FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Running Backs

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Adrian Peterson 113 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 29 rec yards In the past two weeks Peterson has been the only Vikings running back to carry the football. He leads the league in rushing and has four more 20-yard runs than second-place back C.J. Spiller. Green Bay's battered front seven is no match.	at
2			Arian Foster 101 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 31 rec yards Foster leads the league in touchdowns, has gained 100 or more yards from scrimmage in each of the past five games and ... eh, what's the use? You're going to start him. We don't need to remind you how good he is.	at
3			Ray Rice 86 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 41 rec yards Steelers fans would like to see Rice pay for draping a Terrible Towel over his head after the Ravens' win two weeks ago. That won't happen. Rice has averaged 24.7 touches over his last four games. The Ravens are going to ride him in all four quarters of this contest.	vs
4			Marshawn Lynch 103 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 22 rec yards The Bears sound like a tough matchup for opposing backs, but Chicago has allowed a 100-yard rusher in three of the past four games. Lynch, meanwhile, has reached the mark in four of his last five outings.	at
5			Chris Johnson 103 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 19 rec yards Johnson turned his season around with a 141-yard day in Houston in Week 4. There's no reason to believe he cannot duplicate that success against the Texas in Week 13. The Lions averaged 4.6 yards per carry against Houston on Thanksgiving, and Jacksonville's Jalen Parmele rushed for 80 yards the week before.	vs
6			Trent Richardson 90 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 30 rec yards Richardson rushed 29 times for 85 yards and a touchdown against Pittsburgh in Week 12. He also caught four balls for 27 yards. Richardson has seven touchdowns this season, and he's showing no signs of hitting the rookie wall, although he does have 97 touches in his past three games.	at
7			C.J. Spiller 81 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 30 rec yards There are certain sets and situations where Fred Jackson is the preferred back, but Buffalo knows it is most successful when it puts the ball in Spiller's hands. Look no further than two weeks ago, when he carried 22 times and caught three balls and Buffalo beat Miami.	vs
8			Bryce Brown 86 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 23 rec yards With LeSean McCoy unlikely to play, expect the Eagles to continue to employ Brown after seeing him rip off 178 yards in Week 12. Brown did fumble twice last week, but if he can take care of the ball he'll have another nice day.	at
9			Jamaal Charles 95 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Charles carried the ball 23 times for 107 yards against the Broncos in Week 12. That was his fourth 100-yard game of the season, and he faces a below-average Panthers rushing defense in Week 13.	vs
10			Frank Gore 70 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 24 rec yards Gore had 19 carries for 83 yards in Week 12, but he also hauled in his first receiving touchdown of the season. While the Rams don't allow a lot of rushing yards, they do give up rushing touchdowns. Gore remains a top-10 running back in fantasy.	at
11			Doug Martin 60 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 33 rec yards Martin scored twice against the Falcons in Week 12, but he rushed for just 50 yards on the day. Fantasy owners are still delighted with the rookie, considering he got every Tampa Bay carry against Atlanta. The Broncos are tough against the run, however.	at
12			Reggie Bush 65 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 26 rec yards Bush led the Dolphins once again in Week 12, with 87 rushing yards and a touchdown on 14 carries against Seattle. Daniel Thomas continues to cut into Bush's touches, but Bush remains a decent RB2 in most formats against the Patriots, who are allowing more than 100 rushing yards per game.	vs
13			Michael Turner 65 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 20 rec yards While Turner was essentially bottled up against Tampa Bay, gaining just 17 yards on 13 carries, he was still able to get his sixth rushing touchdown of the season. The Saints held him in check last season, but Turner should still be considered a low-end fantasy starter this week.	vs
