FANTASY

Fantasy Player Projections

Running Backs

Rank	Team	Player	Projection	Opponent
1			Matt Forte 88 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 19 rec yards, rec TD It wasn't clear if Forte would play last week, but he answered the questions with 24 touches and close to 100 yards from scrimmage. Another week of rest should lead to even better results this week.	at
2			Chris Johnson 111 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 28 rec yards Johnson will reach 1,000 yards for a fifth straight season at some point early in this contest. Considering how poorly the season began, that's reason to celebrate for Johnson and his owners.	at
3			Trent Richardson 90 rush yards, rush TD, 5 rec, 44 rec yards Richardson rushed 20 times for 72 yards and a touchdown at Oakland in Week 13. In his past five games, he has 479 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with 119 receiving yards. He remains a reliable fantasy starter each week.	vs
4			Ray Rice 93 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 32 rec yards Baltimore's best weapon has been more effective on the road than at home this season, and has logged 20 or more carries in each of his last three road games.	at
5			Adrian Peterson 99 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 22 rec yards The problem for Peterson is that Minnesota will probably need to turn to the passing game at some point in every contest moving forward, taking away second-half reps. Even so, one half worth of Peterson is as good as two halves worth of most backs.	vs
6			Frank Gore 95 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 25 rec yards Gore rushed 23 times for 58 yards and a touchdown against the Rams in the Week 13 overtime loss. He remains a must-start fantasy player in all leagues, especially in a week in which he faces a Dolphins team that just gave up a 100-yard day to New England's Stevan Ridley.	vs
7			DeMarco Murray 91 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 24 rec yards By the end of last week's win over Philadelphia, Murray had touched the ball 27 times and told reporters he felt good. A Cincinnati defense allowing 4.4 yards per carry will serve as his next victim.	at
8			Knowshon Moreno 90 rush yards, rush TD, 4 rec, 25 rec yards Moreno rushed 20 times for 69 yards and caught four passes for 14 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 13. He did well against a tough rush defense, and now he'll face a bad rush defense, so good things are ahead.	at
9			Steven Jackson 90 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 24 rec yards Jackson had a relatively quiet day against the 49ers, rushing 21 times for 48 yards in the overtime win. PPR owners were a little happier, considering his five catches for 69 yards. The Bills are a middle-of-the-road defense against the pass, but they're bad against the run, so Jackson will bounce back.	at
10			Ahmad Bradshaw 105 rush yards, rush TD, 1 rec, 8 rec yards This is the game Bradshaw's owners have been waiting for. The Saints allow 5.1 yards per carry and rank last in rushing yards allowed per game (153.8). Heck, Michael Turner averaged close to 7.0 yards per carry against them last week.	vs
11			C.J. Spiller 70 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 35 rec yards Spiller rushed 14 times for 77 yards and a touchdown against Jacksonville Sunday and had a good game despite Fred Jackson getting more touches. With six scores this season, Spiller is a dynamic running back who should be starting each week in fantasy.	vs
12			Marshawn Lynch 90 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Coming off one of his worst fantasy games of the season, Lynch rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown in an overtime win at Chicago in Week 13. He now has a touchdown in four of his past five games.	vs
13			Arian Foster 73 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 21 rec yards This is no picnic for Foster. The Patriots allow less than 4.0 yards per carry and there is always the possibility that the game tempo on Monday will force Houston to throw more than it cares to.	at
14			LeSean McCoy 60 rush yards, rush TD, 3 rec, 30 rec yards McCoy missed his second game in a row with a concussion, and rookie Bryce Brown continued to shine in McCoy's absence. If McCoy returns against the Buccaneers he will still be the starter, but he'll see fewer touches than before he got injured. Regardless: If he starts for the Eagles, he should start for your fantasy team.	at
