5s and even in the top spot by some,
but I have him down a bit because it looks like the Golden Eagles may work
on a more balanced attack this year and force the pass at times. That
worries me, and I’ll let someone else take Fletcher. **Sleeper Alert**
14. Ryan McCants, Oregon State
Ever heard of Steven Jackson? McCants is supposed to be as good, or better.
Not only is he supremely talented, but he’s also running behind one of the
best lines in the country and should see the offense roll through him all
season long. 15. Tyrell Sutton, Northwestern
Sutton should be healthy again and will be back to his dual threat ways,
racking up yards by land or through the air as the centerpiece of the
Wildcat offense. 16. Javon Ringer, Michigan State
Jehuu Caulcrick is gone, and so are his 21 vultured TDs, so many expect
Ringer to go flying up the boards as he pairs up his massive yard totals
with many more TDs. I’m not so sold that Ringer will do as well without his
Thunder partner. **Sleeper Alert**
17. Dajuane Collins, Toledo
Yep, another MAC daddy running back. Toledo is another school with a good
recent history of running backs. With Jalen Paremele gone after a top
fantasy season, Collins is a good bet to follow in his foot steps. 18. PJ Hill, Wisconsin
Hill is a talented workhorse in a running offense behind a great line. But
he has had serious problems staying healthy, and he may be sharing the
backfield with any number of other good options, so temper your
expectations. **Sleeper Alert**
19. Mike Goodson, Texas A&M
If you’re an NFL fan, you probably recognize the name of new head coach Mike
Sherman. Sherm has long had success running offenses, and Goodson will
finally get his shot to lead this year while big guy Javorskie Lane has been
moved to full back. Look for Goodson to run in a pro-style system similar to
Ahman Green used to flourish in. 20. Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
There may not be a bigger hit or miss back in the draft. Playing for new
coach Paul Johnson, whose teams have lead the league in rushing three
straight years, you could make a legitimate case that Dwyer has a shot at #1
on this list. But the numbers may spread far too thin for one back to put up
anything too huge, at least they certainly ended up that way with all of
Navy’s backs. And if you’re hoping for some receiving to bolster numbers,
you won’t find much of that either. 21. Marlon Lucky, Nebraska
If you were Lucky enough to draft this guy last season, you know he had a
monster year in Nebraska’s new pass-happy system with a ton of receptions
and plenty of rushing. Look for more of the same. 22. Darrell Mack, Utah
Mack is just a good runner for a good team in a good system that produces
good fantasy RBs. Nothing more, nothing less. 23. Jahvid Best, California
Best is a speedster, and Cal has had a ton of great tail backs of late. But
he’s dealing with a hip injury and that doesn’t mesh well with speed or with
running backs – just ask Bo Jackson. Pick with caution. 24. Mike Ford, South Florida
The Bulls should be back on the national stage again. They won’t be an
offensive powerhouse, but they’ll score, and Ford will lead the way with a
lot of goal line touches. **Sleeper Alert**
25. Frank Goodin, Louisiana-Monroe
UL-M are the Warhawks, which is probably the first thing you’ve ever learned
about this school. But last year senior Calvin Dawson had almost 1700 yards
and 12 TDs, and Goodin may follow in his footsteps. 26. Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State
Dixon is a plow, and he should plow for another pile of touchdowns again
this year if he can hold off some stiff competition. He is a steady guy who
makes a solid RB2 or great RB3. 27. Michael Smith, Arkansas
Don’t expect Darren McFadden or even Felix Jones numbers here, but Smith is
highly talented and should get plenty of looks in Bobby Petrino’s new
offense. 28. Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette
Like Goodin above, this small school Louisiana guy from the Sun Belt will
run wild against a bunch of no-name defenses and post very solid numbers. 29. Rodney Ferguson, New Mexico
Ferguson is a great guy to have on your bench and plug in during one of
those many bye weeks. He won’t often be great, but he’ll be solid most
weeks. 30. Josh Adams, Wake Forest
Like Ferguson, Adams will be the slow and steady one winning the race for
your third RB spot, a nice guy to have around but not a ton of upside. **Sleeper Alert**
31. Deonte Jackson, Idaho
Jackson should be available late as teams look past a RB for a team that won
just one game last year. But if he builds on a strong first year for your
fantasy team, he won’t be the only one proud to be a Vandal. 32. Reggie Arnold, Arkansas State
In some sort of strange way, the Sun Belt is something of a poor man’s MAC.
Not much defense, and plenty of running backs to pile up numbers. **Sleeper Alert**
33. Alexander Johnson, Iowa State
Keep your eye on this guy, one of my favorite sleepers in the draft. He
would be ranked higher if he didn’t play for such a poor team, but he may be
coach Gene Chizek’s ticket to a turnaround. 34. Jake Sharp, Kansas
You’ll find Sharp much higher on many lists, sort of a Javon Ringer lite, a
guy expected to pick up a lot of Brandon McAnderson’s extra touches. Again,
I’m not so sold. Leave him for someone else. 35. James Davis, Clemson
First no Cullen Harper on the QB list, and now almost no Davis or CJ
Spiller? I have plenty of love for Clemson, but there are simply too many
weapons and not enough balls to go around. A nice problem for Tommy Bowden
to have, but not helpful for your fantasy team. **Close but no cigar**
Vondrell McGee, Texas
Keegan Herring, Arizona State
Joe McKnight, USC
Mason Robinson, Rutgers
Josh Haden, Boston College Comment on this
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