In the ongoing Fanex Analysis Draft, I’ve made my picks in the 9th and 10th rounds. A pair of running backs from the NFC South – Doug Martin and Devonta Freeman. Some explanation is in order.

With Martin, he’s been a good running back in the past. He had a very good rookie year. After some years in which he’s been thwarted by injuries and poor offensive line play, he’s supposedly now in good shape as he enters a contract year.

The Bucs also have Charles Sims, but he had an underwhelming rookie season in which he lost yards on 15 of his 66 carries. That’s the worst ratio by a running back (with at least 50 attempts) in the last five years. I think Martin will beat out Sims (who may become more of a third-down back).

With Freeman, the plan going in is for him to share time with Tevin Coleman (their third-round pick). I like that Freeman has been there for a year, and I like that he appears to be a lot better in the passing game. Freeman caught 30 of the 38 passes they threw to him last year (when I thought he should have played more).

Coleman ran for over 2,000 yards at Indiana last year, but that was out of a spread system. It could take a while for him to adjust to the pros (which is what we’ve seen in recent years out of a other spread-system backs – Bishop Sankey, LaMichael James).

That said, I must admit that Freeman also had problems with losing yards on plays last year. In his case, he went backwards on 10 of 65 carries.

Here are the worst such backs of the last five years.

LOSING YARDS (LAST 5 YEARS)
YearPlayerAttStuffPct
2014Charles Sims, T.B.661522.7%
2010Chester Taylor, Chi1122421.4%
2012Ryan Williams, Ariz.581220.7%
2011Deji Karim, Jac.631320.6%
2010C.J. Spiller, Buff.741520.3%
2013Bryce Brown, Phil.751520.0%
2012Brandon Bolden, N.E.561119.6%
2012LaRod Stephens-Howling, Ariz.1102119.1%
2011Javon Ringer, Tenn.591118.6%
2010Ryan Torain, Wash.1643018.3%
2010Jahvid Best, Det.1713017.5%
2011Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl.571017.5%
2012Bryce Brown, Phil.1152017.4%
2011Kendall Hunter, S.F.1121917.0%
2014C.J. Spiller, Buff.781316.7%
2012Vick Ballard, Ind.2113516.6%
2011LeSean McCoy, Phil.2734516.5%
2014James Starks, G.B.851416.5%
2012DeAngelo Williams, Car.1732816.2%
2012Jonathan Stewart, Car.931516.1%
2013Roy Helu, Wash.621016.1%
2010Justin Forsett, Sea.1181916.1%
2013Pierre Thomas, N.O.1472315.6%
2013Jacquizz Rodgers, Atl.961515.6%
2014Isaiah Crowell, Clev.1482315.5%
2014Devonta Freeman, Atl.651015.4%
2010Keiland Williams, Wash.651015.4%
2013Kendall Hunter, S.F.781215.4%
2010Correll Buckhalter, Den.59915.3%
2012Shaun Draughn, K.C.59915.3%
2010Marshawn Lynch, Sea.1652515.2%
2014Ben Tate, Clev.1061615.1%
2011Michael Turner, Atl.3014515.0%

And here’s how the Fanex Analysis Draft looks as we approach the end of the 10th round …

FANEX ANALYSIS DRAFT
PickPosPlayer
1.01RBEddie Lacy
1.02RBJamaal Charles
1.03RBLeVeon Bell
1.04RBAdrian Peterson
1.05RBC.J. Anderson
1.06WRAntonio Brown
1.07RBMarshawn Lynch
1.08TERob Gronkowski
1.09WRDez Bryant
1.10RBArian Foster
1.11RBLeSean McCoy
1.12RBMatt Forte
2.01WRDemaryius Thomas
2.02RBMelvin Gordon
2.03RBDeMarco Murray
2.04WROdell Beckham Jr.
2.05WRJulio Jones
2.06QBAndrew Luck
2.07RBJeremy Hill
2.08WRRandall Cobb
2.09WRMike Evans
2.10WRCalvin Johnson
2.11WRA.J. Green
2.12WRJordy Nelson
3.01QBAaron Rodgers
3.02WRAlshon Jeffery
3.03WRT.Y. Hilton
3.04RBAmeer Abdullah
3.05WREmmanuel Sanders
3.06WRJulian Edelman
3.07RBJustin Forsett
3.08WRBrandin Cooks
3.09WRDeAndre Hopkins
3.10RBFrank Gore
3.11TEJimmy Graham
3.12RBMark Ingram
4.01WRKelvin Benjamin
4.02RBTodd Gurley
4.03WRJordan Matthews
4.04RBAlfred Morris
4.05RBCarlos Hyde
4.06WRKeenan Allen
4.07RBC.J. Spiller
4.08RBLatavius Murray
4.09WRJeremy Maclin
4.10RBLamar Miller
4.11WRGolden Tate
4.12WRAmari Cooper
5.01WRSammy Watkins
5.02QBRussell Wilson
5.03RBJoseph Randle
5.04RBT.J. Yeldon
5.05RBAndre Ellington
5.06WRRoddy White
5.07WRBrandon Marshall
5.08WRAndre Johnson
5.09RBJonathan Stewart
5.10TETravis Kelce
5.11WRJarvis Landry
5.12TEMartellus Bennett
6.01QBPeyton Manning
6.02QBDrew Brees
6.03WRMartavis Bryant
6.04TEGreg Olsen
6.05RBRashad Jennings
6.06WRDeSean Jackson
6.07WRLarry Fitzgerald
6.08WRAllen Robinson
6.09TEZach Ertz
6.10WRVincent Jackson
6.11RBGiovani Bernard
6.12RBLeGarrette Blount
7.01RBTevin Coleman
7.02WRTorrey Smith
7.03QBTony Romo
7.04QBBen Roethlisberger
7.05QBMatt Ryan
7.06QBCam Newton
7.07RBShane Vereen
7.08RBIsaiah Crowell
7.09QBTom Brady
7.10WRCharles Johnson
7.11WRDavante Adams
7.12WRBrandon LaFell
8.01RBKnile Davis
8.02WREric Decker
8.03WRSteve Smith Sr.
8.04RBJoique Bell
8.05WRVictor Cruz
8.06TEAntonio Gates
8.07QBEli Manning
8.08QBMatthew Stafford
8.09RBTre Mason
8.10TEJason Witten
8.11WRNelson Agholor
8.12WRKevin White
9.01QBPhilip Rivers
9.02QBRyan Tannehill
9.03WRMichael Floyd
9.04WRKenny Stills
9.05TEJulius Thomas
9.06RBDoug Martin
9.07WRMike Wallace
9.08QBJoe Flacco
9.09QBColin Kaepernick
9.10RBChris Ivory
9.11WRKendall Wright
9.12WRKenny Britt
10.01TEOwen Daniels
10.02WRBreshad Perriman
10.03WRAnquan Boldin
10.04WRJohn Brown
10.05QBJay Cutler
10.06TEJordan Cameron
10.07RBDevonta Freeman
10.08WRDeVante Parker
10.09WRDoug Baldwin

—Ian Allan