The first few rounds of fantasy football drafts become running back rallies, with top rushers being key to amassing points in many leagues. ESPN released their recommendations on what RBs will propel fantasy football team owners to their league titles, and their top 100 includes a few New England Patriots.
Have the first overall pick? Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is your go-to player, as he is projected to have 266 points in most fantasy leagues this season. Houston Texans RB Arian Foster is expected to be just two points behind with 264 on the season.
The highest rated Patriots rusher is BenJarvus Green-Ellis, ranked 21st. He is expected to run for 899 yards, score 11 touchdowns and collect 162 fantasy points. If touchdowns are more highly rated in your league, Green-Ellis is a good catch, as he’s ranked sixth overall for projected touchdowns.
Patriots’ fan favorite Danny Woodhead is ranked 48th, with a projected 102 points. Shane Vereen is only a few spots behind at 53, expected to accumulate 86 points. One of the highlights of the Patriots’ first preseason game, Stevan Ridley, made ESPN’s list at spot 91.
ESPN’s Top 25 Fantasy Football Running Backs
1 Adrian Peterson, Minnesota RB
2 Arian Foster, Houston Texans RB
3 Chris Johnson, Tennesee Titans RB
4 Jamaal Charles, Kansas City RB
5 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville RB
6 Ray Rice, Baltimore RB
7 LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia RB
8 Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh RB
9 Frank Gore, San Francisco RB
10 Steven Jackson, St Louis RB
11 Michael Turner, Atlanta RB
12 Darren McFadden, Oakland RB
13 Peyton Hillis, Cleveland RB
14 DeAngelo Williams, Carolina RB
15 Matt Forte, Chicago RB
16 Ahmad Bradshaw, New York Giants RB
17 Knowshon Moreno, Denver RB
18 Ryan Mathews, San Diego RB
19 LeGarrette Blount, Tampa Bay RB
20 Jonathan Stewart, Carolina RB
21 Jahvid Best, Detriot RB
22 Felix Jones, Dallas RB
23 Ryan Grant, Green Bay RB
24 BenJarvus Green-Ellis, New England RB
25 Shonn Greene, New York Jets RB
For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit.