Running backs dominate the top 10 as the preseason wraps up
The 2013 NFL regular season is set to kick off in just over a week! With most teams expected to rest their starters in their final preseason game, this is a perfect time to unveil Athlon Sports' final Fantasy Football Big Board before the games count.
As was the case early on, injuries continue to dominate the majority of the preseason headlines. Football is a physical, violent sport, even in the preseason, as evidenced by the number of players who have been added to the injury report each week. Injuries have shuffled up many a depth chart, and also has made its presence known at the top of our Big Board.
Running backs dominate the top 10, taking the first nine spots, but that doens't mean none of these guys don't have question marks either. For example, Adrian Peterson is our clear-cut No. 1, but the reigning NFL MVP received some bad news this week with the announcement of All-Pro fullback Jerome Felton's four-game suspension. Peterson will still get his yards and touchdowns, but he also will feel the loss of his lead blocker during the first month of the season, to some degree.
Following Peterson is Arian Foster, whose recent return to practice is the only reason he remains at No. 2. Foster has been fairly durable during his career, but he's had a ton of carries in recent seasons and starting this season off first with a calf injury and then a back issue is not what anyone, but especially a Foster owner, wanted to see. In Foster's defense, several of the backs behind him, such as Doug Martin (shot to head during preseason game) and Jamaal Charles (foot sprain earlier in training camp), have had their own health-related issues as well.
This just reinforces that not only do injuries go hand-in-hand with action on the field, they also can have a significant impact during a fantasy season, especially if they become a factor before Week 1 is even played.
Fantasy Football 2013: Final Preseason Big Board (Top 250)
Last updated Aug. 27
| Rk | Player | Team | POS | Bye | Comment |
| 1 | Adrian Peterson | MIN | RB | 5 | Felton suspension big loss for AP. |
| 2 | Arian Foster | HOU | RB | 8 | His hold on this spot is tenuous. |
| 3 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA | RB | 12 | |
| 4 | Ray Rice | BAL | RB | 8 | |
| 5 | Doug Martin | TB | RB | 5 | |
| 6 | Jamaal Charles | KC | RB | 10 | Looks to be over early foot sprain. |
| 7 | C.J. Spiller | BUF | RB | 12 | |
| 8 | Trent Richardson | CLE | RB | 10 | |
| 9 | LeSean McCoy | PHI | RB | 12 | |
| 10 | Aaron Rodgers | GB | QB | 4 | |
| 11 | Calvin Johnson | DET | WR | 9 | |
| 12 | Drew Brees | NO | QB | 7 | |
| 13 | Peyton Manning | DEN | QB | 9 | |
| 14 | Dez Bryant | DAL | WR | 11 | |
| 15 | A.J. Green | CIN | WR | 12 | Appears to 100 percent for Week 1. |
| 16 | Matt Forte | CHI | RB | 8 | Has looked good so far. |
| 17 | Brandon Marshall | CHI | WR | 8 | |
| 18 | Julio Jones | ATL | WR | 6 | |
| 19 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN | WR | 9 | |
| 20 | Tom Brady | NE | QB | 10 | Needs young options to produce. |
| 21 | Alfred Morris | WAS | RB | 5 | |
