Pretty soon, you will be able to see our 2010 player profiles for detailed analysis and projections, but here's the low-down on tight ends in 2010. OA is the current overall RotoCommunity ranking at the position. DG = Dave Gawron, PM = Pat Mayo, RS = Richard Schortenmeyer III, and AV = average.

Dave Gawron's text is in black, Pat Mayo's in blue.

!!! Tier rankings updated 9/4/10 !!! 

STRATEGY

You should walk away from the first four rounds with two running backs, but you don't have to take them 1-2 in PPR leagues. RBBCs are killing mid-to-top level fantasy running backs, but on the other hand, it's creating more at the replacement level.

Drafting a running back is something that should cross your mind every time your pick comes around. Players will find it very hard to win a championship without a solid tandem of backs, so it's a position that you'll need to address early and often. Nabbing an elite RB will help you build a solid foundation for your squad, but if you miss out on the top tier, don't fret. There's plenty of talent down the line. 

The first backs you'll want to target are ones that aren't entrenched in a committee situation. You'll eventually find yourself rolling the dice on some committee guys down the line, but make sure to get your hands on a clear starter or two. Remember that a good situation outweighs a talent every day of the week in fantasy football. Depending on the league and rules, you'll probably want to roster 5-6 running backs, giving you a ton of depth when injuries start hitting. The best case scenario would obviously be to own the top six running backs when the season finishes, but that's probably out of the question. A more realistic master plan for your team should be to target two clear cut starters, two guys with a chance to man the better end of a RBBC, and two upside guys who could really break out. That combination should produce 3-4 quality fantasy starters and put you on the fast track to a championship.

TIER 1 (elite)

We prefer the Top 4, but Gore will do with pick #6 overall, after WR Andre Johnson is taken at #5. Rice loses value in non-PPR leagues.

My top four is a bit jumbled from the common line of thinking. I have no disagreement over who the top four are; I just happen to think all four are much closer than popular thought may dictate. I've ranked AP number one because he has the best mix of talent & situation. He's a mortal lock, barring injury, to average a touchdown a game. With the departure of Chester Taylor, anticipate Peterson to see more reps on third down and possibly be more involved in the passing game. Based on his performance over the last three seasons, he's the safest pick at number one.

I like Johnson plenty, but I do have some concerns coming off his 2000 yard season. He's come out and said that not only is he the league's best RB, but that he'll eclipse 2500 yards this season. I'm dubious. CJ will not disappoint, but look for him to fall back to the pack after blowing everyone out of the water in 2009. In PPR formats, he has more value than AP, but in standard leagues, I'm taking him number two. 

I was on the Ray Rice bandwagon last year and I see no need to jump off now. It may seem crazy to rank Rice over MJD but I just love his upside, which wasn't close to being reached last season. Haters will point to the acquisition to Anquan Boldin as a negative for Rice, but I see it differently. Boldin's presence should force opposing defenses to take a man out of the box to help contain the Ravens' improved passing game. With only seven men in the box, Rice should have gobs of running room to utilize to the breakaway speed that we became accustom to last year. His one huge detriment is Willis McGahee and his penchant to loom in the shadows and snake Rice's hard earned touchdowns. Towards the end of 2009, McGahee became less and less of a problem and if Rice can find a way to take half of McGahee's touchdown's and add them to his total, he has a chance to be the top man on the running back totem pole. I have him ranked ahead of Peterson in PPR formats -- he has a legitimate chance to catch another 60-70 passes on top of his gaudy totals.

Unlike the pecking order when you're at the bar with your friends, fourth pick of available talent won't lead to weeks of penicillin intake. I have Jones-Drew at four and wouldn't be concerned at all with that pick. Although we have Gore listed in this tier, I believe that the difference between Gore and the top-4 is quite substantial. Especially when I take the injury factor into consideration. MJD always has the chance to be the top overall RB, but Jacksonville's overall lack of talent won't do him any favors. Expect elite totals when all is said and done, but not at the same level as Peterson, Johnson or Rice.

If the tiers were solely based on my rankings, Gore would be in a tier of his own. He has too many question marks (injury history, how much of an impact will the rookie O-Linemen make?) to elevate him to the level of aforementioned RBs, but his skill set and upside separates him from the rest of the pack. The 49ers look to take a big step forward on offense this season and Gore should be the biggest benefactor. He's been producing high end stats for years now with little to no help to speak of. Management has gone out and provided some help and Gore should take the next step. If I really thought he'd play all 16 games I may have ranked him higher. That hasn't happened since 2006, so I'll bank on that trend continuing. Think of Gore as someone with number one upside, but also someone that has the potential to leave you dead in the water. Buyer beware.

TIER 2 (star)

Turner and Jackson have health concerns, but both are still solid, especially Turner in non-PPR and S-Jax in PPR. Williams is not a RC fave, but he's still in a good situation in Carolina. Wells should benefit most from the loss of Warner. Mathews is in a great spot in San Diego.

