Most owners would take any of these on their team, but which of these RB's would you like to have the most?

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After holding out for 38 days in hopes of a new contract, Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew reported to the team on Sunday.

"It was good to finally speak face-to-face. I can tell he's ready to go, so we'll be working with him to get him up to speed as quickly as possible,” head coach Mike Mularkey said in a statement. “It's great to be able to proceed with our preparation for the opener and the season beyond with Maurice as part of the plans." 

All indications are that the team still plans to start Rashad Jennings at running back in Week 1’s tilt with the Vikings.

The holdout caused MJD to fall in drafts in recent weeks and that should provide owners that took a stab on him in Rounds 2 or 3 some great value for their pick. For those still waiting to draft, Jones-Drew should slide back into Round 1 somewhere between the fifth and 10th running back to come off the board. 

Expect it to take a game or two for him to work his way back into football shape and to regain his 20-plus per game form. The Jaguars have handed their starting running back the ball an average of 318 times per season over the last three years, including a career-high 343 times in 2011.

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LIONS’ BACKFIELD IN SHAMBLES
Kevin Smith, the Week 1 projected starter for the Lions, and the current No. 31 back on the GetSportsInfo.com Cheat Sheet was forced to exit Saturday’s with an right ankle injury, it’s the same ankle that he hurt last year that forced him to miss time. Mikel Leshoure returned to the field for the first time Saturday night as he is recovering from a torn Achillies’ that cost him his entire rookie season, but he’s suspended the first two games and Jahvid Best still can’t get cleared from his concussion issues and is likely to start the season on the PUP list.

REDSKINS RUNNING BACK HEADACHES CONTINUE
Mike Shanahan is a long-known nemesis for fantasy owners with his running back and its appears that the 2012 Redskins’ backfield is going to help him continue to live up to his name.  Roy Helu (Achilles' tendons) and Evan Royster (knees) have had to deal with injury and veteran. Tim Hightower is coming back from an ACL tear a year ago. Meanwhile rookie Alfred Morris is taking advantage of carries. After rushing 107 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries vs. the Colts Saturday night, he is now averaging 5.0 per carry for the preseason.

PALMER CAN’T OVER COME TURNOVERS
Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer completed 17 of 26 passes for 181 yards on Saturday night, but was picked off twice in the game. That takes the former Bengal up to four picks through three preseason game and he has yet to throw a touchdown.

STILL NO MJD OR MIKE WALLACE
Two players have had lengthy preseason holdouts. Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew and Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace both stayed away in hopes of a raise. The Jaguars imposed a deadline of Saturday for Jones-Drew to report if he wanted to start in Week 1, but the elite fantasy running back was a no show. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh Wallace was expected to return to the team this weekend.

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
After amassing 700 yards and a whopping 10 touchdowns on 58 receptions in 2010, Marcedes Lewis turned out to be a huge fantasy bust a year ago. Not only did he catch 19 less balls for 460 yards, the Jaguars tight end failed to find the end zone in 2011. Part of the problem can be pinned on the Jaguars’ woes at quarterback, but Lewis simply was not a factor with just two games over 50 yards receiving. The arrival of Mike Mularkey and a new system should help, but more consistency at QB will be the deciding factor on his fantasy value.

SCHEDULE
The Vikings and Colts in their first five games should help make for some decent early numbers, but three tough defenses like the Texans, Bengals, and Bears also before the bye will test the team’s offensive line.  Their non-conference matchups against the NFC North teams, arguably football’s best division top to bottom, aren’t going to provide much relief. The good news for the fantasy playoffs is all three of their games are in the state of Florida, so there will be no wintery elements to deal with.

STUD
Maurice Jones-Drew led all NFL rushers in both yards (1,606) and carries (343) a year ago on his way to finishing as top five fantasy running back. Despite the workload, Jones-Drew has proven to be extremely durable. Through his seven-year career he’s managed to play in at least 14 games each season. The team’s improved weapons in the passing game should help keep defenses a bit more honest and allow MJD the ability to once again be productive. Assuming his holdout doesn’t drag on too long, Jones-Drew should continue to be viewed as a first-round RB.

DUD
Despite being the Jaguars’ leading receiver a year ago, Mike Thomas finds himself buried on the team’s depth chart and a total off-season remake of their wide receiver corps. At best he’ll be the team’s third receiver and after only garnering 44 receptions for 415 yards and just one touchdown as the team’s No. 1 receiving option, he won’t bring much value to the table.  Barring injury, owners should avoid Thomas altogether entering 2012.