| 22 | Steven Jackson | ATL | RB | 6 | |
| 23 | Vincent Jackson | TB | WR | 5 | |
| 24 | Andre Johnson | HOU | WR | 8 | |
| 25 | Randall Cobb | GB | WR | 4 | |
| 26 | Jimmy Graham | NO | TE | 7 | |
| 27 | Cam Newton | CAR | QB | 4 | |
| 28 | Stevan Ridley | NE | RB | 10 | Has had strong preseason. |
| 29 | Chris Johnson | TEN | RB | 8 | Has broken off some big plays. |
| 30 | Roddy White | ATL | WR | 6 | Ankle injury shouldn't be an issue. |
| 31 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI | WR | 9 | |
| 32 | Wes Welker | DEN | WR | 9 | Ankle injury has limited game reps. |
| 33 | Maurice Jones-Drew | JAC | RB | 9 | Looks to be healthy once again. |
| 34 | Matt Ryan | ATL | QB | 6 | |
| 35 | Victor Cruz | NYG | WR | 9 | Will his heel issue linger? |
| 36 | Marques Colston | NO | WR | 7 | |
| 37 | Reggie Wayne | IND | WR | 8 | |
| 38 | Frank Gore | SF | RB | 9 | |
| 39 | David Wilson | NYG | RB | 9 | Oozes big-play ability. |
| 40 | Jason Witten | DAL | TE | 11 | |
| 41 | Colin Kaepernick | SF | QB | 9 | |
| 42 | Tony Gonzalez | ATL | TE | 6 | |
| 43 | Darren Sproles | NO | RB | 7 | Top-10 RB in PPR leagues. |
| 44 | Mike Wallace | MIA | WR | 6 | |
| 45 | Danny Amendola | NE | WR | 10 | Can he stay on the field? |
| 46 | Hakeem Nicks | NYG | WR | 9 | |
| 47 | Dwayne Bowe | KC | WR | 10 | Could be primed for huge season. |
| 48 | DeMarco Murray | DAL | RB | 11 | |
| 49 | Eddie Lacy | GB | RB | 4 | Playing with a chip in shoulder. |
| 50 | Reggie Bush | DET | RB | 9 | Value goes up in PPR leagues. |
| 51 | Steve Smith | CAR | WR | 4 | |
| 52 | Eric Decker | DEN | WR | 9 | |
| 53 | Antonio Brown | PIT | WR | 5 | |
| 54 | Pierre Garcon | WAS | WR | 5 | |
| 55 | Matthew Stafford | DET | QB | 9 | |
| 56 | Tony Romo | DAL | QB | 11 | Early signs are encouraging. |
| 57 | Darren McFadden | OAK | RB | 7 | OAK offense struggling already. |
| 58 | Montee Ball | DEN | RB | 9 | Workload remains to be seen. |
| 59 | Ryan Mathews | SD | RB | 8 | |
| 60 | Jordy Nelson | GB | WR | 4 | Back at practice following knee surgery. |
| 61 | DeSean Jackson | PHI | WR | 12 | |
| 62 | Torrey Smith | BAL | WR | 8 | |
| 63 | Andrew Luck | IND | QB | 8 | |
| 64 | Russell Wilson | SEA | QB | 12 | |
| 65 | Robert Griffin III | WAS | QB | 5 | Seems to be on track for Week 1 start. |
| 66 | Vernon Davis | SF | TE | 9 | |
| 67 | Rob Gronkowski | NE | TE | 10 | PUP list definite possibility. |
| 68 | Chris Ivory | NYJ | RB | 10 | |
| 69 | Lamar Miller | MIA | RB | 6 | He feels he should be the starter. |
| 70 | Anquan Boldin | SF | WR | 9 | |
| 71 | James Jones | GB | WR | 4 | |
| 72 | Cecil Shorts | JAC | WR | 9 | |
| 73 | Ahmad Bradshaw | IND | RB | 8 | |
| 74 | DeAngelo Williams | CAR | RB | 4 | Opportunity is there, can he seize it? |
| 75 | Eli Manning | NYG | QB | 9 | |
| 76 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT | QB | 5 | |
| 77 | Greg Jennings | MIN | WR | 5 | |
| 78 | Tavon Austin | STL | WR | 11 | |
| 79 | Mark Ingram | NO | RB | 7 | All depends on Saints' game plan. |
| 80 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | RB | 12 | Rookie already making noise. |
