FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

RUNNING BACKS

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1		Chris Johnson	3 rec, 40 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 105 rush yards, 1 rush TD Beware the tough Giants run defense.	at
2		Ray Rice	5 rec, 50 rec yards, 115 rush yards, 1 rush TD Rice didn't put up great numbers against the Browns last season but it's still hard to not like this matchup. The Ravens' offensive line should open plenty of holes.	vs
3		Maurice Jones-Drew	4 rec, 40 rec yards, 90 rush yards, 2 rush TD Jones-Drew has just 161 total yards through two games and has yet to find the end zone. Look for him to break out this week against the Eagles' 23rd-ranked run defense.	vs
4		Adrian Peterson	3 rec, 30 rec yards, 100 rush yards, 2 rush TD Peterson scored three times in two games against Detroit last season. Expect him to reach the 100-yard mark again this week and find the end zone at least once.	vs
5		Jahvid Best	5 rec, 55 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 60 rush yards, 1 rush TD Best has already scored five touchdowns this season. He has already caught 14 passes this season, which makes him a useful option even against a Vikings defense that can shut down the run.	at
6		Ronnie Brown	3 rec, 35 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 90 rush yards, 1 rush TD Brown faces a stiff run defense this week, but he has found the end zone six times in nine career games against the Jets and is worth a start despite the fact he shares the carries with Ricky Williams.	vs
7		LeSean McCoy	3 rec, 40 rec yards, 100 rush yards, 1 rush TD McCoy should have another strong effort in Week 3 against a Jaguars defense that gave up over 80 yards and two touchdowns to Chargers backup Mike Tolbert last week.	at
8		Pierre Thomas	5 rec, 50 rec yards, 70 rush yards, 1 rush TD Thomas should see increased playing time in the wake of Reggie Bush's injury, so bump his fantasy value up a few notches this week.	vs
9		Frank Gore	3 rec, 30 rec yards, 95 rush yards, 1 rush TD Gore found his stride against the Saints with 112 yards rushing and 56 receiving. His seven receptions made him gold in PPR leagues.	at
10		Rashard Mendenhall	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 100 rush yards, 1 rush TD Tampa Bay's run defense is improved, but Mendenhall should see a lot of work - and provide a lot of production - in Week 3.	at
11		Matt Forte	4 rec, 50 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 55 rush yards The Packers are very strong against the run, and Forte is averaging just 2.9 YPC this season. Still, he remains a viable fantasy option given his early-season production in the passing game.	vs
12		Arian Foster	3 rec, 30 rec yards, 80 rush yards, 1 rush TD He was the darling of the fantasy football world in Week 1, and had another solid outing against the Redskins. Still, the Cowboys' defensive front held opponents to just six rushing touchdowns last season.	vs
13		Steven Jackson	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 95 rush yards, 1 rush TD The Redskins have done a good job bottling up the run in the first two weeks, and they will likely put a lot of attention on Jackson this week. Start him, but don't expect huge numbers.	vs
14		Knowshon Moreno	2 rec, 15 rec yards, 95 rush yards, 1 rush TD There is still the question of how carries will be split once Laurence Maroney is healthy. For now, Moreno is the Broncos' workhorse.	vs
15		Michael Turner	3 rec, 25 rec yards, 80 rush yards, 1 rush TD Turner's injury does not appear serious, so expect him to suit up for this crucial matchup.	at
16		Ahmad Bradshaw	5 rec, 40 rec yards, 75 rush yards Coaches appear ready to let Bradshaw be the man and relegate Brandon Jacobs to more of a short-yardage/relief role. The Titans should give a lot of running room as well.	vs
17		Darren McFadden	2 rec, 15 rec yards, 85 rush yards, 1 rush TD McFadden is coming off a 145-yard performance in Week 2, and he will face a Cardinals defense this week that is 31st in the league in stopping the run. Expect a big game from McFadden, even if Michael Bush suits up.	at
18		LaDainian Tomlinson	4 rec, 40 rec yards, 50 rush yards, 1 rush TD Tomlinson has outperformed fellow running back Shonn Greene through two weeks, but the two backs will continue to split the carries so Tomlinson should not be counted on for big production.	at