SLEEPER
There’s never been a question surrounding the talent of rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon. His fantasy potential hit a minor hurdle when he landed in Jacksonville with 5th overall pick in April’s draft. It wasn’t a good sign when he was arrested for a second DUI in June. However, that coupled with his brief holdout and the Jaguars’ weak passing attack has his ADP at 96.03 as the 34th overall receiver going off the board. It comes with risk, but a mid-round stab at the talented rookie could pay big dividends.

NEW ADDITIONS
Desperately seeking to breathe some life into their anemic passing game, the Jaguars signed free agents Laurent Robinson and Lee Evans this offseason. Robinson parlayed a career in Dallas into a 5-year, $32 million deal and will be counted on to produce. He caught 54 balls for 854 yards and 11 touchdowns for Dallas a year ago. At 31, Evans is coming off back-to-back injury riddled seasons and has appears to have lost a step. A reunion with Mularkey, the coach that drafted him will help, but it may not be enough. Robinson is a WR4 at best in deeper formats and owners should take a wait-and-see approach with Evans.

POSITION BATTLE
Second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert has started training camp as the team’s starter, but veteran Chad Henne was brought in to give the team an option if the young passer’s development staggers.  Gabbert’s rookie campaign was awful as he completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 2,214 yards and 12 TD’s, but he was picked off 11 times and fumbled a league-high 14. The team is holding out hope that Gabbert was another bust, but don’t hold your breath. Henne will be starting at some point and his presence will upgrade the value of everyone in the passing game.

BENCH BUILDER
While Rashad Jennings is a natural handcuff for MJD owners, he could provide nice depth for any fantasy team. Even if Jones-Drew is doing his thing, the team is expected to reduce his workload which will lead to more opportunities for Jennings to do some damage. In PPR leagues his value is slightly higher. Look for him to be a RB4 in deeper leagues and a RB5 option in any format. If Jones-Drew is out of the mix he could become a potential weekly starting option.

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Winning NFL picks, odds and power rankings all from our friends at Doc's Sports Service.

RB Game Ball - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville - 31 carries, 186 yards
The Jaguars proved to the NFL that they deserve to make the playoffs this season. They played tough defense and pounded the ball on offense with MJD. Yes, David Garrard is have a great season and the AFC south has come down a notch in play. But Jacksonville has made the best of their opportunities. And MJD deserves a ton of the credit.

RB Honorable Mention - Jamal Charles, Kansas City - 21 carries, 116 yards (what could he do if he wasn't splitting carries with Jones?)

QB Game Ball - Drew Brees, New Orleans - 24/29, 313 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int
Few offensive players deserve too much credit playing against what has become a woeful Bengals defense, but Take a look at those numbers. Not only 300+ passinf yards but an impressive completion percentage. And of course he drove his team down the field to win the game late. Sure, a crappy defensive lineman helped but in New Orleans they're talking about Brees' hard-count.

QB Honorable Mention - Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh - 22/38, 253 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int (pretty gutsy performance.)

WR Game Ball - Greg Jennings, Green Bay - 6 catches, 122 yards, 2 TD
Not sure where all the numbers will end up after week 17, but Jennings has to be considered one of the top WRs in the league. He now has three straight 100+ yard performances with five touchdowns in those games. That gives him 944 receiving yards on the season with 11 scores. Oh, and he has his team poised for a playoff run.

WR Honorable Mention - Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis - 14 catches, 200 yards, 1 TD (monster game but another loss - he may be sitting at home in January.)

The Game Used Sock Award - Kerry Collins, QB, Tennessee - 14/32, 169 yards, 0 TD, 2 Int
There have been a few cases in the history of the NFL where a team has won despite less than mediocre play from the QB position. The Ravens and Buccaneers from a years ago did well. The Titans have tried their best to mimic the theory, but have now failed. Collins really hasn'r done much better than Vince Young but you wouldn't think it should matter with the running game of Tennessee. And the defense. But they were beat pretty handily by the Jags on Sunday and no one had worse numbers than Collins. How bad do you socks start to smell if you can just hand the ball to Chris Johnson 25 times? The world may never know.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis - 36/48, 365 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int - (11 picks in the last three games.)

