Stretch runners hitting stride just in time

	DeShaun Foster seized the Panthers' primary running back role with a huge game against the Falcons. Bob Rosato/SI

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards.com

As important as December's stretch run to the playoffs is for NFL teams, it's even more so for fantasy owners trying to nail down titles over the next few weeks. Fortunately, one of the most predictable aspects of the stretch run is the way NFL teams tend to go conservative.

Because of this tendency, running backs that might have come up a tad short early in the season, come on strong as the end of the season draws closer. That being the case, I'm offering five NFL running backs whose production to date might not be indicative of what we'll see from here on out.

Of course, those with Shaun Alexander, LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson and the like on their rosters should continue playing them. But for those needing to dig a little deeper, there's nothing like finding runners hitting stride just in time. Here are mine:

DeShaun Foster, Carolina Panthers

There's nothing like a fresh back moving into a featured role in December.

Stephen Davis is still officially listed as the starter on Carolina's depth chart, but that status has been a mere formality the past three weeks.

After all, Davis has just 16 carries for 39 yards over the last three contests, while Foster has been given the ball 54 times for 246 yards -- including a breakout effort in Atlanta last week, when he ran for 131 yards and a touchdown.

Bottom line: Foster is a big-play threat capable of scoring from anywhere on the field on any given play; the more he touches the ball, the more likely we'll see that ability.

Carnell "Cadillac" Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In September, Williams was close to unstoppable, setting an NFL record with 434 rushing yards in the first three games of his career and providing most of the offensive punch in the Buccaneers' 3-0 start.

From Oct. 2 through Nov. 13, the rookie added little to that total. Foot and hamstring injuries kept him out of two games and limited him to some degree in the other four. He gained just 82 yards over that span and his team suffered a bit, going 3-3.

Over the last three games, Williams has started to run with the same power and sharp-cutting that made him such a force in the early going.

Williams has rushing totals of 116, 84 and 96 yards in the past three games, of which the Bucs won two.

Even though this week's opponent, the Panthers, are allowing just 3.5 yards per carry and have the league's second-best rush defense, I expect Jon Gruden to continue driving his "Cadillac" until the wheels fall off for the duration.