| 81 | BenJarvus Green-Ellis | CIN | RB | 12 | |
| 82 | Stevie Johnson | BUF | WR | 12 | Bills' QB issues complicate matters. |
| 83 | Sidney Rice | SEA | WR | 12 | |
| 84 | T.Y. Hilton | IND | WR | 8 | |
| 85 | Miles Austin | DAL | WR | 11 | If healthy, capable of No. 1 WR stats. |
| 86 | Mike Williams | TB | WR | 5 | |
| 87 | Lance Moore | NO | WR | 7 | |
| 88 | Rashard Mendenhall | ARI | RB | 9 | Health, O-line are main issues. |
| 89 | Daryl Richardson | STL | RB | 11 | Can he carry the load? |
| 90 | Owen Daniels | HOU | TE | 8 | |
| 91 | Kyle Rudolph | MIN | TE | 5 | |
| 92 | Greg Olsen | CAR | TE | 4 | |
| 93 | Brandon Myers | NYG | TE | 9 | |
| 94 | Michael Vick | PHI | QB | 12 | It's his job, now what? |
| 95 | Sam Bradford | STL | QB | 11 | Rams' offense could be sneaky. |
| 96 | Jared Cook | STL | TE | 11 | Strong start, will it carry over? |
| 97 | Jermichael Finley | GB | TE | 4 | Seems to be in prove-it mode. |
| 98 | Shane Vereen | NE | RB | 10 | Versatility is a huge plus. |
| 99 | Andre Brown | NYG | RB | 9 | Could score double-digit TDs. |
| 100 | Ronnie Hillman | DEN | RB | 9 | He, not Ball, could be starter. |
| 101 | Ben Tate | HOU | RB | 8 | Must-have handcuff for Foster owners. |
| 102 | Joe Flacco | BAL | QB | 8 | |
| 103 | Andy Dalton | CIN | QB | 12 | |
| 104 | Kenny Britt | TEN | WR | 8 | |
| 105 | Emmanuel Sanders | PIT | WR | 5 | |
| 106 | Chris Givens | STL | WR | 11 | Big-play threat to keep an eye on. |
| 107 | Josh Gordon | CLE | WR | 10 | If Weeden develops, he could rise. |
| 108 | Seahawks | SEA | DST | 12 | |
| 109 | Michael Floyd | ARI | WR | 9 | |
| 110 | Golden Tate | SEA | WR | 12 | Harvin's injury offers opportunity. |
| 111 | Vick Ballard | IND | RB | 8 | |
| 112 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | RB | 5 | Will miss at least a month. |
| 113 | Isaac Redman | PIT | RB | 5 | Can he seize the job in PIT? |
| 114 | Jay Cutler | CHI | QB | 8 | Bears' new-look offense worth watching. |
| 115 | Carson Palmer | ARI | QB | 9 | O-line issues already arising. |
| 116 | Matt Schaub | HOU | QB | 8 | |
| 117 | 49ers | SF | DST | 9 | |
| 118 | Bryce Brown | PHI | RB | 12 | |
| 119 | Bernard Pierce | BAL | RB | 8 | |
| 120 | Denarius Moore | OAK | WR | 7 | |
| 121 | Vincent Brown | SD | WR | 8 | Someone needs to step up in SD. |
| 122 | Rueben Randle | NYG | WR | 9 | An injury away from starting. |
| 123 | Ryan Broyles | DET | WR | 9 | Just needs to stay on the field. |
| 124 | Antonio Gates | SD | TE | 8 | |
| 125 | Martellus Bennett | CHI | TE | 8 | |
| 126 | Isaiah Pead | STL | RB | 11 | |
| 127 | Mikel Leshoure | DET | RB | 9 | |
| 128 | Jacquizz Rodgers | ATL | RB | 6 | |
| 129 | Texans | HOU | DST | 8 | |
| 130 | Josh Freeman | TB | QB | 5 | Squarely on hot seat in TB. |
| 131 | Brandon Pettigrew | DET | TE | 9 | |
| 132 | Fred Davis | WAS | TE | 5 | Don't forget about him. |
| 133 | Jordan Cameron | CLE | TE | 10 | Another TE who could emerge. |
| 134 | Coby Fleener | IND | TE | 8 | Will he benefit from Stanford ties? |
| 135 | Shonn Greene | TEN | RB | 8 | |
| 136 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | RB | 10 | |
| 137 | Michael Bush | CHI | RB | 8 | |
