[Jun 6th] Andrew Garda says: A few people are going to worry about Arian Foster's calf strain, but I'm not one of them as he'll be ready for camp, as well as Week 1. Foster has been over 1,000 yards the last three years and in two of those he has run for more than 1,400 yards. He can catch the ball too, which will only add to his success. Last season saw the offense focus on Foster for most of the season and it worked. I expect more of the same in 2013 and beyond. (hide this)

[Jun 6th] Andrew Garda says: Ray Rice does everything, and does it all well. There may not be a more complete back in the league. Over the past four seasons he has run for over 1,000 yards every year with a combined 1,600+ yards in rushing and receiving together. He's reasonably consistent with touchdowns, but for his owners, it's more about the total yardage. Bernard Pierce proved to be a great backup last season but I'm not worried he will steal much, if anything from Rice. in fact, keeping Rice fresh just means you have a more productive back for your fantasy playoffs. (hide this)

[Jun 6th] Andrew Garda says: Marshawn Lynch has to be happy to see Percy Harvin show up in town as he will be seeing a lot less stacked fronts this coming season. Lynch is a beast to take down and a real nightmare for anyone trying to contain him and it's worse when he gets a head of speed up. If the defense can't bunch the line, he'll have the chance to do it. Lynch was dinged up last season and had some ball control issues as well and on top of that has a pending DUI case against him. If he's guilty, he could be suspended for two games. We'll monitor this closely and if he isn't convicted, he is well worth the top ten pick. Long term he does have some guys behind him now who will push him for carries but for 2013 he's the man in the backfield. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Andrew Garda says: Jamaal Charles hasn't just performed—he's performed on some terrible teams. He's healthy and on a team which might not be awful so he could have as good a season as he's ever had before. He should be able to succeed and while new head coach Andy Reid wasn't exactly a fantasy RB's best friend in Philly, but he also doesn't have the type of QB he had there. He'll use Charles early and often to help keep Alex Smith safe. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Andrew Garda says: C.J. Spiller is all set to fully take over the lead running back role in Buffalo. With the struggles of Ryan Fitzpatrick, teams knew Spiller was coming and still couldn't stop him. New head coach Doug Marrone is another college coach who wants a speedy, uptempo offense, and that fits Spiller really well. Expect a ton of receiving yards again in addition to lots between the tackles. (hide this)

[Jun 9th] Andrew Garda says: Maurice Jones-Drew has been the one constant bright spot for the Jacksonville Jaguars since he showed up, although last year was hampered by a trip to injured-reserve list. This is a contract year for Jones-Drew and if he wants even a decent payday, he's likely to have to stay healthy and show he can still carry a heavy load. While he isn't the primary running back for a fantasy team he once was, he will be a very good second running back and has the upside to put up stud numbers off and on throughout the season if he can just stay healthy. (hide this)

[Jun 10th] Andrew Garda says: It wasn't a great rookie season for David Wilson, as he fumbled a lot and ended up benched almost immediately to start the year. Wilson stayed in Coughlin's doghouse until injuries to Andre Brown and Ahmad Bradshaw pushed him into action. At that point we saw the ability which made him a first-round pick. With his size, speed and strength, Wilson should be very successful in this offense if he can hang onto the ball. He will split carries with Andre Brown, but Brown's got injury issues and ultimately this is Wilson's job to lose. (hide this)

[Jun 10th] Andrew Garda says: I used to call Steven Jackson injury prone, but in the last four years he's only missed two games. Meanwhile, all he does is accumulate yards and in his nine-year career he's topped 1,000 of them eight times. That's amazing when you consider that in 2007 and 2008, he missed eight games and still managed to top the 1,000 yard mark. Even more impressive is that he did this in the face of a stunning lack of weapons around him. Now Jackson heads to Atlanta where he will never again face a stacked front due to the presence of Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez. It's quite possible that Jackson might see one of his best seasons in some time—maybe ever. Jackson struggles to score touchdowns, but that should change as the Falcons won't struggle to reach the red zone. (hide this)

[Jun 10th] Andrew Garda says: Bush gives them a legitimate two way threat—he can run the ball (as evidenced by the 900-plus yards both seasons in Miami) as well as catch it out of the backfield. With no real receiving threats outside of Calvin Johnson, the Lions are desperate for someone else who might be able to take advantage of all the attention Johnson gets. Add to that the need for a solid running back (I like Mikel Leshoure but he wasn't reliable last season), and you can see Bush getting a ton of work in 2013. Bush will not get the full load of carries, but he will be on the field a lot as he lines up wide or in the slot. So there will be a lot of opportunity for points. (hide this)

[Jun 10th] Andrew Garda says: Frank Gore just completed the second of two straight 1,200-yard seasons right as he hits the age of 30. Did you get a shiver down your spine? Most folks worry that the moment a running back hits 30, the wheels come off and the car catches fire. You can certainly be concerned because we've seen it happen before and it tends to happen rapidly—there is no gradual decline. There is a certain school of thought that it's better to bail on a player a year too early than it is to hang on one year too long, but to me, Gore is a guy with gas left in the tank. His yards per carry have stayed over the 4.0 mark (with last year hitting 4.7) and he still catches the ball well. Admittedly, Gore's production could take a hit with the rotation of LaMichael James, Kendall Hunter and Anthony Dixon. But I feel that the chances of that are minimal. As long as he's healthy, you can expect the 49ers to keep riding Gore as long as they can. (hide this)

[Jun 10th] Andrew Garda says: Darren Sproles may not get a ton of carries, but he gets touches—which he turns into lots and lots of yards. Sproles is the reason we have combined yardage in fantasy leagues—a multifaceted tool who can run the ball well and catch it out of the backfield. It doesn't matter how he gets the yards, just as long as he gets them. He won't reach the heights he did in 2011, where he gained 607 yards on the ground and 710 receiving yards to go along with nine total touchdowns—an unlikely scenario with Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas at the Saints' disposal. He will get a ton of receiving yards though, and that makes him more than worth it at this point on the list. You can kick him up a little if you get individual yards for punt returns While he didn't do it a ton in 2012, he's still a factor on special teams and it helps his overall fantasy points in those leagues. Sproles is a vital part of this high-powered offense, and his speed and ability after the catch should keep him high on a lot of fantasy football lists. (hide this)

[Jun 10th] Andrew Garda says: After three great seasons as the top back in Pittsburgh, Mendenhall spent most of 2012 hurt and was replaced in the end. He landed in Arizona where injury-prone backs tend to congregate. Mendenhall will have to overcome Ryan Williams as well as two rookies (Andre Ellington and Stepfan Taylor, a personal favorite of mine) to hold onto the starting job. If he does, you have to keep his injuries in mind, but he can be a very effective and tough runner who will get the hard yards. Still, with the number of backs in town, Mendenhall will probably have a very short leash. (hide this)

[Jun 6th] Andrew Garda says: No more Ahmad Bradshaw means Brown will get a larger piece of the pie—even more if David Wilson struggles with holding onto the ball as he did last season. Brown had injury issues in 2012, but performs when healthy. Brown lacks Wilson's explosiveness and overall skills, but is a solid and tough ball carrier. Brown needs to stay healthy though, as he is only on a one-year contract. (hide this)

[Jun 11th] Andrew Garda says: Bradshaw got a modest contract spanning one year, so clearly the Colts aren't a lot more comfortable with his constant injury issues than I am.That said, if healthy Bradshaw is an excellent fit in this offense. Given that he's missed significant time in the last two years though, make sure you have a solid backup plan. (hide this)

[Jun 6th] Andrew Garda says: While Green-Ellis has been solid overall, and topped 1,000 his first year with the Bengals, I don't love his 3.9 yards per carry and drafting Giovani Bernard tells me the Bengals aren't in love either. "Law Firm" is a solid player but nothing special and he lacks the big play ability Bernard has. He may get more carries early on this year but Bernard is a real threat to overtake him. (hide this)

[Jun 6th] Andrew Garda says: While Bernard is not the best back in the class, he fell into a very good situation. I've never felt Benjarvus Green-Ellis was a special back and while he has had solid years, nothing he's done makes me feel different. Bernard is a guy who can do it all and be on the field for every down, despite being a bit undersized. He doesn't have breakaway speed and tends to get banged up, but is elusive, tough to bring down and can carry defenders with him. I believe he'll get a large piece of the pie this season and prove himself to have more upside than Law Firm. (hide this)

[Jun 11th] Andrew Garda says: Ballard has the size to stand up to every-down work and the strength to punch in short-yardage attempts for first downs and scores but is definitely not the long term solution here. With the arrival of Ahmad Bradshaw,there's a good chance the two of them will end up mired in a RBBC for some of the season, but I see Ballard making it through whole while Bradshaw will likely end up hurt again so he's an excellent handcuff if you grab Bradshaw earlier. (hide this)