[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: Arian Foster has been the keystone for the Houston Texans offense for the past several years, and for good reason. He has finished in the Top 4 each of the past three years, reaching a minimum of 1,200 yards rushing and 12 total touchdowns in each year of that span. The Texan offense runs through him, literally, as Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels are complimentary pieces to balance the ground game. As the Houston defense has improved, the emphasis on running the ball has only increased. Foster is a stud RB1 and still has several top notch seasons left in him. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: Andy Reid is revamping the Kansas City offense, and one thing that he does love to utilize is a feature tailback that can catch the ball out of the backfield. That is exactly what he had in LeSean McCoy in Philadelphia, and now he has it again with Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs also improved their quarterback with the addition of Alex Smith, which should help Charles as a receiver and also as a runner, simply because improving the passing game behind Smith will reduce defenses scheming to stop Charles and force Kansas City to throw the ball more. Charles is a later Round 1 pick with big upside this year. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: Tampa Bay wants to run the ball, and they will do just that behind their featured tailback in Doug Martin. Martin had a fantastic first season and he will look to build upon those numbers yet again in 2013. The Buccaneers have no real threats to Martin's workload, and the Tampa Bay passing game is only a moderate threat - making Martin an easy Top 3 tailback for this year. His youth should keep him as a strong fantasy RB1 candidate for several years. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: Chip Kelly comes in to Philadelphia this year and will be installing his version of the Oregon Duck offense, but it will be very dependent upon what personnel he has to work with for his first NFL season. One thing that is for sure is that he will want to run the ball quite a bit, and that means big production numbers for both LeSean McCoy and second back Bryce Brown. At Oregon, Kelly ran the ball 685 times, 545 by non-quarterbacks, in comparison to 373 pass calls. It stands to reason that McCoy will see a ton of work and push for a Top 5 fantasy finish this season. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: C.J. Spiller had a breakout season in 2012 after the Bills lost Fred Jackson to injury, which opened the door for Spiller to show how dominant he could be. After averaging 6.0 YPC last year on 207 carries, Buffalo is firmly behind Spiller as their featured back, a fact even Jackson has confirmed. The Bills are retooling their entire offense, starting with new additions at quarterback, wide receiver and tight end - all good news for Bills fans and Spiller fans alike. Both Spiller and stud WR Stevie Johnson will be the main components of the Bills offensive plans for the next several years. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: New head coach Marc Trestman wants to get the ball in the hands of Matt Forte more, especially as a receiver, which is music to PPR league players' ears. Forte had seen a steady decrease since his 63-catch season in 2008, but with a new offensive scheme and an improved line blocking in front of him, Forte should offer much better value in PPR leagues. Expectations should be tempered some in standard leagues where he could lose touchdowns to underrated understudy Michael Bush. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: Tennessee is trying to rebuild their offense, which seems to be an annual occurrence for the Titans. The passing game has seen a new tight end added (Delanie Walker) to replace Jared Cook and a rookie wide receiver added (Justin Hunter), but the third addition should not be overlooked - Shonn Greene. Greene was able to very quietly post fantasy RB2 numbers with the Jets last year, and now he comes in to steal touches from Chris Johnson, especially at the goal line. This severely limits Johnson's upside and points towards a lack of belief in him as their feature back long term. Drafters beware if you think Johnson is a sleeper RB1 this year - you could be severely punished for thinking that way. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: If healthy, if healthy, if healthy.... where have we heard that before? Oakland's offense is a giant question mark with last season's quarterback (Carson Palmer) and tight end (Brandon Myers) both gone. Can Matt Flynn lead a legitimate passing game? If not, that means a ton of work for McFadden - again, if healthy. McFadden has played just 57 games in the past five years, averaging 4-5 missed games, including the four he missed last year. When he is in the lineup he is a stud, but you can pretty much guarantee he will miss some time again this year. Buyer beware. (hide this)

