sorry but this is fantasy football, not nfl football, and here the whole picture matters. the question isnt "who is better at only running the ball" but rather "who will score more fantasy points" this season. you made alot of great points in your post, and i agree with most of them. maroney is definitely a better between the tackles runner. i dont think that you can call bush's receiving part of his game a "little added bonus" since it is a huge part of his game and since it really opens up the whole offense. i dont think theres any question about which of these guys is more valuable in the nfl. its bush just because he makes up a ton of ground outside of rushing yards and more so because hes a valuable decoy on every play he doesnt touches the ball and opens up the whole offense. watch the next time you see bush go out of the backfield and run to his right, you get like 2 guys following him. hes getting the randy moss treatment right now and still getting numbers, and its also opening up the whole field for the other 10 guys.

Bush is the better player right now. If maroney can stay healthy he might equal Bush at some point, but even then it's comparing apples to oranges given their different roles. Bush is CLEARLY more valuable in ppr leagues. It's possible that Maroney could outpace him in standard scoring leagues this year or in the future, but until he proves himself he isn't the commodity that Bush has proven himself to be in just one year. Plus Bush will probably improve on last years numbers.

one very nice thing about maroney is on NE, you'll never have to worry about continued TD opportunities.

I hear that Maroney and his shoulder will be good at the start of training camp.

Let's see !!! You can take Maroney, and risk losing him to injury throughout the season, or you can take Bush, who will split carries with Deuce, which will surely affect his fantasy value, for this year anyway. I'm not a real risk taker when it comes to drafting one of two top running backs. Consistancy is what I feel comfortable with, and with Bush getting lots of rest, and not having the entire team on his back, I'm going to take Bush.

Why does everyone think Maroney is such an injury risk? All reports I have read is he'll be 100% for TC, what is it that e1 is afraid of? And if I'm taking a back in round 1, they better have the entire team in their back from a running game standpoint, how else you going to get the points needed to substantiate the first round pick?

The Boston Globe reports Patriots HC Bill Belichick commented on WEEI about the health of RB Laurence Maroney (shoulder). "We'll have to see how that comes along. I'm sure he'll be close. He's doing well. He's worked extremely hard this offseason. I'm sure he'll be ready to go. What the exact time will be, we'll wait and see how that comes along. But I'm sure he'll be ready to go."

Doesn't fill me with confidence!

Belichick isn't going to give anybody any sort of solid answer in terms of injury until the NFL steps up an forces it. Just look at how he treated the weekly injury report last season.

This right here is why I am scared to death for Maroney. NE is never open and truthfull on injuries. The fact he has not participated, nor is openly being touted as healthy means something is up. I know everyone says they didn't get anyone else...but they did talk to alot of others including Travis Henry, Brown and etc. Look for NE to be very pass heavy this year.

I originally voted for Reggie Bush, but that's before I realized that it specifically notes that PPR is not in the consideration. Then I thought about it, and stayed with my selection. Even without points on catches, Reggie Bush finishes just slightly better than Laurence Maroney in terms of total fantasy points in the 2007-08 season.

From solely a rushing standpoint, Laurence Maroney is currently the better back (read: has the better situation). Reports may have people concerned about his shoulder, but I agree with M_t. They would have shopped for another veteran had they had major concerns about his health. It's very reasonable to think he could finish the season with 12-1300 yards on the ground, considering how strong their passing game and offensive line are. Their defense should again provide them with many opportunities to drive it into the end zone, but Laurence Maroney will struggle without the Bonnie to his Clyde (Corey Dillon and his punishing running game) when it comes to the red zone. Out of Maroney's 6 TD scored last season, only 1 of them came in a game where Dillon DIDN'T score. Also, in 3 of the 4 games where Dillon's game was struggling (under 50 yards, no TD), Maroney's was as well. It's pretty clear to me that Maroney was able to run through such big gaps and make such big plays only because Dillon opened them. Defenses would key in on a bruising back and a quick, unseen back would come in and break through. Pretty expected of a back with Maroney's speed, but the fact that Maroney didn't create much on his own should be a bit of a scare now that Dillon's gone. Maroney only scored in a game by himself (where Dillon didn't score) once. The kid's shoulder will be fine, but just look at Ronnie Brown and the fatigue he faced in his 2nd season. Maroney just will not be ready to carry a load that big nearly by himself in only his sophomore season.

Reggie Bush finished 2006 very strong, with a 5.5 ypc average and 2 TD in his last 4 games. He also caught almost 90 balls totalling 742 yards, pure domination from a running back in his rookie season. His aerial yardage will again be a huge factor to defend for opposing teams, and with Drew Brees at the helm, Bush will be a nice target in the red zone. Bush may not be the #1 option on the ground for the Saints, but with how talented their offense is, they'll have plenty of chances to score. New Orleans gave up 4 less possessions than did the Patriots last season, and there's no reason for that to change for the worse for the Saints. Bush caught 73% of the passes thrown his way last season with the potential for a percentage closer to 80 (fellow backs Chester Taylor, Joseph Addai, and Steven Jackson's percentages were in the low 80's; his hands may be similar if not better than any of theirs), meaning improved receiving totals should be on the way. I can see 750, maybe 800. 14-1500 total yards is what I'm expecting out of him this season, with nearly 10 TD. You could argue against that, but I don't believe Maroney will top 1300 yards/10 TD himself. Thus, I do believe Reggie Bush will slightly outperform Laurence Maroney in the battle of the sophomores.



Sorry it took so long guys

OMG!!! Aces is back!!! Long time no see.......nice to see ya back around.

good to be back Miller_time, I just hope life doesn't get too much in the way of another fun season. I may have to hold off on the articles, not sure yet, but I'd like to be back to regular member status.

Any way I can change my username to just..Aces?

I'm on the Reggie Bush bandwagon... 1307 total yards last year can only go up!

plus Maroney has been on the shelf this off season with a shoulder issue..

I go Bush

Maroney is the only legit RB in NE vs. sharing carries with Deuce.
(but I'd take Bush in a Dynasty)