Steve Slaton

In the first part of the waiver wire recap, we looked at the top quarterbacks, wide receivers and kickers that were plucked out of free agency by astute fantasy owners.

In this second part, we’re going to take a look at the top running backs, tight ends and defenses that helped fantasy owners win their leagues this 2008 season.

Without further ado here, is the second part of the waiver wire recap.

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RUNNING BACKS

DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers)

Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams was drafted in many leagues, but in the first four games of the season, he rushed for a combined 201 yards and had no touchdowns.

With rookie Jonathan Stewart sharing carries with him, Williams was then dropped by many fantasy owners into the free agency pool.

In week five, Williams broke out for 132 yards and two touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs. It appeared a fluke at first as he gained just 27 yards the following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But, Williams went on to record double-digit fantasy performances in the final 10 games of the season and had two four-touchdown games. Williams finished the season with 273 attempts for 1,515 yards and 18 touchdowns.

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Steve Slaton (Houston Texans)

Despite a prolific college career at West Virginia, Houston Texans rookie Steve Slaton was one of the less heralded running backs in the NFL Draft.

He was considered too small, but the Texans took him knowing he would be a perfect fit in their offense as Slaton ran behind similar zone-blocking schemes as a Mountaineer.

Slaton managed just 43 yards in the first week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but then busted out for 242 yards and three touchdowns the next three weeks against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts.

Slaton recorded 11 double-digit fantasy performances on the season and had four 100-yard games in the final seven weeks.

He finished the season with 1,282 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 268 attempts. He also had 50 receptions for 377 yards and a touchdown.

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Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions)

Detroit Lions rookie Kevin Smith was drafted in some leagues because he was considered to be the team’s only option at running back. The team brought in Rudi Johnson, but he had just 76 attempts on the season.

Smith was the only guy at running back for the Lions and played well after some early season struggles. In the team’s first five games, Smith averaged just 8.4 attempts a game.

Once he started getting regular carries, he began to flourish. He finished with nine double-digit fantasy performances, including three straight to finish out the season.

Overall, Smith rushed for 976 yards and eight touchdowns on 238 attempts. He also caught 39 passes for 286 yards.

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Le’Ron McClain (Baltimore Ravens)

Willis McGahee was the Baltimore Ravens running back that was drafted in every fantasy league, but it was Le’Ron McClain who led the team in rushing.

McGahee battled injuries and inconsistent play throughout most of the season, opening the door for McClain.

McClain opened the season with four consecutive double-digit performances, including a two-touchdown game against the Cleveland Browns in week three. McClain only had one 100-yard game, but that didn’t matter with the way he scored touchdowns.

He had eight games with at least one touchdown, four of them coming in the final six weeks. Overall, McClain finished the season with 902 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 232 carries. He added 19 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown.

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Pierre Thomas (New Orleans Saints)

New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas started the season buried on the depth chart behind Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister and Aaron Stecker.

Injuries to all three of those backs allowed Thomas to take over in week 11 against Kansas City.

In that game against the Chiefs, Thomas rushed 16 times for 88 yards and a touchdown, starting a streak of strong games to finish out the season.

Following that game, he had five more double-digit fantasy performances before being held out in week 17 because of injury.

Thomas finished with 625 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 129 attempts and also had 31 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns.

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TIGHT ENDS

Visanthe Shiancoe (Minnesota Vikings)

In a year in which not many tight ends scored a lot of fantasy points, finding the right one outside the draft proved difficult. However, Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was that player.

Shiancoe never caught more than seven passes in a game and only broke 100 yards once, but with seven touchdowns, he was a top five tight end.

In week 16, when most leagues were finishing their championship rounds, Shiancoe caught seven passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the season with 42 receptions for 596 yards and seven touchdowns.

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John Carlson (Seattle Seahawks)

Seattle Seahawks rookie John Carlson was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise bad team.

Carlson was known more as a blocking tight end coming into the league but established himself as a good pass-catcher as well as he opened the season with 10 receptions for 130 yards in the first two weeks.

Carlson only broke 100 yards once, but he scored three touchdowns in the final six weeks. He ended the season with 55 receptions for 627 yards and five touchdowns.

