As we near the halfway point of the season, three running backs are on pace to finish with over 2,000 yards. Two you know all about. One is more of an under-the-radar player.
David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott, of course, are ripping it up. They were selected in the first rounds of most fantasy drafts.
But Spencer Ware is also having himself a heck of a year. Including receiving production, he’s also on pace to finish with more than 2,000 total yards this season.
It’s relatively early, and I’m not sure that any of these three will actually reach 2,000. Running backs tend to get hurt, and Ware might dip into being more of a time-share back with Jamaal Charles. But here’s how they project to stack up, relative to the other 30 running backs who’ve gone over 2,000 yards in this century.
RUNNING BACKS WITH 2,000 YARDS (since 2000) | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Run | Rec | Total | TD | Pts |
2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 1,815 | 508 | 2,323 | 31 | 418.3 |
2000 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. | 1,359 | 830 | 2,189 | 26 | 374.9 |
2003 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | 1,420 | 690 | 2,110 | 27 | 373.0 |
2002 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | 1,615 | 672 | 2,287 | 24 | 372.7 |
2009 | Chris Johnson, Tenn. | 2,006 | 503 | 2,509 | 16 | 346.9 |
2003 | Ahman Green, G.B. | 1,883 | 367 | 2,250 | 20 | 345.0 |
2001 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. | 1,382 | 765 | 2,147 | 21 | 340.7 |
2016 | David Johnson, Ariz. | 1,557 | 738 | 2,295 | 18 | 339.2 |
2003 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 1,645 | 725 | 2,370 | 17 | 339.0 |
2000 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | 1,709 | 594 | 2,303 | 18 | 338.3 |
2005 | Larry Johnson, K.C. | 1,750 | 343 | 2,093 | 21 | 335.3 |
2006 | Larry Johnson, K.C. | 1,789 | 410 | 2,199 | 19 | 333.9 |
2010 | Arian Foster, Hou. | 1,616 | 604 | 2,220 | 18 | 330.0 |
2006 | Steven Jackson, St.L. | 1,528 | 806 | 2,334 | 16 | 329.4 |
2002 | Ricky Williams, Mia. | 1,853 | 363 | 2,216 | 17 | 323.6 |
2003 | Jamal Lewis, Balt. | 2,066 | 205 | 2,271 | 14 | 311.1 |
2002 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. | 1,683 | 489 | 2,172 | 15 | 307.2 |
2005 | Tiki Barber, NYG | 1,860 | 530 | 2,390 | 11 | 305.0 |
2014 | DeMarco Murray, Dall. | 1,845 | 416 | 2,261 | 13 | 304.1 |
2012 | Adrian Peterson, Minn. | 2,097 | 217 | 2,314 | 12 | 303.4 |
2004 | Tiki Barber, NYG | 1,518 | 578 | 2,096 | 15 | 299.6 |
2011 | Ray Rice, Balt. | 1,364 | 704 | 2,068 | 15 | 296.8 |
2016 | Ezekiel Elliott, Dall. | 1,875 | 261 | 2,136 | 13 | 293.6 |
2014 | LeVeon Bell, Pitt. | 1,361 | 854 | 2,215 | 11 | 287.5 |
2007 | Brian Westbrook, Phil. | 1,333 | 771 | 2,104 | 12 | 282.4 |
2013 | LeSean McCoy, Phil. | 1,607 | 539 | 2,146 | 11 | 280.6 |
2001 | Priest Holmes, K.C. | 1,555 | 614 | 2,169 | 10 | 276.9 |
2006 | Frank Gore, S.F. | 1,695 | 485 | 2,180 | 9 | 272.0 |
2003 | Deuce McAllister, N.O. | 1,641 | 516 | 2,157 | 8 | 263.7 |
2004 | Edgerrin James, Ind. | 1,548 | 483 | 2,031 | 9 | 257.1 |
2016 | Spencer Ware, K.C. | 1,312 | 760 | 2,072 | 8 | 255.2 |
2009 | Ray Rice, Balt. | 1,339 | 702 | 2,041 | 8 | 252.1 |
2006 | Tiki Barber, NYG | 1,662 | 465 | 2,127 | 5 | 242.7 |
—Ian Allan