Another week, another top-notch running back falls to an injury.
With Frank Gore (ankle) inactive, Rudi Johnson (hamstring) and Ahman Green (knee) limited and four teams on a bye, reliable runners were few and far between in Week 9. Then Larry Johnson went down when his ankle was caught under a Green Bay defender. L.J. couldn't put weight on the ankle and needed to be carted off the field, putting his status for Week 10 in serious doubt. In his potential absence, fantasy football owners might have to lean on a familiar name, former fantasy superstar Priest Holmes.
Holmes, who has been out of action for most of the past two seasons due to an injured spinal column, would see a spike in carries if Johnson is out. While he is past his prime at age 33, Holmes still warrants a roster spot in all fantasy leagues.
The other major story of the weekend came out of Minnesota, where Adrian Peterson broke Jamal Lewis' single-game rushing mark with 296 yards (and three touchdowns) in a win over San Diego. With Ronnie Brown out for the season and LaDainian Tomlinson on an inconsistent run, Peterson is now the unquestioned top running back in fantasy football.
Drew Brees led all quarterbacks with 33 points. He threw for 445 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Jacksonville and has now thrown 11 touchdowns and one interception in his past four starts. Brees should once again be considered a must-start option in all formats. Tony Romo (28 points) was solid as well with three scores in a win over Philadelphia. Tom Brady (25) had a "mediocre" three touchdown passes but remains on pace to toss over 60 this season.
The biggest disappointment at the quarterback position had to be Vince Young, who totaled eight points in a win over Carolina.
Running backs made a significant impact for the first time in what seems like forever, as six of the weekend's top 10 point producers were runners. Peterson led all players with 46 points, but Jamal Lewis scored more touchdowns overall. The veteran back rushed for 37 yards on 20 carries (1.8 YPC), but he found the end zone four times and scored 33 fantasy points in a win over Seattle. Joseph Addai (28) continued his rise up the fantasy charts with 226 all-purpose yards and a score in Week 9, and rookie Marshawn Lynch (27) did significant damage against a porous Cincinnati defense. Clinton Portis (25), who rushed for 196 yards and one score against the Jets, rounded out the top five runners.
Terrell Owens led receivers with 23 points, as he totaled 174 yards and one touchdown against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Lee Evans (22) was a beast with 165 yards and one touchdown against Cincinnati, and he's back among the top fantasy wideouts after three consecutive solid starts. The underrated Greg Jennings found the end zone twice in a win over Kansas City and has now scored in all but one of his contests this season.
Overall it was a bad week for wide receivers. Anquan Boldin (4), Santana Moss (4), Roy Williams (4), Chris Chambers (4) were some of the biggest disappointments.
