2. Beanie Wells, Ohio State
If there is anyone who could knock Moreno off his perch, it’d be Beanie Wells. Wells is extremely talented and could step in and help an NFL team right away. In each of his three seasons at Ohio State, Wells has averaged at least 5.5 yards per carry in each season.

3. LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
After an impressive freshman season, LeSean McCoy exploded in his sophomore season. The 5-foot-11, 210 pound McCoy had nearly 1500 rushing yards to go with 21 touchdowns. He had at least one touchdown in all but one game this season for Pittsburgh.

4. Shonn Greene, Iowa
Shonn Greene didn’t do much in his first two seasons at Iowa. However, in his junior season, Green went from anonymity to the Heisman conversation. Green finished the season with over 1800 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.

5. Donald Brown, Connecticut
Although he didn’t get much publicity, Donald Brown of Connecticut had an amazing season in his junior campaign which put definitely caught the attention of NFL scouts. He finished the year with 18 touchdowns and more than 2000 rushing yards.

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Coming into this offseason, the Bears were prepared to go with Cedric Benson as the team’s starter once again. But Benson got arrested twice, once in a boat and once in a car, and the Bears decided to release him. With Benson out of a job, the Bears now turn to a rookie.

While Chicago also has Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe on the roster, Forte is considered the most likely to start. He’s a bruising back with deceptive speed. His powerful presence should make him a good fit in Chicago’s offense.

His fantasy football projections for 2008 are unclear. The Bears offense looks rather weak and he will likely have to share carries, at least to some degree. However, Forte looks like a player who could become a touchdown vulture and could produce enough on the ground to make him a fantasy football running back starter.

Will Matt Forte make Bears fans forget about Cedric Benson?

Photo: Newscom

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1. LaDainian Tomlison – He’s been too good for too long to pass up.
2. Adrian Peterson – He has as much upside as any player in 2008.
3. Steven Jackson – Struggled in 2007 but should bounce back.
4. Brian Westbrook – Only injury concerns keeps him from top three.
5. Joseph Addai – Role should get even bigger this year for Colts.
6. Marion Barber III – Touchdown should be plentiful in 2008.
7. Larry Johnson – Can he bounce back and become a force?
8. Clinton Portis – Portis is underrated and could shine again.
9. Frank Gore – Mike Martz makes Gore a riskier pick than usual.
10. Marshawn Lynch – If he stays out of trouble, he’ll produce.

Marshawn Lynch, Buffalo Bills

Coming Soon … Running Back Rankings – 1 thru 25

Photo: Newscom

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New England currently has a lot of depth at running back. Laurence Maroney is currently the team’s starting running back. Sammy Morris is still on the roster. Kevin Falk is a big game player. Even fullback Heath Evans has shown an ability to run the ball.

Would the Patriots actually draft McFadden? Probably not. The only feasible way they’d be willing to spend all that money on another running back is if the team soured on Maroney. And while that’s possible, Maroney had a solid second half of the season last year. In 2008, Maroney will be helped by the return of power back Sammy Morris.

The two NFL teams most likely to draft McFadden continue to the be the Oakland Raiders and the New York Jets.

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Once he hit the free agent market, there will be teams interested in signing him, even though Alexander struggled mightily in 2007. He averaged 3.5 yards per carry and had only four touchdowns.

However, it wasn’t too long ago that Alexander was one of the best backs in the league and one of the best players in all of fantasy football. In 2005, Alexander had an astonishing 27 touchdowns for the Seahawks. He made plenty of fantasy football owners smile that year.

In 2008, the fantasy football world is going to be weary of Alexander no matter where he ends up. He likely won’t be a starter and even if he is, he’ll likely last until the fourth or fifth round in fantasy football drafts.

One team that is said to be interested is the Cincinnati Bengals. If the Bengals don’t sign him, a veteran team such as the New York Jets could be interested in his service. And then there’s Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders, who seem to always need running back help these days.

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Not too long ago, scouts weren’t totally sure about McFadden. They wondered whether he’d test out to be a high-quality athlete and whether his off the field character flags would become a concern. But McFadden tested out to be a great athlete and he’s putting any character questions to rest.

As the draft approaches, McFadden’s stock seems to slowly be rising. While it’s unlikely he’ll jump all the way up to the number one pick, two teams really seem like likely options at this point.