[Jun 8th] Jeff Pasquino says: Steven Jackson is a great pick as a RB2 with big upside this year. His move from the Rams to the Falcons is a classic "win-win" for both Atlanta and Jackson. The Falcons replaced a broken down Michael Turner with a veteran with plenty left in the tank, while Jackson gets to wind down his career on a Super Bowl contender. Jackson has plenty of tread left on his tires and can rack up 1,500+ total yards this year, especially with the Atlanta passing attack keeping defenses honest. The only thing that was holding Jackson out of stud RB1 discussions last year was a lack of touchdowns, something that should be easily fixed as a Falcon. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Eddie Lacy was supposed to be the first running back drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, but he was still available in Round 2 for the Green Bay Packers. Now with two rookie tailbacks, the Packers can see how Lacy and Franklin pair together as either a committee or if one back emerges as a feature tailback option. Either way, Green Bay has greatly increased their ability to establish a ground game to compliment one of the best passing attacks in the NFL. Odds are that neither back will be much more than a fantasy RB3 / flex option in 2013 given how much of the Packer offense goes through the air, but if one back becomes a dominant player in the preseason, he could become a great sleeper pick for this year. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Denver snagged Montee Ball in Round 2 of the 2013 NFL Draft in the hopes that he will become their next feature tailback. Denver has veteran Willis McGahee for now with the younger Ronnie Hillman as a complimentary speedster from last season, so the job will not fall upon Ball immediately unless he earns that role in the preseason. If McGahee is not cut before Week 1, Ball will likely go the typical route of a John Fox rookie - waiting for an opportunity for at least one season to develop and grow into a big contributor once he gains more experience. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Jonathan Stewart was all set to become a feature tailback this year right up until DeAngelo Williams restructured and signed a long term deal to stay with the Panthers. That makes Carolina a two-back committee once again, but the good news for Stewart is that the Panthers are going to emphasize the run in 2013 and Stewart should see the bulk of running back goal line chances. I say it that way because QB Cam Newton is a goal line vulture himself, else Stewart would have much higher fantasy value. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Steven Jackson has left for Atlanta, opening up the backfield for the St. Louis Rams. A committee approach is likely, especially in 2013 with second year backs Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead. Richardson offers the best replacement, although he is likely to lose goal line chances to Pead. Rookie Zac Stacy (Vanderbilt) is a favorite of some draftniks, but his Round 5 selection likely means he needs at least one year of grooming before he challenges to be the starter. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Darren Sproles has a lot of fantasy value in PPR leagues, but nearly as much in standard scoring leagues. Sproles is one of the best pass catchers out of the backfield and he gets to operate with one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Drew Brees. Sproles is very effective in the open field but he rarely is asked to run the ball between the tackles. His fantasy value is highly dependent upon the scoring system for a given league. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Marcus Lattimore will be essentially red-shirting his rookie NFL season with the San Francisco 49ers. Lattimore tore three ligaments (ACL, LCL and PCL) in his knee last October and has been working back after surgery ever since. While he hopes to play in 2013, odds are that the 49ers will hold him out until next year to get him to full strength and hope to have him compete to be the next tailback after Frank Gore. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: New England may be viewed by most as a pass first team with Tom Brady and his big tight ends, but the Patriots actually love to run the ball. Stevan Ridley is the back who pounds the ball into the end zone from short distance away, plus he also eats at the clock in the second half. Ridley is a solid fantasy RB2 who finds the end zone most games. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: DeAngelo Williams restructured and signed a long term deal to stay with the Panthers for 2013 and likely for two seasons beyond this year. Having both Williams and Jonathan Stewart both in the fold makes Carolina a two-back committee once again, but Stewart will still see the bulk of the work. Williams does have more explosiveness and home run ability, but he will have to break off a big run to find the end zone as Stewart will get the bulk of running back goal line chances. