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Kyle Smith | Archive | Email
Staff Writer


RBBC Review and Outlook
Running Back by Committee
6/21/13

As fantasy owners are well aware, the true workhorse running back has become a rare breed. They still exist, of course, but many teams have transitioned to the most frightening acronym in fantasy football: RBBC, or running back by committee. To help fantasy owners navigate the murky waters of teams that utilize a RBBC system, here are the breakdowns of what those teams did last season, and how things might play out in 2013.

  Buffalo - 2012
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
C.J. Spiller 207 46.8 1244 56.1 6.0 43 459
Fred Jackson 115 26.0 437 19.7 3.8 34 217
All Others 120 27.2 536 24.2 4.7
Totals 442 100.0 2217 100.0 5.0

2013 Outlook: Spiller had the breakout season fantasy owners were expecting last year, rushing for an absurd 6.0 yards per carry. Yet Fred Jackson still got plenty of touches, and had some big games. That is unlikely to happen this season—not with Jackson’s 32-year-old, injury-prone legs. Spiller didn’t reach 50 percent of Buffalo’s total carries last year, but he should eclipse that—and then some—barring injury. Spiller’s receiving ability and big-play capability combined with more touches makes him a top-10 pick in upcoming fantasy drafts.

  Carolina - 2012
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
DeAngelo Williams 173 37.4 737 35.3 4.3 13 187
Jonathan Stewart 93 20.1 336 16.1 3.6 17 157
All Others 196 42.5 1015 48.6 5.2
Totals 462 100.0 2088 100.0 4.5

2013 Outlook: Jonathan Stewart’s ankle injuries hindered him last season, and they may continue to do so early this year. Either way, the Panthers have Williams, Stewart, Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton all getting carries, which is pretty much a metaphorical nuclear bomb to all but Newton’s fantasy prospects. It’s simply not possible to tell which running back will be getting the carries in any given week, or who will get the ball near the goal line. Fantasy owners aren’t going to stay away from these two backs, who are still capable of producing, but they should be back-of-the-draft selections.

Green Bay Packers
  Green Bay - 2012
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Alex Green 135 31.2 464 27.3 3.4 18 125
James Starks 71 16.4 255 15.0 3.6 4 31
All Others 227 52.4 983 57.7 4.3
Totals 433 100.0 1702 100.0 3.9

2013 Outlook: The Packers were a mess trying to run the ball last year, as Cedric Benson and Ryan Grant each saw numerous carries. Those two veterans are gone this season, and in their place is a pair of rookies in Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin. Add DuJuan Harris into the mix and you have a cluster of runners who could all receive carries. Most believe the rookies will be the main ball carriers for the Packers, and we’ll go along with that line of thinking. Harris was solid at the end of last year, but fantasy owners shouldn’t gamble that he’ll be the team’s main runner. Lacy will be the highest drafted of the Green Bay running backs, but don’t be surprised if Franklin is snatched up by fantasy owners shortly thereafter.

Indianapolis Colts
  Indianapolis - 2012
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Vick Ballard 211 48.0 814 48.7 3.9 17 152
Donald Brown 108 24.5 417 25.0 3.9 9 93
All Others 121 27.5 440 26.3 3.6
Totals 440 100.0 1671 100.0 3.8

2013 Outlook: Brown failed in his attempt to claim the Indy backfield as his own in 2012, just as he had done previously. That opened the door for Ballard; and while he did an admirable job, it wasn’t anything that got fantasy owners excited. It looked like the team was going to stay with the status quo until their recent signing of Ahmad Bradshaw, which flips the script. Bradshaw should become the top back, but don’t be surprised if Ballard gets his share of carries, as well, while Brown figures to be fighting for a roster spot.

  New Orleans - 2011
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Mark Ingram 156 42.2 602 38.2 3.9 6 29
Pierre Thomas 105 28.6 473 30.0 4.5 39 354
Darren Sproles 48 12.9 244 15.4 5.1 75 667
All Others 61 16.3 258 16.3 4.2
Totals 370 100.0 1577 100.0 4.3

2012 Outlook: The Saints’ best running back last season was Chris Ivory, though the team pretty much sat him on the bench as they continually watched Mark Ingram waddle his way just past the line of scrimmage before getting tackled. Ingram was arguably the teams’ fourth-best back last year despite getting the majority of the carries. Ivory is with the Jets now, and Ingram is apparently behind Thomas and Darren Sproles on the depth chart, though that could change quickly. Thomas has long been underutilized, in our opinion, and even if he does get more carries than Ingram this season, it’s likely that Ingram will be getting the goal-line looks. Alas, that makes Thomas, who also has to share pass-catching duties with Sproles, a later pick than Ingram, with Sproles going ahead of both as a RB/WR hybrid.

Pittsburgh Steelers
  Pittsburgh - 2012
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Jonathan Dwyer 156 37.9 623 40.5 4.0 18 106
Isaac Redman 110 26.7 410 26.7 3.7 19 244
All Others 146 35.4 504 32.8 3.5
Totals 412 100.0 1537 100.0 3.7

2013 Outlook: Dwyer and Redman did all they could last season, but it just wasn’t very good. Neither was the effort of Pittsburgh’s other backs, which is why the team drafted Le’Veon Bell in the second round and brought in LaRod Stephens-Howling as a backup. Bell will become the team’s top running back, and we think Dwyer will stick around to be the No. 2 man, with LSH coming in to change the pace and catch passes. It’s not hard to see Bell going as early as the second round in fantasy drafts (everyone loves rookie running backs), though we’d caution that it seems at least one round too early.

San Diego Chargers
  San Diego Chargers - 2012
Player Rush Att % of
Tm Atts
Rush Yds % of
Tm Rush Yds
Yds/Carry Rec Rec Yds
Ryan Mathews 184 44.8 707 48.4 3.8 39 252
Jackie Battle 95 23.1 311 21.3 3.3 15 108
All Others 132 32.1 443 30.3 3.4
Totals 411 100.0 1461 100.0 3.6

2013 Outlook: Mathews was injured last season—shocker, we know—which allowed Battle to get some carries. And the only thing fantasy owners need to know about Battle is that he is not currently on any team’s roster. Mathews will get his fourth opportunity to stake a claim to San Diego’s chief running back spot, and his competition is less than fierce. Ronnie Brown was essentially a pass-catcher last year, and the team signed Danny Woodhead also. We can see Woodhead getting some carries, but mostly on third down, so Mathews will once again get a chance to break the hearts of fantasy owners who take him too early.