Three surprise workhorses have emerged in 2006

	Chester Taylor has gained 259 total yards so far this season. US Presswire

By Bob Harris, Special to SI.com, FootballDiehards

As we head into Week 3, I know many of you are wondering how things went so wrong so fast. What made us burn that first-round pick on guys like Ronnie Brown, Carnell "Cadillac" Williams or Edgerrin James? They seem so obvious in hindsight, why couldn't we foresee their struggles?

And more importantly, how did we miss out on some of the guys currently emerging as the real workhorses in this draft? Should we have seen them coming? Why didn't we leave a competitor saddled with the first-round busts while waiting patiently for the lesser-known cream that rises on an annual base?

This week's Fantasy Notebook will focus on three running backs that fell a little farther down in the draft-day pecking order this year. We'll take a look back -- again through the always-favorable view offered by hindsight -- and revisit some of the reasons they flew under the radar and why we could have/should have known better.

Chester Taylor, Minnesota Vikings

Speaking on his radio show in Minneapolis this week, Vikings head coach Brad Childress said he favors using one feature back so that the runner can get "lathered up" as the game wears on. If so, Taylor could be set up for a season of historic proportions.

Through two games, Taylor leads the NFL with 55 carries and 61 total offensive touches -- one more in each category than San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson. As the Minneapolis Star Tribune pointed out -- if Childress keeps him on the same pace -- Taylor would finish the 16-game season with 440 carries and 488 offensive touches.

The NFL record for carries in a season is 410, set by Atlanta's Jamal Anderson in 1998. Tampa Bay's James Wilder set the league record for touches in 1984 with 496.

To put Taylor's two-game production into perspective, consider that he already is more than a third of the way to his career-high of 160 carries, set in 2004. His career high for offensive touches in a season is 191, also set in 2004.

Further perspective: Taylor has 201 yards rushing in his first two games in Minnesota. By comparison, Jamal Lewis -- his former backfield-mate in Baltimore -- has 148 yards rushing for the Ravens. ...

Why We Overlooked Him: Taylor is small (5-foot-11, 213 pounds); he was unproven; he showed up for initial workouts in less-than-impressive condition. The new coaching staff made it difficult to gauge his possible use. Taylor strained his left groin early in training camp and was not impressive early on. He did not look explosive or intense during the stretch leading up to most Fantasy drafts.

Why We Shouldn't Have: Taylor averaged more than 97 yards in the four NFL games he's had with 20 or more carries, including back-to-back 100-yard games in December 2004 when Lewis had a sprained ankle. More importantly, a killer offensive line with the monstrous Bryant McKinnie at tackle, newly acquired All-Pro Steve Hutchinson at guard and Matt Birk, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, returning at center after a season on injured reserve.

Who Knew? SI.com insider Peter King wrote the following in March: "I think next October we'll all be writing, 'Wow. I never thought the biggest impact player in free agency would be Chester Taylor with the Vikings.' Prediction: Chester Taylor outgains Edgerrin James in 2006."