14			DeMarco Murray 84 rush yards, rush TD Murray has missed six games but this week there is hope that his sprained foot will be ready for action. Fantasy owners should watch mid-week injury reports and start Murray if he's given a green light. Normally one would expect Dallas to ease Murray back slowly, but the Cowboys are in no position to do so.	vs
15			BenJarvus Green-Ellis 70 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 14 rec yards Green-Ellis had his best game of the season against the Raiders in Week 12, rushing for 129 yards and a touchdown. The Chargers are actually pretty tough against the run, but BJGE can still be considered an RB2 in most leagues.	at
16			Mikel Leshoure 83 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Leshoure will appreciate a date with a Colts team allowing opposing backs 4.8 yards per carry -- the most of any opponent he has faced this year. He just might reach the 20-carry mark for the first time since his season debut.	vs
17			Alfred Morris 83 rush yards, rush TD Morris averaged 5.5 yards and broke a 30-yard run in his first meeting against the defending Super Bowl champions. The only concern fantasy owners should have heading into this game is whether Washington will be able to run the ball in all four quarters.	vs
18			Ahmad Bradshaw 67 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 13 rec yards Bradshaw looked like a new man in Week 12, splitting the Packers' defense for a long reception, then later for a 13-yard touchdown run. Andre Brown had been stealing goal-line carries, but he's now on IR. It remains to be seen if rookie David Wilson will steal those red zone touches, or if Bradshaw will become the featured back again. He's a good start this week regardless.	at
19			Stevan Ridley 70 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 6 rec yards Ridley rushed for 97 yards against the Jets on Thanksgiving Day, and he scored a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game. Twice in the past three games he has come within a few yards of rushing for 100 yards. Doing that won't be easy against the Dolphins, who are pretty good against the run.	at
20			Beanie Wells 65 rush yards, rush TD Wells had a big game in his return from a turf toe injury, rushing 17 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams in Week 12. A better yards-per-carry figure would be nice, but this was good enough to make Wells a recommended fantasy starter in Week 13.	at
21			Michael Bush 44 rush yards, rush TD Matt Forte's health will determine Bush's effectiveness, but even if Forte plays fantasy owners may want to find a spot for Bush. The Chicago coaching staff will use Bush plenty to save Forte's legs.	vs
22			Vick Ballard 38 rush yards, rush TD Call Ballard the starter and Donald Brown the finisher. The Colts seem fine having the two backs share the workload, and fantasy owners should be fine letting both stay put on the waiver wire.	at
23			Steven Jackson 75 rush yards, 2 rec, 19 rec yards Jackson rushed for a season-high 139 yards against the Cardinals in Week 12, and he now has 321 rushing yards and one touchdown in three games since the team's bye week. The 49ers are tough against the run, allowing just three rushing touchdowns this season -- although one of those was to Jackson.	vs
24			Bilal Powell 30 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 7 rec yards Powell had 12 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots. Powell is healthy once again, and he's getting goal-line carries. He now has three touchdowns in his past two games, and he's a solid flex play this week.	vs
25			Ryan Mathews 65 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards Mathews had another so-so afternoon for San Diego, rushing for 72 yards and catching three balls for 16 yards against the Ravens in Week 12. The Bengals' defense has been tough recently, and Mathews has just one touchdown this season, with no 100-yard games.	vs
26			Knowshon Moreno 55 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards Moreno rushed 20 times for 85 yards, delivering one of the biggest surprise storylines of Week 12. He'll start again in Week 13 against Tampa Bay, but the Buccaneers have a strong rushing defense, so Moreno could have a tough time against them.	vs
27			Darren Sproles 12 rush yards, 6 rec, 65 rec yards Sproles led the Saints with seven catches for 65 yards against the 49ers in Week 12, but most of his production came during garbage time. He didn't get a carry, which is not too surprising. He's a very good flex play in most formats, but an RB2 in PPR leagues.	at
