FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Running Backs

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Frank Gore 105 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 35 rec yards Gore is on pace to rush for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns, and he's averaging 5.5 yards per attempt on the ground. He remains a good fantasy option against a Rams team that allows one rushing touchdown per game.	vs
2			Ray Rice 94 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 38 rec yards It's become difficult for fantasy owners to predict Rice's workload week to week. This week there is no need to guess. The Raiders give up 4.6 yards per carry and are vulnerable to pass-catching backs. No matter how many touches he gets, Rice should be golden.	vs
3			Reggie Bush 90 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 35 rec yards Bush had just 12 touches, with 66 total yards and a touchdown against the Colts in Week 9. The Titans have one of the worst defenses against the run, which makes Bush a good fantasy start once again.	vs
4			Willis McGahee 90 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 35 rec yards It was a down week for McGahee, as he rushed 23 times for 66 yards at Cincinnati in Week 9. The Panthers are allowing an average of 119 rushing yards per game, so McGahee should rebound in Week 10.	at
5			LeSean McCoy 87 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 36 rec yards The Cowboys' run defense has bent very little in recent weeks, but on occasion it gives up long gainers. McCoy lives by the big run, so fantasy owners should expect him to break loose a time or two Sunday. Beyond that, yards on the ground might be hard to come by.	vs
6			Doug Martin 85 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 35 rec yards In Week 9 at Oakland, Martin rushed for 251 yards, which was 45 yards short of the NFL record set by Adrian Peterson. Martin's 486 yards from scrimmage over the past two games are the most since Walter Payton in 1977. The Chargers are tough against the run, though, so expect a return to earth.	vs
7			Chris Johnson 85 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 30 rec yards Johnson's owners were ecstatic with his performance against one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, as he ran for 141 yards and a touchdown against Chicago. The Dolphins are an underrated defense, but keep Johnson active. In his past four games, he has 526 rushing yards.	at
8			Ryan Mathews 55 rush yards, 5 rec, 60 rec yards, rec TD While Mathews' numbers against the Chiefs were meager (67 yards), the Chargers only gave him 13 carries. He was productive on those carries, averaging more than five yards per while sharing the running duties. The Bucs have a tough run defense, making Mathews a worhty play this week, but not a must-start.	at
9			Marshawn Lynch 115 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 10 rec yards With 124 rushing yards, Lynch was once again one of the top performers of the week. If your fantasy draft were held today, he'd likely be a top-eight pick. The Jets rank among the worst run defenses in the NFL.	vs
10			Adrian Peterson 93 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 12 rec yards Peterson has gained 100 or more yards in each of the past three games, and he hasn't averaged less than 4.5 yards per carry in a contest since a Week 3 win over San Francisco. He gained 122 yards from scrimmage when these teams met at the end of September.	vs
11			Arian Foster 82 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 22 rec yards Sure, the Bears have the best front seven in the league -- but no unit has effectively neutralized Foster this season. Why should Chicago be any different? Foster has scored in every game and has gained 100 yards from scrimmage in five of eight.	at
12			Matt Forte 79 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 23 rec yards Forte has gained 95 or more rushing yards in three of the past four weeks, but this week the yards will be harder to come by. No opposing rusher has gained more than 65 yards against Houston over the team's last four games.	vs
13			Stevan Ridley 95 rush yards, rush TD Ridley leads the Patriots with 716 rushing yards this season, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. The upcoming schedule is going to get tough after the Bills, who have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league, so start Ridley while you can.	vs
14			Isaac Redman 92 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 4 rec yards Redman returned to the lineup against New York and the Steelers' ground game didn't miss a beat. In fact, Redman set a team high for the season with 147 rushing yards. He offers more stability to fantasy owners than Jonathan Dwyer did, and should be the main back until Rashard Mendenhall proves he can stay healthy.	vs
15			Michael Turner 90 rush yards, rush TD In Week 9, Turner rushed for 100 yards for just the second time this season and was able to score a touchdown against Dallas. He faces one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL in New Orleans in Week 10.	at
16			Vick Ballard 68 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 21 rec yards There hasn't been as much of a drop-off from Donald Brown to Ballard as most anticipated there would be. Ballard has averaged 4.1 yards per carry over the past three weeks and could find the end zone for the first time this week, as Jacksonville has allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns of any defense this season.	at
