2018 Fantasy Football: Running Backs with Most Carries


I reference this stat a lot in my Fantasy Football articles. Running backs who carry the ball 380 or more times in a season tend to disappoint the following year.

Let’s take a look at every running back who has led the league in carries the past 20 years. As you’ll see, except for THREE real instances (two of which were by the most durable running back of all time), they’ve disappointed their fantasy owners.

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1988. Eric Dickerson, Rams
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1988
388
1,659
4.3
15
1989
314
1,311
4.2
8


1989. Christian Okoye, Chiefs
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1989
370
1,480
4.0
12
1990
245
805
3.3
7


1990. Earnest Bynar, Redskins
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1990
297
1,219
4.1
7
1991
274
1,048
3.8
5


1991. Emmitt Smith*, Cowboys
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1991
365
1,563
4.3
13
1992
373
1,713
4.6
19

* – One of three real exceptions to the rule.



1992. Bananas Foster, Steelers
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1992
390
1,690
4.3
11
1993
177
711
4.0
9


1993. Thurman Thomas, Bills
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1993
355
1,315
3.7
6
1994
287
1,093
3.8
9


1994. Emmitt Smith*, Cowboys
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1994
368
1,484
4.0
22
1995
377
1,773
4.7
25

* – One of three real exceptions to the rule.

1995. Emmitt Smith, Cowboys
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1995
377
1,773
4.7
25
1996
327
1,204
3.7
15


1996. Ricky Watters, Eagles
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1996
353
1,411
4.0
13
1997
285
1,110
3.9
7


1997. Jerome Bettis, Steelers
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1997
375
1,665
4.4
9
1998
316
1,185
3.8
3


1998. Jamal Anderson, Falcons
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1998
410
1,846
4.5
16
1999
19
59
3.1
0




1999. Edgerrin James*, Colts
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
1999
369
1,553
4.2
17
2000
387
1,709
4.4
18

* – One of three real exceptions to the rule.

2000. Eddie George, Titans
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2000
403
1,509
3.7
16
2001
315
939
3.0
5


2001. Stephen Davis, Redskins
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2001
356
1,432
4.0
5
2002
207
820
4.0
8


2002. Ricky Williams, Dolphins
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2002
383
1,853
4.8
17
2003
393
1,372
3.5
10


2003. Jamal Lewis*, Ravens
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2003
387
2,066
5.3
14
2004
235
1,006
4.3
7

* – Ricky Williams led the 2003 running backs in carries (392), but left the NFL in 2004 to tour with Lenny Kravitz.

2004. Curtis Martin, Jets
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2004
371
1,697
4.6
14
2005
220
735
3.3
5


2005. Shaun Alexander, Seahawks
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2005
370
1,880
5.1
28
2006
252
896
3.6
7


2006. Larry Johnson, Chiefs
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2006
416
1,789
4.3
19
2007
158
559
3.5
4


2007. Clinton Portis*, Redskins
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2007
325
1,262
3.9
11
2008
342
1,487
4.3
9

* – Not enough carries to warrant concern

2008. Michael Turner, Falcons
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2008
363
1,760
4.5
17
2009
178
871
4.9
10


2009. Chris Johnson, Titans
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2009
358
2,006
5.6
16
2010
316
1,364
4.3
11


2010. Michael Turner, Falcons
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2010
334
1,371
4.1
12
2011
301
1,340*
4.5*
11*

* – Michael Turner started the year extremely well, but killed his fantasy owners down the stretch. He averaged 3.6 YPC or worse in six of his final seven games, and he scored only two touchdowns between Weeks 10-16.

2011. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2011
343
1,606
4.7
11
2012
86
414
4.8
2


2012. Arian Foster, Texans
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2012
351
1,424
4.1
17
2013
121
542
4.5
1


2013. LeSean McCoy, Eagles
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2013
335
1,607
5.1
11
2014
312
1,319
4.2
5


2014. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys/Eagles
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2014
436
2,043
4.7
15
2015
193
702
3.6
6


2015. Adrian Peterson, Vikings
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2015
327
1,485
4.5
11
2016
37
72
1.9
0


2016. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2016
322
1,631
5.1
15
2017
242
983
4.1
7


2017. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2017
321
1,291
4.0
9
2018
0
0
0
0


2018. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2018
304
1,434
4.7
6
2019
301
1,357
4.5
12


2019. Derrick Henry, RB, Titans
Year
Carries
Rush Yards
YPC
Touchdowns
2019
303
1,540
5.1
16
2020






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