With the absence of Ben Roethlisberger for the first quarter of the season, Mendenhall should see a ton of carries early. The former Illinois standout will carry the load in the Steelers' backfield and should see an increase in his yards and touchdowns now that he'll get a full 16 games to show his stuff. If he gets off to a hot start, consider selling him high before Big Ben returns.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Michael Turner is overvalued. To keep this short, I don't trust the guy coming off an ankle injury where his performance was slipping before he missed time. If your league weighs touchdowns more than standard formats, Turner is an excellent pick, but he's not dependable enough to anchor your team in a normal league. Don't even consider him in PPR leagues. He has 11 catches in two years in Atlanta.

Steven Jackson is the ultimate wild card among the top-10 RBs. He's on a terrible team and will see defenses lock on him as he's the team's only legit offensive weapon. He was suffering from back pain in the second half last season, but played through it. He's been injured in each of his season, but remains one the best per game players of the last five years. If he stays on the field for a full season, he'll be a real steal.

DeAngelo Williams is a fine running back, but I'd rather have Jonathan Stewart three rounds later... I love Beanie Wells. He should be the focal point in the new Cards' run heavy offense and be relied on to carry the load in the desert. I think he has the chops and is my number one sleeper coming into the year. I'll have him on all my teams, you should too... Mathews is coming into a great situation, but the Chargers' offensive line is in shambles and we must remember he's still a rookie. That's a lot of risk to take on this early... Correll Buckhalter will pilfer more carries in Denver than expected, hurting Moreno's value significantly. Also, call me crazy, but Moreno doesn't look to have the kind to speed that's necessary to be an impact NFL running back. He's a stay away for me.

TIER 3 (solid)

Addai keeps rolling along despite the presence of Brown. McCoy loses value in non-PPR leagues. Greene may lose goal line carries and not catch many passes, but the Jets will run plenty. Charles rocks in PPR, and so should Forte in the Martz offense.

Charles would have been a lock for the top-10 before Thomas Jones came to town. Jones has been able to usurp the starting gig every where he's been. He'll get 40% of the carries at worst. As much as I like Charles' talent, I really hate his situation. Unless I get good value on him, I don't see myself rostering Charles this year -- Jones worries me too much.

I like Grant. He's safe and in a great situation with the Packers. As for job security, try and name his back up. I dare you. There's nothing sexy about drafting Grant and it's being reflected in this early ADP, but at the end of the year, he'll be a top-10 guy. He's a perfect target for auction drafts because he'll be under valued.

I was shocked by the Benson Renaissance last season, but I'm a full believer now. It doesn't appear that he'll be suspended after being arrested in a Texas bar (or maybe saloon?) after getting into a physical and verbal altercation with some local color, then claiming, "all these white boys ganging up on me and kicking me out." Tenuous diction aside, Benson is the focal point of the Bengals new hybrid philosophy of hard nose defense/ball control offense. Make sure to handcuff him with Bernard Scott just in case Benson hooks his horns in some other after hours situation.

I like Lucky Pierre the best of the bench because of his versatility combined with the loss of Mike Bell, who made a bigger impact than most people noticed last season. PT Cruiser will handle the majority of touches in the running game and could post impressive touchdown numbers if the Saints continue to score at this accelerated clip. Look for a career year.

Much like Ryan Grant, Joseph Addai is another old name that people don't seem to want. This happened last year with Addai. He kept falling down draft boards to the point where he was a steal in most drafts. Most are still stunned when they learn he was a top-10 RB last season. He'll need to be handcuffed to Donald Brown, but in that Colts' offense, he has the potential to put up some huge points. Ya'll gone Addai if you keep passing on him.

McCoy is fine. The signing of Mike Bell worries me, but he was drafted to be the ball carrier of the future and, if he can improve his blocking, should handle 60%-70% of the load. If he can mirror the success that Brian Westbrook had in the receiving game, he'll outperform his draft position.

There's a clump of guys I'm not the highest on at the top of this tier. I'll take any player if the right value presents itself, but all these guys strike me as over valued.  Shonn Greene looks like he'll be the man in NYC after his breakout run in the playoffs last season. But he still has his concerns. If the Jets' were so comfortable with Greene, they wouldn't have signed Tomlinson and drafted USC standout Joe McKnight to ease the burden. The loss of guard Alan Faneca will prove to have a bigger impact in the running game than expected. He was the leader of this line and was the one who called the audibles, that sort of experience is going to be hard to replace.

If it wasn't for the Bears giving too much money to Chester Taylor in the off season, I would love Forte a lot. At it stands, I only love him a little. If he can be the back Martz uses in the receiving game, he'll regain the top-5 value he had two seasons ago. Because I've seen him fall to the 45-60 pick range, he's become a perfect risk/reward guy. Roll the dice on Forte has a number 2 RB, with #1 upside.

We all got a glimpse of what Stewart can do in the final weeks last year. Owners rode Stewart to titles on his 470 yards and 4 TDs over the last three weeks. Unfortunately, The Daily Show will have to split carries with DeAngelo Williams to start the season once again, and frankly, there's very little to distinguish between them on the field. Off the field, I know that Williams' contract is up at the end of the season. There's always an outside chance that he'll be moved before week six, paving the way for Stewart to see all the carries. Another boon for Stewart is his injury track record. Despite dealing with lingering injuries since week one of his first season, Stewart has never missed a game. Something that can't be said for Williams. Anyways, They're basically the same player, except Stewart comes at a far greater value.

