Welcome to the LWOS Fantasy Department’s Official Fantasy Football Rankings. We will release our rankings and player profiles over the next few weeks to get you prepared for your 2014 fantasy football draft. Everyday we will be releasing either a group of player profiles with their rankings or articles that will provide you with outstanding fantasy advice. Take a second to bookmark the site so you can check back daily. Follow our departments twitter account @lwosfantasy for info, updates, and advice. We are going to work hard for you, to make sure you get to have the Last Word on Your Fantasy League. Click here for all our fantasy articles and rankings. Today we have fantasy running back rankings 5-1.
Fantasy Running Back Rankings 5-1
#5 Eddie Lacy
| Year | Age | Team | G | R-Att | Yards | TD | Avg | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Tar | Fum | Fum lost |
| 2013 | 23 | GB | 15 | 284 | 1178 | 11 | 4.1 | 35 | 257 | 7.3 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 1 |
Reports out of camp say that Eddie Lacy “couldn’t have looked any better”. Despite the heavy workload in limited time during the 2013 season, the Packers have no plans on hitting the breaks. Lacy is a legitimate 3-down running back that will continue to dominate early downs, passing downs and goal line carries. He is more than likely to surpass the 300 touch mark which bodes extremely well for whoever snags Lacy in the first round. With a completely healthy Aaron Rodgers under center, Lacy will experience gaping holes exponentially more than he did in his rookie year. 1,200 rushing yards and 14+ total touchdowns are certainly not out of the question. Lacy will genuinely compete for a top 3 overall fantasy running back ranking by years end.
Nick Ercolano – @RickyJohnstein
#4 Matt Forte
| Year | Age | Team | G | R-Att | Yards | TD | Avg | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Tar | Fum | Fum lost |
| 2011 | 25 | Chi | 12 | 203 | 997 | 3 | 4.9 | 52 | 490 | 9.4 | 1 | 76 | 2 | 2 |
| 2012 | 26 | Chi | 15 | 248 | 1094 | 5 | 4.4 | 44 | 340 | 7.7 | 1 | 60 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | 27 | Chi | 16 | 289 | 1339 | 9 | 4.6 | 74 | 594 | 8 | 3 | 94 | 2 | 2 |
Forte has flourished in the current offensive scheme the bears are running. He may not have the upside of some of the top tier running backs, but he may be the safest pick of the top four. He has not had the same wear and tear that the top 3 RBs have had. He has only had over 300 rushing attempts one time; it was in his rookie year. That said, there is a chance of injuries on every play. He may also see a slight decrease in targets due to the amount of weapons the bears have.
Chuck Amspacher – @Captain_LWOS
#3 Jamal Charles
| Year | Age | Team | G | R-Att | Yards | TD | Avg | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Tar | Fum | Fum lost |
| 2011 | 24 | KC | 2 | 12 | 83 | 0 | 6.9 | 5 | 9 | 1.8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | 25 | KC | 16 | 285 | 1509 | 5 | 5.3 | 35 | 236 | 6.7 | 1 | 48 | 5 | 3 |
| 2013 | 26 | KC | 15 | 259 | 1287 | 12 | 5 | 70 | 693 | 9.9 | 7 | 104 | 4 | 2 |
Jamal Charles was undoubtedly the best player in fantasy football last year. However the question for prospective owners is can Charles repeat his performance last year? There is a lot of doubt surrounding Charles’ potential 2014 performance due to the off-season losses of linemen, Branden Albert (OT), Jon Asamoah (G), and Geoff Schwartz (G). I am all in on Jamal Charles. This guy is a bad man! Which other running backs can literally break defender’s ankles with a few quick cuts? Charles is one of the most elusive backs in the NFL. His ability to take the ball to the house on any given play makes him a valuable asset to any fantasy team. I am confident in Andy Reid’s ability to get the ball to Charles in open space. Whether it is a screen, quick flat routes, or other creative solutions, I have no doubt that Charles will continue perform as an elite running back in 2014.
Craig Dyer – @SportsSquabbles
#2 Adrian Peterson
| Year | Age | Team | G | R-Att | Yards | TD | Avg | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Tar | Fum | Fum lost |
| 2011 | 26 | Min | 12 | 208 | 970 | 12 | 4.7 | 18 | 139 | 7.7 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 27 | Min | 16 | 348 | 2097 | 12 | 6 | 40 | 217 | 5.4 | 1 | 51 | 4 | 2 |
| 2013 | 28 | Min | 14 | 279 | 1266 | 10 | 4.5 | 29 | 171 | 5.9 | 1 | 40 | 5 | 3 |
Peterson’s 2000 yard season was amazing on many levels, but did it take a toll on the elite RB? He had 348 carries and you add in 40 receptions for 388 touches. It is hard to correlate how that affects runners the following year, we did see a drop off in production. He missed two games or he would have went over 300 carries again. The problem is the YPC dropped back to 4.5. Which for mere mortals is good, but we have seen AP as high as 6.0 YPC. Wait, don’t jump off the bandwagon yet. This is more of the point of why AP is not #1 anymore. We still are talking about one of the best backs the league has ever seen. AP should still have some very productive years. The issue may be more in what the offense around him is capable of. They have to help take the load off him. If they do and he stays healthy, he can carry your fantasy team to a championship. Take him number one if you want, but be happy if he falls to you anywhere after that.
Chuck Amspacher – @Captain_LWOS
#1 LeSean McCoy
| Year | Age | Team | G | R-Att | Yards | TD | Avg | Rec | Yards | Avg | TD | Tar | Fum | Fum lost |
| 2011 | 22 | Phi | 15 | 273 | 1309 | 17 | 4.8 | 48 | 315 | 6.6 | 3 | 69 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | 23 | Phi | 12 | 200 | 840 | 2 | 4.2 | 54 | 373 | 6.9 | 3 | 67 | 4 | 3 |
| 2013 | 24 | Phi | 16 | 314 | 1607 | 9 | 5.1 | 52 | 539 | 10 | 2 | 64 | 1 | 1 |
Why is he the best of the best?!?! We all witnessed his greatness in Chip Kelly’s offense, now imagine after he had a whole year in it! The Eagles offense is explosive but they believe in a steady run game. They improved on the offensive line and have better chemistry as a unit now that everyone is on the same page. The Eagles have a respectable run schedule, where many games can be big opportunities for their backs. McCoy is a tough hardnosed runner and is involved in the pass and run game. He will deliver game in and game out, every fantasy player loves guys like that. So draft McCoy #1 and reap the rewards.
Mike Fabber – @Coach_Mikefx
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 4: LeSean McCoy #25 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball during a Wild Card Playoff Game against the New Orleans Saints at Lincoln Financial Field on January 4, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.(Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
