We live in a society were were all we can do is focus on what someone has done and can't focus on what can be done. All this hype about Chris Johnson being a huge fantasy stud again this year, well I'm not buying it. CJ will have a good year but when the dust settles I think you will find he will not be the top fantasy running back for the 2010 season. I have compiled some stats to help back up this theory of pass 2000 yard rushers.
If you look at the all time season leading rusher in Eric Dickerson back in 1984 when he ran for 2105 yards, he follows it up the very next year with a respectable 1234 yards. His average yards per carry went down by more than a yard, so it more than him missing two games in 1985. Marcus Allen was your rushing title winner in 1985, the only year Allen eclipsed the 1200 yard mark. Gerald Riggs, Walter Payton, Joe Morris, Freeman McNeil, Tony Dorsett and James Wilder all rushed for more yards than Dickerson. Dickerson still had fantasy relevance that year though being second in touchdowns with 11 behind Joe Morris with 21.
Second on all time rushing yards in a single season is Jamal Lewis with 2066 yards in 2003. Like a big bowling ball he was running over everybody in 2003 and looked like he could not be stopped for many years to come. Jamal Lewis most would say did end up having a good career but how did he follow up his 2003 season? In 2004 he rushed for 1006 yards and only played in 12 games, his rushing avg went down by exactly one yard per carry. Curtis Martin was your rushing title winner that year with 1697 yards. He was followed by Shaun Alexander, Corey Dillion, Edgerin James, and Tiki Barber. While LaDainian Tomilson rushed for 17 TDs that year and Shaun Alexander for 16.
Third on all time rushing yards in a single season is most consider the greatest running back to play the game and that is saying a lot with the company we are using today and that is Barry Sanders. In Barry's second to last season he eclipsed the 2000 yard mark at 2053 yards in 1997. How did he follow this up in 1998? With a very respectable and hard earned 1491 yards behind that Lions Offensive Line. Barry Sanders had never had a season where he rushed for under a 1000 yards so even the greatest shows us its hard to do twice. Rushing Leader in 1998 was by another guy on this list Terrell Davis who rushed for 2008 Yards. Also ahead of Barry Sanders that year was Jamal Anderson and Garrison Hearst. The most surprising about Sanders 1998 year was he only had 4 rushing touchdowns. Terrell Davis lead the league that year in rushing TD's with 21 followed by Jamal Anderson and Fred Taylor who both had 14.
Following the year Barry Sanders ran for over 2000 yards, the very next year this man goes out and rushes for 2008 yards in 1998, Terrell Davis. Terrell Davis ran his heart and soul out in Denver, Saluting every time he got a TD and there were a bunch of them that yer with 21. How did he follow his 2000 yard season up though in 1999? I would have to saw by far the worse fall for any RB who eclipsed the 2000 yard mark. Plagued by injuries that next year he only played 4 games 211 yards. He actually only played 16 games for the rest of his career after that 2000 yard season. The league leader that year was Edgerrin James with 1553 yards, he was followed by Curtis Martin, Stephen Davis, and Emmitt Smith. Stephen Davis lead the league in rushing tds with 17, followed by Edge and James Stewart with 13.
Last on the list is OJ Simpson who had 2003 yards back in 1973. OJ Simpson also known as the "Juice" was a prolific running back for his days, even though most of us know about his troubles after his Pro Career. OJ Simpson followed up his legendary 1973 year by rushing for 1125 yards in 1974. While his rushing avg almost went down 2 yards pers carry. In 1974 Otis Armstrong won your rushing title with 1407 yards followed by Don Woods with 1162. The Juice was 3rd that year but with only 1125 yards. Tom Sullivan lead the league in rush TDs with 11. All in all would of been not a great year for Fantasy Running Backs but OJ was still productive.
I hope you can see why CJ doing it twice is about near impossible, everybody besides Barry Sanders did not complete a full season after that year. The carries wear down the body and hard to stay healthy in the NFL. The defenses start to plan their strategy around you and make the QB beat them. I do hope though CJ can eclipse the mark for 2nd straight year and I can witness history but history has told me not to bet on it. I think CJ will have a good year he is too talented not to but to think he is going to go over the 2000 yard mark again is just preposterous. So if your drafting number one you might want to think someone like Ray Rice or Maurice Jones Drew, talented running backs that show they have the skills but have not had that HUGE year yet and won the rushing title. You might even want to think of trading your pick and going back a few spots and get you another 3rd or 4th round pick. If your stuck at number one though I understand picking CJ cause if you don't, well you will catch a bunch of fantasy hell.
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