17			Jamaal Charles 73 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 9 rec yards Charles' recent decline in workload and production is a mystery to fantasy owners. The good news: He will have 10 days of rest prior to this week's contest. The bad: Kansas City faces a Pittsburgh defense that prides itself on shutting down opposing running backs.	at
18			C.J. Spiller 75 rush yards, 6 rec, 55 rec yards Spiller has 109 rushing yards to go with 11 catches for 95 yards in his past two games. The Patriots are pretty good against the run, but Spiller can take any carry to the house, which makes him a good RB2 or flex play in Week 10.	at
19			Chris Ivory 58 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Ivory became the hot pickup after Monday Night Football against the Eagles, when he rushed 10 times for 48 yards and a touchdown in Darren Sproles' absence. Ivory is someone to consider again this week, as the Saints host an Atlanta team allowing more than 125 rushing yards per game.	vs
20			Mikel LeShoure 48 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 6 rec yards It might be easy to get carried away by Leshoure's three-touchdown first half last week, but he remains in a neck-and-neck battle with Joique Bell for carries. Thanks to his 227-pound frame, Leshoure is likely to keep short yardage duties, but his total touches could decline.	at
21			Darren McFadden 88 rush yards, 2 rec, 18 rec yards McFadden is nursing a high-ankle sprain (as is his backup, Mike Goodson) and will head into the weekend as a game-time decision. The Raiders need McFadden on the field to have a chance. McFadden has added motivation to play: Baltimore has allowed an average of 184.5 rushing yards over its last four games.	at
22			Shane Vereen 35 rush yards, rush TD Vereen has 15 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown in his past two games, and the Patriots are starting to give him more touches. Even so, it's tough to consider starting him in any given week outside of larger leagues.	vs
23			Ahmad Bradshaw 77 rush yards, 2 rec, 13 rec yards On the one hand, owners have to like Bradshaw's prospects this week against a Bengals defense allowing 117.0 rushing yards per game. On the other, Bradshaw no longer sees carries near the goal line and has averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry for three straight weeks. For most fantasy owners, he's now a fringe No. 2 back.	at
24			Fred Jackson 70 rush yards, 3 rec, 20 rec yards Jackson has 92 rushing yards, 13 catches for 63 yards and a touchdown in his past two games, but C.J. Spiller is starting to outperform him. Either way, the Patriots have allowed just three rushing touchdowns, so Week 10 could be a tough contest for Buffalo's backs.	at
25			Daniel Thomas 25 rush yards, rush TD Thomas carried the ball six times for 37 yards at Indianapolis, and he now has 79 rushing yards and a touchdown in his past two games. The Titans are not good against the run, and Thomas could sneak in a touchdown run for owners who start him in larger leagues.	vs
26			Marcel Reece 32 rush yards, 4 rec, 48 rec yards The Raiders' leading receiver a week ago could see an increase in production in Week 10 with Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson both trying to overcome high ankle sprains. Reece only has one carry this season, so even if he is the only back active he may not run the ball much, but his down count (and catches) could make him an intriguing play for fantasy owners.	at
27			Pierre Thomas 45 rush yards, 2 rec, 25 rec yards Thomas rushed six times for 44 yards against the Eagles, but his performance was overshadowed by Chris Ivory's impressive touchdown run. Thomas looks like a good flex option in Week 10 against Atlanta.	vs
28			Shonn Greene 55 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Over Greene's past three games before the bye week, he had 292 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Seahawks, however, are a top-five rushing defense, despite what Adrian Peterson did to them in Week 9.	at
29			Steven Jackson 55 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Jackson has 403 rushing yards so far this season, but he has just one touchdown and he's losing carries to rookie Daryl Richardson. The 49ers have allowed just two rushing touchdowns this year, so neither running back is a good fantasy option.	at
30			Kendall Hunter 55 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Over the past four games before the bye, Hunter was averaging about nine carries for 45 yards. Right now, he's little more than a handcuff for Frank Gore owners.	vs
31			Felix Jones 42 rush yards, 2 rec, 19 rec yards DeMarco Murray is still not ready to return to action, keeping Jones on the field for one more week. Jones didn't do half bad last week, posting 4.3 yards per carry, although the Cowboys did give almost as many carries to unproven back Lance Dunbar. Not a good sign.	at
32			BenJarvus Green-Ellis 60 rush yards, 1 rec, 6 rec yards By now, fantasy owners know better than to count on Green-Ellis. With an average of 3.4 yards per carry, 10 catches and no 100-yard games, he's not a guy who can deliver a fantasy win.	vs
33			Joique Bell 36 rush yards, 3 rec, 24 rec yards Not only has Bell proven to be the Lions' most versatile back, but last week he gained more rushing yards than Mikel Leshoure despite fewer carries. Bell still trails Leshoure in terms of fantasy value, but each week the gap separating the two shrinks. Bell led Detroit in receiving when these teams met last.	at