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RB Game Ball - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville - 23 carries, 133 yards, 1 TD, 3 catches, 87 yards
While David Garrard and the Jags passing game has been getting a lot of credit for the teams recent success, super-stud MJD has been more than doing his share. Jacksonville notched its third straight victory on Sunday and Jones-Drew rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the wins. And, three of his four touchdowns for the season came in those games. Jacksonville is now looking forward to the post-season and MJD should continue to put up some excellent numbers.

RB Honorable Mention - Mike Goodson, Carolina - 22 carries, 120 yards, 5 catches, 31 yards (impressive stats in a loss to the Ravens.)

QB Game Ball - Mark Sanchez, NY Jets - 22/38, 315 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Despite a winning record, the Jets have struggled on offense in recent weeks. That changed on Sunday versus the Texans. It took some amazing late heroics but the J-E-T-S snagged a victory thanks to Sanchez and Santonion Holmes. The New York wideout made an incredible touchdown catch with less than a minute to go to beat Houston. Sanchez showed great poise through the end and may have finally eased worries regarding his inexperience.

QB Honorable Mention - Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh - 18/29, 275 yards, 3 TD, 3 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD (and he took a pretty good punch.)

WR Game Ball - Steve Johnson, Buffalo - 8 catches, 137 yards, 3 TD
The Bills won their second game of the season on Sunday thanks to a huge performance from Johnson and his QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Sure, it came against a reeling Bengals squad but the Bills offense has been moving the ball all season long. Don't be surprised if they shock a few more teams the rest of the way with Johnson and Fitzpatrick putting up solid stats.

WR Honorable Mention - Greg Jennings, Green Bay - 7 catches, 152 yards, 3 TD (think Brett misses him?)

GAME-USED SOCK AWARD
Vince Young, QB, Tennessee - 12/16, 165 yards, 0 Int, 0 TD
Those are some pretty weak numbers even after supposedly getting hurt in the third quarter. Sure the fans are booing your every move. But then after a tough overtime loss you rip off your jersey and throw it into the crowd? Then you start arguing with your coach who kicks you out of the press conference. Hmmm. Not good. It looks as if Vince Young's chances of playing for the Titans ever again are less than Reggie Bush personally handling him the Heisman Trophy. But hey Vince, maybe they'll let you leave town with a pair of stinkin' socks.

QB Honorable Mention - Peyton Manning, Indianapolis - 38/52, 396 yards, 4 TD, 3 Int (it's bad for ratings when a stud doesn't lead his team to victory on the final drive.)

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QB Game Ball - Kyle Orton, Denver - 35/48, 330 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
The Broncos are now 5-0 with their new QB at the helm. Sure, a soft schedule, good defense and a few freaky plays have helped, but today Orton led his team to the a game winning field goal in overtime. Oh, and it was against the Patriots! Orton may never be Tom Brady or even Jay Cutler, but he's leading his team to victory and sometimes that is all that counts.

QB Honorable Mention - Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle - 241 yards, 4 TD (if he could stay healthy, the Seahawks may have a good year.)

RB Game Ball - Cedric Benson, Cincinnati - 27 carries, 120 yards, 1 TD
While those numbers are not exactly huge, the fact that Benson was running against the Ravens is significant. It has been a few years since Baltimore has allowed anyone to reach triple digits on the ground. The Bengals were persistent, however, and Benson's performance today and through the first five games are a big reason Cincinnati is in first place.

RB Honorable Mention - Michael Turner - 97 yards, 3 TD (a nice game for all the Falcons against what has been a good 49ers D.)

WR Game Ball - Miles Austin, Dallas - 10 catches, 250 yards, 2 TD
After grabbing just five balls in the first four games, Austin had a monstrous day in Kansas City. His biggest catch was the last play of the game - a 60-yard TD in overtime.

WR Honorable Mention - Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia - 6 catches, 142 yards, 2 TD (a coming-out party for the rookie.)

TE Game Ball - Kellen Winslow, Tampa Bay - 9 catches, 102 yards, 2 TD
Winslow left Cleveland in search of greener pastures. Unfortunately for him he ended up in Tampa. But he did play well with new QB Josh Johnson giving the Bucs some hope for the future.

TE Honorable Mention - Heath Miller, Pittsburgh - 5 catches, 54 yards, 1 TD (that's 29 grabs in five games.

