Fantasy Index

Factoid

Montee Ball

Good teams tend to put up good rushing numbers

There’s something to be said for drafting running backs from good teams. (And specifically here, I’m talking about Marshawn Lynch and Montee Ball.) Good teams score more points and are in the red zone more – that’s how they’re winning – so they tend to finish with better rushing production.

In the last 10 years, 26 teams have won at least 13 games. All of those teams scored at least 11 rushing touchdowns. All but five of them scored at least 14. And as a group, they averaged 120 rushing yards per game.

If you buy into the theory that Denver will win 13-plus games, then the logical extension is that Montee Ball will have a damn fine season, probably putting up something like 1,600 combined yards and a dozen touchdowns.

TEAMS WINNING 13-PLUS GAMES SINCE 2004
YearTeamRunTDR
2004Pittsburgh Steelers2,46416
2004New England Patriots2,13415
2005Seattle Seahawks2,45729
2005Denver Broncos2,53925
2005Indianapolis Colts1,70318
2006San Diego Chargers2,57832
2006Chicago Bears1,91814
2006Baltimore Ravens1,63711
2007Indianapolis Colts1,70619
2007New England Patriots1,84917
2007Dallas Cowboys1,74614
2007Green Bay Packers1,59713
2008Tennessee Titans2,19924
2009New Orleans Saints2,10621
2009San Diego Chargers1,42317
2009Indianapolis Colts1,29416
2010New England Patriots1,97319
2010Atlanta Falcons1,89114
2011New England Patriots1,76418
2011New Orleans Saints2,12716
2011San Francisco 49ers2,04414
2011Green Bay Packers1,55812
2012Atlanta Falcons1,39712
2012Denver Broncos1,83212
2013Denver Broncos1,87316
2013Seattle Seahawks2,18814

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index