34			Ronnie Brown 15 rush yards, 5 rec, 45 rec yards Brown rushed six times for 38 yards and caught five passes for 38 yards against the Chiefs in Week 9. Brown now has 12 catches over the past two games, and the Chargers continue to go to him on passing downs, which makes him a nice reserve in PPR leagues.	at
35			Daryl Richardson 40 rush yards, 2 rec, 20 rec yards Richardson has 335 rushing yards this season, but he still hasn't scored a rushing or receiving touchdown. While he should be a nice fantasy option later this season, he shouldn't start against a tough defense in Week 10.	at
36			Jacquizz Rodgers 25 rush yards, 3 rec, 30 rec yards Rodgers didn't do anything in the running game in Week 9, but he did catch four passes for 53 yards against the Cowboys. While he should see more success in Week 10 against the Saints, he's not yet a recommended fantasy starter.	at
37			Robert Turbin 35 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Turbin had only 21 yards against the Vikings, but he continues to spell Marshawn Lynch in the Seahawks' backfield. He's a very good handcuff to a very good fantasy tailback.	vs
38			Mark Ingram 34 rush yards, 2 rec, 14 rec yards The Heisman winner showed some life Monday night against the Eagles, as he rushed seven times for 44 yards. It appears that Chris Ivory will get the bulk of the carries, however. Ingram remains a fantasy backup.	vs
39			Rashad Jennings 47 rush yards, 1 rec, 7 rec yards Last week, Jennings gained just 38 yards against a Lions run defense giving up 4.3 yards per carry. Since taking over for Maurice Jones-Drew, Jennings has managed just one carry of 10 or more yards.	vs
40			Ronnie Hillman 30 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Hillman saw his rushing chances go down once again, as he got just one carry for four yards at Cincinnati. He's still a good handcuff for Willis McGahee's owners.	at
41			Jonathan Stewart 45 rush yards, 1 rec, 10 rec yards Stewart rushed 10 times for 51 yards against the Redskins, but he still hasn't scored a rushing touchdown this season. Making matters worse, the Broncos have given up just four touchdowns to running backs all season.	vs
42			Danny Woodhead 10 rush yards, 4 rec, 40 rec yards Woodhead is second on the Patriots with 48 rushing attempts -- and fourth in receptions, with 19. The Bills allow a ton of points to running backs, so consider Woodhead as a flex in PPR leagues.	vs
43			Shaun Draughn 15 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Draughn only rushed once last week, but he punched it in for a score. He's not seeing consistent looks -- but neither are the other Kansas City backs.	at
44			DeAngelo Williams 30 rush yards Williams rushed just six times for 37 yards last week, but he was able to punch in a score for his third touchdown of the season. Both Panthers running backs are mere flex plays in Week 10.	vs
45			Andre Brown 26 rush yards Brown injured his shoulder late against the Steelers and was held out of the rest of the contest. Early reports suggest he'll be fine for this week, but it's probably a moot point anyhow. Brown is New York's goal-line back, but he doesn't see enough work to warrant a spot in most lineups.	at
46			Bryce Brown 25 rush yards The Eagles are using Brown more and more, both to spell LeSean McCoy and because Brown has looked good running the ball. He's not a great start this week against Dallas, but he's worth having on a roster.	vs
47			Bilal Powell 25 rush yards, 1 rec, 10 rec yards Powell has missed a couple of games with a shoulder injury, but coming off a bye week, he will now have had nearly a month off. Even so, Shonn Greene has been good in his absence, making Powell a secondary option.	at
48			Peyton Hillis 22 rush yards, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Even with Jamaal Charles failing to gain much ground, Hillis has been nothing more than a backup since returning to the lineup, gaining just 49 yards from scrimmage on 13 touches the past two weeks. He presents no value to fantasy owners.	at
49			Bernard Pierce 21 rush yards If Pierce sees more than five carries it will only be because Baltimore has a comfortable lead in the second half. Ray Rice is running well and the Ravens' passing game will see plenty of work in this contest.	vs
50			Jamie Harper 15 rush yards Harper had one carry for minus-one yard against the Bears in Week 9. Chris Johnson continues to get the full complement of carries, so Harper is not even a great handcuff at this point.	at
51			LeGarrette Blount 15 rush yards Things are looking bad for Blount, as he got just two carries for five yards at Oakland in Week 9. On one of those carries, when he was trying to run some clock off and give Doug Martin a breather, he fumbled in the fourth quarter. Blount will get more carries to relieve Martin, but not enough to prove valuable.	vs
52			Toby Gerhart 11 rush yards, 1 rec, 8 rec yards It may no longer be necessary for fantasy owners to keep track of Gerhart. He has carried one time in each of Minnesota's last four games, and Adrian Peterson has given the Vikings' coaches no reason to change up the current formula.	vs
53			Michael Bush 11 rush yards Bush was embarrassed last week (1.6 yards per carry), failing to duplicate Matt Forte's success against Tennessee. The Bears turned to Armando Allen, who had better results. Bush is still the backup, but his stock is falling.	vs

More Fantasy