15			Shonn Greene 89 rush yards, rush TD We think Greene has potential this week -- not so much because he is coming off his second 100-yard effort of the season, but because he is facing a Jacksonville defense that gave up 232 rushing yards to Buffalo last week.	at
16			Michael Turner 84 rush yards, rush TD Turner had 12 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Saints in Week 13. On a day when many were waiting for Jacquizz Rodgers to take away more carries, Turner came through. He had a 100-yard rushing game against the Panthers in Week 4.	at
17			Jamaal Charles 104 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards Charles rushed for his fourth 100-yard game of the season, but he still gave way to Peyton Hillis for some goal-line carries and a touchdown against the Panthers. Even so, Charles remains one of the few running backs who regularly gets 20-plus touches per game.	at
18			Doug Martin 80 rush yards, 4 rec, 44 rec yards Martin rushed 18 times for just 56 yards at Denver in Week 13, but he also caught three passes for 42 yards. The Eagles give up rushing yards, but they have allowed just six rushing touchdowns this season. Martin remains a must-start running back, but his owners must hope he breaks a big score.	vs
19			Stevan Ridley 62 rush yards, rush TD Ridley remains the Patriots' biggest workhorse, although his average per carry in recent weeks is cause for some concern. Also of concern: a Texans run defense giving up just 87.6 yards per game.	vs
20			Mikel Leshoure 45 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 11 rec yards Leshoure is averaging 18.3 touches but only 76.1 total yards per game this season. The only thing keeping him in the good graces of fantasy owners is his three-game touchdown streak.	at
21			Peyton Hillis 23 rush yards, rush TD, 2 rec, 12 rec yards Hillis scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 13 against the Panthers. He rushed 12 times (fewer than half of Charles' 27 carries) for 19 yards and a score. We expected to see this in Week 1, but it's a trend that should continue.	at
22			Alfred Morris 86 rush yards Morris has now carried 20 or more times in three consecutive weeks. Think it's a coincidence the Redskins won all three? He has been a letdown in terms of touchdown production (just one in the past six weeks), but the touches and yards have been there.	vs
23			Fred Jackson 65 rush yards, 2 rec, 20 rec yards Jackson rushed for 109 yards against the Jaguars in Week 13 and added two catches for 10 yards. It was his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. The Rams aren't bad against the run, but they have allowed 15 rushing touchdowns this season.	vs
24			Ryan Mathews 45 rush yards, 4 rec, 40 rec yards Mathews continues to flounder in the fantasy football world, rushing for just 26 yards on nine carries in Week 13. He also caught three passes for 25 yards, but fantasy owners aren't crazy about the fact he has more fumbles (two) than touchdowns (one) this season.	at
25			Darren McFadden 55 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards The Raiders expect McFadden (ankle) to return for Week 14 against the Broncos after missing four games. Jeremy Stewart and Marcel Reece saw more action in his place. Run DMC is a risky start for a fantasy playoff team if he returns, as he rushed for just 34 yards against Denver in Week 4.	vs
26			BenJarvus Green-Ellis 68 rush yards, 3 rec, 11 rec yards We're not ready to believe in Green-Ellis. His success last week was the product of one long run; the week before he beat up on one of the league's worst run defenses (Oakland). Dallas' front seven will set Green-Ellis straight.	vs
27			Reggie Bush 55 rush yards, 3 rec, 24 rec yards Bush rushed 15 times for 64 yards against New England in Week 13 and went without a catch for just the second time this season. Bush is going to have a tough time against the 49ers, who have given up just three rushing touchdowns all season.	at
28			Bryce Brown 45 rush yards, 3 rec, 27 rec yards For the second game in a row, Brown looked like a top fantasy running back after he rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns against the Cowboys. If LeSean McCoy (concussion) is out again, Brown will be a top-10 back despite facing a very good rushing defense.	at
29			Jacquizz Rodgers 50 rush yards, 3 rec, 22 rec yards Rodgers had only 10 touches against the Saints in Week 13, rushing for 43 rushing yards. He remains behind Michael Turner on the depth chart.	at
