Fantasy Index

Ian Allan

Where do great running backs come from?

Where do great running backs come from? Do you have to use a first-round pick to get a difference-making back? LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson were selected in the top 10.

But others have gone a lot later. The second and third rounds have become a popular area for picking up running backs in the draft, and others even pop up out of the blue - late-round picks or not even drafted. Alfred Morris and Arian Foster are in that last group.

Here's the top 100 running back seasons of the last 20 years. I've got them ranked by fantasy production, using the scoring system of 6 points for touchdowns and 1 point for every 10 run/rec yards.

Everyone who was originally a first-round pick, those guys are in bold. Guys selected in the second or third, they're in italics. And the other are in just plain type.

Lots of bold names on this list. Fewer running backs are being selected in the first round nowadays, but if there's somebody special - Tomlinson, Peterson - those guys aren't making it to the second round.


TOP RUNNING BACKS OF THE LAST 20 YEARS
   Points   Year

   426.3   2006   LaDainian Tomlinson
   378.9   2000   Marshall Faulk
   373.0   2003   Priest Holmes
   372.7   2002   Priest Holmes
   364.8   1995   Emmitt Smith
   363.8   2005   Shaun Alexander
   360.5   1998   Terrell Davis
   348.9   2009   Chris Johnson
   345.0   2003   Ahman Green
   343.0   2003   LaDainian Tomlinson
   342.7   2001   Marshall Faulk
   340.3   2000   Edgerrin James
   335.3   2005   Larry Johnson
   333.9   2006   Larry Johnson
   330.0   2010   Arian Foster
   329.4   2006   Steven Jackson
   323.6   2002   Ricky Williams
   319.8   1997   Barry Sanders
   316.9   1999   Marshall Faulk
   315.9   1999   Edgerrin James
   315.2   2005   LaDainian Tomlinson
   314.5   1994   Emmitt Smith
   312.5   1998   Jamal Anderson
   311.4   2012   Adrian Peterson
   311.1   2003   Jamal Lewis
   307.2   2002   LaDainian Tomlinson
   307.0   2005   Tiki Barber
   306.9   2007   LaDainian Tomlinson
   306.6   2004   Shaun Alexander
   300.8   2011   Ray Rice
   299.7   1997   Terrell Davis
   299.6   2004   Tiki Barber
   292.2   2000   Eddie George
   289.9   2009   Adrian Peterson
   289.2   2002   Clinton Portis
   285.6   2008   DeAngelo Williams
   285.6   2004   LaDainian Tomlinson
   282.7   1998   Marshall Faulk
   282.4   2007   Brian Westbrook
   282.4   2011   LeSean McCoy
   280.7   1996   Terry Allen
   278.2   2004   Curtis Martin
   276.9   2001   Priest Holmes
   276.5   2003   Clinton Portis
   276.0   2008   Michael Turner
   274.8   1996   Terrell Davis
   272.5   2009   Maurice Jones-Drew
   272.0   2006   Frank Gore
   271.5   2002   Shaun Alexander
   270.0   2002   Deuce McAllister
   269.0   2003   Shaun Alexander
   268.3   2005   Edgerrin James
   267.6   2006   Willie Parker
   266.5   1998   Garrison Hearst
   266.4   1998   Fred Taylor
   266.1   2012   Arian Foster
   264.8   1995   Curtis Martin
   264.6   1994   Barry Sanders
   264.6   2012   Doug Martin
   264.4   2002   Tiki Barber
   264.1   2001   Ahman Green
   264.0   2011   Maurice Jones-Drew
   263.7   2003   Deuce McAllister
   263.5   1996   Ricky Watters
   262.1   2001   Shaun Alexander
   261.8   1995   Barry Sanders
   261.6   2004   Domanick Davis
   259.1   2004   Edgerrin James
   258.9   2000   Mike Anderson
   258.7   2002   Travis Henry
   257.6   2006   Brian Westbrook
   256.3   2002   Charlie Garner
   256.1   2011   Arian Foster
   255.6   1999   Stephen Davis
   255.3   1995   Chris Warren
   254.8   1994   Chris Warren
   254.5   1997   Dorsey Levens
   254.2   1999   Eddie George
   253.8   2004   Corey Dillon
   252.5   1996   Curtis Martin
   252.4   1994   Marshall Faulk
   252.1   2009   Ray Rice
   251.4   2000   Ahman Green
   250.6   2012   Marshawn Lynch
   250.0   1993   Emmitt Smith
   248.5   2008   Adrian Peterson
   247.9   2000   Fred Taylor
   247.3   2001   Curtis Martin
   247.0   2012   Alfred Morris
   246.9   2000   Robert Smith
   245.2   2005   Clinton Portis
   243.5   2008   Matt Forte
   243.4   2010   Peyton Hillis
   242.7   1995   Ricky Watters
   242.7   2006   Tiki Barber
   241.9   2010   Adrian Peterson
   241.9   2008   Thomas Jones
   241.5   2010   Jamaal Charles
   241.2   2000   Curtis Martin
   240.7   1998   Emmitt Smith

^aEUR"Ian Allan

Fantasy Index