People don’t like drafting 30-year-old running backs. They tend to come at a discount in fantasy drafts. No tread left on the tire. Long in the tooth. They’re hitting the wall. You know the drill. But as these guys actually bad investments?

With the attention paid to nutrition and training, a lot of these guys can perform just fine. Bodies hold up. And they have the advantage of being smarter, more experienced players.

Of the top 20 running backs last year, five of them were guys who were at least 30.

There have been as many in previous years – about two per season.

Some of these older backs will wear down. Some will fizzle out. Some don’t have it anymore. But my leaning is that these older running backs actually tend to get unfairly discounted at fantasy drafts.

I was just playing around with the numbers. In this century (the last 16 seasons) 34 running backs who were at least 30 years old finished in the top 20 in their particular season. Here they are, using scoring system of 6 for TDs and 1 for every 10 yards.

30-YEAR-OLD RUNNING BACKS IN THE TOP 20 (since 2000)
YearPlayerAgeRunRecTotalTDRank
2005Tiki Barber, NYG301,8605302,390114
2004Curtis Martin, NYJ311,6972451,942144
2002Charlie Garner, Oak.309629411,903119
2006Tiki Barber, NYG311,6624652,12757
2008Thomas Jones, NYJ301,3122071,519155
2000Ricky Watters, Sea.311,2426131,85599
2015Adrian Peterson, Minn.301,4852221,707112
2009Thomas Jones, Chi.311,402581,460146
2009Ricky Williams, Mia.321,1212641,385137
2005Mike Anderson, Den.311,0142121,2261310
2004Priest Holmes, K.C.308921871,0791512
2015DeAngelo Williams, Pitt.329073671,274114
2013Fred Jackson, Buff.328903871,2771011
2005Warrick Dunn, Atl.301,4162201,636412
2001Garrison Hearst, S.F.301,2063471,553512
2002Garrison Hearst, S.F.319723171,289919
2000Emmitt Smith, Dall.311,203791,282920
2013Frank Gore, S.F.301,1281411,269913
2003Marshall Faulk, St.L.308182901,1081116
2004Jerome Bettis, Pitt.32941469871318
2006Fred Taylor, Jac.301,1462421,388618
2006Corey Dillon, N.E.318121479591319
2011Fred Jackson, Buff.309344421,376614
2005Corey Dillon, N.E.307331819141316
2003Curtis Martin, NYJ301,3082621,570219
2001Lamar Smith, Mia.309682341,202815
2015Frank Gore, Ind.329672671,234711
2010LaDainian Tomlinson, NYJ319143681,282617
2015Danny Woodhead, S.D.303367551,091912
2009LaDainian Tomlinson, S.D.307301548841219
2012Michael Turner, Atl.308001289281118
2007Fred Taylor, Jac.311,202581,260518
2014Frank Gore, S.F.311,1061111,217517
2015Rashad Jennings, NYG308632961,159419

—Ian Allan