Javid "The" Best will get a chance to step in and start from day one, while Kevin Jones continues to work his way back from knee surgery. The Lions' offense will be improved and Best is coming off the board at a great value. I would much rather have Best in the 6th or 7th round than Matthews in the 2nd. 

Felix Jones will continue to see his role expand in his third year, and touching the ball that much in am offense that will score that much is a receipt for fantasy success. Just because I'm high on Jones doesn't mean I'm low on Barber. I still expect MB3 to close out games and get around 55%-65% of the carries. Jones doesn't need the extra touches to make a huge impact.

Brown was fantastic before season ending injury. He's shown he can bounce back from injury before, so that doesn't concern me. The lack of the Wildcat certainly does though. He'll still get his touches and be productive but don't talk yourself into Brown as a number one. He's a low end number two/great flex player.

Fred Jackson is very interesting. He has a great season last year and will definitely see more reps than Marshawn "Little Green Men" Lynch. The problem is that the Bills, in their infinite wisdom, drafted CJ Spiller in the first round. Spiller clearly has the most talent on the team, but I remain in the dark about the role he'll play in this offense. Since the Bills have no receivers to speak of, using Spiller has a slot man, much like Reggie Bush, wouldn't be out of the question. But it looks like we'll have to wait and see what Chan Gailey and his merry band of octogenarians will do. I would still draft Jackson, mainly because he's slipping so far in drafts. If he can break camp as the starter, there's no reason he can't duplicate last year's stats, and possibly improve on them. Spiller is a better lottery ticket later on, don't waste too high a pick on him.

TIER 4 (not as solid)

Best could surprise as a rookie, but it could be tough to do much on a poor Detroit team. Jacobs and Barber need to stay healthy. Portis needs to keep his job. Harrison needs to hold off Hillis and Davis but should be fine in PPR either way. Tomlinson needs to score TDs and catch passes, which he should be able to do. Slaton needs to prove he can stay healthy and productive but is likely just part of a RBBC. Forsett is a good back, but Washington could cut into his touches. Spiller could surprise in PPR leagues. Sproles, Taylor, and Hightower are all more PPR too. Maroney isn't a bad lottery ticket late.

Don't sleep on Michael Bush. Bush, along with Beanie Wells, is definitely another running back that will pull a cameo on all teams this year. His current ADP is 38th among RB, so you won't need to expend too much to get him, but he has the chance to take that the job in Oakland and literally run away with it. Darren McFadden is a bust. Yes, I said it. And Justin Fargas is the son of TV's Huggy Bear, and any son of a snitch is not to be trusted. Jason Campbell will hopefully bringing some stability to this offense and Bush has shown us in the past that he is the most effective of the three when given the chance. Good combo for a sleeper.

Chester Taylor could surprise if Forte doesn't mesh well in Martz' offense. The Bears thought enough of him to dish out a ton of guaranteed money this off-season, he's going to get touches. Even if he can't supplant Forte, he'll always have value in PPR formats... I'm done with Darren McFadden. Talk yourself out of RUN DMC on draft day unless you want to end up looking like a pro from the set of Scanners... Remember to attach Donald Brown to Joesph Addai.

TIER 5 (iffy)

McGahee should still get TDs, as should Mike Bell (below). Most others here are RBBC backs or back-ups that catch passes.

Buckhalter will out perform his draft position if he can remain healthy. That's a massive if though... Kevin Smith is an intriguing flyer who will come at a great price. Any league which allows for bench depth would be keen to keep him on the brain come draft day. He could be back by week six and Best is no sure thing... Care only for touchdowns? Then Willis McGahee is the guy for you. Although if you have Ray Rice, you'll want to have his back up/TD thief... You never know who will be a star in New England, but it's my guess it isn't Sammy Morris.

TIER 6 (long shots)

There's really not much to see here -- some hand-cuffs, but not much beyond that.

Mike Bell has a chance to see some serious time in Philadelphia. Not even LeSean McCoy's mother is sold on him as a starting running back and Bell was a beast when having the chance in New Orleans. Bell definitely has a chance to emerge with the gig and his talents should translate well to Philly... Choice has the best chance at doing much this season. He is the clear number three in Dallas but always finds a way to make himself productive for at least a couple weeks... If you're looking to handcuff Mendenhall, you'll want the bruising Dwyer in standard formats. Moore has seriously upside in PPR leagues if he can get on the field with consistency... I still prefer Norwood to Snelling... When fragile Frank Gore finds a way to miss time, I think you'll see the smash-mouth rookie Anthony Dixon before Glen Coffee.

ALSO

Our 2010 Fantasy Football Draft Kit can help you win your league this year, so check out the whole kit. And don't forget, we will promptly answer any questions you may have about your team, line-up, waiver wire, and trades in our FORUM. It just takes a minute to REGISTER a username and password for our site (allowing you to download draft kit files and post reviews, comments, blogs, and forum topics).