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Steven Jackson has left for Atlanta, opening up the backfield for the St. Louis Rams. A committee approach is likely, especially in 2013 with second year backs Daryl Richardson and Isaiah Pead. Richardson offers the best replacement, although he is likely to lose goal line chances to Pead, who had the higher pedigree and draft selection entering 2012. Rookie Zac Stacy (Vanderbilt) is a favorite of some draftniks, but his Round 5 selection likely means he needs at least one year of grooming before he challenges to be the starter. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Seattle picked up former Texas A&M running back Christine Michael in Round 2, who will start out by battling second year running back Robert Turbin for the job as the backup to Marshawn Lynch in Seattle this year, which is a very interesting role this season. Lynch might be facing a possible suspension at some point in 2013, which means that both backs could be used quite a bit for several weeks this year. Long term, it will remain to be seen where Turbin and Michael wind up on the depth chart. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Michael Bush is one of the best backup running backs in the NFL. Wherever he has gone, Oakland or Chicago, he has proven to be an effective goal line back or even a spot starter. Bush has 21 touchdowns the past three seasons, and he remains a threat to Matt Forte this year for stealing snaps and scoring chances. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Joseph Randle is a very capable running back when he stays healthy, which is one of the questions he will face this preseason. The good news is that he is almost guaranteed to be the second back for the Cowboys behind DeMarco Murray, another tailback with a checkered health history. Randle has the ability to perform well and if he gets the chance to start or even split time with Murray then he will have a quick path to fantasy relevance in Dallas. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Lamar Miller is poised to be the starting tailback for the Miami Dolphins now that Reggie Bush has gone to Detroit via free agency. Miller will likely share the workload with either Daniel Thomas or rookie Mike Gillislee, as Miller hardly proved his worth last year with just 57 touches of the ball all of his rookie campaign. His job as a starter is hardly written in stone. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Mikel Leshoure has lost his feature tailback role in Detorit after the Lions signed Reggie Bush away from Miami. Detroit wants to use Bush like he was in New Orleans, targeting him early and often out of the backfield in addition to giving him several carries a game. That means a reduced role for Leshoure, who could still maintain value as a short yardage, complimentary and goal line back in Detroit. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Vick Ballard was supposed to be a solid fantasy RB2 option for teams this year, but all that changed in early June with Ahmad Bradshaw signing a one-year, $1.1M contract with the Colts. Now Ballard will have to compete for touches and will likely fall behind Bradshaw on the depth chart for 2013. Ballard has some chance to contribute this year and beyond since Bradshaw is no longer healthy enough to be relied upon for 20+ touches a game, but Ballard has to step up to the plate and deliver when given the chance. Ballard had nearly 1,000 total yards in his rookie year but just two touchdowns - a conversion rate that has to improve if he wants key goal line touches. With a full offseason and preseason for Ballard to develop, Ballard has some value with upside - but now he has to overcome not the sophomore jinx but also competition from Bradshaw. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Ben Tate has always had the ability to perform at the NFL level, but when you get stuck behind a Pro Bowl caliber back like Arian Foster, your upside is limited. Tate has had injury woes in the past as well, but when healthy he has put up decent numbers for the Texans. More is expected of Tate this year, and it is his final year under contract with the Texans, so this is the season where he needs to perform to get a chance to start in 2014. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Denard Robinson was a very athletic player while at Michigan, leading the offense as a rusher and passer from the quarterback position. Initial thoughts were that Robinson would have to transition to a wide receiver role at the pro level, but the Jaguars are thinking he might be more of a running back in the pro game. Either way, Robinson is more of a gadget player without too much fantasy value yet until we see more of how he will be used - and even then, Jacksonville is one of the least productive offenses in the NFL. (hide this)

[Jun 12th] Jeff Pasquino says: Former Patriot Danny Woodhead joined San Diego and has an excellent opportunity to show how much of an impact on offense he can provide. Ryan Mathews is still the top back on the depth chart, but after not being able to stay healthy and consistently losing a few games in all three of his career seasons to injury, the Chargers wanted another player to at least compliment him and possibly push Mathews for playing time. Woodhead will get all of the passing down work and could eat into Mathews' entire workload. (hide this)