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Hakeem Nicks to have surgery Friday, out roughly 12 weeks

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:59:44 -0400

The Giants announced that wide receiver Hakeem Nicks has fractured the fifth metatarsal of his right foot this morning.

The recovery time is estimated to take 12 weeks and twelve weeks from today is August 17th.

In other words, he will certainly miss the team's mandatory mini-camp in June and will likely miss the start of training camp, which begins on July 26th.

The Giants open up the preseason on August 10th against the Jaguars and kick off the regular season on September 5th against the Cowboys (see schedule).

Depending on how slow or fast his recovery process is, Nicks could potentially get off to a slow start this season due to the injury.

Nicks, who was the third-ranked receiver in early fantasy rankings, had 76 receptions for a career-high 1,192 yards and seven touchdowns last year. When we make our next rankings update, I will bump Nicks down a spot or two.

2012 Fantasy Football: Updated Tight End Rankings

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:39:27 -0400

When you begin to discuss fantasy tight ends, the conversation has to start with a pair of tight ends from the 2010 draft class that had the two best years anyone has ever had at that position from a statistical standpoint.

In fact, only one wide receiver (Detroit's Calvin Johnson) did what they did last year. Megatron and the two tight ends all finished with 90-plus receptions, 1,300-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns.

Of course, the two tight ends to which I'm referring are New England's Rob Gronkowski and New Orleans' Jimmy Graham.

While those two tight ends are 1-2 in my rankings, the position is as deep as ever.

Here are our 2012 fantasy football tight end rankings (using standard scoring -- i.e., not PPR scoring):

1. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots

A mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses, Gronkowski set single-season records for a tight end with 1,327 yards and 17 receiving touchdowns on his 90 receptions. In 36 career games counting the playoffs, Gronkowski has a total of 30 receiving touchdowns and one "rushing" touchdown.

2. Jimmy Graham, Saints

Graham had slightly fewer yards (1,310) and less touchdowns (10) than Gronkowski, but he had more receptions (99). No tight end was targeted more than Graham (149) and only five receivers had more targets. Based on the average fantasy points allowed to tight ends last year of all Saints' opponents in 2012, Graham and the Saints' tight ends have one of the top three most favorable schedules.

3. Aaron Hernandez, Patriots

Hernandez missed two games yet he still finished with 79 receptions for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. Based on his production of 65 yards per game, Hernandez would have likely given the Pats two 1,000-yard tight ends if he had played all 16 games. In addition, Hernandez was used as a rusher more frequently down the stretch. Especially if opposing defenses focus on slowing down Gronkowski, Hernandez could be poised for a monster season.

4. Jason Witten, Cowboys

Witten set five-year lows in both receptions (79) and yards (942), which is partly due to the production of the Cowboys top three receivers: Miles Austin, Dez Bryant and Laurent Robinson, but Robinson signed with the Jaguars this offseason. Over those five seasons, Witten has three of the ten 1,000-yard seasons achieved by tight ends.

5. Vernon Davis, 49ers

Davis posted three-year lows of 792 yards and six touchdowns last year. That said, Davis is a freakish athlete that was nearly unstoppable in the postseason. In two playoff games, Davis had 10 receptions for 292 yards and four touchdowns.

6. Antonio Gates, Chargers

After missing a few games early in the season due to his foot, Gates had 56 receptions for 704 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. Although coach Norv Turner says Gates is "back" to his pre-injury form, there is still some reason to worry that the injury will flare up and I view the top five options to be safer bets.

7. Jermichael Finley, Packers

Capable of being a top-five tight end, Finley frustrates fantasy owners with his inconsistency. Finley, who re-signed with the Packers for two years this offseason, had three fantasy points or less in five games this season. Although he set a career high in touchdowns (eight), he had his lowest yards-per-game average (47.9) since his rookie season.

8. Tony Gonzalez, Falcons

Gonzalez, who has 1,149 career receptions for 13,338 yards, has decided to play another season, which makes sense considering how productive he was in 2011. Gonzalez finished last season with 80 receptions for 875 yards and seven touchdowns, all of which were three-year highs.

