2010’s Top 15 Fantasy Running Backs

2010’s Top 15 Fantasy Running Backs by: Total Points per Games Played (Games Played in Parenthesis)

1. Arian Foster 27.44 (16 games)
2. Darren McFadden 23.11 (13 games)
3. LeSean McCoy 21.21 (15 games)
4. Frank Gore 20.86 (11 games)
5. Peyton Hillis 20.28 (16 games)
6. Adrian Peterson 20.13 (15 games)
7. Chris Johnson 19.68 (16 games)
8. Maurice Jones-Drew 19.51 (14 games)
9. Jamaal Charles 19.03 (16 games)
10. Ray Rice 17.91 (16 games)
11. Matt Forte 17.79 (16 games)
12. Ahmad Bradshaw 16.49 (16 games)
13. Steven Jackson 16.46 (16 games)
14. Michael Turner 16.41 (16 games)
15. Rashard Mendenhall 16.13 (16 games)

Scoring System: 1 point per 10 yards rushing/receiving, 1 point per reception, 6 points per touchdown rushing/receiving, -1 point per fumble lost, 5 bonus points per 100 yard rushing or receiving game.

Going into the 2010 season, the 3 top-rated fantasy running backs were Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and Maurice Jones-Drew. It’s extremely interesting to see not a single one of them ranked in the top 5 on this list. No one would have believed in a million years that Peyton Hillis would outperform all 3 of them.

Arian Foster of course started the 2010 season destroying the Indianapolis defense and just kept cruising from there. Darren McFadden and LeSean McCoy at the 2 and 3 positions are certainly apt to raise eyebrows. Throw Frank Gore into the top 5 mix and it becomes apparent just how much the scoring system used here values running backs who catch a ton of passes.

Were we to tier these players, Foster would stand alone. Then when factoring in games played as part of the criteria, everyone from McFadden down to Jamaal Charles would comprise the 2nd tier as practically interchangeable options. That still leaves much quality in the 3rd tier, with a host of steady performers who each went the distance of the 16 game season rounding out the list.

Oh yes, one other thing to notice: not a single rookie in the top 15. For all of those who were drafting Ryan Mathews in the 1st and 2nd rounds of their fantasy drafts last year, you might want to slow your roll a bit on such blind prognosticating.