30			Alex Green 57 rush yards, 2 rec, 14 rec yards The Packers' backfield mess may finally be cleared up following James Starks' unfortunate knee injury. Still, Green had the job to himself before and provided less-than-encouraging results.	vs
31			Vick Ballard 56 rush yards, 2 rec, 12 rec yards Tennessee allowed Indianapolis 5.0 yards per carry in the Oct. 28 contest, and Ballard caught a 16-yard touchdown. The matchup is attractive, but the Colts' timeshare is not.	vs
32			Montell Owens 47 rush yards, 2 rec, 17 rec yards There is a chance both Maurice Jones-Drew and Rashad Jennings will miss this contest with injuries. Owens gained 40 yards from scrimmage on eight touches last week. Still, he is too big of an unknown for fantasy owners to plug in right away.	vs
33			Joique Bell 23 rush yards, 4 rec, 41 rec yards Bell has an outside shot of reaching the 500/500 club this season. Sometimes a rusher, sometimes a receiver ... never a fantasy star.	at
34			Ronnie Hillman 40 rush yards, 2 rec, 22 rec yards Hillman had just five carries for 29 yards last week, but he looked very good against Tampa Bay. He's still the backup to Knowshon Moreno, but considering how much the latter gets injured, Hillman serves as a good handcuff.	at
35			Jonathan Dwyer 35 rush yards, 3 rec, 25 rec yards Dwyer scored his first touchdown of the season against the Ravens in Week 13 and added 49 rushing yards. The Chargers are a tough defense against the run, though, so consider other options for Week 14.	vs
36			Rashard Mendenhall 40 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Considered a healthy scratch for Week 13, Mendenhall appears to have drawn head coach Mike Tomlin’s disfavor. If Mendenhall starts against the Chargers, fantasy owners should still be cautious given their stout rush defense.	vs
37			Beanie Wells 55 rush yards, 1 rec, 5 rec yards Wells rushed 15 times for just 22 yards against the Jets, and he didn't even lead the team in rushing, with Rashad Johnson getting 40 yards on a fake punt. Wells likely will be a tweener RB2/RB3 for the remainder of the fantasy season.	at
38			Justin Forsett 32 rush yards, 3 rec, 18 rec yards It appears Forsett has taken over the backup spot from Ben Tate. Both will see carries, but Forsett's track record in recent weeks will earn him a healthier portion.	at
39			Jonathan Stewart 34 rush yards, 2 rec, 15 rec yards Stewart was unable to play against the Chiefs in Week 13 because of a high ankle sprain. If he's able to play in this game, he'll likely be limited by his ankle injury. Mike Tolbert will get a few touches in his place if Stewart can't go.	vs
40			Pierre Thomas 45 rush yards, 2 rec, 10 rec yards Thomas led the team in carries (14) last week. No matter how well Thomas plays, though, the Saints will still throw to Darren Sproles and feed a certain number of carries to Mark Ingram.	at
41			DeAngelo Williams 45 rush yards, 1 rec, 6 rec yards Williams played well against the Chiefs, rushing 12 times for 67 yards. But since the Panthers were led in rushing by quarterback Cam Newton, Williams' fantasy owners continue to be frustrated. Worse, Jonathan Stewart (ankle) could be back taking touches in Week 14, too.	vs
42			Marcel Reece 14 rush yards, 4 rec, 30 rec yards Reece rushed just seven times for 36 yards against Cleveland in Week 13. He also caught five passes for 20 yards. With Darren McFadden (ankle) set to return, Reece's numbers should dip again.	vs
43			Daryl Richardson 25 rush yards, 2 rec, 19 rec yards Richardson rushed three times for six yards against San Francisco in Week 13. He remains a good backup to Steven Jackson, but his fantasy potential is much greater in 2013.	at
44			Danny Woodhead 11 rush yards, 3 rec, 31 rec yards Woodhead may actually see a fair amount of carries due to the matchup, but we highly doubt he will see enough action to warrant fantasy consideration. He has touched the ball 10 or more times in just two games this season.	vs
45			Shane Vereen 25 rush yards, 2 rec, 14 rec yards Things were looking up for Vereen until Week 13, when he saw just three touches. It's tough to say how Bill Belichick will use the team's top three backs the rest of the season, which is why all three present varying degrees of risk for fantasy owners.	vs
46			Bilal Powell 24 rush yards, 2 rec, 14 rec yards Powell's touches vary week to week based on the matchup and how well Shonn Greene is doing. This week New York will not need to turn to its backup much.	at
47			Darren Sproles 8 rush yards, 4 rec, 36 rec yards Sproles was an impact player for fantasy owners last year, but so far in 2012 the team has given him an average of just 8.5 touches per game -- hardly the workload of a fantasy stud. Even in PPR leagues, Sproles is now a suspect play.	at
