These rankings are for seasonal or redraft leagues and will be the final rankings for the 2010 season.

1) Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) – Johnson had a historic year for running backs with 2,006 yards rushing and 14 rushing touchdowns.  He also added 503 yards receiving and two touchdowns.

2) Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens) – I am sure not many people thought he would be the fourth highest-scoring back in fantasy football in 2009. He does it all with 1,339 yards rushing, 78 receptions, 702 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. The only downer was that backup RB Willis McGahee took away 14 touchdowns. Having WR Anquan Boldin in the mix should keep safeties back.

3) Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) – Pretty amazing the bar he has set that 1,383 yards rushing, 436 yards receiving and 18 rushing touchdowns would be considered disappointing. He was the second highest-scoring player in fantasy football. With QB Brett Favre back, teams are again going to have to contend with a multidimensional offense for a second straight year.

4) Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) – He finally had his breakout rushing year with his first 1,000-yard-plus season (1,391 yards), plus 53 receptions, 374 yards and 16 touchdowns. Only downside is a very limited supporting cast.

5) Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) – I am finally not a Gore hater. After ranking him out of the top 10 the last couple of years, he showed me what I wanted to see: 13 touchdowns to go with those 1,120 yards rushing, 52 receptions and 406 receiving yards. The offense is young, and he should have even more support from the passing game in 2010. Those additions should help him maintain in 2009 production or possibly improve in 2010. Adding RB Brian Westbrook is also a positive; it is going to allow the 49ers to keep Gore fresh without drastically affecting his touches.

6) Michael Turner (Atlanta Falcons) – He was limited by injuries in ‘09; had he played a full 16-game schedule, he would have produced 1,267 yards. He still scored 10 touchdowns in 11 games. There was nothing career-threatening about his injury, so I expect him to bounce back. He is 28 years old but has only 782 career carries; he should have a few more good seasons.

7) Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) – He plays on a 1-15 team, but you have to give him props for 1,416 yards rushing, 51 receptions, 322 yards and four touchdowns. If he could just score more touchdowns, he would rank even higher. We think that will happen this year with the addition of Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford and Indiana T Rodger Saffold. The back surgery is no longer a big concern; all indications are that he should be at 100 percent once the season starts.

8) Cedric Benson (Cincinnati Bengals) – Benson is coming off his first good NFL season with 1,251 yards rushing and six touchdowns in 13 starts. He needs to follow that up with a second solid season. The good thing is they give him the ball 25 to 30 times; the bad thing is he had only 17 catches for 111 yards. WR Terrell Owens will probably mean a few more passing attempts for the Bengals, but it is also going to make it harder to put eight in the box. I expect him to exceed his solid 2009 season, especially if he stays healthy the entire season.

9) Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers) – He is the primary carrier, and he rebounded from 1,203 rushing yards in 2008 to 1,253 yards rushing on 30 fewer carries and scored 11 touchdowns, six more than 2008. His only drawback is that they do not throw him the ball; he has 43 receptions the last two seasons combined. He suffered a concussion in the preseason opener, but it should not be anything that lingers into the regular season.

10) DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers) – I have him a little lower than last year because of the emergence of backup Jonathan Stewart. Williams had 1,117 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games, but Stewart came on like a monster at the end of the year. I think they will both be viable fantasy running backs, but you never like to see a backup play that well.

11) Shonn Greene (New York Jets) – Greene had 540 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie and rushed 54 times for 304 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs. Without Thomas Jones in the mix, he is a top-15 running back. It also helped that they traded Leon Washington to Seattle. LaDainian Tomlinson could cut into his carries, but Greene will be the featured back.

12) Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) – Charles really came on in the second half of the 2009 season after Larry Johnson was released. He had 658 rushing yards and four touchdowns in his final four games. He should really benefit from new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.  Charles should be poised for a big year; it appears the scare over Thomas Jones is over.  Charles has outplayed Thomas Jones the last three preseason games and I just cannot see Jones out producing Charles over the course of the season.   Charles will lose some touches to Jones, as well as rookie RB/WR Dexter McCluster has also had a great camp.  It’s a crowded backfield, but he should still be near the top 10.

13) Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) – He had 1,063 yards rushing in his final 13 games and scored eight touchdowns. The Steelers want to become a running team again in 2010, which should benefit Mendenhall. The problem is that he is losing his supporting cast at an alarming rate. First was the six-game suspension of QB Ben Roethlisberger. Next, the Steelers lost arguably their best offensive lineman when starting T Willie Colon was lost for the season with an injury. Mendenhall has a number of challenges he must overcome, especially at the start of the season.

14) Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins) – Ricky Williams does split time with him, but Williams is 32 years old. Brown is playing for the one-year tender, which means he is in a contract year. That should be motivation enough for a big season. The Dolphins added WR Brandon Marshall to take pressure off the running game. I think Brown has a nice rebound season, provided he can stay healthy.

15) Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers) – I personally think he is the more special running back between him and Williams, and with 1,133 yards rushing and 10 rushing touchdowns, he is going to demand more playing time.  The Panthers will struggle to pass the ball; there are plenty of touches to go around between Stewart and Williams.

16) Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos) – His 947 yards rushing, 213 yards receiving and nine touchdowns make for a very nice rookie campaign. He should be even better this year, although we are still concerned that WR Brandon Marshall and TE Tony Scheffler are no longer with the team. Moreno is going to be the Broncos’ primary weapon, but he will also be the focal point of defensive coordinators’ game plans.

17) Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints) – Everyone was hoping for bigger things in 2009, but he was hurt in training camp and just never recovered. He finished the season with 793 yards rushing and six touchdowns to go along with 39 receptions for 302 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Bell signing with the Eagles was huge; Bell took away 654 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Thomas does have to compete for touches with Reggie Bush. Thomas has the talent to be a No. 1 back and should receive the number of touches to be a very solid fantasy starter this year.

18) C.J. Spiller (Buffalo Bills) – He received a lot of preseason work with Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch injured. He responded with 122 yards rushing and three touchdowns, including a 31-yard touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts in Week Two of the preseason. I cannot stress this enough: The (6-10) Bills did not draft Spiller with the ninth pick so that he could touch the ball five times a game. It is a crowded backfield, but I think he is going to see a lot of touches as the Bills try to feature their most explosive player. The Bills viewed Spiller as this draft's version of Chris Johnson, which should mean lots of carries and receptions. I would expect them to use him similar to how the Saints used Reggie Bush as a rookie, when Bush ranked 17th among fantasy backs in his rookie season. Spiller is my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

19) Felix Jones (Dallas Cowboys) – Jones has bulked up to 225 lbs. in the offseason, an indication that he expected to be seeing more carries as the starter. That did not happen, and Marion Barber remains the starter. I think the Cowboys will go with the hot hand, and both should see a lot of carries. I never underestimate Barber’s ability to be nicked up and injured. I still expect Jones to gain the most yards and receive the most touches, but Barber is clearly going to take more carries than I expected back in the spring, especially at the beginning of the season.

20) Joseph Addai (Indianapolis Colts) – The Colts ranked 32nd in rushing yards, and he has Donald Brown stealing carries. He finished with fewer than 1,000 yards, but the positive part was 51 receptions, 366 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns. Addai was ninth among fantasy backs last year. I think he loses more time to Brown in 2010 but is still a very undervalued running back that has experience in this Colts system. The Indianapolis Star is speculating that the Colts will let Addai walk as a free agent after the 2010 season, so it will be interesting to see if that plays a role in how carries are split this year.

21) Ryan Mathews (San Diego Chargers) – Keep in mind the Chargers did rank 31st in rushing yards in 2009. Some of that was LaDainian Tomlinson, but the offensive line is also not as strong as it was back in 2006, and starting T Marcus McNeill may be headed for a lengthy holdout. Mathews is the second rookie to make this list. He should challenge for a 1,000-yard season in an offense that will still be feared for its passing game. I doubt Mathews sees a lot of seven or eight men in the box. I just do not think his run blocking is going to be strong enough to be an elite fantasy back as a rookie.

