Injuries robbed Ohio State’s Chris Wells of a chance to be the top fantasy running back for 2008 but fellow Big Ten foe Javon Ringer picked up the slack. Ringer edged out a college fantasy rushing title by .2 points over Ball State’s MiQuale Lewis. Akron’s Dennis Kennedy was one of the more surprising fantasy performers of 2008. The senior had 64.2 fantasy points through the first six weeks but notched 226 in the final six to finish fourth among fantasy running backs. Running backs are often the most difficult fantasy position to peg and this year proved to be no different. Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno was a top-10 fantasy running back and lived up to that preseason prediction but others like Marlon Lucky (Nebraska) and James Davis (Clemson) certainly hurt owners that selected them in the preseason.

Disappointments

Arian Foster, Tennessee: As a whole, Tennessee was one of the most disappointing teams for 2008. The Volunteers finished a lackluster 5-7 and Foster failed to top 600 yards. The senior began the year with All-American aspirations but managed only one 100-yard performance and reached paydirt one time. 

Marlon Lucky, Nebraska: Lucky was considered a top-15 fantasy running back going into this season but the dreaded running back by committee came into play. Roy Helu and Quentin Castille cut into Lucky’s carries and fantasy owners also saw a reduction of 53 catches from last season.

Ian Johnson, Boise State: Since rushing for 1,714 yards and the memorable moments in the Fiesta Bowl, Johnson hasn’t been the same. The emergence of Jeremy Avery and D.J. Harper certainly didn’t help the carry situation but Johnson was a huge disappointment to fantasy owners who drafted him in the first three rounds of the draft.

Noel Devine, West Virginia: Devine’s 1,228 yards were certainly an improvement from last season but the sophomore notched a disappointing three touchdowns. Devine was in coach Bill Stewart’s doghouse late in the year and it will be interesting to see how he fares without Pat White next season.

Darrell Mack, Utah: Injuries forced Mack to step into the Utah spotlight last season and he responded with 1,204 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, the return of Matt Asiata from a broken leg pushed Mack into a backup role and a meager 533 rushing yards.

Josh Adams, Wake Forest: Adams was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2007 after rushing for 953 yards and 11 scores. However, after undergoing offseason knee surgery, Adams followed up with a disappointing 402 yards and four touchdowns this year. Adams could bounce back next year but the Demon Deacons have a deep stable of capable rushers.

Surprises

MiQuale Lewis, Ball State: The question with Lewis has always been his health. In his first two years in Muncie, Lewis watched both seasons cut short by injury but stayed healthy in 2008 and rushed for over 1,700 yards. Lewis should be a top-15 fantasy running back in 2009.

Shonn Greene, Iowa: There’s never been a doubt regarding Greene’s ability. However, there were concerns about his academic standing going into this year. The junior proved his worth in 2008, as he topped 100 yards in every game and notched All-American honors.

Bryce Beall, Houston: Beall’s emergence midway through the season helped to provide balance for one of the best passing offenses in the country. The freshman notched 1,112 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground while catching 30 passes for 404 yards and four scores.

Collin Mooney, Army: Coming into this season, Mooney had 22 rushing yards on six career carries. The senior fullback proved to be the best weapon for the option attack in West Point, as he rumbled his way for 1,339 yards and eight scores.

Looking ahead to 2009

Underclassmen that could enter draft: Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno, Ohio State’s Chris Wells, Pitt’s LeSean McCoy, Iowa’s Shonn Greene, Clemson’s C.J. Spiller, Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount, Mississippi State’s Anthony Dixon and Oklahoma’s DeMarco Murray.

A very, early guess at the 2009 top-five fantasy running backs
(Excluding underclassmen listed above)

1. Donald Brown, Connecticut
2. Andre Anderson, Tulane
3. James Starks, Buffalo
4. Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
5. MiQuale Lewis, Ball State

On the cusp of the top five: Harvey Unga, BYU, Vai Taua, Nevada, Derrick Washington, Missouri, Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech, Damion Fletcher, Southern Mississippi, Jahvid Best, California, Bryce Beall, Houston, Eugene Jarvis, Kent State and Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State.

Keep an eye on…Washington State’s James Montgomery, New Mexico’s James Wright, Florida State’s Jermaine Thomas, Georgia Tech’s Anthony Allen, Clemson’s Jamie Harper and Texas A&M’s Cyrus Gray.

Injured early in 2008, we’ll see you in 2009: Purdue’s Jaycen Taylor, Minnesota’s Duane Bennett, Nevada’s Luke Lippincott and Florida State’s Tavares Pressley.

