In this installment of the FFRTW we'll look once again at the position long considered to be fantasy gold, the running back. This time around we'll take a look at the Detroit Lions third round selection out of the University of Central Florida, Kevin Smith. With Kevin Jones out of Detroit, the starting RB position will most likely go to Smith. His only competition in camp is Tatum Bell who most likely won't do enough to take the starting job heading into the season. Barring injuries during the preseason or an off-the-wall decision by head coach Rod Marinelli, Smith should start the season as the featured back for the Lions.

Last year as a junior at UCF, Smith nearly broke the college single season rushing record by running for 2567 yards. He scored 30 total TDs (29 rushing) last season The only concern going into this season is that he ran the ball 450 times last year in just 14 games, but he ran for 5.7 yards per carry. But while that many attempts may be alarming, its also a good indicator that the guy is durable and probably won't break down, especially considering he'll probably only run the ball about 300 times in 16 games.

The Lions haven't had a reliable back since a guy named Barry Sanders was there. I'm not saying Smith is anything close to Sanders, but he could be the answer at the RB position the Lions have been looking for since Sanders retired. If he is, that's good news for any fantasy player that decides to draft him. In my opinion, out of all the rookie RBs going into this season, Smith could end up with the best stats come season's end. Other than Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, Smith is likely the only player that won't have to worry about rushing attempts being taken away by someone else. Even guys like the Steelers, Rashard Mendenhall, the Panthers, Jonathan Stewart and the supposed rookie sensation, the Raiders, Darren McFadden, have guys they will have to compete with for carries.

A 1300-yard season with close to double digit TDs isn't out of the question for Smith if he remains the starter in Detroit all season. With that potential out there, drafting him in the middle rounds as your RB3 or FLEX player isn't a bad idea at all. He could end up putting up the numbers equal to what you'd expect out of an RB2, which would end up making him a steal if taken in the middle rounds. He was ranked 35th in the GSI.com rankings that were released last week. In the GSI.com writer's mock draft done over the last few weeks, Smith was taken in the seventh round, right about where he should be. (Be aware, if you use the rankings from Yahoo!, they have Smith listed as playing for the New York Jets, not the Lions...that is wrong, obviously.) Draft Smith in the middle rounds in confidence. My prediction is you won't be sorry.