Fantasy RB’s First Half/Second Half 2011 Breakdown

Statistics can be overkill, they can manipulate the truth and sometimes be a poor estimate of what really happened. Gridiron Experts is not going to try to convince you that these statistics are the end all be all. We are simple going to provide you with some interesting findings this summer that we hope you use during your search for fantasy football sleepers.

In this article, we see a breakdown of last year’s workhorse fantasy running backs split from the first 8 games to the last 8 games.

The main argument to the statistical relevancy of the numbers below is strength of schedule, yet truthfully that isn’t a great analysis of why or how fantasy players perform well. “Any Given Sunday” and the best running backs in the game can be shut down while the worst light up the score board -we’ve all seen it. Yet, the main reason these Fantasy statistics are so interesting and arguably useful, is the time in which they are based upon. No player that was injured for a significant portion of time is featured in the chart below, yet with enough of an average it does paint a picture of hot and cold players from the first 8 games to the last 8 games.

Late Season 2011 Performers

Running Backs Breakdown G Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Rec Yds Y/G Avg TD Fum Maurice Jones-Drew Games 1-8 8 166 740 93 4.5 3 12 85 10.6 7.1 0 6 Games 9-16 8 177 866 108 4.9 5 31 289 36.1 9.3 3 0 Arian Foster Games 1-8 6 135 532 89 3.9 4 22 317 52.8 14 1 0 Games 9-16 7 143 692 99 4.8 6 31 300 42.9 9.7 1 5 LeSean McCoy Games 1-8 8 151 825 103 5.5 9 28 184 23 6.6 2 0 Games 9-16 7 122 484 69 4 8 20 131 18.7 6.6 1 1 Ray Rice Games 1-8 8 133 532 67 4 6 38 416 52 11 2 1 Games 9-16 8 158 832 104 5.3 6 38 288 36 7.6 1 1 Chris Johnson Games 1-8 8 121 366 46 3 1 31 206 25.8 6.6 0 1 Games 9-16 8 141 681 85 4.8 3 26 212 26.5 8.2 0 2 Ryan Mathews Games 1-8 7 111 509 73 4.6 3 30 342 48.9 11 0 2 Games 9-16 7 111 582 83 5.2 3 20 113 16.1 5.7 0 3 Marshawn Lynch Games 1-8 7 97 398 57 4.1 4 12 91 13 7.6 0 2 Games 9-16 8 188 806 101 4.3 8 16 121 15.1 7.6 1 1 Steven Jackson Games 1-8 7 113 579 83 5.1 4 17 95 13.6 5.6 1 1 Games 9-16 8 147 566 71 3.9 1 25 238 29.8 9.5 0 1 Michael Turner Games 1-8 8 157 692 87 4.4 7 8 105 13.1 13 0 1 Games 9-16 8 144 648 81 4.5 4 9 63 7.9 7 0 2 Darren Sproles Games 1-8 8 45 305 38 6.8 2 51 389 48.6 7.6 2 0 Games 9-16 8 42 298 37 7.1 0 35 321 40.1 9.2 5 0 Ahmad Bradshaw Games 1-8 7 111 440 63 4 5 24 210 30 8.8 1 1 Games 9-16 5 60 219 44 3.7 4 10 57 11.4 5.7 1 0 Frank Gore Games 1-8 8 159 782 98 4.9 5 13 78 9.8 6 0 2 Games 9-16 8 123 429 54 3.5 3 4 36 4.5 9 0 0 BenJarvus Green-Ellis Games 1-8 8 108 452 57 4.2 5 5 49 6.1 9.8 0 0 Games 9-16 8 73 215 27 2.9 6 4 110 13.8 28 0 0 Reggie Bush Games 1-8 8 88 427 53 4.9 1 24 164 20.5 6.8 1 3 Games 9-16 7 128 659 94 5.1 5 19 132 18.9 6.9 0 1 Shonn Greene Games 1-8 8 132 502 63 3.8 2 14 77 9.6 5.5 0 1 Games 9-16 8 121 552 69 4.6 4 16 134 16.8 8.4 0 0 Willis McGahee Games 1-8 7 123 623 89 5.1 3 11 49 7 4.5 1 2 Games 9-16 8 126 576 72 4.6 1 1 2 0.3 2 0 2 DeAngelo Williams Games 1-8 8 75 363 45 4.8 1 10 61 7.6 6.1 0 0 Games 9-16 8 80 473 59 5.9 6 6 74 9.3 12 0 0 Michael Bush Games 1-8 8 79 333 42 4.2 3 11 144 18 13 1 0 Games 9-16 8 177 644 81 3.6 4 26 274 34.3 11 0 1 Jonathan Stewart Games 1-8 8 71 327 41 4.6 2 23 220 27.5 9.6 0 1 Games 9-16 8 71 434 54 6.1 2 24 193 24.1 8 1 0 LeGarrette Blount Games 1-8 6 90 400 67 4.4 3 6 66 11 11 0 1 Games 9-16 8 94 381 48 4.1 2 9 82 10.3 9.1 0 4 Donald Brown Games 1-8 8 32 153 19 4.8 2 3 17 2.1 5.7 0 0 Games 9-16 8 102 492 62 4.8 3 13 69 8.6 5.3 0 0

Thoughts on some of the results

Steven Jackson’s second half drop is somewhat alarming. The team was awful all year so it’s not like their was ever a low point in which things fell apart. Age is becoming a factor, something that is important when talking about weeks 14-17 -fantasy playoff time.

second half drop is somewhat alarming. The team was awful all year so it’s not like their was ever a low point in which things fell apart. Age is becoming a factor, something that is important when talking about weeks 14-17 -fantasy playoff time. Chris Johnson seemed to pick up steam near the end of the year. Promising news for fantasy owners

seemed to pick up steam near the end of the year. Promising news for fantasy owners Frank Gore’s slip in stats had to do with the fact that the team had clinched the playoffs and were starting to ease him off carries. Smart coaching move but who’s to say that doesn’t happen again this year? With the army of RB’s on the roster now the 49ers could put Gore on ice if the NFC West is a walk in the park again.

slip in stats had to do with the fact that the team had clinched the playoffs and were starting to ease him off carries. Smart coaching move but who’s to say that doesn’t happen again this year? With the army of RB’s on the roster now the 49ers could put Gore on ice if the NFC West is a walk in the park again. I have to commend Reggie Bus h, he really did turn into an all-purpose RB last year. His second half performance made him one of the must-have players at fantasy trade deadlines.

h, he really did turn into an all-purpose RB last year. His second half performance made him one of the must-have players at fantasy trade deadlines. Could Jonathan Stewart split his stats more evenly? Same amount of carries and Touchdowns, but a big boost in YPC average second half.

split his stats more evenly? Same amount of carries and Touchdowns, but a big boost in YPC average second half. Michael Bush may be better suited in a rotation role, his numbers never really took off when given the starter role after Darren McFadden got hurt