Top 100 Fantasy Running Backs for 2008 (Weeks 1-14)

Standard scoring system:

25 passing yards = 1 fantasy point
10 rushing/receiving yards = 1 fantasy point
1 reception = 0.5 points
Passing touchdown = 4 fantasy points
Rushing/receiving touchdown = 6 fantasy points

Rank	Player	Team	2008 Fantasy Points
1	Javon Ringer	Michigan State	313.50
2	MiQuale Lewis	Ball State	313.30
3	LeSean McCoy	Pitt	294.96
4	Dennis Kennedy	Akron	290.20
5	Shonn Greene	Iowa	284.30
6	Donald Brown	Connecticut	282.30
7	Knowshon Moreno	Georgia	282.20
8	Vai Taua	Nevada	275.80
9	Kendall Hunter	Oklahoma State	270.40
10	Tyrell Fenroy	UL Lafayette	265.30
11	Bryce Beall	Houston	264.90
12	DeMarco Murray	Oklahoma	263.20
13	James Starks	Buffalo	260.60
14	Kory Sheets	Purdue	259.30
15	Derrick Washington	Missouri	247.30
16	Harvey Unga	BYU	244.50
17	Jacquizz Rodgers	Oregon State	236.50
18	Jonathan Dwyer	Georgia Tech	229.60
19	Toby Gerhart	Stanford	221.50
20	Damion Fletcher	Southern Miss	220.80
21	Chris Brown	Oklahoma	217.70
22	Evan Royster	Penn State	216.70
23	Gartrell Johnson	Colorado State	215.90
24	Michael Smith	Arkansas	213.40
25	Rodney Ferguson	New Mexico	211.60
26	Charles Scott	LSU	209.90
27	Tarrion Adams	Tulsa	208.80
28	Jahvid Best	California	206.40
29	DuJuan Harris	Troy	206.30
30	Brandon West	Western Michigan	203.90
31	Shannon Woods	Texas Tech	199.50
32	Jake Sharp	Kansas	192.90
33	P.J. Hill	Wisconsin	192.80
34	LeGarrette Blount	Oregon	192.10
35	Jeremiah Johnson	Oregon	191.10
36	Glen Coffee	Alabama	190.40
37	C.J. Spiller	Clemson	189.80
38	Baron Batch	Texas Tech	188.00
39	Collin Mooney	Army	186.10
40	Daniel Porter	Louisiana Tech	184.20
41	Devin Moore	Wyoming	183.80
42	Eugene Jarvis	Kent State	181.90
43	Ian Johnson	Boise State	178.70
44	Antone Smith	Florida State	178.10
45	Victor Anderson	Louisville	176.70
46	Curtis Brinkley	Syracuse	173.62
47	Phillip Tanner	MTSU	171.60
48	Nic Grigsby	Arizona	171.30
49	Curtis Steele	Memphis	170.90
50	Darren Evans	Virginia Tech	168.80
51	Cam Montgomery	North Texas	168.50
52	Tyrell Sutton	Northwestern	168.20
53	Andre Anderson	Tulane	167.10
54	Matt Asiata	Utah	166.24
55	Reggie Arnold	Arkansas State	165.70
56	Da'Rel Scott	Maryland	164.66
57	Andre Brown	NC State	163.60
58	Chris Wells	Ohio State	163.20
59	Ontario Sneed	Central Michigan	163.10
60	Anthony Dixon	Mississippi State	162.80
61	Noel Devine	West Virginia	162.30
62	Roy Helu	Nebraska	161.50
63	Cedric Peerman	Virginia	161.00
64	Frank Goodin	UL Monroe	160.50
65	Jay Finley	Baylor	158.20
66	James Davis	Clemson	157.80
67	Darius Marshall	Marshall	157.30
68	Frank Summers	UNLV	155.50
69	Patrick Jackson	Louisiana Tech	152.10
70	Morgan Williams	Toledo	151.20
71	Marcus Thigpen	Indiana	147.30
72	Marlon Lucky	Nebraska	147.16
73	Mike Goodson	Texas A&M	145.70
74	Chris Ogbonnaya	Texas	144.70
75	Robert Turbin	Utah State	144.10
76	Terrence Blevins	EMU	143.80
77	Mark Ingram	Alabama	143.70
78	Charles Pierre	FAU	142.20
79	Graig Cooper	Miami, Fla.	142.04
80	Chris Garrett	Ohio	141.90
81	Charles Clay	Tulsa	140.70
82	DeLeon Eskridge	Minnesota	139.30
83	John Clay	Wisconsin	139.20
84	Shun White	Navy	138.20
85	Armando Allen	Notre Dame	135.20
86	John Goebel	Cincinnati	133.70
87	Anthony Kimble	Stanford	133.20
88	Alexander Robinson	Iowa State	130.80
89	Keith Toston	Oklahoma State	128.50
90	Brandon Minor	Michigan	127.90
91	Ryan Mathews	Fresno State	125.90
92	Montel Harris	Boston College	125.60
93	Daniel Dufrene	Illinois	122.70
94	C.J. Gable	USC	120.70
95	Atiyyah Henderson	San Diego State	120.20
96	Shane Vereen	California	119.10
97	Brandon Simmons	ECU	118.90
98	Shaun Draughn	North Carolina	118.30
99	Jeff Demps	Florida	116.60
100	Joseph Turner	TCU	115.60

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