9. Jermaine Gresham, Bengals

Gresham, the Bengals' first-round pick in 2010, posted slightly better numbers in his second season (56 receptions for 596 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs) than he did in his rookie campaign. That said, he is one of the tight ends that I am targeting later in drafts and think he could be poised for a breakout season.

10. Fred Davis, Redskins

Despite missing the final four games of the season due to league suspension, Davis totaled 59 receptions for 796 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games last year. While RG3 did not target his tight ends much in college and the 'Skins added some receivers in free agency, Davis is still a low-end TE1.

To see the rest of our top 25 fantasy tight ends, click here.

More 2012 Rankings: QBs - RBs - WRs

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Dez Bryant slowed by injury all of last season, optimistic for 2012 season

Wed, 23 May 2012 19:59:59 -0400

Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant missed Week 2 of the 2011 season due to a thigh injury suffered in the season opener, but he says the injury never fully healed throughout the season.

"It was very frustrating," Bryant said, per Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "But you’ve just got to get through things, get to the end the best way you can and try your best to get back on the field. Some of the game tape that I watched from last year, I really wasn’t too proud of myself [because he was hindered by the injury]. I know it’s because of the injuries, but I feel like this year, I’m spending more time focusing on my body and making sure everything is right."

Last offseason, Bryant was in the news mostly for the wrong reasons (i.e., getting banned from shopping malls, not paying jewelers, etc.).

With no lockout, things appear to be going much better for the gifted wideout this offseason.

"I see a big change in my weight, in my strength and everything," Bryant said, per Jon Machota of Fox Sports Southwest. "Coach Woicik's doing a great job with us. I feel way more explosive coming out of my cuts."

"Each year I got better, from one to two, and I haven't played this year yet but I already feel much better. I'm confident in what I'm doing. When the coach calls out the play, I'm starting to have the play before he even calls it out. I'm getting better."

And receivers coach Jimmy Robinson likes what he is seeing as well.

"Dez has really had a good off-season," Robinson said. "It’s just the consistency of route running. I don’t know if subtleties is the right word, or if it’s just the execution of each individual route on a consistent basis play after play. He has really improved just in the off-season work that we’ve done. But the proof will be in the games, training camp, and the preseason games. He’s a work in progress, but we like what we have in him, what we see in him. He did a pretty good job last year when you look at the production, and he hasn’t even come close to scratching the surface."

Bryant had 63 receptions for 928 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games last year. The injury impacted his conditioning, which showed up in his first-half-versus-second-half splits: 37-558-7 (before halftime) and 26-370-2 (after halftime).

If he stays healthy and lives up to his potential, Bryant, the No. 15 receiver in our early fantasy rankings, can be a top-five or even top-three receiver in the league.

Andre Johnson had knee scoped two weeks ago

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:43:34 -0400

When the Texans started their organized team activities (OTAs) today, wide receiver Andre Johnson was on the sidelines.

Johnson, who missed nine games last season due to his hamstrings, had arthroscopic knee surgery a couple of weeks ago.

“I feel like maybe in three, four more weeks, I’ll be probably ready to go,” Johnson said, per Nick Scurfield of HoustonTexans.com. “It’s just a process. I’m not having any issues from the other injuries I had with my hamstrings and stuff like that. I’ve just been staying on top of things so I won’t have to experience those injuries (again).

“It’s nothing to panic about. This is my 10th season. I’ve been through OTAs several times, so I don’t really feel like I’m missing anything right now.”

In addition, Johnson says that he will “be ready for training camp.”

Going into the 2012 season, Johnson is my second-ranked fantasy wide receiver after Calvin Johnson.

If/when healthy, Johnson is one of the league's elite receivers. Unfortunately, that's becoming a bigger and bigger "if" as Johnson turns 31 years old in July and has had multiple surgeries over the past year.

Norv Turner on Antonio Gates: "Gates looks great — he's back"

Thu, 17 May 2012 20:25:58 -0400

We saw unprecedented production out of the tight end position in 2011 and that was with an unhealthy (foot) Antonio Gates.