Game Used Sock Award - Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville - 12 carries, 34 yards, 5 catches, 23 yards
Just when everyone thought the Jags were coming to life, they go and lay an egg in Seattle. A team that has been known in recent years for running the ball and playing solid defense did not do either on Sunday. As for MJD, he has just one good game this year and that came against the Texans. He had just 14 yards on the ground against a tough Titans D last week and followed that up with 34 against the Seahawks - ugh! He may do better next week against the Rams but don't bet on it. The only thing for sure is he is flying home tonight with a stinky sock.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Anyone who watched the Browns beat the Bills 6 to 3.

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It's that time of the year again. The 6th Annual GetSportsInfo.com Mock Draft kicked off on Monday and the opening round provided some interesting insights...

ROUND ONE
1. HUMBERT - RB A Peterson (MIN)
2. FISCHER - RB M. Turner (ATL)
3. CLASGENS - RB M. Jones-Drew (JCK)
4. ANSELMO - QB D. Brees (NO)
5. MURDICO - RB M. Forte (CHI)
6. SIMS - RB L. Tomlinson (SD)
7. SCHMITT - RB F. Gore (SF)
8. WETZEL - RB D. Williams (CAR)
9. BRYANT - RB S. Jackson (STL)
10. DINSMORE - RB B. Westbrook (PHI)
11. SIMON - RB C. Johnson (TEN)
12. BROERING - RB M. Barber (DAL)

POSITION BREAKDOWNS: RB (11), QB (1)

MY PICK: This is not necessarily the year to pick third. With the difference between the No. 3 running back on my Cheat Sheet and the No. 10 running back in the rankings being so slim, I would have preferred to pick at the bottom of Round One in order to get an early pick in Round Two as the draft order snakes. Picking third I had to with a running back.  Maurice Jones-Drew is the flavor of the off-season for fantasy gurus everywhere. Why wouldn't he be? Fred Taylor has long stood in his way of being an elite fantasy runner. However, Taylor has fled to New England via free agency, leaving MJD is the man in J-Ville! In a limited role he's produced at least 1100 yards per season and at least nine touchdowns per year. With Taylor gone, he will get his chance at being the featured back. It's hard to imagine the 5-foot-7 running back getting more than 20 touches per game very often, but he will make the most of his chances.

BEST VALUE PICK: LaDainian Tomlinson battled a nagging turf toe injury last season and disappointed many owners that spent a top pick on him. With his age, career workload, and Darren Sproles all factors in projecting his stats there's no doubt that the days of 2,000 total yards are over. But LT appears healthy and will definitely be given the ball early and often in San Diego. I expect him to approach 1500 total yards and 15 touchdowns if he stays healthy. That makes him a steal at No. 7. Too many websites have him ranked way too low.

MOST LIKELY TO DISAPPOINT: It's hard to pick a player from this group as being a bust-candidate. In fact, none of them fall under that category in my mind. If I had to pick one that may disappoint though I'll go with Michael Turner. Let me be clear, I love the Falcons' offense and expect a very productive year from Turner. Yet, the team has already said they plan on reducing his workload to ensure that he stays fresh. Plus, the addition of Tony Gonzalez and another year of maturity for the Falcons' passing game leads me to believe fewer touchdown chances for Turner. Throw in a tougher slate of games this year and it's hard to imagine Turner eclipsing 2008's numbers.

FINAL TAKE: Overall, it was solid drafting for the opening round. Drew Brees was a bit of a surprise with the fourth overall selection, but at least you know you will get consistency and that is what wins. Getting a Tier 1 quarterback is HUGE this season and Anselmo may not have gotten one in the second round. I was a bit surprised to see Larry Fitzgerald go undrafted, but expect a big run on wideouts in Round Two.

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The 2008 fantasy season in the books and there are plenty of questions that need to be answered, but nonetheless here's the 1st edition of the 2009 GSI Fantasy Football Top 50 rankings:

TOP TEN PICKS
1. ADRIAN PETERSON (MIN) - The winner by default. A-Pete won the rushing title and 16 TD's is hard to beat. He may not be the best overall RB in the NFL, but he remains fantasy football's best. The fact he still has room for improvement is scary.

2. STEVEN JACKSON (STL) - When he played, Jackson was one of the best scorers in fantasy football. In fact he finished the year in the top 3 of fantasy points per game. The problem is he only played in 12 games and was less than 100% in half of those. New Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo says his offensive philosophy is to "to be able to run the football and protect the quarterback." That should spell success for the Rams' franchise back.