48			Ronnie Brown 0 rush yards, 4 rec, 35 rec yards Brown caught four passes for 27 yards against Cincinnati, but he remains the backup behind Ryan Mathews. Unless Mathews gets injured again, Brown's fantasy value is limited.	at
49			Mark Ingram 28 rush yards Round and round, here we go, which Saints back will lead the way in Week 14? To win is not to guess correctly but rather to not play at all.	at
50			Daniel Thomas 13 rush yards, 2 rec, 14 rec yards Thomas rushed five times for 10 yards against the Patriots in Week 13. He also caught a pair of balls for 19 yards. The 49ers' defense is going to make it tough for any Dolphins player to do well in fantasy this week.	at
51			Bernard Pierce 24 rush yards, 1 rec, 7 rec yards Coach John Harbaugh has said he would not be reluctant to use Pierce more, but he has yet to do so. Even in a contest like this, which figures to produce plenty of yards and points, Pierce is not someone fantasy owners can trust.	at
52			Montario Hardesty 24 rush yards Hardesty rushed five times for 39 yards at Oakland on Sunday. He remains the backup running back behind rookie Trent Richardson, so fantasy owners shouldn't think about using him unless Richardson gets hurt.	vs
53			Rashad Jennings 23 rush yards If the concussion he sustained last week does not stop Jennings, Montell Owens and the team's other young backs may. Last week Owens gained 4.1 yards per carry against Buffalo -- much better than Jennings' 2.5-yard average.	vs
54			Michael Bush 23 rush yards Bush scored two touchdowns and racked up 21 carries two weeks ago against the Vikings. Of course, that proved to mean very little as soon as Matt Forte was back in the lineup last week.	at
55			Mike Tolbert 9 rush yards, 2 rec, 20 rec yards Tolbert got five touches for 39 yards in Week 13. But if Jonathan Stewart (ankle) is able to play in Week 14, Tolbert's stats would drop a bit.	vs
56			Delone Carter 18 rush yards With Donald Brown sidelined, Carter will get the leftovers from Vick Ballard. Don't expect to find a sleeper star, but there is always a chance Carter could find the end zone, which he has already done twice this season.	vs
57			Isaac Redman 18 rush yards, 1 rec, 7 rec yards Redman served as Jonathan Dwyer's backup against the Ravens, with Rashard Mendenhall in street clothes. In most weeks, Redman is the third head of this running back trio but can have a decent impact when given enough touches.	vs
58			William Powell 14 rush yards, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Powell had the second-most carries (four) for the Cardinals against the Jets in Week 13. That led to 18 rushing yards as Beanie Wells' backup. This entire offense is in trouble; the starters are barely worth owning right now, let alone the backups.	at
59			Robert Turbin 14 rush yards, 1 rec, 5 rec yards Turbin had just one touch at Chicago in Week 13, as the Seahawks leaned mostly on Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson. Leon Washington also got a couple of carries. Fantasy owners shouldn't view Turbin as anything more than a handcuff for now.	vs
60			Felix Jones 12 rush yards, 2 rec, 9 rec yards Anyone who watched DeMarco Murray run the ball last week knows Jones' role with the team is now obsolete. Murray is better in every aspect of the game.	at
61			David Wilson 12 rush yards, 1 rec, 7 rec yards The Giants apparently are not going to force Wilson into the lineup, even with Andre Brown done for the year. Last week Wilson touched the ball just four times, and that's probably a fair guesstimate for what he'll see in Week 14.	vs
62			Jeremy Stewart 12 rush yards, 1 rec, 8 rec yards Stewart led the Raiders with nine carries for 46 yards against the Browns in Week 13, but with Darren McFadden (ankle) set to return from injury, Stewart's fantasy value dims considerably.	vs
63			Dion Lewis 12 rush yards If LeSean McCoy (concussion) is out for Week 14, the Eagles will use Lewis as Bryce Brown's backup again. Even so, Lewis won't get many touches.	at
64			D.J. Ware 9 rush yards Ware had just one touch at Denver in Week 13, as he rushed once for eight yards. He is Doug Martin's backup and has very little fantasy value right now.	vs
65			Brandon Jacobs 8 rush yards Jacobs rushed just four times for six yards at St. Louis in Week 13. He'll continue to serve as Frank Gore's backup, but fantasy owners can look elsewhere.	vs

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