Over the past two seasons, the foot injury has slowed down Gates and kept him out of the lineup for a total of nine games during that span. In games that he did play last year, he did not look like the elite player to which we had become accustomed to seeing.

According to his coach, that is about to change.

"Gates looks great — he's back," Turner said, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Physically, he's back to where we want him to be. I think, like anybody, going through this offseason program helps you get better. (It's) the combination of conditioning, the combination of getting better in the areas you can improve, and being out there with your teammates."

Last year, Gates ranked fifth among all tight ends in receiving yards per game (59.8) and was tied for fourth in touchdowns (seven) despite missing three games with the injury.

Had he stayed healthy and maintained his per-game pace (a career-best 78.2 YPG) back in 2010, Gates would have finished with 1,251 yards and 16 touchdowns -- numbers close to Rob Gronkowski's record-breaking numbers last year.

In other words, if Gates returns to his pre-injury level of performance, he will be a steal where he is currently being drafted (46th overall via Mock Draft Central).

LeSean McCoy, Eagles agree to five-year extension

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:43:03 -0400

Two months ago, the Eagles signed receiver DeSean Jackson to a five-year deal although they designated him with the franchise tag earlier in the offseason.

Today, the Eagles and running back LeSean McCoy have agreed to a five-year extension worth $45 million, which includes $20.765 in guarantees, per Pro Football Talk.

McCoy, the team's second-round pick in 2009, set career highs across the board when it comes to rushing the football: 273 carries, 1,309 yards and a league-high 17 touchdowns. Although his receiving numbers were down, he still hauled in 48 receptions for 315 yards and three touchdowns.

From a fantasy perspective, McCoy is the No. 3 running back in our rankings for both standard and point-per-reception (PPR) scoring formats.

Kenny Britt has arthroscopic knee surgery Wednesday

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:57:56 -0400

Titans receiver Kenny Britt had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee today, but the procedure was somewhat expected based on comments from coach Mike Munchak over the weekend.

Britt, who had some swelling in his knee, tore his ACL and MCL last year.

“It almost becomes commonplace,” [Titans GM Ruston] Webster said of the procedure, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. “It is not one of those things, ‘Wow, oh no, he is having surgery.’ It is very common and if it helps his rehab process and all that, it is well worth doing. And our goal is to have him play this year. It will be helpful to him, I think, and probably accelerate his rehab.”

According to Wyatt, Webster said that the procedure should set Britt back "a week or two."

Britt has 101 receptions for 1,765 yards (17.5 yards per reception) and 15 touchdowns over his 31 career games.

Maurice Jones-Drew wants a contract extension

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:36:37 -0400

As Jimmy Fallon once said in a Capital One commercial: "According to research, everybody likes more cash ... well, almost everybody."

Maurice Jones-Drew is no different.

With two years remaining on his contract, Pocket Hercules wants an extension according to his coach.

"He's talked about trying to get an extension for his contract, which I think everybody's aware of," Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey said Tuesday, per Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union. "I'm on the coaching end of those matters. I talk to him about football and what I can do for him on the field and in the locker room."

Not only did Jones-Drew lead the NFL in rushing last year, but he became the first running back in NFL history to rush for 80-plus yards in 15 of 16 regular-season games.

In our fantasy football rankings, MJD is the No. 4 running back on our list after Arian Foster, Ray Rice and LeSean McCoy.

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Updated Top 70 Wide Receivers

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:39:40 -0400

Detroit's Calvin Johnson had some (very) good seasons going into the 2011 season.

With elite size (6-5, 235 pounds) and athleticism, however, Megatron seemed capable of even more, especially with improved quarterback play. Not only did Matthew Stafford, the top overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, stay healthy for 16 games, he became one of only four quarterbacks in NFL history to throw for 5,000-plus yards.

Meanwhile, Johnson blew away his previous career highs. In 2011 (previous highs in parenthesis), Johnson had 96 receptions (78) for a league-high 1,681 yards (1,331) and 16 touchdowns (12).