19		Clinton Portis	3 rec, 15 rec yards, 75 rush yards, 1 rush TD Portis has not put up big numbers this season, but he has a favorable matchup against one of the league's poorer run defenses.	at
20		Cedric Benson	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 90 rush yards, 1 rush TD Benson will continue to get a ton of carries as long as the Bengals don't have to throw to catch up. They shouldn't have to worry about that against the Panthers, so we'll see a lot of Benson.	at
21		Jamaal Charles	3 rec, 20 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 65 rush yards, 0 rush TD Charles still doesn't see nearly as many touches as fantasy owners would like. He had 11 carries to Thomas Jones' 22 against the Browns. He produces every time the ball is in his hands, however.	vs
22		Tim Hightower	5 rec, 45 rec yards, 25 rush yards, 1 rush TD Hightower ran for over 100 yards in Week 2, but most of his production came on one long run. Hightower's value for Week 3 will directly depend on Chris Wells' status, but he does have a nice matchup nonetheless.	vs
23		Joseph Addai	2 rec, 10 rec yards, 70 rush yards, 1 rush TD Addai had big day last week with the added attention on the Colts' receivers. The Broncos are giving up 4.5 yards per rush, setting Addai up for a nice day.	at
24		DeAngelo Williams	2 rec, 15 rec yards, 65 rush yards, 1 rush TD The Bengals are tough against the run, but the Panthers will try to shove it through Cincinnati's defensive front anyway. As is the question every week with Williams, how will the carries be divvied up?	vs
25		Beanie Wells	1 rec, 10 rec yards, 60 rush yards, 1 rush TD A knee injury has cost Wells the first two weeks, and he will have to practice this week in order to play against Oakland. If Wells suits up, expect him to share the load with Tim Hightower.	vs
26		Marion Barber	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 40 rush yards, 1 rush TD He is still splitting carries with Felix Jones so he's still only worth starting consideration in deep leagues or if you are in a bind.	at
27		Brandon Jackson	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 40 rush yards, 1 rush TD Jackson has a tough matchup this week against a Bears team that is leading the league in run defense through two weeks, so it is probably best to go in another direction in Week 3 if possible.	at
28		Jonathan Stewart	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 55 rush yards, 1 rush TD A lingering heel injury from preseason may have contributed to his slow start, but Stewart is still a massively important part of the offense even if DeAngelo Williams has more upside.	vs
29		Shonn Greene	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 55 rush yards Greene has shared the carries early on with LaDainian Tomlinson. Even though he was a high pick in most fantasy drafts this season, the time share makes it difficult to count on him for much production, especially against a good Miami run defense.	at
30		Ryan Mathews	1 rec, 10 rec yards, 40 rush yards, 1 rush TD Mathews is expected to play this week despite suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. The Seahawks have only given up 114 rushing yards in two games this season, so don't look for a huge game from a dinged up Mathews.	at
31		Fred Taylor	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 45 rush yards, 1 rush TD Taylor is ostensibly the head of the Patriots' committee of running backs, though a toe injury may have limited his touches last week. Taylor had just five carries. At this point, no tailback should be considered a reliable fantasy option in New England.	vs
32		Justin Forsett	2 rec, 15 rec yards, 40 rush yards Forsett has not done much as part of the Seahawks' RB carousel, but his 5.5 YPC average may help earn him a bigger share of the load going forward. Still, it's tough to start him until he secures the bulk of the carries.	vs
33		C.J. Spiller	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 35 rush yards Spiller has 15 touches through two games, and coach Chan Gailey says the team plans to work him into the offense slowly. That, combined with the fact that the Bills appear to be showcasing Marshawn Lynch for a trade means you should look elsewhere this week.	at
34		Brandon Jacobs	30 rush yards, 1 rush TD Frustrated by his injury troubles, coaches have relegated Jacobs to a role subservient to Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs should see first crack at goal-line carries again, and could have several opportunities to score against Tennessee.	vs