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Anthony Fasano (Miami Dolphins)

Miami Dolphins tight end Anthony Fasano came to the team in a trade from the Dallas Cowboys, where he was stuck behind All-Pro Jason Witten.

Finally given the chance to play regularly, Fasano rose to the occasion. He opened the season with eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in the first week against the New York Jets.

He never broke 100 yards in a game, but he had four touchdowns in the final four weeks of the season. He finished with 34 receptions for 454 yards and seven touchdowns.

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DEFENSES

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts defense struggled without safety Bob Sanders in the lineup but started playing well upon his return.

The Colts finished the season ranked seventh in points allowed, 11th in total yards allowed, sixth in passing yards allowed and 24th in rushing yards allowed.

What also stuck out about the Indianapolis defense was how well it played down the stretch. In the final five weeks, the Colts forced five interceptions, recovered four fumbles and had two defensive touchdowns in recording four double-digit fantasy performances.  

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Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins defense wasn’t considered as a fantasy option entering this season, especially after trading away their best player in defensive end Jason Taylor.

But new head coach Tony Sparano had this unit ready to go this season, and it was led by linebacker Joey Porter. Porter had an incredible season as he racked up 18 sacks.

The Dolphins had six double-digit fantasy performances and ended the season ranked ninth in points allowed, 15th in total yards allowed, 25th in passing yards allowed and 10th in rushing yards allowed.  

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Atlanta Falcons

Given how bad the Atlanta Falcons were last year it’s no surprise the defense wasn’t considered a fantasy option entering this season.

But, new head coach Mike Smith came from a defensive background having served as the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Falcons had just one double-digit fantasy performance in the first eight weeks of the season but finished with four in the final nine games.

Atlanta was 20th or worse in rushing yards allowed, passing yards allowed and total yards allowed, but were 11th in points allowed. 

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For more fantasy football insight and advice, click the link below…

Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

1. Calvin Johnson is the real deal

Lions fans probably groaned at the prospect of taking another receiver.  After all, their previous first round experience at the position had netted them two busts (Mike Williams and Charles Rodgers) and one good-not-great receiver in Roy Williams.  None of those guys are still with the team.

Johnson’s different though.  He’s a top tier receiver in an age full of top tier receivers.  Johnson ranks 5th in the NFL in receiving yards on a team that ranks 24th in passing yards. 

2.  You can’t build a great team on great receivers alone

As great as he is, Calvin Johnson is still playing on an 0-16 team.  Andre Johnson leads the league in receiving and is on an 8-8 Texans squad.  Boldin and Fitzgerald are the most dominant receiving duo in history and the Cards are 9-7.

3.  Favre’s trade worked out for everyone but the Packers

Without Favre the Jets would not have gone 9-7.  Without Pennington the Dolphins would not be in the playoffs.  Without Favre the Packers managed to go 6-10.  Aaron Rodgers isn’t bad, but he’s not a great; with Rodgers the Packers are no longer the class of the NFC North and are mostly bad, not great.

4.  Adrian Peterson is the best running back out there

You’re a defensive coordinator facing the team ranked in the bottom 25 percent of the league in passing with the most explosive running back in the league.  What do you do?  Load up the box, of course.  Teams tried, and Peterson prevailed rushing for 1,760– good enough for the rushing title.  A healthy Peterson and an average quarterback can lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl; he’s that good.

5.  The Texans are almost there

I honestly thought Steve Slaton was running away from Noel Devine when he entered the draft.  The NFL must have thought the same as Slaton fell to 89th overall.   It turns out he was really ready, if being second in the AFC in rushing yards and being the NFL rookie leader for rushing yards is any measure of success.  All the Texans are missing is a QB and the AFC South becomes the most competitive league in football.

Wild Card 1.  The NFC South never disappoints

The SEC of the NFL is as topsy-turvy as ever.  Every team finished .500 or better, and the defending champion of the division finished third missing the playoffs.

Wild Card 2.  The Cowboys always disappoint

Even with a salary cap, the Cowboys feel like the Yankees– a bunch of stars that can’t handle sharing the spotlight.  Perhaps that gaping hole in the roof of Texas Stadium is symbolic of the lack of the “team” concept.

