Fantasy football: Where did all the great backs go?

By Michael Salfino, Special to the Rocky

Published October 27, 2008 at 12:13 p.m.
Updated October 27, 2008 at 12:13 p.m.

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This is an NFL season bereft of fantasy stars outside of the quarterback position.

I watched LaDainian Tomlinson run and catch like the LT of Old (as opposed to the Old LT) and wanted to make a recommendation to trade him for a running back or wide receiver stud. Someone really safe, who can carry you the way you envisioned LT doing when you drafted him.

But I can't think of a guy like that. Sure, there are QBs shining brightly: Drew Brees is probably the fantasy MVP. Philip Rivers already has 19 TD passes. Kurt Warner has had six straight games of two or more TD passes and is piling up yards -- 361 yards or more three times. Even Tony Romo was on a wining pace until his injury.

But no one at the more difficult to slot running back and wide receiver positions is really shining.

With at least some QBs lighting it up, you'd think you'd find more gold at the WR position. But only Anquan Boldin has more than five TDs (he has seven despite missing two games). Sure, Andre Johnson is one of two receivers averaging more than 100 receiving yards (the other is Steve Smith), but he has scored only two TDs.

No back is at a pace for anything that's making a big difference for fantasy owners. Clinton Portis has probably been the best one and he's just solid, never spectacular and adds next to nothing as a receiver. I thought Marion Barber was going to pop, but the Romo injury has derailed the Cowboys offense.

Adrian Peterson? Maybe, but he's had trouble getting past second gear with defenses crowding the box fearlessly against first Tarvaris Jackson and now Gus Frerotte.

The receiver I'd most like to own for the balance of 2008 is Steve Smith, who is not only a playmaker but who gets his touches no matter what opposing defenses try to do. He's Plan A, B and C for the Panthers passing game. Brandon Marshall is close behind, given the faith I have in his QB, though I don't like the fact Cutler suffered an injury to the index finger of his throwing hand in Week 7. He's had the bye to recover, though, and reports out of Denver say he might not even be on the injury report in Week 9.

Boldin is no slouch, but Fitzgerald has more talent and the Cardinals have a tendency to pile up yards but not points. So neither of these guys are likely to enjoy a sustained TD binge.

Looking more deeply at just Week 8, I have to note Tim Hightower's TD run, which was a thing of beauty. He did nothing otherwise, but, more important for speculators, neither did Edgerrin James, who is unhappy with his diminished workload.

Even when Marques Coltson (thumb) gets the cast off, Lance Moore should be started in all formats. He's got more speed than I thought and shows great hands, toughness and awareness when it comes to reading coverages -- something Brees obviously loves.

Westbrook hurts Donovan McNabb when he's ripping off big runs from scrimmage rather than as a receiver in the Eagles' vaunted screen game, which is regularly the best in football. He entered Week 8 averaging fewer than 25 yards receiving per game and then added 42 on Sunday. But that's significantly less than what McNabb owners need.

The Bengals pass defense has been good all year. So respect the stats with Matt Schaub, Johnson and even sneaky Kevin Walter, who now has five TD receptions but still gets scant attention from opposing secondaries obsessed with Andre the Giant.

Tyler Thigpen (110 QB rating) looked very good against the Jets' disappointing defense, which is some needed balm for owners of Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe, who both shined Sunday.

Matt Jones almost came down with the last-second, desperation throw to beat the Browns. He's a real Frankenstein at the position with some speed but is haunted by a summer drug incident where police say they found him cutting cocaine in his car. Rumors are he already has been suspended, but it's pending appeal. So his 2008 season is likely to be bifurcated by a league-imposed four-week unpaid holiday at some point in the very near future.

You know the Seahawks offense has fallen apart when noting that Leonard Weaver is their first receiver to top 100 yards receiving. Trouble is, Weaver is a fullback.

Ted Ginn is the kind of guy right now who can shine when teams don't game plan to stop him because he has speed and talent. But he's so physically weak for an NFL receiver that all you need to do is chuck him at the line to destroy his pattern and timing with Chad Pennington. So I would not be a buyer going forward unless paying a waiver-wire price.

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