Last year I had Maurice Jones-Drew pegged as the guy that was going to be a sure-fire number one fantasy running back.

I was positive that the traditionally injury-prone Fred Taylor would go down early, and that Jones-Drew would build upon a very impressive rookie season.

I didn’t count on Taylor having a Pro Bowl season, and Jones-Drew winding up in the definition of a running back by committee situation. However, the Jacksonville dynamic duo still managed to both put up decent fantasy numbers.

Taylor led the way with over 1,200 rushing yards but only five touchdowns.

Jones-Drew ended up with only 768 rushing yards, but added another 407 off of 40 catches. He also wound up with nine touchdowns and one very famous block on Chargers All-Pro Shawn Merriman. The two complemented each other well and were both valuable in fantasy leagues, however it’s fair to say that Jones-Drew failed to meet the expectations that many fantasy owners had for him going into the 2007 season.

So what should fantasy owners expect from this duo going into 2008?

Fred Taylor is now 32 years old and while he is coming off back-to-back 15 game seasons, one has to wonder how much longer his body will hold up. He missed a combined 29 games from 1998 through 2005 and he is now entering his 11th season in a league that is generally unkind to running backs aged 30 or older. Additionally, he’s not been a reliable scorer, as he’s averaged only 4.25 total touchdowns per season over the past four years. Expect Taylor to finish with numbers closer to his 2005 totals of less than 800 yards and three scores rather than the 1,000-plus yards he’s gained the past two seasons.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a sparkplug, capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. He’s only 5’7, but at roughly 210 pounds, he plays with much more power than you’d expect. Jones-Drew uses his short stature to his advantage by plugging his way through smaller gaps in the line, then using his speed and power to aggressively make strong cuts. He has enough talent to be considered a top fantasy back, if given enough carries to produce.

However, he has yet to prove he can carry the load as a full-time back and as the sole focal point in the running game. Additionally, he is an electrifying return specialist, so the Jaguars will want to continue to have him share carries with Fred Taylor to keep him fresh. Durability has yet to be an issue with him, but at his size it is always at least a mild concern. Finally, Jones-Drew has Fred Taylor on the depth chart, so even if he wasn’t returning kicks, he’d be in the same running back by committee system.

The best bet for these two is to draft Jones-Drew early (2nd or 3rd round) and wait until the 6th or so on Taylor. Jones-Drew is younger, less likely to be injured, and has more upside. Drafting Taylor is banking on him staying healthy, and this not being the year he hits the running back wall. Curtis Martin led the league in rushing in his final productive year, and then started only 12 games the following year, gaining less than 800 yards on a paltry 3.3 yards per carry average.

I think that the Jaguars will continue to find ways to get the ball in the hands of Jones-Drew, making him a reliable second running back, while Taylor will gradually see his work decrease, making him a third running back or top reserve this season.