Only six players in NFL history had more receiving yards in a single season.

Aside from Megatron, the only other player in NFL history to finish with 1,600-plus yards and 16-plus touchdowns in the same season was Randy Moss (2003).

Johnson had a little bit of dryspell from Weeks 10 to 14 -- no 100-yard games and only one touchdown in those five games.

In his next (and final) four games counting the Lions' playoff loss, however, Megatron had three 200-yard games. During that four-game span, he had 36 receptions for 771 yards and six touchdowns! (As a comparison, Tampa Bay's Mike Williams had 771 yards and three touchdowns in the entire season.)

Hands down, Megatron goes into 2012 season as the clear No. 1 fantasy wide receiver and it's not close.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football wide receiver rankings:

1. Calvin Johnson, Lions

See above.

2. Andre Johnson, Texans

When healthy, Johnson is still elite. That said, Johnson has played a total of only 20 regular-season games in the past two years and missed a total of nine regular-season games during two stints for a hamstring (and aggravation of the) injury last year. Johnson was playing well before the injury (21 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns in his first three games) and in the postseason (13 receptions for 201 yards and a touchdown in two games).

3. Hakeem Nicks, Giants

Even though he set a career high in receiving yards (1,192), his season was a very mild disappointment for some. In addition to seeing his receptions (76) and touchdowns (seven) drop some, Nicks finished second on the team in all categories behind Victor Cruz (82-1,536-9). That said, Nicks is a more talented receiver than Cruz and was tremendous in the postseason with 28 receptions for 444 yards and four touchdowns over four games.

4. Wes Welker, Patriots

Based on data from Pro Football Reference, a player has reached 110-plus receptions 25 times in NFL history. Over the past five years, Patriots slot receiver Wes Welker has done it four of those 25 times. Welker, who was designated with the team's franchise tag, finished with career highs in yards (1,569) and touchdowns (nine) and his 122 receptions was one shy of his previous career high.

5. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals

Imagine if Fitzgerald had better quarterback play and a legitimate weapon on the other side of the offense. Well, he'll have to settle for one out of two as the Cards drafted Michael Floyd in the first round. Even with the Cardinals' lack of strong quarterback play, Fitzgerald posted the fourth 1,400-yard campaign of his career. In other words, he's quarterback-proof.

6. Roddy White, Falcons

White has been a model of consistency and of good health. For five consecutive seasons, White has had 80-plus receptions and 1,100-plus yards. In the past two seasons, White has 100-plus receptions. As impressively, White has yet to miss a game in his seven-year NFL career. With all that said, it would seem logical that the gap in targets between White (181) and Julio Jones (96) diminishes in 2012.

7. A.J. Green, Bengals

Receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones made big splashes in their rookie seasons despite a lack of an offseason to get acclimated to their respective offenses. Green became the first rookie to finish with at least 1,000 yards since Marques Colston did so in 2006.

8. Greg Jennings, Packers

With Jennings missing three games last year, he set four-year lows in receptions (67) and receiving yards (949) last year. Not only was Jennings second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (nine), but he ranked second on the team in receiving yards per game behind Jordy Nelson.

9. Julio Jones, Falcons

Jones had 54 receptions for 959 yards and eight touchdowns, but he missed three games and would have (almost certainly) finished with more than 1,000 yards as a rookie (like Green) had he stayed healthy for all 16 games.

10. Victor Cruz, Giants

After not catching a single pass in 2010, Giants receiver Victor Cruz burst onto the scene in Week 3 and finished the season with 1,536 receiving yards, which ranked him third in the NFL behind Megatron and Welker. In addition, that set a franchise record. As noted above, Cruz had more receptions (82), yards (1,536) and touchdowns (nine) than Nicks (76-1,192-7).

11. Jordy Nelson, Packers

Nelson had a huge performance in Super Bowl XLV and seemed poised to break out in 2011 with the only possible barrier being too many talented passcatchers in the Packers offense. Nelson took the next step forward with career and team highs across the board last year: 68 receptions for 1,263 yards and 15 touchdowns.