3. MATT FORTE (CHI) - Having a top five pick is not what it used to be, but you can't go wrong taking the Bears' newest weapon there. He has the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and can break big plays. The Bears' offense will continue to focus on giving him opportunities.

4. MAURICE JONES-DREW (JCK) - Fred Taylor's days in Jacksonville appear to be over, leaving the bulk of the duty to MJD. He shined down the stretch with Taylor sidelined and now could have the chance to do so for the length of a season. He not only is rock solid at the goalline, but Jones-Drew also is one of the best receiving backs in the league.

5. CHRIS JOHNSON (TEN) - The rookie was sensational, picking up right where he left off in college at making explosive plays. If it weren't for the touchdown machine Lendale White stealing his chances at the stripe, Johnson would rival A-Pete for the #1 pick.

6. MICHAEL TURNER (ATL) - The best free-agent pickup during last year's off-season won't make it past Round 1 in 2009. He finished second in the league in rushing and put up four mutliple-TD games. Throw in a score in 7 of his last 8 games in '08 and his value is high. I am a bit worried about his 370 carries this year though as he could wear down.

7. LARRY FITZGERALD (ARZ) - Fitz has moved to the top of my list at receiver with his dominating playoff performance. He is as solid as they come and a safe bet to be near the top of the league again next year. Through three playoff games Fitzgerald is up to 419 receiving yards, 23 catches, and five touchdowns. That's following six scores in his last five regular season games. Pretty impressive. Getting quarterback Kurt Warner back could prove key though to him going this high.

8. FRANK GORE (SF) - I am still holding out for Gore to follow up on the 2006 campaign. To do so he's going to need to avoid all the bumps and bruises though. With Mike Singletary back and Mike Martz gone in San Fran, expect Gore to become the center of attention in the 49ers' attack (even more so than before).

9. DEANGELO WILLIAMS (CAR) - Even with Jonathan Stewart lurking, Williams was able to put up some amazing numbers this season in the high-powered Panthers' running attack.  He made 20 trips to the end zone and rushed for 1,518 yards. A repeat performance may be tough, but he's certainly worth top 10 recognition.

10. ANDRE JOHNSON (HOU) - Johnson makes my top 10 and is really 1A on my Cheat Sheet at receiver heading into next season.  It's pretty impressive to think about only six running backs had more yards than Johnson did through the air. That's enough for me to take him in late in the first round.

COMPLETE RANKINGS

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I plan on working on my own 2009 Cheat Sheet and Top 50 Overall list this weekend, but I wanted to share the one from Rotoworld.com's Gregg Rosenthaul.  Of all the big media fantasy gurus, he's the one I most frequently agree with. However, I will promise you one thing, my list will be drastically different than his initial top 10:

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Maurice Jones-Drew
3. Matt Forte
4. Marion Barber
5. Steven Jackson
6. Chris Johnson
7. Brian Westbrook
8. Frank Gore
9. Andre Johnson
10. Calvin Johnson
11. Larry Fitzgerald
12. Brandon Jacobs

Just Missed, in no particular order: Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Clinton Portis, Steve Smith, LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Marshawn Lynch, Jay Cutler

 
OTHER TAKES HE HAD AS THE SEASON ENDED...
--Fred Jackson ran for 136 yards against the Patriots in one of the most impressive displays I saw all season. New England stacked the box with eight and nine guys every play, and Jackson's vision and leg drive were remarkable. He carried defenders on his back. Jackson finishes with 888 efficient yards from scrimmage and 37 catches on the season. He averaged more yards-per-carry than Marshawn Lynch and is a better receiver. That's bad news for Lynch owners because Jackson has earned a spot as the lesser half of a committee long-term.

--I still need to watch the tape, but Cedric Benson's 462 yards in his last three games will get him some job offers this off-season. His best chance to start, by far, should be staying in Cincinnati.

--Tony Romo's poor finish to the season, against very difficult competition, should keep his price tag enticingly low in next year's drafts.

--LaDainian Tomlinson has undeniably looked fresher the last two weeks. He ran much harder against a collapsing Bucs defense and a terrible Broncos defense, but don't forget the first 14 mediocre weeks and how easy his schedule was. Two good weeks doesn't return him to top-five prominence next year.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

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