 

 

Houston Stifles Chicago’s Playoff Hopes, Clinches Second .500 Season

 

With Steve Slaton scoring a touchdown with 3:28 left and Ken Walter recovering a Houston onside kick, the Texans defeated the Chicago Bears 31-24.

 

The Texans (8-8) finish with their second eight-win season, winning five of their last six and going 3-1 against the NFC. With the loss, the Bears (9-7) were officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings clinched the NFC North and denying the division-rival Bears a playoff berth by coming back and defeating the New York Giants 20-19. Chicago went 2-2 against the AFC South.

 

 

The Texans got off to a shaky start in the first quarter. Houston got the ball first, but had to punt just after they got inside Bears’ territory.

 

The Bears got the ball at their own 20 after the punt went in the end zone. Chicago quarterback Kyle Orton completed all five of his passes for 48 yards. Devin Hester had 26 yards receiving on two receptions. Brandon Lloyd gave the Bears the lead with a four-yard touchdown pass from Orton.

 

On the Texans next possession, Steve Slaton fumbled after catching a six-yard pass and Chicago’s Alex Brown recovered and returned it to the Texans’ 38.

 

The Texans defense stepped up and stopped the Bears. After giving up a 13-yard pass to rookie running back Matt Forte, Houston held Chicago to only six yards. The Bears had to settle for a 37-yard Ryan Gould field goal to go up 10-0.

 

After having to punt on each of their previous two possessions, Houston’s offense would get going in the second quarter. Quarterback Matt Schaub completed four passes for 74 yards. Andre Johnson had 72 yards on the drive including a 43-yard touchdown.

 

On the ensuing kickoff, Chicago’s Danieal Manning ripped off a 33-yard return before fumbling, and Texans’ kicker Kris Brown recovered at the Chicago 38.

 

Slaton gained then 11 yards on three carries and Schaub completed 3-of-4 passes for 25 yards on the ensuing drive. Johnson would wrestle the ball away from Charles Tillman in the end zone to put the Texans ahead 14-10.

 

The Texans would increase their lead in the second half. On their first possession in the third quarter, Schaub completed four-of-five passes for 70 yards. Former practice squad player Ryan Moats capped off the drive with a two-yard touchdown run to increase the Texans lead to 21-10 with 8:34 left in the third.

 

The Bears answered back on their next possession. Orton completed four-of-five passes for 64 yards, including a 37-yard pass to Hester that move the ball to the Texans’ 1-yard line. Greg Olsen finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown reception.

 

The Texans increased their advantage in the fourth, with Schaub leading Houston on a 53-yard-drive that consumed over five minutes, and ended with Brown hitting a 22-yard field goal, putting the Texans ahead 24-17.

 

After forcing the Bears to punt, the Texans got the ball at their own 11. Schaub would direct an 11-play, 89-yard drive that took over six minutes off the clock. Slaton finished the drive with a two-yard touchdown that increased the Texans’ lead to 31-17.

 

Johnson, who was held to only two catches last week at Oakland, had 10 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans, and finishes the season with 115 receptions for 1,575 yards and eight scores.

 

Schaub had no problems finding receivers, completing 27 of 36 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Schaub finished the season with 3,043 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

 

Slaton led the Texans in rushing with 92 yards on 20 carries, and one touchdown on the day. Slaton finished his rookie season with 1,282 yards rushing on 268 carries, and nine touchdowns.

 

Moats, who was signed on to the Texans’ practice squad in Week 5, had 12 carries for 38 yards and one touchdown.

 

For the Bears, Orton completed 22 of 37 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. Orton finished the season with 2,972 yards passing, and 18 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

 

Forte led the Bears in rushing with 50 yards on 13 carries against the Texans, with 11 of those coming in the first half for 45 yards. Forte finished the season with 1,238 yards on 316 carries and eight touchdowns.

 

Devin Hester led the Bears in receiving with six receptions for 85 yards, finishing the season with 51 receptions for 665 yards and three touchdowns. Hester—who had six return touchdowns in 2007—had none in 2008.

The holiday schedule has me all out of whack, but Marc is back to update the rookie rankings with only one regular season week to go.