12. Mike Wallace, Steelers

A couple of spots lower in this update, Wallace and the Steelers can find themselves in a bitter contract situation. If the Steelers and Wallace don't agree to a long-term deal, Wallace would play under a restricted free agent (RFA) tender of less than $3 million and he has expressed his unwillingness to sign that tender any time soon.

13. Brandon Marshall, Bears

Marshall had a five-year low of 81 receptions in 2011, but he has been reunited with quarterback Jay Cutler. When both were in Denver, Marshall had his only three seasons with 100-plus receptions and his only season with double-digit touchdowns.

14. Vincent Jackson, Bucs

In any given week, Jackson can give fantasy owners 30 fantasy points. Or three points. Jackson, who signed with Tampa Bay in the offseason, had four great games last year and 12 less-great games. During his four best games, Jackson had 27 receptions for 586 yards and seven touchdowns. In his other 12 games, he had 33 receptions for 520 yards and two touchdowns.

15. Dez Bryant, Cowboys

From a physical standpoint, Bryant has the tools to be a top-five receiver in the league. On the other hand, he has yet to demonstrate the maturity or mental makeup to make us believe that his path to that lofty status, if he gets there, will be smooth. Fortunately, there is not a lockout this offseason and let's hope he spends more time at Valley Ranch than the NorthPark Center Mall.

For the rest of our top 70 fantasy wide receivers, click here. Or for our point-per-reception (PPR) rankings (top 60), click here.

In addition, we have also recently updated our top 25 fantasy quarterbacks and our top 50 fantasy running backs for 2012.

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.

Mark Ingram may not be ready for the start of training camp

Mon, 14 May 2012 18:34:02 -0400

The fantasy upside of running back Mark Ingram will always be limited by the type of offense run by the Saints and the number of options the team has.

On the flip side, durability concerns are increasing his downside risks.

Ingram, who had arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this month, may not be ready for the start of training camp, according to interim head coach Joe Vitt (via Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune).

Triplett tweeted this afternoon that Vitt said the Saints "will probably have to back off Ingram at start of training camp, but should have green light for regular season."

Ingram, the second of the Saints' two first-round picks in 2011, had surgery on the same knee while at Alabama. In addition, Ingram had surgery earlier this year for the turf toe injury that caused him to miss six regular-season games last year.

As a rookie, Ingram averaged 47.4 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns in 10 games.

Wes Welker says he won't hold out

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:34:20 -0400

Patriots receiver Wes Welker was designated with the franchise tag this offseason. If he and the Patriots don't agree to a long-term deal by July 15th, Welker will earn a guaranteed salary of $9.5 million once he signs the franchise tender.

And it's those "nine and a half million reasons" that Welker won't hold out.

“There’s nine and a half million reasons why I wouldn’t miss any regular season games, so you don’t have to worry about that,” Welker said on WEEI today (via Pro Football Talk).

[Listen to full audio of interview here.]

As NFL's Jon Zimmer tweeted this morning, Welker is tied with Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison for the most 100-reception seasons (four) in a career.

Another way to look at it is Welker is the only player with four 110-reception seasons in NFL history. Four other players are tied with two seasons.

Reggie Bush: "I want the rushing title"

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:58:42 -0400

Dolphins running back Reggie Bush had a career season rushing the ball in 2011.

Not only did he set career highs in rushing attempts (216), rushing yards (1,086) and tie his career high in rushing touchdowns (six), nobody rushed for more yards than Bush in the final four games he played last year.

During the four-game span from Weeks 13 to 16, Bush had four 100-yard games and rushed for a total of 519 yards. Three other players rushed for at least 400 yards during that stretch: Baltimore's Ray Rice (451), Houston's Arian Foster (419) and Seattle's Marshawn Lynch (412).

That said, Bush has his sights set higher in 2012.

“I want the rushing title,” said Bush, according to Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “This offseason I’ve been working towards that goal. Just being effective like I was this past season.

“Every time I rush the ball I want four yards,” said Bush. ”I’m keeping my focus simple and small, but at same time helping my team progress.”

