It’s been a good preseason for older running backs. Adrian Peterson looks like he’s going to lead Washington rushing. Alfred Morris looks like he’ll have a role in San Francisco. Marshawn Lynch carried the ball only once in the preseason, but it went for a 60-yard touchdown (that was nullified by a penalty). Can any of these guys help fantasy teams?
Peterson is 33, so you have to wonder how long he’ll hold up physically. Lynch is 32 but ran for as many yards as anyone during he second half of last season. Morris is only 29, but he’ll be 30 before the season is over.
Miami has the elder statesman – Frank Gore is 35 – and plans to use him as a change-of-pace behind Kenyan Drake. And the Lions are going to use 31-year-old LeGarrette Blount as part of their backfield.
Typically folks tend to shy away from 30-something running backs, but just about every year there are a few productive older runners.
Since 2000, there have been 67 running backs (about 4 per year) who’ve finished with top-30 numbers. That’s standard scoring, and I’m going by the ages at the end of the year. (So Morris, should he do good things for the 49ers, would count as a 30-year-old, even though he’ll be 29 for most of this season).
We have seen 15 old backs in these last 18 years who’ve finished with top-10 numbers. Most recently that happened with Blount two years ago. On the chart, I’ve got those guys in bold.
And since 2000, there have been 43 running backs who were 30-plus who finished with top-20 numbers. That’s an average of over two per year.
If you were to walk out of draft with only old running backs – Peterson, Morris, Lynch, Blount – you might be able to cobble together decent production.
30-YEAR-OLD RUNNING BACKS (2000-17) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player (age) | Rec | Run | Tot | TD | Points | Rnk |
2000 | Ricky Watters, Sea. (31) | 613 | 1,242 | 1,855 | 9 | 239.5 | 9 |
2000 | Lamar Smith, Mia. (30) | 201 | 1,139 | 1,340 | 16 | 230.0 | 11 |
2000 | Emmitt Smith, Dall. (31) | 79 | 1,203 | 1,282 | 9 | 182.2 | 20 |
2001 | Garrison Hearst, S.F. (30) | 347 | 1,206 | 1,553 | 5 | 185.3 | 12 |
2001 | Lamar Smith, Mia. (31) | 234 | 968 | 1,202 | 8 | 168.2 | 15 |
2001 | Emmitt Smith, Dall. (32) | 116 | 1,021 | 1,137 | 3 | 131.7 | 25 |
2002 | Charlie Garner, Oak. (30) | 941 | 962 | 1,903 | 11 | 256.3 | 9 |
2002 | Garrison Hearst, S.F. (31) | 317 | 972 | 1,289 | 9 | 184.9 | 19 |
2002 | Antowain Smith, N.E. (30) | 243 | 982 | 1,225 | 8 | 172.5 | 22 |
2002 | James Stewart, Det. (31) | 333 | 1,021 | 1,354 | 6 | 171.4 | 23 |
2002 | Emmitt Smith, Dall. (33) | 89 | 975 | 1,064 | 5 | 136.4 | 26 |
2002 | Lamar Smith, Car. (32) | 167 | 737 | 904 | 7 | 132.4 | 30 |
2003 | Priest Holmes, K.C. (30) | 690 | 1,420 | 2,110 | 27 | 373.0 | 1 |
2003 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. (30) | 290 | 818 | 1,108 | 11 | 176.8 | 16 |
2003 | Curtis Martin, NYJ (30) | 262 | 1,308 | 1,570 | 2 | 169.0 | 19 |
2003 | Eddie George, Tenn. (30) | 163 | 1,031 | 1,194 | 5 | 149.4 | 22 |
2003 | Jerome Bettis, Pitt. (31) | 86 | 811 | 897 | 7 | 133.7 | 26 |
2003 | Garrison Hearst, S.F. (32) | 211 | 768 | 979 | 4 | 121.9 | 29 |
2004 | Curtis Martin, NYJ (31) | 245 | 1,697 | 1,942 | 14 | 278.2 | 4 |
2004 | Corey Dillon, N.E. (30) | 103 | 1,635 | 1,738 | 13 | 253.8 | 7 |
2004 | Priest Holmes, K.C. (31) | 187 | 892 | 1,079 | 15 | 197.9 | 12 |
