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Complete 2013 Projections

The default order for player projections is based on ESPN.com's recommended draft rankings, which take into account projected total points as well as upside and risk.

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PROJECTED 2013 SEASON STATS

31. Rashard Mendenhall, Ari RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		51	182	3.6	0	9	62	1		24
	2013 Projections		178	694	3.9	6	15	106	1		119
2013 Outlook: In '12, Mendenhall tried to return nine months after a torn ACL, but he looked slow. It's probably not fair to hold that effort against him. But it is fair to remember that Mendy was never a compelling RB talent even when healthy. His past fantasy glory came as a result of short TDs: 27 of his 29 career rushing scores have come from inside an opponent's 10. He'll battle Ryan Williams and rookies Stepfan Taylor and Andre Ellington for carries, though his history with Bruce Arenas could give him an edge. The real question: Will the Cardinals regularly get near the goal line?

32. Shane Vereen, NE RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		62	251	4.0	3	8	149	1		57
	2013 Projections		132	587	4.4	4	48	386	2		128
2013 Outlook: Vereen's fantasy fortunes took an upward turn when Danny Woodhead signed with San Diego. Though Stevan Ridley is locked in as the starter and goal-line back, the Patriots have a ton of supplemental work available. In '12, Woodhead and Vereen combined for 186 touches from scrimmage, and if those all go to Vereen by himself, he'll make a fantasy dent in '13. He proved a natural as a no-huddle back in January when Woodhead missed time, scoring three TDs in a game against the Texans, and his quickness and pass-catching chops are legit. Vereen is more than just Ridley's handcuff.

33. Andre Brown, NYG RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		73	385	5.3	8	12	86	0		91
	2013 Projections		111	543	4.9	7	17	117	1		113
2013 Outlook: Brown scored all eight of his TDs last season from inside an opponent's 2, which says a lot about his fantasy stock. We're not saying he's a bad player. He brings 224 pounds worth of thump to his runs, he's strong in pass protection, and while it takes him a while to get up to top speed, he's not slow once he gets there. But the Giants would certainly prefer that dynamic second-year man David Wilson win the starting job. Nevertheless, if Brown can stay healthywhich has been the problem in his four-year NFL careerhe's entirely flex-worthy.

34. Johnathan Franklin, GB RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--
	2013 Projections		125	587	4.7	3	40	337	2		119
2013 Outlook: Franklin was one of our favorite RBs in April's draft, but had the misfortune of landing on the same NFL squad as Eddie Lacy. The Packers have remade their backfield with these two rookies, which should help the team enormously, but could lead to fantasy frustration. Franklin is a powerful, low-to-the-ground runner who can accelerate quickly and punish tacklers, and evokes comparisons to Ray Rice. But Lacy is a 231-pound thumper who's favored to lead the Pack in TDs. Still, Franklin has all kinds of potential; we wouldn't be shocked to see him outperform Lacy in camp and earn the top job.

35. Jonathan Stewart, Car RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		93	336	3.6	1	17	157	1		54
	2013 Projections		138	629	4.6	3	27	220	1		106
2013 Outlook: There are too many mouths to feed in the Carolina backfield. Now that the Panthers have renegotiated with DeAngelo Williams, the talented Stewart, who's coming off left ankle surgery but is still only 25, continues to be blocked. The team still has a four-way backfield consisting of Stewart, Williams, Cam Newton and Mike Tolbert, which means there's just not enough work available to make any of them starting fantasy RBs, especially because Newton and Tolbert dominate goal-line touches. And that's a shame, because Stew Beef averaged 5.4 yards per carry as recently as '11.

36. Giovani Bernard, Cin RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		--	--	--	--	--	--	--		--
	2013 Projections		130	654	5.0	2	40	358	1		114
2013 Outlook: Bernard is a jitterbugging nightmare to tackle in the open field, a terrific pass catcher, and a sick return man. He didn't produce a whole lot of physical runs at North Carolina, preferring to make defenders miss in the hole, and that caused some NFL teams to worry he's not a three-down player. At least initially in Cincinnati he won't have to be, as BenJarvus Green-Ellis will handle much of the inside work. Consider the Law Firm favored to lead the Bengals in rushing TDs, but consider Bernard the man opposing defenses will fear more. He's a knee-buckler extraordinaire.

37. Ryan Williams, Ari RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		58	164	2.8	0	7	44	0		13
	2013 Projections		109	553	5.1	3	31	273	1		102
2013 Outlook: Coming out of Virginia Tech, Williams was known as an explosive playmaker with every-down potential, but he missed his entire rookie year with a torn patellar tendon, then lost 11 games to a shoulder injury in '12. He has a chance to claim early-down work this season: Beanie Wells has moved on, and while Rashard Mendenhall has been a starting NFL back, he doesn't have Williams' natural acceleration or elusiveness. Entering camp, we imagine Mendy will be the starter, with Williams and rookies Stepfan Taylor and Andre Ellington mixing in. But if he stays healthy, Williams is the Cardinals RB with star potential.