| 138 | Malcom Floyd | SD | WR | 8 | Should be ready for Week 1. |
| 139 | Kendall Wright | TEN | WR | 8 | Knee sprain a step back. |
| 140 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU | WR | 8 | |
| 141 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI | WR | 8 | He and Marshall could be deadly duo. |
| 142 | Bengals | CIN | DST | 12 | |
| 143 | Alex Smith | KC | QB | 10 | |
| 144 | Brian Hartline | MIA | WR | 6 | |
| 145 | Bears | CHI | DST | 8 | |
| 146 | Patriots | NE | DST | 10 | |
| 147 | Kenbrell Thompkins | NE | WR | 10 | Brady showing trust in rookie already. |
| 148 | Andre Roberts | ARI | WR | 9 | |
| 149 | Justin Blackmon | JAC | WR | 9 | Can you wait four games? |
| 150 | Greg Little | CLE | WR | 10 | |
| 151 | Philip Rivers | SD | QB | 8 | Has not been a good preseason. |
| 152 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA | QB | 6 | |
| 153 | Jake Locker | TEN | QB | 8 | Has he turned the corner? |
| 154 | Brandon Weeden | CLE | QB | 10 | Make or break season? |
| 155 | Broncos | DEN | DST | 9 | Von Miller suspension hurts. |
| 156 | Steelers | PIT | DST | 5 | |
| 157 | Jonathan Dwyer | PIT | RB | 5 | |
| 158 | Johnathan Franklin | GB | RB | 4 | |
| 159 | Roy Helu | WAS | RB | 5 | More of a receiving threat than Morris. |
| 160 | Danny Woodhead | SD | RB | 8 | |
| 161 | Pierre Thomas | NO | RB | 7 | |
| 162 | Joseph Randle | DAL | RB | 11 | Dunbar's injury should lead to more touches. |
| 163 | Ed Dickson | BAL | TE | 8 | Hamstring injury holding him back. |
| 164 | Dwayne Allen | IND | TE | 8 | Is there room for 2 TEs in IND? |
| 165 | Jermaine Gresham | CIN | TE | 12 | |
| 166 | Rob Housler | ARI | TE | 9 | Palmer loves his TEs. |
| 167 | Rams | STL | DST | 11 | |
| 168 | Christian Ponder | MIN | QB | 5 | |
| 169 | EJ Manuel | BUF | QB | 12 | Should start, if healthy. |
| 170 | Geno Smith | NYJ | QB | 10 | Knee issue only adds to Jets' QB drama. |
| 171 | Stephen Gostkowski | NE | K | 10 | |
| 172 | Blair Walsh | MIN | K | 5 | |
| 173 | Matt Bryant | ATL | K | 6 | |
| 174 | Packers | GB | DST | 4 | |
| 175 | Ravens | BAL | DST | 8 | |
| 176 | Cowboys | DAL | DST | 11 | |
| 177 | Santana Moss | WAS | WR | 5 | |
| 178 | Jacoby Jones | BAL | WR | 8 | |
| 179 | Darrius Heyward-Bey | IND | WR | 8 | |
| 180 | Santonio Holmes | NYJ | WR | 10 | Finally back on practice field. |
| 181 | Jeremy Kerley | NYJ | WR | 10 | |
| 182 | Justin Forsett | JAC | RB | 9 | |
| 183 | Ryan Williams | ARI | RB | 9 | Back on field, but for how long? |
| 184 | Zach Sudfeld | NE | TE | 10 | Appears to be Gronk's replacement. |
| 185 | Tyler Eifert | CIN | TE | 12 | |
| 186 | Phil Dawson | SF | K | 9 | |
| 187 | Justin Tucker | BAL | K | 8 | |
| 188 | Matt Prater | DEN | K | 9 | |
| 189 | Randy Bullock | HOU | K | 8 | |
| 190 | Fred Jackson | BUF | RB | 12 | |
| 191 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | RB | 4 | Will start season on PUP list. |
| 192 | Nate Burleson | DET | WR | 9 | |
| 193 | Robert Woods | BUF | WR | 12 | Rookie battling for No. 2 WR spot. |
| 194 | T.J. Graham | BUF | WR | 12 | Can he hold off Woods? |
| 195 | Robert Turbin | SEA | RB | 12 | |