28			Marcel Reece 34 rush yards, 4 rec, 41 rec yards Reece rushed 15 times for 74 yards against the Bengals in Week 12, but it appears that Darren McFadden (ankle) and Mike Goodson (ankle) are close to returning for Week 13. Follow their statuses closely before making a decision on Reece.	vs
29			Jacquizz Rodgers 35 rush yards, 4 rec, 35 rec yards Rodgers rushed 10 times for 49 yards and a touchdown against the Saints in Week 12. He also caught a pair of passes for 30 yards, and he outplayed starter Michael Turner. Even so, he's still just a flex play against the Saints in Week 13.	vs
30			Shonn Greene 65 rush yards Greene rushed 14 times for 71 yards against the Patriots in Week 12, but Bilal Powell saw carries near the goal line. The Cardinals are average against the run, but neither Jets running back should be considered better than an RB2 in fantasy play.	vs
31			Darren McFadden 40 rush yards, 2 rec, 25 rec yards McFadden (ankle) might be able to play this weekend against the Browns, but fantasy owners should still be cautious for a few reasons. The Browns have allowed a total of just 112 rushing yards in their past two games, and McFadden has had injury problems before, so give him time to prove he's healthy before inserting him into your lineup, if you can.	vs
32			Rashad Jennings 61 rush yards With Maurice Jones-Drew still nursing a bum foot and Jalen Parmele on IR (groin), the Jaguars have little choice but to hand the ball to Jennings, who has averaged just 2.8 yards per carry this season. Fantasy owners, on the other hand, have plenty of other options.	at
33			Joique Bell 28 rush yards, 4 rec, 32 rec yards For a while it looked as though Bell might push Mikel Leshoure for reps. Now he's just trying to hold off Kevin Smith to keep his backup job.	vs
34			Daniel Thomas 35 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards Thomas had nine carries for 60 yards and a touchdown and one catch for 18 yards against Seattle in Week 12. He continues to see more touches each week. The Dolphins like using him in the red zone, but his scoring is still inconsistent.	vs
35			Shane Vereen 35 rush yards, 3 rec, 24 rec yards Vereen had 10 rushes for 42 yards against the Jets in Week 12, but he also caught two passes, including an 83-yard touchdown reception. Even so, his fantasy value is limited to larger leagues because he doesn't score consistently and the Patriots spread the ball around.	at
36			Fred Jackson 36 rush yards, 2 rec, 21 rec yards Jackson touched the ball seven times last week, compared to 15 touches for C.J. Spiller. Fantasy owners can expect a similar breakdown moving forward.	vs
37			DeAngelo Williams 45 rush yards, 2 rec, 12 rec yards Williams rushed 11 times for just 21 yards against the Eagles in Week 12, but he received a few more touches because Jonathan Stewart hurt his ankle. If Stewart can't go in Week 13, Williams should see more carries, making him an RB2 in most leagues.	at
38			Jonathan Dwyer 46 rush yards, 2 rec, 11 rec yards According to coach Mike Tomlin, Dwyer will be the starting running back heading into Week 13. It's a situation that changes week to week, so fantasy owners really have no reason to gamble on Dwyer (or any of the Steelers' backs).	at
39			Matt Forte 52 rush yards Expect Forte to be a game-time decision. Early reports were encouraging, but the coaching staff will not have a clear picture of how limited Forte will be until closer to the end of the week. He may be limited even if he plays.	vs
40			Jonathan Stewart 34 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Stewart had just eight rushes for 27 yards against the Eagles in Week 12 before leaving the game with an ankle injury. If he's unable to play in Week 13, DeAngelo Williams receives a boost in value.	at
41			Felix Jones 24 rush yards, 2 rec, 22 rec yards If DeMarco Murray plays this week, Jones will have absolutely no value to fantasy owners. And if Murray does not play ... well, not much changes. Over the last six weeks Jones has not gained more than 75 yards rushing in any contest.	vs
42			LaRod Stephens-Howlin 20 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards Stephens-Howling was dealing with a rib injury and the return of Beanie Wells (toe) in Week 12, which limited his numbers considerably. He'll likely be healthier in Week 13, but he's no longer worth using in most fantasy leagues.	at
43			James Starks 43 rush yards Starks is the lead back for a backfield that has no real purpose, other than to keep defenses honest. Chances are he'll never see enough carries in a game this year to benefit fantasy owners.	vs
