Week 9 Running Back Rankings- PPR Leagues

Six teams are on bye this week making it the most teams on bye in a week this season. To top it off, Week 8 was filled with injuries, which included two elite running backs. Le'Veon Bell was placed on IR after suffering a knee injury and Matt Forte suffered a knee injury that will keep him out for at least two weeks. Khiry Robinson, Reggie Bush, and Brandon Oliver also suffered injuries and all have been ruled out for the season. If you take that into consideration along with the six teams on bye, it could be a tough week for fantasy owners. Chris Johnson, Justin Forsett, Charcandrick West, and Marshawn Lynch are amongst the running backs that are on bye. That being said, let's jump right in to this week's top 50 PPR running backs.

Freeman and Gurley are 1A and 1B for me. Freeman is more involved in the passing game which gives him the minor edge. He averages 6.5 targets per came and has caught 40 passes this season. He also leads the league in rushing yards (709) and rushing touchdowns (9). He has a favorable matchup against the Niners defense who surrenders the third most fantasy points per game to opposing backs (20.8). They also surrender 110.38 rushing yards per game, 4.31 rushing yards per carry, and have allowed nine total touchdowns. In addition, they yield 6.4 receptions per game to backs. Gurley on the other hand hasn't been too involved in the passing game for the Rams, but has been crushing it on the ground and has been targeted eight times in the last two games which is noteworthy. He has topped 127 yards in four consecutive games and has scored three touchdowns in the last two games. The matchup isn't the greatest as the Vikings are stiff against the run, but so far Gurley has ran well against all his opponents, including the Cardinals defense who allow fewer yards per carry than the Vikings do to opposing backs. Danny Woodhead was nowhere to be found last week after his big Week 7. However, with the injury to Keenan Allen and Ladarius Green (questionable for Week 9), Woodhead could be the recipient of even more targets. Last week he was targeted just three times, which was the fewest amount of targets he has received in a game this season. He's averaging 6.1 targets per game and should remain a big part of this offense. He remains the team's red zone back with 75 percent of the red zone rushes and has been targeted in 14 percent of the teams red zone passes. The Bears allow 4.5 yards per carry and four receptions per game to opposing backs. Woodhead should be able to get back on track this week in a favorable matchup at home.

The two backs that will step in for the injured Bell and Forte make their way into the top 20 this week. DeAngelo Williams began the season as the Steelers starter while Bell served his two game suspension. In those two games, Williams carried the ball 41 times for 204 yards and three touchdowns, and also caught five passes. He has a tough matchup ahead of him as the Raiders have been able to hold their own against the run, but the potential volume alone and the lack of players at the position, makes Williams a viable option. Not to mention, the Steelers are a six point favorite at home which usually bodes well for backs. Jeremy Langford will take over the running back duties in Chicago during Forte's absence. Fortunately for him he has a great matchup in his first start. The Chargers are allowing 116.3 rushing yards per game, 5.2 rushing yards per carry, six receptions per game, 56.3 receiving yards per game, and have allowed a total of 10 touchdowns to opposing backs. So long as he gets the bulk of the carries, he should be able to produce some quality numbers this week.

Outside the top 20, Spiller is a back that stands out to me this week. He's averaging 4.8 targets per game in his last five games and now that Khiry Robinson is out for the season, Spiller could see a bigger role in this offense. He has scored double digit points in consecutive games and faces a Titans defense that has surrender 125+ rushing yards in two of their last three games. If you're hurting at the running back position, you could do worse than Spiller. He makes a decent flex play as he could catch 3-5 passes on any given week.

Best of luck to all!