The Oakland Raiders, who have the fourth pick in the NFL draft, are said to be interested in drafting McFadden. The Raiders had a pretty good rushing attack last year but McFadden would definitely be an upgrade. McFadden could split carries with Justin Fargas during his rookie season and then take the reins at some point down the line.

Another team seems to be high on McFadden is the New York Jets. Holding the sixth pick, the Jets would have to hope that the Raiders pass on McFadden. With the Jets, McFadden would see carries early and often. New York desperately needs some offense and handing the ball off to McFadden could be their entire gameplan in 2008 if they draft him.

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Rashard Mendenhall – 2008 NFL Draft
After a successful college career, Rashard Mendenhall will likely be drafted in the middle of the first round.

Jonathan Stewart – 2008 NFL Draft
Jonathan Stewart is currently the third running back on most NFL teams’ boards and should go in the first round.

Felix Jones – 2008 NFL Draft
Darren McFadden’s backup at Arkansas, Felix Jones will be a late first rounder or an early second rounder.

Chris Johnson – 2008 NFL Draft
After a nice career at East Carolina, Chris Johnson is the highest rated senior running back in this class.

Ray Rice – 2008 NFL Draft
Although he’s small, Ray Rice has shown enough heart for an NFL team to take a chance on him.

Jamaal Charles – 2008 NFL Draft
Jamaal Charles is still a raw prospect but this Texas product has all the tools to be successful in the NFL.

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Dunn had a good run in Atlanta but at 33-years-old, he’s entering into perhaps his final season in the NFL. He probably doesn’t have much left in the tank. However, in Tampa Bay, Jon Gruden has shown that he trusts and will play veterans before he’d play a younger player. With that in mind, Dunn could get a decent amount of carries in 2008.

That said, Dunn won’t be anything more than a late round fantasy football pick in 2008. In fact, there’s a good chance that he isn’t drafted in most leagues. There isn’t much upside there and it’d be difficult for him to do more than get 500 yards and three touchdowns. Anything more than that would be a surprise.

Earnest Graham will likely start for Tampa Bay at running back with Dunn serving as the third down back. Cadillac Williams could add his name to the mix at some point if he can recover from his massive knee injury.

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While Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris remain in place, there is little doubt that the Seahawks need help at the running back position. Alexander had a poor season last year and it seems like the end of his career is near. Morris gives good effort but he’s just not strong enough to be an every down back. Enter TJ Duckett.

Duckett will enter camp as the team’s second or even third running back but he’s already a 2008 sleeper. Duckett is a powerful back, which is something neither Alexander nor Morris can stay. In goal line situations, Duckett appears to be the obvious choice out of that threesome.

As a late round sleeper, Duckett will be good value in 2008. He could easily score between six and eight touchdowns if he is given the goal line duties. If he is named the starter at some point, Duckett could be a very nice fantasy performer. He doesn’t have great speed but it takes a lot to bring him down. As a starter, he’s the type of player who can get you 70 to 80 yards and a touchdown each game.

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This was a fantastic signing by the Falcons. Turner is the type of player you can build an offense around. He’s tough, strong and has a good open field burst. The only question remaining is whether he’s durable enough to survive a 16 game season.

Even though the Falcons offense is still a work in progress, Turner should be in line for a quality 2008 fantasy football season. An early projection for him would be 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns. In a fantasy football draft, Turner will likely go in the second or third round.

The Chargers won’t be affected too much by this move. Tomlinson is still their main horse and they’ll find someone to be his main backup. Perhaps even Darren Sproles, who came to life last season in the playoffs.

In Atlanta, the big loser appears to be Jerious Norwood. Every fantasy owner was waiting for Norwood to break out in a big way in 2008. With Turner likely being the starter, Norwood will continue the same role he’s been in the last couple of seasons. While some are speculating that Norwood and Turner will split carries, don’t count it. The Falcons didn’t bring in Turner to be a part-time back.

Warrick Dunn has been a real professional with the Falcons over the last handful of years but expect him to be released soon. Dunn probably has enough gas in the tank to serve as a quality backup running back somewhere. Perhaps with the Dallas Cowboys behind Marion Barber.

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