Despite leading for several weeks in a row now, Matt Forte’s position as No. 1 is not safe. Any of the top four guys have a shot to win The Hazean’s Fantasy Rookie of the Year award.

Championship games have come and gone, but there are still some fantasy leagues playing until week 17.

The Rookie Report could be affected by week 17 since some of the rookies could be resting for the playoffs. Other rookies could surge into the bottom of the list, just like on guy did this week.

 

Honorable Mention: Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens 

This is Flacco’s first appearance on the Rookie Report. He got here on his strong effort against Dallas last Saturday. Flacco joins Atlanta’s Matt Ryan as a rookie quarterback who surprised everyone. There aren’t very many of those in history and maybe he should have been on this list a little sooner.

 

5. Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos 

Royal had another five-catch performance, but for only 57 yards. He is struggling to find the endzone, but no other rookies are threatening his position in this list yet. Another weak performance could drop him out of the top five, however.

 

4. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons 

Is he the best rookie quarterback ever in the NFL? He has led his team to a 10-5 record so far this season and hasn’t made rookie mistakes along the way. He is already a top-10 QB in the NFL. With a strong performance in week 17, he should win rookie of the year honors.

 

3. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans 

Johnson was able to punch in a score against the tough Steelers defense to help hold strong in the No. 3 spot. The top three are real close and Johnson has a chance to finish the year on top.

 

2. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans 

Slaton had over 100 yards in total offense for the Texans in their loss to the Raiders. He has been consistent over the past few weeks, but may need a big performance to overtake numero uno.

 

1. Matt Forte, RB, Bears

Forte was in danger of moving down a spot until his late touchdown against the Packers Monday night. It helped his team come from behind and win a game they had to have. It also helped him hold onto the top spot his the Rookie Report for another week.

At the start of every NFL season, there are certain things that are a given.

Terrell Owens will dominate the headlines at some point during the season, Brett Favre will be behind a center when Week One rolls around, and Peyton Manning will find some way to keep Indianapolis a perennial contender.

But each year, a number of players make the jump from average to outstanding and several rookies take little time to adjust, making their mark from day one.

The young backup who finally has the chance to prove himself as a starter or the aging veteran who shakes off critics and proves that he can still perform at a top level, these players stepped up and made their presence felt in 2008.

Some led their teams to records unimaginable just four months ago.

As this Holiday season approaches—especially this Holiday season, everyone is looking for a good bargain.  However in the NFL, the time to find that great bargain of the season is draft weekend, and it is that special time of year when all teams hope and pray that they will uncover their own special diamond in the rough.

 

So, as we look back on this 2008 season, which teams did walk away with the best Running Back bargain in the NFL?  In the view of PossessionPoints.com, a first round selection should yield value for a team, but we know that is not always the case.

 

The NFL teams who selected Running Backs Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Felix Jones and Rashard Mendenhall might have gotten quality, but they paid full price, and the jury is out on whether or not these rookies will all be worth full price down the road.

 

Chris Johnson of the Titans appears to be the only first round choice this year who gave his team the value they were seeking. He was the last Running Back taken in that round; yet, he has the best stats of the first round group.  

 

In fact, Johnson set the bar by which we will measure all other rookie Running Backs.  The Titans are thrilled with his performance so far this season as he has rushed for 1,159 yards and added 259 receiving yards giving him a total of 1,418 yards. Johnson also has eight rushing TDs and one receiving touchdown for a total of nine TDs.

 

So, where did the bargains come from this season?  Let’s move on to the second round where we find Matt Forte and Ray Rice. While we are sure the Ravens, are not unhappy with the performance of Rice, we feel the Bears got the best bargain in their selection and are not looking to make a Holiday exchange on this player anytime soon. 

 

Forte has piled up the stats and so far this season; he has 1115 rushing yards and 424  receiving yards giving him a total of 1539 yards.  Forte also has seven rushing TDs and four receiving touchdowns for a total of 11 TDs through the first 14 weeks of the season.

 

The third round is where we think the real bargains were this season. Drafted at 64th overall was Kevin Smith of the Lions, who has 1052 total yards and six touchdowns so far. Let’s face it. The kid is playing for the Lions, so this performance was no easy feat.  He should probably get a medal. 

