Doug's Pro Bowl RBs

Previously: QBs

For the last couple of years my perception has been that there are more viable starting QBs in FLOF then RBs.  But yesterday I noticed that there were only 6.  Admittedly the stats I am looking at right now do not necessarily reflect a player's pure production.  FLOF coaching comes into play.  Some FLOF owners may not play a guy when he had a good game and so those stats are invisible to FLOF.  Or someone with decent talent may be stuck on a loaded team and not play as often as he would otherwise.  Etc.  In any event, Today I dispel the idea that there are few viable RBs.

RBs
1st Team: Jamal Charles (NY)
2nd Team: Matt Forte (Mal/Capo)

I'm pretty sure these would not be everyone's choices.  LeSean McCoy and Adrian Peterson would probably be tops on lots of other ballets.  McCoy was the most valuable RB over the entire season (71 pts over median value) but he was one of only 2 RBs to play 13 games this season and his median score (10) was 6th out of the top RBs this year.  McCoy was certainly good but his value had a lot to do with a couple huge games (20, 25, and 36) and was not as consistent as the above mentioned.

(Median for all RBs the last two years has been 8 pts.)

Peterson had the highest median score of any RB (17) but he also played the fewest games of the top four RBs on my board and was maybe more boom and bust then McCoy.  Sure, 6 of his 11 games ended with 17+ points but 4 were 4 points or less.

Charles and Forte both had great median scores -- Charles at 12.5 and Forte at 12.  But their production was much more consistent and the lows were fewer.  Neither scored below 5 points more than once this season.  So even if they didn't dominate, they didn't hurt the ballclub.  Charles got my nod for the top spot because his total value for the season was greater (+65 to Forte's +41) and his ratio of top third to bottom third performances was slightly better as well (9 to 1 against Forte's 7 to 1).

After this top four, there were five other RBs who contributed value to their teams over the cource of 6 or more games: Alfred Morris (19 pts over median value), Marshawn Lynch (+44), DeMarco Murray (+35), Frank Gore (+18), and Eddie Lacy (+10).

And there were seven RBs who provided positive value in spot duty: Le'Veon Bell (+3 in 3 games), Darren Sproles (+5 in 2 games), and Doug Martin (+4 in 2 games) and the rest played only a single game Zac Stacey (+4), Knowshon Moreno (+4), Ryan Matthews (+2), and Chris Johnson (+1).

And Reggie Bush played 5 games and broke even for his team.

Arian Foster would have had positive value except for his last two outings with 0 points.  Instead he was one of only 3 RBs to play more 6 or more games and have negative total value over the median: Foster (-7), Lamar Miller (-28), Trent Richardson (-22).

So to sum up that comparison to QBs.

Players providing positive Value over median over 6+ games: 6 QBs and 9 RBs.
Players providing positive Value over median over < 6 games: 0 QBs and 7 RBs.
Players providing negative Value over median over 6+ games: 7 QBs and 3 RBs.

Tomorrow WRs.