30. Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams
Gurley comes into his rookie season to compete against Zac Stacy and Daryl Richardson for the top spot on the running back for the Rams. I don't think he'll be very useful in the early weeks, as he recovering from a torn ACL during the 2014 NCAA regular season. Expect Gurley to be the man for the Rams in the later weeks, however.
29. Joseph Randall, Dallas Cowboys
Randall did a great job filling in during Demarco Murray's injuries last season. This season, he'll be sharing the load with newly-signed free agent Darren McFadden. The Cowboys did a good job returning their offensive line, which yielded more yards than every team in the NFL besides the Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks.
28. LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots
Blount proved to be a great pickup for the Patriots last season, but the facts are that Bill Belichick uses his running backs in a very unpredictable manner. Expect to see a lot of Blount if the league upholds Tom Brady's four-game suspension, but if it's overturned, it's not exactly clear what Blount's workload will be.
27. C.J. Spiller, New Orleans Saints
Spiller might be more effective catching passes from Drew Brees in his new home as a Saint. Brees lost most of his targets from previous seasons to trades and free agency. I see Spiller finding a role that Darren Sproles looked so good in when he was in a Saints' uniform.
26. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns
The Browns used Crowell very effectively in the red zone last season, and they'll move the ball a little bit better this season. The only handcuff that'll affect Crowell is second-year player Terrance West, who showed a lot of issues holding onto the football last season.
25. T.j. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars
With Denard Robinson having a great year running the ball last season, Yeldon adds another dimension to the Jaguars' running game. I think before the end of next season, Yeldon will have emerged as the primary back for Jacksonville.
24. Joique Bell, Detroit Lions
Bell will either be close to the top of this last or close to the bottom by the end of next season. Health issues have plagued him over the last couple years, and his leash is shorter this year with the drafting of Ameer Abdullah out of Nebraska.
23. Rashad Jennings, New York Giants
Jennings will be the feature back for the Giants this season, but it's tough to gauge how much they'll continue leaning on the west coast system they put in last season. Nonetheless, he'll remain a viable red zone option for the Giants, and his only competition will be Andre Williams.
22. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers
Hyde takes the reigns this season after the departure of Frank Gore to the Indianapolis Colts. He was already coming on strong as a red zone back for San Francisco last season.
21. Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders
In recent mock drafts that I've participated in, Murray has been a first round running back selection. I think if healthy, Murray can have a great year, but I don't see the first round potential.
20. Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins will look to run the ball even better than last year, where you could argue that they exceeded expectations. Miller will remain to be the feature back in Miami, but it seems as the Dolphins will look to trust Ryan Tannehill's arm more with the acquisitions of Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker.
19. Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals
If Ellington can keep himself healthy throughout the year, 2015 could be a huge fantasy season for him. Ellington possesses a huge upside, but he's going to have to avoid the little injuries that plagued him in 2014.
18. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers
Stewart goes into 2015 without the handcuff of De'Angelo Williams, and he showed us at the end of the last year that he was capable of being a go-to back. He's another player, like Latavius Murray, that I've seen taken as a first round running back.
17. Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys
McFadden will look to resurrect himself in Dallas, and he honestly couldn't have picked a better place to try to do so. I didn't think DeMarco Murray would have as huge of a year as he did last year, but the Cowboys' offensive line proved me otherwise. Perhaps outside of Oakland McFadden will be able to put much bigger numbers, and I believe he's definitely capable.
16. Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins
Morris is the one constant to what seems to be an ever-changing Washington offense. He's proven to be a great asset for the Redskins, and 2015 will give him a chance to assert his worth.
15. Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers
I'm usually not extremely high on rookie running backs, but I really like Gordon. He's extremely versatile, has the size and can really carry the football. He'll be a great fit into the Chargers' offense and take some of the pressure off of Phillip Rivers' arm.
14. Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts add a consistent runner in Gore, who can gash defenses for nice chunks of yardage on the ground. Gore also adds yet another weapon for Andrew Luck in the red zone. He's a veteran at this point in his career, but I still expect him to post consistent points this season.
13. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos
Anderson showed his talents during the second half of last season and will receive the majority of rushing attempts for the Broncos. Peyton Manning is 39-years old, and his arm looked like it had lost some zip towards the end of last season. This being said, the Broncos are going to have to lean on Anderson to establish the run in order to set up easy reads for Manning in the passing game.
12. Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints
By the start of the season, Ingram may very well move up this list. I was able to grab him as a free agent in one of my leagues last season, and he didn't disappoint. Ingram will be the Saints' primary weapon at the goal line, where I think he will flourish like he did at Alabama.
11. Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens
Forsett, like Ingram, is another back that might move up this list before Week One. He was a very underrated running back in 2014, averaging 5.4 yards per carry in 2014. The only thing that diminishes Forsett's fantasy value is his rushing touchdowns, where he only had eight last season. With the loss of Torrey Smith to San Francisco, I expect the Ravens to lean a little more heavy on Forsett going forward in 2015 until they can get rookie Breshad Perriman up to speed.
10. DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles
Murray was the top rusher in the NFL last season, but one also has to remember that he was running behind the top offensive line in the NFL as well. This doesn't mean that Murray isn't a first round pick in your league's draft this season, just a reminder that it might take some time for us to see how much his role will be in Chip Kelly's offense. These top ten running backs on my list will probably move around a little more as we start the preseason and see how guys are looking out of training camp. Murray's ugly break up with Dallas will be sure to fuel his motivation, but I'm not seeing another 1,800+ yard rushing performance from him in 2015.
9. LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills
McCoy will produce in Buffalo as long as he stays healthy. I justified ranking him above Murray because he'll be playing for offensive coordinator Greg Roman who, like McCoy, will be in his first year with the Bills. Roman comes from San Francisco, where we saw a lot of zone-schemed runs that suit McCoy's style well. Along with his health, another looming question for McCoy will be the Bills' offensive line. Buffalo ranked number 25 last year in yards rushing (1,482) and only average 3.7 yards per carry. These two things concern me a little bit, but the new coaching staff in Buffalo has proven in the past that they're going to lean on the run more than the 2014 version of the Bills. This being said, I don't think McCoy's first round value is questioned.
8. Arian Foster, Houston Texans
Foster is a very talented back and rushed for over 1,200 yards last season, despite missing three games. His health is probably his biggest concern going into 2015, as he missed eight games in 2013 on top of the three he missed last season. If he can stay healthy however, Foster will be a force for the Texans, who still haven't seemed to become comfortable with their quarterback situation. If this continues in 2015, look for Foster to have a terrific year. His value in the first round is unquestioned, and he could wind up being the top scorer in fantasy this season.
7. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Hill proved he was top-tiered fantasy running back in his rookie season, rushing for 1,124 yards and nine scores. What's even more impressive was Hill's 5.1 yards per carry, which tied with Miami's Lamar Miller for fifth-best in the NFL in 2014. I look for Hill to pick up right where he left off in 2015, and there's no reason he slips out of the first round in any league's fantasy draft.
6. Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers
After some off the field issues prior to 2014, Bell proved to be the Steelers' workhorse on the ground. Bell was a secure play last year, not fumbling once the entire season. He was also a very effective receiver, catching 83 passes for 854 yards and three touchdowns. That kind of versatility works as a multiplier for fantasy owner, especially in PPR based leagues.
5. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears
Forte was a 1,000+ yard rusher in 2014 and caught 102 passes for 808 yards. I fully expect his catches to go down a bit this year, as this could very well be the last year we see Forte as a top-rated running back. With his targets expected to drop, the Bears very likely will turn to Forte to balance out their offensive attack to relieve pressure on quarterback Jay Cutler, who threw the most interceptions of any quarterback in the NFL last season. The Bears lost their top pass catcher in Brandon Marshall to free agency, and this provides Forte with an opportunity to see more touches.
4. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
"Beast Mode" certainly lived up to his nickname in 2014, tying DeMarco Murray with 13 rushing touchdowns last season. Many writers/media have been critical of Lynch's age, but you can't ignore the 1,300+ yards he rushed the ball last season. The only thing I foresee hurting Lynch's numbers this year is the acquisition of stud tight end Jimmy Graham in the offseason. The Seahawks were the top rushing team in the NFL last season however, so there's still plenty of room to unleash the "beast."
3. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers
Would you believe that I was able to choose Lacy with my last pick two years ago? Nowadays, that last pick is the top player picked in ESPN Mock Drafts for 2015 and for good reason. Lacy started all 16 games for the Packers last season, despite some nagging injuries and rushed for over 1,100 yards. He's a critical piece to Green Bay's red zone package and could very easily be the top running back of 2015.
2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson missed the entire 2014 due to off-field disciplinary issues, but he's set to return to a Vikings team that looks ready to go on the offensive side of the ball in 2015. The Vikings added Mike Wallace in the offseason to help add another target for Teddy Bridgewater. With AP in the backfield, the Vikings offense will look even better this season.
1. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs
Charles is the center of the Chiefs' offense and didn't put up the numbers that I expected him to produce in 2014. Hopefully, the Chiefs realized after last season that they are in dire need of improving their passing game, which will help get a lot of the pressure off of Charles. Even with every opposing defense focusing on Charles, he still average five yards per carry last season and rushed for over 1,000 yards. Charles scored 14 touchdowns last season, but he's got to work on protecting the football, as he fumbled the ball five times last season. Those five fumbles tie a single-season high for him, but his numbers look to improve going into 2015.
As always thanks for reading. Agree/Disagree? Let me know on Twitter @griffaldo.
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