As the Football season starts to close in, we’re starting to roll out daily fantasy football content for Dynasty and Redraft leagues. Fantasy Football expert Bill Dubiel takes a look at the running backs starting with the highest tier. You can find the Tier 1 Rankings here.
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Tier 2 – Dynasty/Keeper Running Back Rankings
7) Marshawn Lynch, 29, SEA
8) Matt Forte, 29, CHI
Marshawn Lynch and Matt Forte can be lumped in together, as both are veterans who somehow just keep producing at an extremely high level. They have very different styles of play, with Beast Mode doing his best to injure anyone silly enough to try and tackle him, while Forte is a dual threat, producing almost as much in the passing game as in the running game. While I say that, Lynch did have four receiving TDs last year (along with a league-best 13 rushing TDs), so it’s not like he’s useless in the passing game, but it's not a focus of the Seahawks to get him involved. The quality of the quarterback also plays a decent role with these guys, as defenses are much more afraid of Russell Wilson than they are of a Brandon Marshall-less Jay Cutler. I fully expect every opponent’s strategy to be to neutralize Forte. Regardless, both have at least two years of top 10 production left in them, with Lynch receiving a slight edge.
9) DeMarco Murray, 27, PHI
I wanted to rank DeMarco Murray a bit higher, but I’m just not sure what his role will be in Chip Kelly’s offense. His outrageous production last year was the result of being run into the ground, and I don’t expect Kelly to take the same approach. When you receive 500 touches, it’s a guarantee that you will have exceptional production, although his yards per carry/reception were very good (4.7 YPC and 7.3 YPR) . The Eagles still have Darren Sproles and then added Ryan Mathews in the offseason, so while Murray will still be productive I don’t see him cracking the top seven this year.
10) Adrian Peterson, 30, MIN
Yo Adrian! He’s just so darn talented, I had to keep him in the top 10. Anybody who’s played fantasy football for a few years knows exactly how good he is, as he’s never failed to reach 10 rushing touchdowns in any season, not counting last year where he was suspended. He also averages an absurd 98 yards per game—for his career. The Vikings offense is sneakily getting better, and as Teddy Bridgewater becomes a bigger threat to defenses, I expect Peterson to benefit significantly. He’s had a year to keep himself fit and refreshed, so don’t be surprised if he comes back with a bang in 2015.
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