Year of the Running Back

The 2000 Fantasy Football season has come to an end, and with it, we have a new champion. My team, the Muff Chasers, led my younger brother’s Princely Toads by 20 points going into the Monday night showdown in Tampa between the Bucs and Rams. We play in a scoring only league, and $250 dollars was at stake. He had only Marshall Faulk in the game and I thought I had it in the bag. No way was he going to score four touchdowns again, let alone against the Bucs vaunted defense. I could not have been more wrong. Faulk continued his dominance this season by scoring four touchdowns and giving my brother the title. His performance further established that this season was the year of the running back. Here’s a look at my picks for the five best backs this season.

With his four touchdowns, Faulk now has 23 on the season. Remembering that he missed two weeks with a knee injury, he has averaged nearly two touchdowns a game this season. He is currently fourth in the NFC in rushing with 1139 yards, and eighth in receptions with 74. Every owner that had the chance to draft Faulk is kicking himself, myself included. He has been an incredible two-way back, both a threat running and catching the ball, but until this year he had not been a big redzone player. This year, however, he has proven he can score in the trenches and the Rams continue to feed him the ball near the endzone. It will be a real shame if they do not make the playoffs, because people will not have the chance to see this talented player on a national stage.

Following in Faulk’s footsteps is Edgerrin James of the Indianapolis Colts. James took over for Faulk in Indy when the Colts made him the highest drafted running back in last year’s draft. Few people new who he was then, but they most certainly do now. James is as big a threat as Faulk. He is second in the NFL in touchdowns with 17. He leads the NFL in rushing with 1581 yards while also hauling in 58 catches for 515 yards. James, along with Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison, make up perhaps the greatest trio in the NFL. He should be a fantasy star for years to come.

Another running back that has starred in fantasy this season is Eddie George of the Titans. He is the heart and soul of that team, and has put them in position to make another run at the Super Bowl. He has scored 15 touchdowns this season while rushing for 1426 yards. The Titans love to run the ball and George is a beast. While he has been banged up for much of the season he has been a productive back throughout. Although he is mainly a threat just running the ball, he has caught 49 passes for 439 yards. If he can stay healthy, he will be a top fantasy pick for a long time.

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