Despite his success last season particularly down the stretch, it is highly unlikely that he leads the NFL in rushing.

Bush, the 21st-ranked RB in our fantasy rankings, will have to share some of the workload with second-year running back Daniel Thomas, who struggled to stay healthy last year, and Lamar Miller, an explosive back that slipped to the Dolphins in the fourth round (draft results).

The other thing is Bush has struggled to stay healthy for the majority of his career. Although he played 15 games last season, he has missed four or more games in three of his six seasons as a pro.

Kenny Britt may need a second (but much more minor) procedure

Sun, 13 May 2012 23:41:00 -0400

After his police-blotter filled offseason in 2011, Titans receiver Kenny Britt was off to a great start on the field before he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in Week 3 last year.

Britt had 14 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns in the first two games of the 2011 season.

While Britt is expected to be ready for the start of the regular season, he may need another minor procedure, according to Terry McCormick of Titans Insider.

“I think it always is (possible),” Munchak said. “I don't know if he will at some point, but I think that's something that's common with that injury. Derrick [Morgan] went through it last year. The good thing is that even if you do have it, it's not a huge setback. It's not something that sets you way back. But that is obviously part of the process, or could be, if that arises down the road.”

It sounds as if Britt ends up needing a second follow-up procedure, it will be a rather routine procedure that should have only minimal impact on his rehabilitation.

Britt, the team's first-round pick in 2009, has 101 receptions for 1,765 yards (17.5 yards per reception) and 15 touchdowns over his 31 career games.

Tim Hightower has re-signed with the Redskins

Sun, 13 May 2012 21:50:11 -0400

On the list of pluses and minuses, there is one obvious minus when it comes to the fantasy outlook of Redskins running back Roy Helu going into the 2012 season.

Of course, that "minus" can be stated with two words: Mike Shanahan.

According to Tim Hightower himself, the Redskins have added competition to the backfield mix as Hightower tweeted that he's "baaaaaaaack" with the 'Skins.

While Helu is still the preferred option in Washington, there is never any telling what Shanahan will do when it comes to touches for his running backs. As I wrote in my recently updated fantasy rankings, "the drawback of owning Helu is that you're at the mercy of coach Mike Shanahan's whims."

Helu was my 19th-ranked running back and Evan Royster was my 48th-ranked running back.

2012 Fantasy Football Rankings: Updated Top 50 Running Back Rankings

Sat, 12 May 2012 15:54:55 -0400

With the NFL draft behind us, we continue to update our 2012 fantasy football rankings with running backs next up. Although this is our third update of the offseason, it is our first update that includes rookies.

Cleveland's Trent Richardson is clearly the top rookie running back in this year's draft class for both re-draft and dynasty formats. Many of the backs in the next tier of running backs landed in spots where they could end up splitting carries with another featured back, which makes them better options in dynasty formats.

Based on standard scoring (i.e., not point-per-reception (PPR) scoring), here are our 2012 fantasy football running backs rankings:

1. Arian Foster, Texans

Despite missing three games, Houston's Arian Foster carried the ball 278 times for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns and had 53 receptions for 617 yards. Counting the postseason, Foster had nine 100-yard rushing games and three 100-yard receiving games in 15 total games last year. Through last year's postseason, Foster has 656 carries for 3,125 yards and 29 touchdowns plus 127 receptions for 1,272 yards and four touchdowns in 31 games over the past two seasons. While Ben Tate is more than a capable backup, the Texans love to give Foster a workhorse's workload.

2. Ray Rice, Ravens

Ravens running back Ray Rice, who was designated with the franchise tag this offseason, set career highs in rushing yards (1,364) and receiving yards (704) plus he scored a total of 15 touchdowns, which shattered his previous career high of eight. Rice has three straight seasons with 1,200-plus rushing yards and 500-plus receiving yards and 60-plus receptions.