 

Next taken at 69th was Jacob Hester of the Chargers followed by Jamaal Charles of the Chiefs at 73rd _, and last, but certainly not least, Steve Slaton of the Texans at 89th. 

 

In our view, Steve Slaton wins the title of “Best Running Back Bargain of the 2008 Season”. Unlike Forte and Johnson, Slaton did not start in Week One.  Yet, in the 13 games in which he has started, Slaton gained 1,124 rushing yards and 305 receiving yards giving him a total of 1429 yards. The rookie has also has scored eight rushing touchdowns and one receiving TD for a total of nine touchdowns to date.  These totals are slightly better than Johnson and not far behind Forte who was taken in the draft 45 picks earlier.

 

We would be remiss in our search for bargains if we did not mention the Broncos’ 7th round pick. That’s right —the 7th round pick.  The players selected this late in the draft are usually lucky to make the team, so when they do make it and contribute to the team, they are a bargain.

 

At the 227th pick overall, the Broncos drafted a third Running Back from Arkansas, Peyton Hillis. Hillis’ college teammates, and fellow Running Backs, were McFadden and Jones who both went in the first round. Hillis was listed as a Fullback, so the Broncos most likely viewed him as a potential blocker and short yardage player.  Imagine the delight the Broncos feel with this pick. 

 

Hillis has 343 yards rushing yards and 179 receiving yards for a total of 522 yards. He has five rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown for a total of six TDs. Not bad for the 227th pick. Heck, his numbers are better than Jones, and he has more TDs than McFadden.  

 

Each year, the NFL re-learns an expensive lesson.  The highest picked player, who is most likely the highest paid rookie player, is not guaranteed star status.  However, if teams take the time to rub off some of the mud and grass stains on a less hyped player, they might find that they not only uncovered a bargain, but a true hidden gem that will carry them into the future.

At the beginning of this year, both of these clubs had high hopes. Houston was coming off their first .500 season, and Oakland was retooling, with new players everywhere.

Oakland stumbled out of the gate and are sitting at 3-11, while Houston has righted a ship that started 0-4, added a 0-3 streak, and is now at 7-7.

And for added questions, Oakland has never won against the Texans, 0-3 to this day.

So, how does Oakland stand to win at home, or like the title says, solve the Rubik’s cube?

First things first, is to get set with the running game. Last week, Oakland fell behind too fast, to get any sort of running game going, and by the time they did, it was junk time. McFadden’s TD was nice, but it was a case of too little, too late.

Secondly, they need to find the defense that stopped the Broncos, Panthers, and Jets, and match it with the strong offense.

The need for a complete game is important, if anything, for the players. The fans need it, and personally, it’s been a long time coming.

But if this season has taught the Raiders faithful anything, is that anything is possible in football. After all, Oakland finally beat Brett Favre this year.

For the Texans, at 7-7, they are looking to get above .500. Last year was a nice touch, but you could tell the players want more. Due to the tiebreakers, they are eliminated from the playoffs, but they could, with two more wins, finish with a better record than some other playoff-bound squads too.

Houston, led by a tandem of Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson, have a good foundation of talent to enjoy for years to come. They also have a couple questions at QB, if one can stay healthy.

Probably the one factor that Houston can bring into this game is last week’s win against the Titans…that had to warm the hearts of the locals, who are still bitter about the Oilers leaving town.

For this game, I’ll give Oakland 28 points…Houston 24, but a nail-biter in the fourth quarter.

 

Now that the 2008 season is nearing its end, a few fantasy football sites are taking a look back at this wonderful class of rookies.

FF Toolbox looks ahead to the values of several rookie running backs heading into 2009. It will be interesting to see how Rashard Mendenhall fits into Pittsburgh next year.

Meanwhile, Football Jabber takes a deeper look at the rookies by examining each position. I especially like this year’s rookie additions at tight end, John Carlson and Dustin Keller. Those two are going to be fantasy stars for years to come.

This incredible NFL season has only two weeks remaining. And the rookie class of 2008 has been a huge success to date, possibly one of the best fantasy football classes in a long time.

While some of the classmates will be fighting to help their teams until the end of the season, a few others may get some rest to gear up for the playoff run.