44			Chris Ivory 40 rush yards Ivory led the Saints in rushing last Sunday 34 yards on eight carries, despite Darren Sproles being healthy and Mark Ingram getting more touches. It's tough to gauge this backfield right now, so look for alternatives if possible.	at
45			Ronnie Brown 17 rush yards, 2 rec, 23 rec yards Brown had two carries for 17 yards and four catches for 22 yards against Baltimore in Week 12. He continues to work as Ryan Mathews' backup, and he battles for carries with Jackie Battle, but he touches the ball enough to be an acceptable flex if you're desperate.	vs
46			Alex Green 28 rush yards, 2 rec, 11 rec yards It appears the Packers are using Green and James Starks based on the matchup, which is a red flag for fantasy owners to stay far away from this situation.	vs
47			Justin Forsett 39 rush yards Ben Tate may be ready for this contest, but the Texans are in no hurry to welcome him back. Forsett has averaged 12.1 yards per carry over the past two weeks, though that figure was heavily inflated by a botched call on Forsett's long touchdown run against Detroit.	at
48			David Wilson 35 rush yards Fans have yet to really see the potential New York's coaches have been raving about, but Andre Brown's broken leg moves Wilson up the depth chart. His fantasy relevance should increase along with his touches.	at
49			Mark Ingram 35 rush yards Ingram got the most touches of any Saints running back in Week 12, but he did the least with them, managing 27 yards on 10 carries. This backfield continues to be muddled for fantasy owners, making Ingram a questionable start.	at
50			Cedric Peerman 34 rush yards, 1 rec, 7 rec yards Peerman had a good day on the ground against the Raiders, gaining 61 rushing yards on eight carries. He has 136 yards in his past two games, but it's still tough to rely on a backup running back in fantasy.	at
51			Donald Brown 33 rush yards Brown has caught just seven passes all year and hasn't found the end zone since Week 1. The Colts have limited his touches, in part, because rookie Vick Ballard has out-performed Brown.	at
52			Rashard Mendenhall 32 rush yards The coaching staff came down hard on Mendehall for fumbling twice against Cleveland (Jonathan Dwyer, Isaac Redman and Chris Rainey also lost fumbles in that game). Regardless, Mendenhall is in no position to help fantasy owners this week.	at
53			William Powell 14 rush yards, 2 rec, 17 rec yards Powell had a nice game against the Rams, with six catches out of the backfield for 63 yards, but LaRod Stephens-Howling was dealing with a rib injury. When LSH returns, and with Beanie Wells back, Powell's numbers will be limited.	at
54			Daryl Richardson 24 rush yards Richardson rushed seven times for 32 yards against Arizona in Week 12. Earlier this season, he looked like he was getting ready to overtake starter Steven Jackson, but now he's firmly entrenched as the backup.	vs
55			Brandon Jacobs 22 rush yards, 1 rec, 6 rec yards Jacobs should see a boost in production now that Kendall Hunter has been placed on injured reserve with an Achilles tear. But until he proved otherwise, Jacobs belongs on the free-agent pile.	at
56			Isaac Redman 21 rush yards, 1 rec, 9 rec yards Redman's stats from the past three weeks: 11 carries and 33 yards. Um, no thanks. There are a dozen or more backs on the waiver wire possessing more upside than Redman right now.	at
57			Montario Hardesty 20 rush yards Hardesty had just two touches in Week 12, rushing twice for 14 yards against the Steelers. He's firmly behind rookie Trent Richardson, and his value should be viewed accordingly.	at
58			Bernard Pierce 19 rush yards Pierce made the highlight reels last week for hurdling over Eric Weddle on a pretty run to the outside. That's about the only attention Pierce will see these days, with Ray Rice handling the bulk of the workload.	vs
59			Ronnie Hillman 18 rush yards, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Hillman had just three touches in Week 12 at Kansas City, mostly because Knowshon Moreno returned to rush 20 times. Hillman is a backup for now, but if the oft-injured Moreno gets dinged up again, Hillman's fantasy value would climb.	vs
60			LeSean McCoy 0 rush yards McCoy is still recovering from a concussion, and while he hasn't been ruled out yet, it's unlikely he'll play with the Eagles already out of the postseason hunt. Monitor his status, but prepare to go elsewhere.	at
61			Peyton Hillis 8 rush yards Hillis rushed twice for just five yards in Week 12, and it's apparent that this is not a shared backfield as many expected this preseason. Hillis is not worth owning except by Jamaal Charles' owners as insurance.	vs

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