| 196 | Christine Michael | SEA | RB | 12 | Rookie has looked good in preseason. |
| 197 | Lance Dunbar | DAL | RB | 11 | Sprained foot could cause him to miss Week 1. |
| 198 | Julius Thomas | DEN | TE | 9 | Has he separated himself from pack? |
| 199 | Zach Miller | SEA | TE | 12 | |
| 200 | Brent Celek | PHI | TE | 12 | |
| 201 | Dolphins | MIA | DST | 6 | |
| 202 | Blaine Gabbert | JAC | QB | 9 | He's the starter, but does it matter? |
| 203 | Matt Flynn | OAK | QB | 7 | Feeling the heat from Pryor. |
| 204 | Chad Henne | JAC | QB | 9 | |
| 205 | Mohamed Sanu | CIN | WR | 12 | |
| 206 | Julian Edelman | NE | WR | 10 | If Amendola gets hurt, he's next up. |
| 207 | Austin Collie | SF | WR | 9 | 49ers need more WRs. |
| 208 | Scott Chandler | BUF | TE | 12 | |
| 209 | Marcedes Lewis | JAC | TE | 9 | |
| 210 | Mike Tolbert | CAR | RB | 4 | |
| 211 | Rashad Jennings | OAK | RB | 7 | |
| 212 | Brandon LaFell | CAR | WR | 4 | |
| 213 | Giants | NYG | DST | 9 | |
| 214 | Buccaneers | TB | DST | 5 | |
| 215 | Andrew Hawkins | CIN | WR | 12 | |
| 216 | Daniel Thomas | MIA | RB | 6 | |
| 217 | Zac Stacy | STL | RB | 11 | |
| 218 | Zach Ertz | PHI | TE | 12 | |
| 219 | Heath Miller | PIT | TE | 5 | Week 1 return still a possibility. |
| 220 | Josh Brown | NYG | K | 9 | |
| 221 | Dan Bailey | DAL | K | 11 | |
| 222 | Cardinals | ARI | DST | 9 | |
| 223 | Falcons | ATL | DST | 6 | |
| 224 | Browns | CLE | DST | 10 | |
| 225 | Greg Zuerlein | STL | K | 11 | |
| 226 | Sebastian Janikowski | OAK | K | 7 | |
| 227 | Brian Quick | STL | WR | 11 | |
| 228 | Cordarrelle Patterson | MIN | WR | 5 | |
| 229 | Keenan Allen | SD | WR | 8 | |
| 230 | Justin Hunter | TEN | WR | 8 | |
| 231 | Aaron Dobson | NE | WR | 10 | Appears to have been passed by fellow rookie. |
| 232 | Rod Streater | OAK | WR | 7 | |
| 233 | Mark Sanchez | NYJ | QB | 10 | Coaching staff not helping Sanchez. |
| 234 | Nick Foles | PHI | QB | 12 | Ready if needed. |
| 235 | Dallas Clark | BAL | TE | 8 | Does he have anything left in the tank? |
| 236 | David Akers | DET | K | 9 | |
| 237 | Garrett Hartley | NO | K | 7 | |
| 238 | Steven Hauschka | SEA | K | 12 | |
| 239 | Delanie Walker | TEN | TE | 8 | Late arrival to training camp. |
| 240 | Brandon Lloyd | FA | WR | Plenty of teams with WR issues. | |
| 241 | Jarius Wright | MIN | WR | 5 | |
| 242 | Eddie Royal | SD | WR | 8 | |
| 243 | Nate Washington | TEN | WR | 8 | |
| 244 | Anthony Fasano | KC | TE | 10 | No. 1 TE in KC, for now. |
| 245 | Travis Kelce | KC | TE | 10 | Lot to learn, but lots of potential. |
| 246 | Luke Stocker | TB | TE | 5 | |
| 247 | Davone Bess | CLE | WR | 10 | |
| 248 | Austin Pettis | STL | WR | 11 | |
| 249 | Riley Cooper | PHI | WR | 12 | |
| 250 | Jason Avant | PHI | WR | 12 |
Rankings are based upon Athlon Sports' standard scoring system:
OFFENSIVE SCORING
All touchdowns are 6 points
1 point for 25 yards passing
1 point for 10 yards rushing/receiving
Receptions are .5 points
Interceptions/fumbles are minus-2 points
Additional Fantasy Football Rankings:
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Defense/Special Teams
Kickers