Let’s hope none of your favorite fantasy rookies get benched during this crucial time of the fantasy season due to their team’s success.

Honorable Mention: Tim Hightower, RB, Cardinals 

Hightower wasn’t really allowed to get into the flow of the game against the Vikings due to the Cardinals early struggles. He is starting to lose some steam, but has done enough this year to remain on the list for now.

 

5. Eddie Royal, WR, Broncos 

Royal’s Broncos were embarrassed against the Panthers 30-10. Royal contributed six catches for 48 yards. He is close to another bust-out game with a good matchups against Buffalo and San Diego down the stretch. All he needs is one big play to get back on track.

 

4. Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons 

Ryan struggled against the Buccaneers tough pass defense. He had two picks and was sacked once, but Ryan won’t drop on this list because he was able to lead his team to victory.

 

3. Chris Johnson, RB, Titans 

Johnson struggled to get going against the improving Texans defense. His owners must have been pretty upset after he lost the rookie battle against fellow running back Steve Slaton, who dominating in Houston’s upset win.

 

2. Steve Slaton, RB, Texans 

Slaton had a highly-productive day against one of the best defenses in the league this year. He totaled 100 yards rushing on 24 carries. Slaton is proving to be a finesse runner with big play potential every week.

 

1. Matt Forte, RB, Bears 

Forte went out with an injury for nearly the whole first half of the game against the Saints last Thursday. He returned to score a touchdown and help lead his team to a much needed win in overtime with a couple nice runs. Forte continues to be the favorite to win The Hazean’s Fantasy Rookie of the Year award with only two weeks left in the season.

Two rookies — Tennessee running back Chris Johnson and Tampa Bay returner Clifton Smith — were chosen for a February trip to Hawaii. But three other newcomers were arguably more worthy selections than veterans who received the nod instead.

Presenting the case that can be made for Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, Houston running back Steve Slaton and Denver tackle Ryan Clady:

1.  Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan (NFC starter: Kurt Warner/Arizona. Backups: Drew Brees/New Orleans, Eli Manning/New York Giants)

There’s no knocking Manning, especially with the defending Super Bowl champions already having clinched the rough-and-tumble NFC East with an 11-3 record. Pro Bowl voters — a combination of players, coaches and fans — also were understandably impressed by Brees and Warner’s gaudy passing numbers.

But when you look at the most important statistic — victories — Ryan has more than either of them while playing in the NFL’s toughest division (NFC South). The Falcons are still in playoff contention at 9-5; Brees and the 7-7 Saints aren’t.

Warner has carried Arizona (8-6) to a division title without support from a running game, but he also padded his stats playing in the lousy NFC West. Warner also may be fading down the stretch. His worst quarterback ratings of the season came during losses in three of the past four games.

Unlike other rookie quarterbacks, Ryan isn’t being used as a caretaker. While he enjoys the luxury of having Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner in the backfield, Ryan can carry the offense when asked and make plays in the clutch a la his last-second heroics in Atlanta’s 22-20 victory over Chicago in Week 6.

The third overall pick in April’s draft, Ryan has yet to lose consecutive games. That shows the 23-year-old already has the maturity to shrug off a rough outing. Ryan has proven incredibly efficient. He has as many games with a triple-digit quarterback rating (six) as Brees and one more than Warner. Plus, Ryan’s interception ratio translates to one turnover for every 43.2 pass attempts. That, too, is better than the marks posted by Warner (42.3) and Brees (34.1).

2.  Houston running back Steve Slaton (AFC starter: Thomas Jones/New York Jets. Backups: Johnson, Ronnie Brown/Miami)

The razzle-dazzle that Brown displayed in Miami’s “Wildcat” formation drew him plenty of early-season publicity. But when it comes to pure running back play, Slaton was a far more deserving choice.

Brown has 10 rushing touchdowns, but seven came in the first five games. He also has rushed for 70 or more yards in just one of his past 10 outings while sharing carries with Ricky Williams.

As for Slaton, he is further proof that fan Pro Bowl voting shouldn’t be conducted until December. Slaton has rushed for 579 yards in the past five games, four of which the Texans won. Overall, Slaton has 1,124 rushing yards; Brown stands at 877. Slaton also has a better per-carry average (4.9 to 4.2) and reception total (40 to 24) than Brown.