35		Jason Snelling	1 rec, 10 rec yards, 45 rush yards Snelling filled in exceptionally well for Michael Turner last week, but his value for Week 3 will depend on Turner's availability.	at
36		Donald Brown	1 rec, 15 rec yards, 35 rush yards Brown's 16 carries for 69 yards last week look promising, but he saw a lot of action at the end of a blowout. This is still primarily Joseph Addai's backfield.	at
37		Fred Jackson	2 rec, 10 rec yards, 35 rush yards Good luck predicting the Bills' distribution of carries between Jackson, C.J. Spiller and Marshawn Lynch. If you can count on anything, it's that Jackson appears to be the goal-line back.	at
38		Willis McGahee	25 rush yards, 1 rush TD McGahee's status is the same as always. He's valuable if he finds the end zone from the goal line. Otherwise, he should stay on your bench.	vs
39		Correll Buckhalter	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 40 rush yards Buckhalter had just 11 carries to Knowshon Moreno's 24 last week. Buckhalter is entrenched as the backup.	vs
40		Jerome Harrison	1 rec, 10 rec yards, 35 rush yards Harrison continues to split carries with Peyton Hillis, and this week he has to go up against one of the game's best front sevens.	at
41		Felix Jones	50 rush yards He's the lesser half of a timeshare and the Cowboys are way more talented in the receiving corps. He'd be a much better option if Marion Barber succumbed to injury, though that would assume that Jones doesn't get hurt first.	at
42		Steve Slaton	2 rec, 20 rec yards, 20 rush yards Slaton is clearly No. 2 behind Arian Foster. Unless Foster gets hurt, Slaton's biggest impact will come on the occasional third down.	vs
43		Leon Washington	2 rec, 15 rec yards, 25 rush yards Washintgon is playing a bit role in the Seattle backfield, so don't count on him for much fantasy production.	vs
44		Carnell Williams	50 rush yards Williams is averaging just 2.6 YPC on his 49 attempts this season. With the Steelers on the schedule in Week 3, that number does not figure to improve much. It's best to go another direction this week.	vs
45		Thomas Jones	45 rush yards Jones had twice as many carries last week as Jamaal Charles, to the frustration of Charles owners everywhere. Neither back looks like a great option against a tough 49ers front.	vs
46		Ricky Williams	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 35 rush yards This is probably a good week to leave Williams on the bench given the strength of the Jets' run defense.	vs
47		Michael Bush	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 30 rush yards Bush has yet to play this season and will again be a gametime decision in Week 3. Even if he gets on the field, expect him to play a secondary role to Darren McFadden.	at
48		Peyton Hillis	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 30 rush yards Hillis' emergence as a factor in the running game has certainly surprised many. Still, Jerome Harrison has more upside and this week's matchup isn't a good one.	at
49		Chester Taylor	2 rec, 10 rec yards, 20 rush yards Taylor has just 18 total touches in two games, so go in a different direction this week.	vs
50		Julius Jones	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 20 rush yards Jones is receiving a few carries a week, but he is not doing anywhere near enough to warrant a start this week.	vs
51		Mike Bell	25 rush yards Bell has provided no fantasy production over the first two weeks. Expect McCoy to continue receiving most of the carries for the Eagles.	at
52		Marshawn Lynch	25 rush yards Lynch led the team with 17 carries last week after rushing just three times in Week 1. Theories ran wild that the Bills were showcasing the back to the Packers. In any case, have fun deciding which Bills runner to use this week.	at
53		Rashad Jennings	20 rush yards Expect the Jaguars to go with a heavy dose of Maurice Jones-Drew in Week 3. As a result, Jennings is unlikely to pmatch his 88 total yards from last week.	vs
54		Larry Johnson	20 rush yards Johnson has run for a total of two yards on five carries this season. Look elsewhere this week.	at
55		Mike Tolbert	1 rec, 5 rec yards, 5 rush yards Tolbert had a big performance in Week 2, but he won't give a repeat performance with Ryan Mathews expected to play in Week 3.	at

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