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)
YearPlayer (age)RecRunTotTDPointsRnk
2000Ricky Watters, Sea. (31)6131,2421,8559239.59
2000Lamar Smith, Mia. (30)2011,1391,34016230.011
2000Emmitt Smith, Dall. (31)791,2031,2829182.220
2001Garrison Hearst, S.F. (30)3471,2061,5535185.312
2001Lamar Smith, Mia. (31)2349681,2028168.215
2001Emmitt Smith, Dall. (32)1161,0211,1373131.725
2002Charlie Garner, Oak. (30)9419621,90311256.39
2002Garrison Hearst, S.F. (31)3179721,2899184.919
2002Antowain Smith, N.E. (30)2439821,2258172.522
2002James Stewart, Det. (31)3331,0211,3546171.423
2002Emmitt Smith, Dall. (33)899751,0645136.426
2002Lamar Smith, Car. (32)1677379047132.430
2003Priest Holmes, K.C. (30)6901,4202,11027373.01
2003Marshall Faulk, St.L. (30)2908181,10811176.816
2003Curtis Martin, NYJ (30)2621,3081,5702169.019
2003Eddie George, Tenn. (30)1631,0311,1945149.422
2003Jerome Bettis, Pitt. (31)868118977133.726
2003Garrison Hearst, S.F. (32)2117689794121.929
2004Curtis Martin, NYJ (31)2451,6971,94214278.24
2004Corey Dillon, N.E. (30)1031,6351,73813253.87
2004Priest Holmes, K.C. (31)1878921,07915197.912
2004Jerome Bettis, Pitt. (32)4694198713180.718
2004Emmitt Smith, Ariz. (35)1059371,0429162.223
2004Marshall Faulk, St.L. (31)3107741,0844136.428
2005Tiki Barber, NYG (30)5301,8602,39011307.04
2005Mike Anderson, Den. (32)2121,0141,22613200.610
2005Warrick Dunn, Atl. (30)2201,4161,6364187.612
2005Corey Dillon, N.E. (31)18173391413169.416
2005Stephen Davis, Car. (31)4554959412131.426
2005Curtis Martin, NYJ (32)1187358535115.329
2006Tiki Barber, NYG (31)4651,6622,1275242.77
2006Fred Taylor, Jac. (30)2421,1461,3886174.818
2006Corey Dillon, N.E. (32)14781295913173.919
2006Warrick Dunn, Atl. (31)1701,1401,3105161.024
2007Fred Taylor, Jac. (31)581,2021,2605156.018
2007Warrick Dunn, Atl. (32)2387209584119.830
2008Thomas Jones, NYJ (30)2071,3121,51915241.95
2008Kevin Faulk, N.E. (32)4865079936135.329
2008Sammy Morris, N.E. (31)1617278887130.830
2009Thomas Jones, Chi. (31)581,4021,46014230.06
2009Ricky Williams, Mia. (32)2641,1211,38513218.57
2009LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D. (30)15473088412160.419
2010LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ (31)3689141,2826164.217
2010Thomas Jones, K.C. (32)1228961,0186137.825
2011Fred Jackson, Buff. (30)4429341,3766173.614
2011Willis McGahee, Den. (30)511,1991,2505157.021
2012Michael Turner, Atl. (30)12880092811158.818
2012Willis McGahee, Den. (31)2217319524121.224
2013Fred Jackson, Buff. (32)3878901,27710187.711
2013Frank Gore, S.F. (30)1411,1281,2699180.913
2013DeAngelo Williams, Car. (30)3338431,1764141.621
2014Frank Gore, S.F. (31)1111,1061,2175151.717
2014Fred Jackson, Buff. (33)5015251,0263122.623
2014Steven Jackson, Atl. (31)1487078556121.524
2014Darren Sproles, Phil. (31)3873297168119.627
2015Adrian Peterson, Minn. (30)2221,4851,70711236.72
2015DeAngelo Williams, Pitt. (32)3679071,27411195.44
2015Matt Forte, Chi. (30)3898981,2877172.79
2015Frank Gore, Ind. (32)2679671,2347165.411
2015Danny Woodhead, S.D. (30)7553361,0919163.112
2015Rashad Jennings, NYG (30)2968631,1594139.919
2016LeGarrette Blount, N.E. (30)381,1611,19918227.97
2016Frank Gore, Ind. (33)2771,0251,3028178.212
2016Matt Forte, NYJ (31)2638131,0768155.620
2016Darren Sproles, Phil. (33)4274388654110.530
2017Marshawn Lynch, Oak. (31)1518911,0427146.218
2017Frank Gore, Ind. (34)2459611,2064144.620

—Ian Allan