In the first round of your NFL fantasy draft, the first two picks of your league should be Peterson, then Tomlinson or Tomlinson, then Peterson. Either way after those two picks is when the difficulty begins. To most, the next 3 RBs that can be said in the same tier as Tomlinson & Peterson are Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams, Brian Westbrook of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Joseph Addai of the Indianapolis Colts.

So who should you choose if you have the 3rd overall pick of the draft? Go for the always powerful and consistent Jackson, the all-purpose carrier and receiver in Westbrook, or the back that creates opportunities for Peyton Manning in Addai? Well, to figure this out, I’ll break down each RB on 5 general but important criteria on a 1-3 scale (3 being the best): running ability, receiving ability, quality of QBs & WRs, blocking, & fantasy opportunity.

Running Ability:
Out of the three, I would personally pick Addai as the best of the 3. In terms of outside versus inside running ability, Addai has the speed outside and elusiveness inside. Westbrook has always been regarded as more of an outside runner, but has always had durability issues inside. Jackson, is a workhorse inside and can wear down the defensive line, but he is not as impressive as the other 2.
Score:
Addai: 3
Jackson: 2
Westbrook: 1

Receiving Ability:
Hands down, Westbrook is the best here. Not only is he the best receiver on his team, but he has some of the best hands in the league for a back. About 650 yards and 5 TDs a year receiving alone, he is the best option here and can produce numbers as good as a #3 WR on your fantasy team alone. After Westbrook, Addai is the next best option, especially since he has a great QB in Peyton Manning. Last, but not too different than Addai is Jackson, who has had one 90 reception year (2006).
Score:
Westbrook: 3
Addai: 2
Jackson: 1

Quality of QBs & WRs:
To me, a elite RB needs great QBs & WRs, but not too good or else they’ll take away the touches for the RB. That is why for this section, the best RB will have the 2nd best QBs & WRs. #1 I will put Westbrook because I rank the Eagles offense below the Colts but above the Rams. The Eagles don’t have much of a receiving crew yet, but McNabb, when healthy, is one of the best QBs. The Eagles have nice pieces in rookie DeShaun Jackson & Reggie Brown and they are able to get the job done. #2 will be Addai because of the fact that the offensive is so good that Addai will not get as many touches as Westbrook in his offense. #3 is Jackson because the Rams offense has been declining rapidly because of age and losing key pieces. Plus, Bulger has been declining as well, for even though Jackson will get lots of touches, teams will focus their attention on him.
Score:
Westbrook: 3
Addai: 2
Jackson: 1

Blocking: #1 here is Addai for his solid offensive line. Jeff Saturday and the crew are underrated, but they are successful. Next is Westbrook, for the line is on the decline, but is not as bad as the Rams. The Rams had great tackles in Pace & Barron, but the rest of the line is poor.
Score:
Addai: 3
Westbrook: 2
Jackson: 1

Fantasy Opportunity:
Westbrook is #1 because he is the ultimate carrying and receiving running back. Jackson is #2 because he is the only consistent and reliable offensive option on the team, but he will be focused on by defenses and Leonard will take away carries from him. Addai, although great, is surrounded by the best players in each position and will not be able to produce as much as wanted.
Score:
Westbrook: 3
Jackson: 2
Addai: 1

Final Score:
Westbrook: 12
Addai: 11
Jackson: 7

Take Westbrook with the 3rd pick of your fantasy football draft after Peterson & Tomlinson.

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P.S.: Sorry for the lack of depth at times; this article was hurried at time. Any comments are appreciated.