Quarterbacks - Check;  Wide Receiver - Check; up next Running backs.   I have stated it earlier and I will state it again, the days of drafting running backs with your first 2 picks is no longer the norm.  Dominating receivers combined with running backs in platoon situations has led to the RB position last much deeper into most drafts.  The problem is many draftees push the limits on selecting their 2nd or 3rd RB, and when their commish turns to them (or draft app for those online) they have no idea who to take.  Here is my five picks to watch for late in drafts:

1 - Brandon Jacobs:  Jacobs is going surprisingly late in most drafts.  For such a hot commodity last year, fantasy owners fell out of favor with Jacobs in a hurry.  He is rarely ranked in the top 20 amongst Running backs, and is going well into the 4th and 5th round in many drafts.  While last year he was being drafted too high, don’t be afraid of Jacobs this season especially if the alternatives are guys like Lendale White, Deangelo Williams and Willie Parker.   While Jacobs suffers from the injury bug a little too much to invest your whole team around him, he does one thing very well - score TD’s in the red zone and TD’s are fantasy gold, not yards.  Expect his yardage to go up this season while he continues to get all the red zone looks.

2 - Ricky Williams -It scares me too mention Ricky.  Whether it has been his attitude, or health, Ricky has ruined fantasy owners for the last 3 seasons.  His pre-season is looking too promising to be ignored though, especially with Ronnie Brown coming off of ACL surgery (which everyone knows takes more than 1 full year to fully recover from) and a preseason thumb injury.  Ricky has done nothing but run over and through defenders in preseason and is determined to prove he was a legit back in this league.  This will eventually turn into a platoon if both remain healthy, but the early season rewards Ricky should provide is worth the 8-10th round pick.

3 - Julius Jones -Jones never really had a chance in Dallas.  Jones never ran that poorly, he simply did not run as well as Marion Barber, so couldn’t stay on the field long enough to ever get in a groove.  Constantly looking over you shoulder at the sideline also tends to hurt any chance for an RB to have an impact on the field, and trust me Jones was constantly waiting to be replaced by Barber.  In Seattle,  Jones only has to beat out Maurice Morris to take the reigns of tailback.  Combine little competition with injuries to Seattle’s wideouts and Jones could play a very big role on this team quickly.  While he may start the first couple weeks slow, learning a new system and sharing carries, he will be their main back by week 5 and providing stats of a much earlier RB pick.

4 - Chris Johnson- This pick is mentioned for all keeper leagues out there.  This kid is extremely athletic, extremely fast and cuts through defenders with ease.  He has the break-away potential all teams look for in their main tail back.  He will be the future main back for Tennessee a lot earlier than most people realize and may take a Reggie Bush type role this year with solid pre-season play.  No offense to current starter LenDale White, but White is the model 3rd down and goal line back.  While he can start and do a decent job, he would be more effective in key situations where he can use his strength and size, rather than playing all downs.   Whereas Johnson can hurt you rushing and catching the ball out of the backfield.  If he doesn’t line up with White very often, you aren’t going to get a lot of value from picking Johnson in 2008, but if you can manage your roster with him this season as a keeper for next, you will look very smart in 2009.

5 - Thomas Jones -  Jones is not a sleeper, nor is he being ranked ridiculously low, but in many drafts he is hovering around the 5th and 6th rounds.  If you are in a PPR league, this is too low, he will prove much more valuable than a Maroney, Willie Parker, or even McGahee who are going rounds earlier.  With Favre starting at QB, Jones value goes way up.  While he may see less carries with Gun Slinger Brett around, he will prove to be an excellent outlet for Favre and get more yards rushing than he has in years.  Jones can play very similar to Westbrook with the right QB, as he has excellent hands and quickness off the catch.    The Jets offense should also have many more scoring opportunities than recent years, putting Jones in the red zone more frequently.  Due to the Brett effect, talking about Thomas Jones goes two ways - if you are in a PPR league jump him up a number of notches on your RB board to as high as 15-17, but if you are in a rushing only league only give him a bump to 20-22, and draft accordingly.