22) Chris Wells (Arizona Cardinals) – He really came on in the second half of the season and finished with 793 yards rushing and seven rushing touchdowns. Tim Hightower is going to be the starter, but Wells will still see the majority of the touches according to ESPN’s John Clayton. The other concern is that with QB Kurt Warner retiring, it will allow teams to stack the run more this year. QBs Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson are not scaring anyone to drop safeties deep into coverage.

23) Arian Foster (Houston Texans) – I had rookie Ben Tate as the top Texans back in June, but he is out for the year with a knee injury and Foster enters the regular season as the No. 1 back.  Foster should see the most carries and Steve Slaton should see the third down and passing situation plays. The Texans will be a running back by committee that goes with the hot hand, with Foster being the most likely to have the hot hand week in and week out.

24) Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys) – There was great news coming out of Dallas for Barber fans; all indications still point to him remaining the starter. Do not be suckered into thinking that means he will receive 300 carries and be a top-10 running back. I think Jones is going to see plenty of carries, and the Cowboys will trend toward the back that has the hot hand. Barber has an extensive injury history as well, so it is not inconceivable that he loses carries that way. Expect a good season, but still expect Jones to end up being the leading fantasy scorer at the running back position for the Cowboys.

25) Ahmad Bradshaw (New York Giants) – Even though he was not the starter, he scored more fantasy points than starter Brandon Jacobs and had 778 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. The way things went in 2009, I think he is the better play, even though Jacobs is the bigger name. Both have split reps with the starters, and Bradshaw has emerged as the starter. The Giants will still us their running back by committee approach, but Bradshaw should still be the Giants’ most productive running back.

26) Justin Forsett (Seattle Seahawks) – The running back situation is finally gaining some clarity with the release of veteran RB Julius Jones. Forsett should be the starter and Leon Washington will spell him and see a lot of third down action.   All indications are that Forsett has had a great camp and that the Seahawks are excited about his potential.

27) Michael Bush (Oakland Raiders) – The Raiders have an underrated running game, but it was spread between three different backs in 2009. Even though Darren McFadden is the first round pick, I think Bush has the most potential to be an every-down running back. McFadden has been hurt all camp, and there is not a lot of confidence that he can stay healthy and carry the load. I think Bush will eventually establish himself as their No. 1 option and is poised to have a breakout season.

28) Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) – The biggest disappointment from 2009, he did manage 929 yards rushing, 57 receptions, 477 yards receiving and four touchdowns. He is an average third running back given the Bears' offensive line situation. Chester Taylor was acquired as insurance, and OC Mike Martz has expressed his intentions to use them equally this season. It is a dreaded running back by committee situation on a team that is going to struggle to open lanes for its running backs.

29) Ricky Williams (Miami Dolphins) – It was good to see him with 1,121 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns. The 32-year-old was seventh among fantasy running backs, but with Ronnie Brown returning from injury and Williams another year older, he is a high-risk player that will probably not duplicate his 2009 season.

30) LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles) – He will be the starter, but head coach Andy Reid did not dial up the run game enough when Brian Westbrook was injured for McCoy to be viable on a consistent basis in 2009. He had only 637 yards rushing and four touchdowns; in PPR leagues, he has more value thanks to his 40 receptions for 308 yards. His overall ranking was 37th among fantasy backs. Backs that are trapped in a Running Back by Committee with their fullback (Leonard Weaver) make me nervous, and Mike Bell could take away more goal-line carries. McCoy should be slightly better in Year Two, but I think he is a poor third running back to excellent fourth running back.

31) Jahvid Best (Detroit Lions) – Best is expected to be the opening day starter with Kevin Smith to be one of the backups, even though Smith has been progressing well with his injury. Best is explosive but does have durability questions. His defense is also so bad that the Lions are usually behind by a lot in the second half. That may change this year, as the Lions have upgraded their front seven. I still view him as a third to fourth fantasy running back. He is not someone you will want to start regularly as a rookie in this situation, the defense has been so bad in recent years to trust they will have leads to run the ball.

32) Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) – The acquisition of T Jammal Brown helped his value, but the biggest thing is that Portis is the back that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan consistently praises for his strong work ethic and good conditioning.  RB Willie Parker was released, making RB Larry Johnson the primary running back. I still believe that Portis will end up being the leading running back in terms of fantasy points, but it is clearly an unpredictable situation.

