Fantasy Football 2012: RB Sleepers

By Muntrdamus
BEAST DOME NATION.

It is now August. Almost one month until all of our dreams of waking up on Sunday with nothing but Football on as excitement and adrenaline run through our veins for nearly 20 hours.  I will be producing daily Fantasy Football content to have you ready for your draft.
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UNDERVALUED RB SLEEPERS:

 

DARREN MCFADDEN – RB – OAK

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #3

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #7

 

Run DMC is an absolute star.  Injuries have been a problem for him in the past, but if you draft to avoid injuries, you miss out on star players who could easily win your league.  Darren McFadden is the type of player who can score from anywhere on the field at any play.  To his advantage Carson Palmer will have a full year of pre-season to get familiar with his receiving corps which will stretch the field.  When the safeties have to respect the deep pass, that is when McFadden can take off with those huge TD runs.

Run DMC will have 160 Yard 2 TD games with ease, and some experts have him ranked at #18.  Do yourself a favor and target him in the 1st round.
PREDICTION: 272 Carries. 1920 Yards Rushing. 80 Receptions. 800 Yards Receiving. 18 TDS.

 

 

 

STEVEN JACKSON – RB – STL

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #6

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #13

Steven Jackson is in the best shape of his career going on a strict diet to make him more lean and stronger.  With Sam Bradford having another year of experience, this Rams team should be ready to move in the right direction.  Their defense should be better as well as they added Cortland Finnegan, so no more teams will go off for 350 yards with ease through the air which kills time of possession and scoreboard for the Rams offense.  On top of that Jeff Fisher is the new Rams coach, and he knows how to make RB’s successful with Eddie George and Chris Johnson when he was 2K version is the latest examples.

Steven Jackson will get at least 20 touches a game, and some experts have him ranked at #20 for the position!  He is only 29 Years Old, and I personally will be targeting anywhere in the 2nd round.  If he falls to round 3, absolute STEAL.

PREDICTION: 288 Carries. 1328 Yards Rushing. 80 Receptions. 672 Yards Receiving. 14 TDs.

 

 

 

WILLIS MCGAHEE – RB – DEN

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #10

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #23

 

Willis was an electrifying RB last season with the Broncos.  He could pull of 10+ Yard runs whenever he wanted to it felt like.  The most impressive thing about it was he did it with Tim Tebow which allowed defenses to play extra men in the box because they did not have to respect the pass.  Well now replace Tebow with Peyton Manning and Willis McGahee should see two less defenders in the box this season.  Not only should he see two less defenders in the box, but Peyton Manning will move the Broncos down the field more consistently and convert on way more 3rd downs than they did last season.  With all the added fire power, Willis should easily improve this season and be a BEAST that everyone has to watch out.

Willis McGahee will get 20 carries a game, he could even be used as a 3rd down back.  Ronnie Hillman is no Willis McGahee so do not be afraid of him losing his job.  Some experts have him ranked at #45, I personally will be attacking him in the 3rd or 4th round of all drafts to get the steal of the century.

PREDICTION: 320 Carries. 1760 Yards Rushing. 20 Receptions. 100 Yards Receiving. 17 TDs.

 

 

 

FRED JACKSON – RB – BUF

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #11

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #17

The Bills could be one of the most improved teams this season.  They finally have a defense, and that means extra Time.Of.Possession (T.O.P) for Fred Jackson to do his damage.  The Bills said they will be using Spiller, but Fred was the best RB in the game last year before going down.  It will not take long for the Bills to realize that Jackson needs to be spoon fed the ball early and often.  He is 100%, and will look to continue his fantasy dominance.

Some experts have Jackson ranked outside of the top 30, he is a steal if you can get him in round 3 or 4.  100+ total yards, a lot of receptions, and a great amount of TDs will keep his owners busy.

 

PREDICTION: 272 Carries. 1140 Yards Rushing. 80 Receptions. 560 Yards Receiving. 11 TDs.

 

 

 

SHONN GREENE – RB – NYJ

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #13

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #22

We all saw last season how good Willis McGahee was with Tim Tebow.  Now enter Shonn Greene who has been in disappointment city throughout his fantasy career.  Every season there is hype leading up to his name, and every season he falls shorts of expectations.  This season should be different now that Tebow will be the QB who can move the ball way more consistently than Sanchez could ever dream of.  You know the Jets are a better team when they are grinding out yards, eating clock, and then setting their defense up in situations where teams have to play catchup mode.  I see Greene being a workhorse and finally getting over that 300 carry barrier we all know is coming.

Greene will get his 20 carries a game, and he will get double digit TDs on the season.  Experts have him ranked at #43, I personally see him as a good consolation prize if I miss out on Willis McGahee in round 4 or 5.
PREDICTION: 320 Carries. 1360 Yards Rushing. 15 Receptions. 80 Yards Receiving. 12 TDs.

