Number 1 Fantasy Draft Pick: LeSean McCoy or Jamaal Charles?
Decisions, decisions! Who to pick first if you get the number-one draft-pick in your fantasy football draft? In most leagues, Eagles RB LeSean McCoy and Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles are at the top of the ranks. However, they're both great backs! How do you know which one to pick first? From a fantasy football perspective, you need to consider past performance, previous injury, team offensive strategy, looks and touches, and current-season circumstances. This article will highlight the pros and cons of both McCoy and Charles and seek to understand which running back is the better choice for number-one draft pick in your fantasy football draft.

McCoy is 26 years-old and at his physical peak. Moreover, Chip Kelly's offensive scheme has only boosted McCoy's numbers. Posting the best numbers of his career, McCoy averaged 100-rushing-yards per game and also excelled in receiving, making him valuable in PPR formats. Although McCoy is small at 5-11 and 209 pounds, he still managed to achieve a career-high 51 broken tackles. McCoy is seemingly at the height of his career. It is no wonder that he is easily considered a first-round-number-one draft pick. However, many fantasy football owners are hesitant to draft McCoy. In March, the Eagles acquired ultra-talented RB Darren Sproles from the Saints. Some experts suspect that Sproles may encroach on McCoy's TDs and touches. However, it could also be said that Sproles will be there to keep McCoy fresh and that in Chip Kelly's fast-paced offense, there will be plenty of love to go around. Additionally, there is something else to consider, the release of DeSean Jackson has invariably created new receiving opportunities for both McCoy and Sproles, both of whom are capable running back receivers. Last season, Kelly's offensive strategy offered McCoy additional receiving opportunities leading to an exponential increase in receiving yards for McCoy. One can only conclude that this trend will continue.

McCoy's Career Rushing:
Year Team G Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Fum FumL
2009 Phi 16 155 637 39.8 4.1 4 2 1
2010 Phi 15 207 1080 72.0 5.2 7 2 1
2011 Phi 15 273 1309 87.3 4.8 17 1 1
2012 Phi 12 200 840 70.0 4.2 2 4 3
2013 Phi 16 314 1607 100.4 5.1 9 1 1
Totals 74 1149 5473 74.0 4.8 39 10 7

McCoy's Career Receiving:
Year Team G Rec Tgt Yds Y/G Avg Lng YAC TD Fum FumL
2009 Phi 16 40 55 308 19.3 7.7 45 9.9 0 2 1
2010 Phi 15 78 90 592 39.5 7.6 40 9.7 2 2 1
2011 Phi 15 48 69 315 21.0 6.6 26 8.8 3 1 1
2012 Phi 12 54 67 373 31.1 6.9 36 9.6 3 4 3
2013 Phi 16 52 64 539 33.7 10.4 70 12.0 2 1 1
Totals 74 272 345 2127 28.7 7.8 45 10.0 10 10 7

As for Charles, with a two-year, $18.1 million contract extension through 2017, it is safe to assume that his career in Kansas City is solid. As the league's second-highest paid running back, Charles will most certainly lead Kansas City's back field. Charles is strong, fast, and experienced at the age of 27 years-old. He is also lucky – lucky that Andy Reid is now the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Before last season, Charles wasn't what you'd consider a touchdown machine. Over five seasons, he totaled only 24 TDs. However, last season, he racked up 19 – in just one season! He was also targeted 104 times, which resulted in a whopping 70 catches. Fantasy owners last seasons were elated with Charles' fantasy value. As a result, Charles can easily compete for the first-round-number-one draft-pick this season. With Reid at the helm and a new contract in place, Charles is slated for success as long as he remains healthy. He's performed wonderfully since his 2011 ACL injury, when he played just two games all season. He did suffer a concussion late last season in the playoffs, but that has likely healed and should not limit his future performance. At 100%, there is nothing to stop Jamaal Charles from having another career year.

Charles' Career Rushing:
Year Team G Rush Yds Y/G Avg TD Fum FumL
2008 KC 16 67 357 22.3 5.3 0 2 2
2009 KC 15 190 1120 74.7 5.9 7 2 2
2010 KC 16 230 1467 91.7 6.4 5 3 2
2011 KC 2 12 83 41.5 6.9 0 1 1
2012 KC 16 285 1509 94.3 5.3 5 5 3
2013 KC 15 259 1287 85.8 5.0 12 4 2
Totals 80 1043 5823 72.8 5.6 29 17 12

Charles' Career Receiving:
Year Team G Rec Tgt Yds Y/G Avg Lng YAC TD Fum FumL
2008 KC 16 27 40 272 17.0 10.1 75 11.6 1 2 2
2009 KC 15 40 56 297 19.8 7.4 49 6.0 1 2 2
2010 KC 16 45 64 468 29.3 10.4 31 9.7 3 3 2
2011 KC 2 5 6 9 4.5 1.8 9 -0.4 1 1 1
2012 KC 16 35 48 236 14.8 6.7 22 7.7 1 5 3
2013 KC 15 70 104 693 46.2 9.9 71 9.6 7 4 2
Totals 80 222 318 1975 24.7 8.9 75 8.7 14 17 12

With stellar 2013 career stats and good teams behind them, both McCoy and Charles look to valuable in any fantasy format, be it PPR or non-PPR. They're both at their physical peak, healthy, designated as the lead back, have good head coaches, and put up great fantasy points in previous seasons. However, there are a few unknown variables that might affect the performance for these talented running backs. For McCoy, no one can be too certain how much Sproles will take away from McCoy's touches or red zone targets. Likewise, no one can know whether or not Charles will have a healthy, full season as he will carry the full brunt of running back duties. What we do know is that Charles had more rushing TDs than McCoy last season, with Charles at 12 and McCoy at 9. However, we also know that McCoy had more rushing yards with 1,607 and Charles at 1,287. As for receiving yards, Charles surpassed McCoy. Charles had 693 receiving yards and 7 receiving TDs, while McCoy only had 539 Charles and 2 receiving TDs. Hence, you will need to go to your league's settings and look at point accrual settings. If you're in a league that rewards TDs, Charles is your man. However, if you in a league that rewards rushing yards, like a non-PPR league, you may want to draft McCoy first; just make sure you double-check points for TDs. Apart from the particulars of your league's point settings, both these running backs will be solid performers. No one can look into a crystal ball and guess whose season will be better, but at hopefully this information makes you feel a little better about your choice come draft day. Good luck!