3. LeSean McCoy, Eagles

Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2009, set career highs in carries (273), rushing yards (1,309) and rushing touchdowns (17). McCoy sat out Week 17, but he scored at least one touchdown in every game he played except for Weeks 11 and 16. With the additions of Bryce Brown (seventh round) and Chris Polk (undrafted free agent), McCoy is likely to get a slightly reduced workload in 2012, which is what Andy Reid has previously suggested.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars

Despite having to face many eight-men fronts, Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards. And perhaps more impressively, he became the first running back in league history to rush for at least 80 yards in 15 of 16 games. Along with Atlanta's Michael Turner, MJD was one of only two running backs to go over 300 carries. Pocket Hercules had a league-high 343 carries, which is the fourth-most over the past five seasons.

5. Ryan Mathews, Chargers

Mathews, a top-12 pick by the Chargers in 2010, racked up more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage -- 1,091 rushing yards and 455 receiving yards on 50 receptions -- despite missing two games last season. With the departure of Mike Tolbert, who rushed for 19 touchdowns over the past two seasons, Mathews could truly break out if (albeit a big if) he can stay healthy for a full season. In addition, Mathews and the Chargers running backs have a favorable schedule from a fantasy perspective.

6. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks

Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch, who re-signed with the Seahawks for four years, finished the season with 1,204 rushing yards and 212 receiving yards with 13 total touchdowns last year. He was particularly tough from Week 9 on. He rushed for 100-plus yards six times in his final nine games including against the 49ers, the league's top-ranked run defense. Can he duplicate last year's success, especially after getting a big contract?

7. Chris Johnson, Titans

Titans running back Chris Johnson had a lackluster season with the exception of a four-game span (Weeks 9 to 12). Johnson rushed for a total of 486 yards and had three of his four 100-yard games of the season during that stretch. In the other 12 games, however, Johnson had 177 carries for 561 yards (3.17 yards per carry) and one rushing touchdown.

8. Darren McFadden, Raiders

Based on pure talent, McFadden could be a top-five pick overall in any fantasy draft. Add in his injury risk and you're playing with fire. In his four seasons in Oakland, McFadden has played a total of 45 games including only seven last year and has missed at least three games every year he's been a pro. Over his 20 games in the past two seasons, however, McFadden has averaged 121.6 yards from scrimmage (YFS) per game. Over a full 16-game season, that would be 1,945 YFS. Feeling lucky?

9. Adrian Peterson, Vikings

Peterson, who recently ran for the media in Minnesota, expects to play in Week 1. Considering Peterson will only be around nine months removed from his ACL injury at the start of the season, there is no guarantee that he will be ready Week 1 and it might take a year before he regains his pre-injury explosiveness. When healthy, however, Peterson is one of the best two or three backs in the league and he has been a touchdown-scoring machine: 64 rushing touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns in 73 career games.

10. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys

From Weeks 7 to 12, no running back had more rushing yards than Cowboys rookie DeMarco Murray (761). (Rams running back Steven Jackson, 593, had the second most during that span.) Going into the 2012 season as the unquestioned feature back, Murray will/should be one of the top 10-12 backs off the board.

11. Matt Forte, Bears

In the 11 games he finished, Bears running back Matt Forte was an absolute stud. During those 11 games, he had 985 rushing yards and 490 receiving yards on 52 receptions and he was on pace for 2,145 yards from scrimmage for the season. Like Rice, however, Forte is not thrilled about being designated with the franchise tag. In fact, he felt "disrespected" by the fact that the Bears signed free-agent running back Michael Bush to a four-year deal. Although it's a great (real) football move, Bush signing with the Bears diminishes both backs' fantasy value.

12. Trent Richardson, Browns

There is plenty to like about Richardson, who is the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson. Not only does Richardson have freakish strength, he has good speed for his size, soft hands and he goes into a situation where he will have the opportunity to be an every-down back. On the flip side, Richardson will likely face many eight-men fronts with the lack of perimeter weapons in the offense and he'll have to face the stout AFC North run defenses six times per year.

To see the rest of our top 50 running backs, click here. For our PPR running back rankings, click here.

If interested, check out our way-too-early 2013 NFL mock draft.

To keep track of our updates, follow @EDSFootball on Twitter and/or "like" us on Facebook.