 

 

 

 

JAMES STARKS – RB – GB

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #23

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #30

Some experts have James Starks ranked near #50 at the position. Yes the Packers throw a lot, and yes Aaron Rodgers runs the Red Zone offense better than any QB.  But what Starks does have is a team that could build huge leads quickly.  Then when that lead is big enough, the garbage yards start piling in to the point where you wish the game will never end.  Starks will probably not have more than a handful of 20 carry games, but he should see close enough if he can handle the job.

 

Starks is a great RB to claim if you can get him at round 6.  Anything after that is an absolute steal, anything lower, well hope he does not get injured, and hope he records a 100 Yard game.  With Ryan Grant on the team last season, he did not accomplish that.
PREDICTION: 240 Carries. 1120 Yards Rushing. 64 Receptions. 560 Yards Receiving. 8 TDs.

 

 

 

STEVAN RIDLEY – RB – NE

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #24

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #35

Some experts have Ridley ranked at #50.  With Joseph Addai no longer on the roster, Ridley is in a prime position to take the Patriots RB job and run away with it.  The Patriots have the best passing attack in the game by far, and Ridley will probably not see more than 12 carries in a game.  However those 12 carries could be huge runs as defenses have to respect the pass, and then add another pad of defense to respect the pass even more.  There is no way to slow down the Patriots offense.  Worst case scenario is Danny Woodhead continues to find himself in the rotation making Ridley inconsistent.

Ridley will do what he can with his handful of carries, but he could really surprise us and turn into a viable RB threat worth grabbing as a high-upside RB#3.  If you can grab him as a RB#4, then you got yourself a great weapon.

PREDICTION: 180 Carries. 800 Yards Rushing. 48 Receptions. 480 Yards Receiving. 7 TDs.

 

 

 

BEN TATE – RB – TEX

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #28

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #37

 

Ben Tate is the best backup RB in the game.  If he was a starter on any normal team, he would be in the top 2o, maybe even top 10.  If Arian Foster goes down for any reason, he will be a top 5 RB in that Texans system.  He is a truck that nobody can stop, and even as a backup to Foster he could still score 5 TDs easily this season.  Foster is pretty durable despite missing time to start last season, but there is still that off chance Foster misses a game or two.  The Texans also have the easiest schedule in the NFL, which means a lot of blowouts, which means he will see a few games with double digit carries.  In those game he is worth a start as a FLEX, even as a backup RB.  That’s how good he is.

Some experts have Tate ranked at #49, I would reach for him as a RB#4, possibly draft him as a RB#3 with the potential of having a superstar if Foster goes down.

 

PREDICTION: 160 Carries. 640 Yards Rushing. 32 Receptions. 320 Yards Receiving. 6 TDs. (This is predicted as a backup all season.)

 

 

BERNARD SCOTT – RB – CIN

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #38

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #52

I may be alone on this thought, but I think Benjarvus Green-Ellis is the most overvalued RB in the game.  I will cover him in my bust section in another article.  The Bengals are a much better team with a versatile back like Bernard Scott who can run with speed, catch like a 3rd down back, and block with his heart.  All three cannot be said about Green-Ellis.  If Scott finds himself as a starter, he could easily gather some 80 Yards rushing, 20 Yards Receiving games with a TD making him a must-start Flex option.
Some experts have Scott ranked at #66, I see him breaking the starting lineup this season by Week 5 when they realize BJGE is a blob.  Grab him as a high upside RB4/RB5.

 

PREDICTION: 192 Carries. 753 Yards Rushing. 64 Receptions. 480 Yards Receiving. 6 TDs.

 

 

 

JACQUIZZ RODGERS – RB – ATL

MUNTRADAMUS RB RANKING: #39

EXPERT RB RANKINGS AVERAGE: #49

 

If you remember the Warrick Dunn, Mike Alstott days with Tampa Bay.  We could see a similar situation in Atlanta with Jaquizz and Michael Turner.  Turner is wearing down quicker than ever, he knows it, the coaches know it, fantasy owners know it.  They have already begun talking about limiting him to 250 carries for the season, which translates to about 15 carries a game, and most likely goal-line carries.  That leaves a lot of touches for Jaquizz who is an explosive back that can catch the ball and RUN.  Quizz will be great in PPR leagues, and is worth taking as a #4 or #5 RB in all leagues.  Quizz only needs a handful of touches to have a big game, and he could easily get that and then some.
Some experts have him ranked at #72, I would take him as a solid RB#4 in PPR leagues.
PREDICTION: 100 Carries. 350 Rushing Yards. 80 Receptions. 576 Receiving Yards. 4 TDs.

 

Muntradamus is a Fantasy Sports Expert who specialize in Fantasy Football/Baseball/Basketball. He is currently in his first season as a Pro on FantasyPros where he is the only expert to have Adam Dunn, Mike Aviles, and Wilin Rosario in his top 20 at each position. Muntradamus not only leads many to championships with his great advice, and outlooks into the future. He is also consistently on the top of leaderboards in DraftStreet. In August he will compete in a $250K MLB tournament that he qualified for.