Re-ranking Rest of Season RBs
- Todd Gurley – STL – There is absolutely nothing not to like about this guy. He’s young, has a top notch pedigree and gets a ton of carries. After his first couple starts, the only knock on Gurley was that he wasn’t getting in the end zone. In the last 4 weeks, he’s been in the end zone 5 times.
- Adrian Peterson – MIN – The AP we used to know appears to be back, and that’s a big deal. He leads the league in carries by a large margin, and is on pace for nearly 2,000 rushing+receiving yards and 9 TDs.
- Devonta Freeman – ATL – I still can’t totally understand Freeman’s rise to the top, but the sample is large enough to accept it as legit. When you consider he has 420 yards receiving yards, you can’t help but love this guy.
- Charcandrick West – KC – This ranking is admittedly bold, but I don’t see any reason not to vault him into the top 5. He has a great schedule, and the Chiefs have put their full faith in him to replace Jamaal, with three straight games of at least 24 touches.
- Mark Ingram – NO – Ingram, much like Freeman, has made a name for himself through his pass catching ability. He ranks 6th among RBs in receiving yards, 8th in rushing yards, and has scored 5 TDs. When considering how much the Saints trust Ingram, there’s no one below him on this list I’d rather have.
- Marshawn Lynch – SEA – Lynch is a huge risk, but he still passes the eye test with flying colors. Assuming health, I would expect a huge bounce back.
- Lamar Miller – MIA – After 5 weeks of pure garbage, Miller has made huge strides to get back to RB1 status. The secret to his success has been his involvement in the passing game, averaging 5 catches for 50 yards over the last 4 weeks.
- Jonathan Stewart – CAR – Stewart is second in the league in carries behind only AP, and has played lights out since week 6. He’s averaging nearly 20 carries a game on the year, and boasts possibly the best remaining schedule on this list (WAS, DAL, NO, ATL, NYG, ATL).
- DeMarco Murray – PHI – After a rough start, Murray appears to be producing at an RB1 level. Over the past 5 weeks, he’s averaged over 120 yards a game on the ground and through the air.
- Chris Ivory – NYJ – Ivory has cooled off a bit, but still boasts top 5 numbers for the year. Health has been an issue this season, but when healthy, he’s been a stud. He’s 6th in the league in carries, despite missing a full game due to injury.
- Doug Martin – TB – Martin’s had a weird season. He’s had a few huge weeks, and a few stinkers. That’s likely to continue, but expect more good than bad as he faces some soft defenses the rest of the way.
- LeSean McCoy – BUF – McCoy clearly isn’t what he used to be, but when he’s on the field he’s a very steady play. When he plays, he averages 18 touches and 100 yards.
- LeGarette Blount – NE – Blount has been the biggest benefactor of the Dion Lewis injury, and should continue to be. Expect close to 20 touches a game and a bunch of TDs, with a couple duds mixed in.
- Latavius Murray – OAK – Murray is having an awesome season on the ground and through the air. The problem? He’s just not getting in the end zone. With only 3 TDs, his value is capped as a low end RB1/high end RB2.
- Justin Forsett – BAL – Much like Latavius, Forsett is getting a ton of touches, but has only scored 2 TDs. I wouldn’t expect a huge change, though, so temper your expectations.
- Frank Gore – IND – Gore ranks 7th in rushing attempts, and should continue to get a ton of work, especially while Andrew Luck is out.
- DeAngelo Williams – PIT – Williams has looked incredible some weeks, and fairly pedestrian in others. With a very tough schedule ahead of him (SEA, CIN, DEN), don’t expect huge numbers from Le’Veon Jr.
- Darren McFadden – DAL – DMC has seen a huge bump in touches since Joey Randle AKA the underwear burglar was run out of Dallas. Since Week 7, McFadden is averaging 26 touches a game. 26!
- Chris Johnson – ARI – CJ2K15 ranks 3rd in the league in carries. That hasn’t meant much the last couple weeks, but compared to what was expected coming into this season, Johnson owners should be happy he’s done anything at all. He should continue to get upwards of 15 touches a game, but don’t be surprised if Andre Ellington begins to cut into his work load.
- Matt Forte – CHI – Forte is expected back in the next week or 2, and should bounce right back to low end RB1 status upon returning.
- Danny Woodhead – SD – Woodhead has carved out a nice niche for himself as the pass catching and goal line back in SD. Incredibly, he’s the #8 RB in standard scoring leagues. Melvin Gordon has been a huge disappointment, opening the door for Woodhead to gobble up all the value.
- TJ Yeldon – JAC – The more I watch Yeldon, the more I like him. He looks like the back of the future in Jacksonville, and more importantly, the back of the present. He’s averaging over 17 touches a game despite dealing with a nagging foot injury all season. With an easy rest of season schedule, I see Yeldon as a great buy low option.
- Giovani Bernard – CIN – Gio has surprisingly become the top RB option in Cincinnati, as Hill has been horribly inefficient with the football (3.2 yards per carry). Hill will continue to hamper Gio’s value as he vultures carries and TDs, but nonetheless, Gio is clearly the Bengal RB to own.
- Jeremy Langford – CHI – Langford has been awesome filling in for Forte, but I have a hard time believing that the Bears will stick with him after Forte gets back. If Forte has complications or gets re-injured, Langford continues to be a top option. Otherwise, I believe he becomes largely irrelevant.
- James Starks – GB – Eddie Lacy has fallen from grace, Starks has been handed the keys to the Packers RB slot. He was slightly underwhelming last week against the Lions, and it’s tough to project him the rest of the way. For the time being, expect low end RB2 numbers from Starks.
- Ryan Matthews – PHI – The Eagles backup RB has been hugely efficient with his limited workload, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. When he scores a TD, which hes done 6 times this season, he’s a great play. This TD pace is likely not unrealistic, so temper expectations.
- Karlos Williams – BUF – In a backup role, Williams has been nothing short of fantastic. He’s a highly talented rookie who can do a lot with a limited workload. Despite ranking 47th in carries and 81st in receptions, he’s been the 22nd best fantasy RB in standard leagues. This is unlikely to continue, as he’s on an unsustainable TD pace. Williams has played in 6 games this season, and has scored at least 1 TD in each contest. He’s essentially an even more efficient Ryan Matthews.
- Ronnie Hillman – DEN – Hillman is the Denver RB to own, if you’re into Denver RBs. The problem is, CJ Anderson will continue to steal carries, while Brock Osweiler takes over at QB. Hillman is still worth a flex play in good matchups, but not much more.
- Duke Johnson – CLE – Duke has been a huge part of the Brown’s passing game, but he hasn’t had enough carries to be a week to week fantasy starter. For the time being, he’s nothing more than a desperation play.
- Jeremy Hill – CIN – Hill remains on this list on the off chance that remembers that he’s actually a good player. He’s been nothing like last season, as Gio has been the man in Cincy. He’s had a few nice weeks, but generally he’s been nothing more than a massive disappointment.
- Andre Ellington – ARI – Ellington has been great with a limited workload since returning from a PCL injury in week, averaging 9 yards a carry and 13 yards per reception. With Chris Johnson still taking the majority of the work, Ellington’s value is limited unless he gets in the end zone. If Cardinal’s coaches decide to give Ellington more work in the coming weeks, he could quickly vault back to RB2 status.
- Antonio Andrews – TEN – Andrews is the Titans RB to own, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot. He’s been largely inefficient with his workload and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.