An argument can be made that Houston (7-7) would still be in playoff contention if Slaton — a fourth-round draft pick from West Virginia — had received more snaps earlier in the season.

3.  Denver tackle Ryan Clady (Starters: Joe Thomas/Cleveland, Jason Peter/Buffalo. Backup: Michael Roos/Tennessee)

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall are headed to the Pro Bowl. The least they could do is pool funds and buy Clady a plane ticket to travel with them.

Cutler wouldn’t be having so much success throwing to Marshall without Clady protecting his back side at left tackle. Clady and Roos are the NFL’s only tackles to have started every game and not allowed a full sack, according to Stats Inc. Like Thomas in 2007, Clady blossomed so quickly that Denver hasn’t needed to provide blocking help with a tight end. Clady held three of the NFL’s best pass rushers — Miami’s Joey Porter, Atlanta’s John Abraham and Carolina’s Julius Peppers — without a sack. Plus, the Broncos field the NFL’s fifth-best rushing offense despite injuries that have decimated the running back position.

The selections of Thomas and Roos are justified. But Peters? Please. He’s living off the reputation built in prior seasons. After missing the season opener following a contract holdout, Peters allowed 8.5 sacks in the next 12 games. He then made a critical error late in last Sunday’s 31-27 loss to the Jets. Peters was slow getting out of his stance to block blitzing Jets safety Abram Elam. The result was a sack-and-strip of Bills quarterback J.P. Losman, leading to Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis returning the fumble for the game-winning touchdown.

While Ryan, Slaton and Clady have legitimate reasons to feel snubbed, they may still be on the field Feb. 8 when the Pro Bowl is played. That’s because all three were chosen as alternates who may get promoted if current starters and backups drop out of the game because of injuries.

This article originally published on FOXSports.com.

2008 has produced five quality NFL rookie running backs.  Two of them, Chris Johnson of the Titans and Steve Slaton of the Texans are on the verge of All-Pro seasons.

Top Five NFL Rookie Running Backs 2008

No. 1  Chris Johnson    Tennessee Titans

The Titans expected good things form Chris Johnson when they made him their first round pick and 24th pick over all.  He hasn’t disappointed.

Johnson is currently seventh in the league in rushing.  He has rushed for 1094 yards and averaged 4.9 yds/carry.  He has rushed for eight touchdowns.

Johnson has good skill as a receiver.  He has caught 39 passes for 257 yards.

Johnson played his college ball at Kansas State.

No. 1A   Steve Slaton   Houston Texans

Steve Slaton is having a rookie year just as dynamic as Chris Johnson.   Slaton is eighth in the league in rushing with 1024 yards.  He has averaged five yds/carry and has rushed for eight touchdowns.

Slaton can also catch the ball.  He’s caught 37 passes for 290 yards.

Drafted out of West Virginia in the third round, Slaton has been a pleasant surprise for the Texans.  There was a question of whether his thin frame could hold up against NFL punishment.

No. 3   Jonathan Stewart     Carolina Panthers

Stewart has 699 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns  while averaging 4.9 yds/carry.  Unlike Johnson and Slaton, he has caught only seven short passes for 19 yards.

While Stewart hasn’t shown the receiving skills of Johnson and Slaton, he has run back 15 kicks for 349 yards—23.3 yds/kick return.

Stewart was drafted with the 13th overall pick in the draft from the University of Oregon.

No. 4  Kevin Smith    Detroit Lions

Smith has gained 685 yards on the ground.  He has five rushing touchdowns and has averaged 4.1 yds/carry.  Smith has 30 receptions for 248 yards.

Coming from the University of Central Florida where he led the nation in total yards, there were some questions about his speed and wasn’t drafted until the third round.

No. 5  Ray Rice    Baltimore Ravens

Ray Rice, the little man, has gained 454 yards on the ground while averaging 4.2 yds/carry.  Though he hasn’t seen the end zone yet, he has been a triple threat player and has contributed to Baltimore’s winning season.

Rice has played mostly as a third down back and has 33 receptions for 273 yards.  He also has returned seven kicks for 161 yards–23 yds/kick return.

Rice was drafted in the second round out of Rutgers.