38. Mark Ingram, NO RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		156	602	3.9	5	6	29	0		85
	2013 Projections		167	655	3.9	5	12	81	0		103
2013 Outlook: Well, we're two seasons into Ingram's pro career and it flat-out hasn't happened for him. No question he's in a tough situation: The Saints rotate him with Darren Sproles and Pierre Thomas, rarely play him on passing downs or throw him the ball, and sit him when they're losing. And Ingram did have offseason knee surgery last spring and may not have been healthy for the first part of the '12 season. Still, we'd have to see a revision in New Orleans' offensive plans before we can consider Ingram anything more than a platoon and short-yardage back.

39. Mikel Leshoure, Det RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		215	798	3.7	9	34	214	0		139
	2013 Projections		137	514	3.8	7	19	124	0		101
2013 Outlook: The Lions paid lip service to Leshoure's ability through the early winter, but when free agency began, their actions spoke louder than their words. They paid Reggie Bush $4 million guaranteed and will no doubt give him their backfield's heaviest workload. Where does that leave Leshoure? Well, eight of his nine TDs last season came in goal-to-go situations, which makes sense: He's a powerful 227 pounds. Expect him to spell Bush on short-yardage carries and do heavy lifting between the tackles, but don't expect him to get near the field when Detroit wants to throw. He'll mostly be a vulture in '13.

40. Ahmad Bradshaw, FA RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		221	1015	4.6	6	23	245	0		143
	2013 Projections		105	447	4.3	2	20	137	1		73
2013 Outlook: Bradshaw is 27 and commands respect in NFL circles, but his feet have failed him. He's undergone three surgeries on his right foot, one on his left, and surgeries on both ankles. The Giants decided they couldn't spend big money on a RB with such durability issues, and released him, so Bradshaw will look for a job this summer. When healthy, he's a great pass blocker, a willing receiver and a strong combo of quickness and power. Unfortunately, the truly valuable RB gigs filled up in April's draft, so Bradshaw will platoon in a lesser situation in '13.

41. Bryce Brown, Phi RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		115	564	4.9	4	13	56	0		68
	2013 Projections		120	556	4.6	3	12	89	0		75
2013 Outlook: By going bananas in back-to-back weeks last season, Brown established himself as a fantasy option. Unfortunately, it became clear he was a one-trick pony, trying to bounce everything outside despite his powerful frame, and NFL defenses adjusted. The Eagles know their bread is buttered with LeSean McCoy, and they're not going to greatly diminish Shady's workload, especially not until Brown shows a more complete game. Still, seeing Brown's raw power/speed combo had to convince Chip Kelly that he's got one of the NFL's most talented backup RBs. If you draft McCoy, you simply must handcuff Brown to him.

42. Bernard Pierce, Bal RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		108	532	4.9	1	7	47	0		55
	2013 Projections		115	539	4.7	2	6	46	0		69
2013 Outlook: Remember way back at the '12 combine, when Pierce set off red flags by only benching 17 reps? Seems silly now, doesn't it? It's hard to believe anyone was ever worried about this guy's strength. The burly Pierce did a fine job spelling Ray Rice as last season went on, and really shone in the playoffs with some explosive runs. Rice is still only 26 and never misses time because of injury, so we're not overselling Pierce's fantasy attractiveness. He'll mostly be a change-of-pace guy. But he's also among the NFL's most valuable backups, and is a must-handcuff for Rice's owners.

43. DeAngelo Williams, Car RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		173	737	4.3	5	13	187	2		119
	2013 Projections		128	539	4.2	3	12	103	0		77
2013 Outlook: How bad was former Panthers GM Marty Hurney's strategy when it came to running backs? Williams and Jonathan Stewart have had the primes of their careers ruined by the world's most frustrating platoon, to say nothing of Mike Tolbert's presence on this roster. If Carolina could have economically cut D-Willy they would have, but instead they renegotiated with him this summer, so the entire band is coming back in '13. You know what that means. There might be games when Williams goes loopy, as he did rushing for 210 yards in Week 17 last year. But those efforts will be few and far between.

44. Fred Jackson, Buf RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		115	437	3.8	3	34	217	1		73
	2013 Projections		97	387	4.0	3	19	118	1		69
2013 Outlook: Jackson is a powerful runner, but he's ended each of the past two seasons in IR because of leg injuries and is now 32. New Bills coach Doug Marrone won't carry on with Chan Gailey's insane plan of splitting the RB workload between Jackson and the younger, faster C.J. Spiller. Instead, Jackson will shoulder the more physical carries while Spiller touches it between 15 and 20 times per game, seeing the ball in space and making big plays. Jackson is likelier to be a TD drain on Spiller's value than he is to become a major fantasy factor.

45. Ben Tate, Hou RB	YEAR		RUSH	YDS	AVG	TD	REC	YDS	TD		PTS
	2012 Statistics		65	279	4.3	2	11	49	0		36
	2013 Projections		110	487	4.4	3	8	62	0		70
2013 Outlook: Tate has been a tough player to figure. He missed all of his rookie year with a broken ankle. In '11, he was perhaps the best backup runner in football. But last year he was largely a nonfactor. Injuries have been a big part of the problem, but Tate wasn't all that effective even when he did play (seven games of 20 rushing yards or fewer in '12). Coach Gary Kubiak says he expects a lot more out of Tate in '13, and it's a contract year. Still, Tate's primary value comes as an elite handcuff for Arian Foster.

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