33) Thomas Jones (Kansas City Chiefs) – I know he has been a top-10 running back the last two seasons and was listed atop the Chiefs depth chart in preseason. At 32 years old, he is just too risky of a player. I still think that at the end of the season, Charles will be the leading rusher and Jones will wear down from the 16-game schedule. Still, he is going to cut into Charles' touches and could have value in leagues that favor touchdowns over yards.

34) Brandon Jacobs (New York Giants) – Arguably the second biggest running back disappointment from 2009, he ranked 30th among running backs with just 835 yards rushing and six touchdowns. That is down from 15 in 2008. Ahmad Bradshaw looks like the better play and will open the season as the starter.

35) Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) – He had a nice comeback from serious injury with 821 yards rushing and four rushing touchdowns. He plays well enough to warrant third running back consideration; Derrick Ward will not provide competition for carries as he has been released.  Still, Williams has enough durability concerns to be any more than a fourth running back.

36) Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) – Brown is the victim of being one of many weapons in an explosive offense. He could see more touches in his second year and should improve on his 57th-place ranking among running backs, but I still think he will not be viable most weeks. He will probably have value next year if the Colts decide not to re-sign Joseph Addai.

37) Jerome Harrison (Cleveland Browns) – Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain Dealer was predicting that Montario Hardesty would beat out Harrison for the No. 1 spot. That became foggy, as Hardesty was injured most of training camp and became an impossibility when Hardesty suffered a season ending knee injury.  Harrison is very inconsistent and will be used with a number of other running backs in this running back by committee situation.  He may have a good game or two, but good luck guessing which game that will be.

38) Willis McGahee (Baltimore Ravens) – Ray Rice stole all the yards, but McGahee had 14 touchdowns. My only concern is that the same thing happened to Chris Johnson in 2008 with LenDale White, and in 2009, Johnson took both the yards and the touchdowns. If McGahee does not score touchdowns, he has no value. There have been talks that the Ravens might be willing to trade McGahee, although it does not seem likely at this time.   McGahee should be a Raven this year, but I would not expect a repeat of his 2009 season.

39) Fred Jackson (Buffalo Bills) – He was the starter to end the season, but a broken hand in preseason has hurt his chances to carry a heavy load early in the season.   Drafting Spiller also seems to indicate that last year is in the past. I do not expect him to get enough touches, especially as the season winds on and the Bills need to give Spiller the ball to maintain excitement for the future.  He will have more value as a touchdown rusher and short yardage running back than as an every down running back.

40) Laurence Maroney (New England Patriots) – Maroney cannot seem to go more than two weeks without being in the doghouse. I only have RB Sammy Morris ranked nine spots lower; they are basically the same fantasy player at this point.  Also, keep an eye on RB Fred Taylor to see if he moves in as a starting back.  My prediction is Taylor starts early, wears down with injuries, Morris takes over and suffers the same fate, with Maroney coming on strong in the second half of the season and becoming the leading rusher; running back by committee at it's Patriots finest.

The Next 20

41) Steve Slaton (Houston Texans)

42) Reggie Bush (New Orleans Saints)

43) Bernard Scott (Cincinnati Bengals)

44) Larry Johnson (Washington Redskins)

45) Tim Hightower (Arizona Cardinals)

46) LaDainian Tomlinson (New York Jets)

47) Chester Taylor (Chicago Bears)

48) Kareem Huggins (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

49) Leon Washington (Seattle Seahawks)

50) Sammy Morris (New England Patriots)

51) Jason Snelling (Atlanta Falcons)

52) Brian Westbrook (San Francisco 49ers)

53) Tashard Choice (Dallas Cowboys)

54) Marshawn Lynch (Buffalo Bills)

55) Peyton Hilis (Cleveland Browns)

56) Mike Bell (Philadelphia Eagles)

57) Toby Gerhart (Minnesota Vikings)

58) Darren McFadden (Oakland Raiders)

59) Brandon Jackson (Green Bay Packers)