2009 Draft Prep: Examining RB tandems

Fred Taylor has some perspective on being part of a tandem. He's been alone in the backfield, and he's also had plenty of help carrying the ball.

For the majority of his career in Jacksonville, Taylor was a solo act and didn't have to worry about sharing carries. Then in 2006, the Jaguars drafted Maurice Jones-Drew, and Taylor became a duo.

He lost the opportunity to be a featured running back, but Taylor is still going strong at 33 and now in his first year in New England. While Jones-Drew stole plenty of production, Taylor might be retired now without the help he got over the past three seasons.

"A running back always wants to be the guy," Taylor said in an interview with CBSSports.com. "I'm competitive. Every back in the NFL is competitive. So you're always torn when there's one or two backs."

Then Taylor dropped the line every running back seems to say these days. But it's what every Fantasy owner hates to hear.

"It does keep you fresh," he said. "I feel really good now."

By our count, only seven teams won't use a tandem or running back by committee going into the season (Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, Houston, Jacksonville and St. Louis). Every other team will use at least two running backs in a prominent role.

For example, San Diego didn't franchise Darren Sproles to keep him on the bench even with LaDainian Tomlinson still the starter, and Washington wants to make Ladell Betts a third-down option behind Clinton Portis. Chester Taylor will take touches away from Adrian Peterson in Minnesota, and the same goes for Jerious Norwood with Michael Turner in Atlanta. The list goes on and on.

Some tandems can still be great for Fantasy owners with Carolina (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart), Tennessee (Chris Johnson and LenDale White) and the Giants (Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw) the best examples. Stewart said the Panthers have the best tandem in the NFL, but that's up for debate. Still, you can count on starting both of these running backs from these teams in the majority of leagues and have a successful roster.

The scary thing for Fantasy owners is the dreaded running back by committee. We're seeing more than ever teams planning to possibly use at least three running backs in Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, New England, the Jets, New Orleans, Oakland and Tampa Bay. Sharing all those carries can make setting your lineup a frustrating experience.

The Bucs were a surprise addition to the list with Cadillac Williams joining Derrick Ward and Earnest Graham. Ward was part of a tremendous tandem with the Giants last season when he shared carries with Jacobs. But he signed with the Bucs this offseason expecting to play a prominent role.

"I'm the focus now," Ward said in a phone interview with CBSSports.com. "It's my turn, and I'm taking advantage of the opportunity."

Ward likes sharing carries and doesn't mind being in a tandem, but it's doubtful he wanted to be part of a committee. He still praised the benefits of having at least two quality running backs and how much it helps a team in the long run.

"Every single player wants to be that guy," Ward said. "We have some quality running backs here. We have running backs that can get the job done. But for the past two years it worked wonders for our team (with the Giants). Being able to share the load, it pays dividends for the offense. The defense can't key in on one guy. It works out in our favor."

Stewart agrees.

"It helps a lot because you can rest," Stewart said. "You don't have to have too much pressure on yourself on having to be in there. Being able to have DeAngelo, and DeAngelo being able to have me, is a blessing for the team. You have fresh legs and you have longevity for the season."

Only one running back interviewed for this story said he doesn't want to be in a tandem. Cedric Benson shared carries with Thomas Jones his first two years in Chicago, but he likes being a featured back. He said that it helped him last year with the Bengals, and he's looking forward to that same opportunity this season.

"Nothing is promised in this sport," Benson said. "It's beneficial to be on the field as much as you can and getting work. Take all you can get and let the generals sort it out."

We'd like to hear more running backs demand the ball and more teams go with a featured option. It would make it easier on Draft Day and on Sunday mornings.

Unfortunately, more teams are using tandems, and the days of having one stud running back per team are fading. The extra running backs give you more depth on your Fantasy roster, but it makes it harder to set your lineup each week.

It's something every Fantasy owner now has to deal with.

Have a question or a comment for Jamey about Fantasy Football? Send your thoughts or questions to DMFantasyFootball@cbs.com and he'll get to as many as he can. Be sure to put Attn: Tandems in the subject field. Include your full name, hometown and state.