Fantasy football isn't fair. A one-yard dive for a touchdown is far easier than 50 hard-fought yards, yet is far easier. We like to think that runners have a magical nose for the end zone, but mostly they just need the opportunity, some good blocking, and luck. NFL quality backs can gain a yard if given the chance.
Our top-ten vultures listed below should get enough opportunities. They are the potential glory hogs, the red zone runners ready to pilfer scores away from teammates. Some of the runners are true vulture backups, while some are in committees. They all should get chances to put up six cheap points.
The top nine vultures are ranked below, with the person he's stealing from in parenthesis.
Honorable Mention: Rudi Johnson (Chris Perry): The trade rumors call into question whether Rudi will even make the team. My guess is that owner Mike Brown would be happy to cut his salary, while Marvin Lewis is a desperate coach who wants all the help he can get. Brown won the last pissing match with Lewis: Chris Henry. If Lewis wins this one, Rudi could turn into a red zone specialist behind Chris Perry and Kenny Watson. Until he gets hurt again.
9. Jesse Chatman (Thomas Jones): The Jets' red zone struggles last season were the fault of their soft offensive line, not Jones. But if Jones doesn't convert his chances early in the year, New York may look to his burly backup.
8. Deuce McAllister (Reggie Bush): This is our fourth annual vultures list. Deuce was second last season and fourth in 2006 when he was coming off his first ACL surgery. I doubt McAllister will be healthy or effective enough to maintain a significant role in New Orleans. But Sean Payton may let the franchise legend get a few cracks inside the five-yard line to get the NOLA crowd excited. (And when Deuce gets hurt, Pierre Thomas runs with surprising power for his size).
See all the Saints' backfield projections in the Rotoworld draft guide.
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7. Dominic Rhodes (Joseph Addai): Like Edgerrin James, Joseph Addai is known to tap out of a game a time or five. If Addai gets winded after a long drive, Rhodes could reprise his old role as Colts vulture.
6. Sammy Morris/LaMont Jordan (Laurence Maroney): The Patriots backfield remains a mystery, but my gut says LaMont Jordan will have a bigger role than most imagine. Of course, he could also get cut by Saturday. Either way, Laurence Maroney owners can expect a rotation at running back, with Morris, Kevin Faulk, and possibly Jordan involved. Time off the field means fewer chances to score.
5. Andre Hall (Selvin Young): Hall isn't exactly your typical goal-line bruiser, but neither is Selvin Young. Hall replaced Young a few times in the preseason near the money stripe. Was it just the usual Mike Shanahan misdirection or a sign of things to come? Only the Mastermind knows.
4. Tim Hightower (Edgerrin James): Timmy! Marcel Shipp was called Edgerrin James' short-yardage replacement last year, but the numbers don't totally bear it out. James still got most of the chances. Look for Ken Whisenhunt to spread out the carries more this season, with Hightower likely to steal plenty of scores.
3. Chris Taylor (Ahman Green/Steve Slaton): I've been driving the Chris Taylor bandwagon for a while, stopping occasionally to beg for gas money, buy beef jerky, and send expletive-laden emails about Ahman Green to Gary Kubiak. And it appears to be working!
Even long-time Darius Walker aficionado Evan Silva has jumped onboard by taking Taylor in our deep NBCSports.com office league. Taylor doesn't run fancy after knee surgery, but he's healthier than Green and looks the part. Take a flier on Taylor as a vulture and you just may wind up with a starting tailback.
Taylor could be a sneaky Week 1 play in the 100K challenge if he starts for the Texans.
2. Rashard Mendenhall (Willie Parker): FWP has the reputation as a poor goal line back, even with his own coaches. Parker was fifth in the NFL in goal line carries in 2006, and his conversion rate wasn't great, but it was better than players like Joseph Addai, Steven Jackson, and Marion Barber.
Last season, Parker fell to a tie for 27th in goal line tries, only converting once in seven chances. Teammate Najeh Davenport got three more cracks at glory. Look for Mendenhall to get an even larger share this season. I've said it before, but Parker is slated for a Fred Taylor-like role. He'll rip off long runs between the twenties on running downs, but Mendenhall will get the glory on receiving downs and near the stripe.
1. Jonathan Stewart (DeAngelo Williams): You have to be a backup to qualify for this list. LenDale White is also in a committee and should get plenty of scores, but he's likely to lead the Titans in carries as a starter. While I believe Stewart will wind up leading the Panthers, DeAngelo Williams will open the season as the starter.
Stewart moves unlike any 235-pound player I've seen. Perhaps like a young Jamal Lewis, but with receiving skills. He will be the perfect red zone player for Carolina. Even if Williams leads the team in carries early, look for Stewart to score the fantasy points. That's what being a vulture is all about.
To get all your draft questions answered, check out Tiffany Simons and I today on Fantasy Fix Live at noon ET on NBCSports.com.