2004 | Jerome Bettis, Pitt. (32) | 46 | 941 | 987 | 13 | 180.7 | 18 |
2004 | Emmitt Smith, Ariz. (35) | 105 | 937 | 1,042 | 9 | 162.2 | 23 |
2004 | Marshall Faulk, St.L. (31) | 310 | 774 | 1,084 | 4 | 136.4 | 28 |
2005 | Tiki Barber, NYG (30) | 530 | 1,860 | 2,390 | 11 | 307.0 | 4 |
2005 | Mike Anderson, Den. (32) | 212 | 1,014 | 1,226 | 13 | 200.6 | 10 |
2005 | Warrick Dunn, Atl. (30) | 220 | 1,416 | 1,636 | 4 | 187.6 | 12 |
2005 | Corey Dillon, N.E. (31) | 181 | 733 | 914 | 13 | 169.4 | 16 |
2005 | Stephen Davis, Car. (31) | 45 | 549 | 594 | 12 | 131.4 | 26 |
2005 | Curtis Martin, NYJ (32) | 118 | 735 | 853 | 5 | 115.3 | 29 |
2006 | Tiki Barber, NYG (31) | 465 | 1,662 | 2,127 | 5 | 242.7 | 7 |
2006 | Fred Taylor, Jac. (30) | 242 | 1,146 | 1,388 | 6 | 174.8 | 18 |
2006 | Corey Dillon, N.E. (32) | 147 | 812 | 959 | 13 | 173.9 | 19 |
2006 | Warrick Dunn, Atl. (31) | 170 | 1,140 | 1,310 | 5 | 161.0 | 24 |
2007 | Fred Taylor, Jac. (31) | 58 | 1,202 | 1,260 | 5 | 156.0 | 18 |
2007 | Warrick Dunn, Atl. (32) | 238 | 720 | 958 | 4 | 119.8 | 30 |
2008 | Thomas Jones, NYJ (30) | 207 | 1,312 | 1,519 | 15 | 241.9 | 5 |
2008 | Kevin Faulk, N.E. (32) | 486 | 507 | 993 | 6 | 135.3 | 29 |
2008 | Sammy Morris, N.E. (31) | 161 | 727 | 888 | 7 | 130.8 | 30 |
2009 | Thomas Jones, Chi. (31) | 58 | 1,402 | 1,460 | 14 | 230.0 | 6 |
2009 | Ricky Williams, Mia. (32) | 264 | 1,121 | 1,385 | 13 | 218.5 | 7 |
2009 | LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. (30) | 154 | 730 | 884 | 12 | 160.4 | 19 |
2010 | LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ (31) | 368 | 914 | 1,282 | 6 | 164.2 | 17 |
2010 | Thomas Jones, K.C. (32) | 122 | 896 | 1,018 | 6 | 137.8 | 25 |
2011 | Fred Jackson, Buff. (30) | 442 | 934 | 1,376 | 6 | 173.6 | 14 |
2011 | Willis McGahee, Den. (30) | 51 | 1,199 | 1,250 | 5 | 157.0 | 21 |
2012 | Michael Turner, Atl. (30) | 128 | 800 | 928 | 11 | 158.8 | 18 |
2012 | Willis McGahee, Den. (31) | 221 | 731 | 952 | 4 | 121.2 | 24 |
2013 | Fred Jackson, Buff. (32) | 387 | 890 | 1,277 | 10 | 187.7 | 11 |
2013 | Frank Gore, S.F. (30) | 141 | 1,128 | 1,269 | 9 | 180.9 | 13 |
2013 | DeAngelo Williams, Car. (30) | 333 | 843 | 1,176 | 4 | 141.6 | 21 |
2014 | Frank Gore, S.F. (31) | 111 | 1,106 | 1,217 | 5 | 151.7 | 17 |
2014 | Fred Jackson, Buff. (33) | 501 | 525 | 1,026 | 3 | 122.6 | 23 |
2014 | Steven Jackson, Atl. (31) | 148 | 707 | 855 | 6 | 121.5 | 24 |
2014 | Darren Sproles, Phil. (31) | 387 | 329 | 716 | 8 | 119.6 | 27 |
2015 | Adrian Peterson, Minn. (30) | 222 | 1,485 | 1,707 | 11 | 236.7 | 2 |
2015 | DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. (32) | 367 | 907 | 1,274 | 11 | 195.4 | 4 |
2015 | Matt Forte, Chi. (30) | 389 | 898 | 1,287 | 7 | 172.7 | 9 |
2015 | Frank Gore, Ind. (32) | 267 | 967 | 1,234 | 7 | 165.4 | 11 |
2015 | Danny Woodhead, S.D. (30) | 755 | 336 | 1,091 | 9 | 163.1 | 12 |
2015 | Rashad Jennings, NYG (30) | 296 | 863 | 1,159 | 4 | 139.9 | 19 |
2016 | LeGarrette Blount, N.E. (30) | 38 | 1,161 | 1,199 | 18 | 227.9 | 7 |
2016 | Frank Gore, Ind. (33) | 277 | 1,025 | 1,302 | 8 | 178.2 | 12 |
2016 | Matt Forte, NYJ (31) | 263 | 813 | 1,076 | 8 | 155.6 | 20 |
2016 | Darren Sproles, Phil. (33) | 427 | 438 | 865 | 4 | 110.5 | 30 |
2017 | Marshawn Lynch, Oak. (31) | 151 | 891 | 1,042 | 7 | 146.2 | 18 |
2017 | Frank Gore, Ind. (34) | 245 | 961 | 1,206 | 4 | 144.6 | 20 |
—Ian Allan