Week 1 Running Back Rankings- PPR Leagues

The moment many of us have been waiting for has finally arrived as the start of the NFL season is a couple of days away. I'm not sure about you, but I can't wait for Thursday night football. There's a good chance I can speak on behalf of 100 percent of fantasy owners when I say, I want to win Week 1. Making sure the right players are in your lineup to start the season would be the best way to accomplish that. Below is a list of Week 1 top 50 backs in PPR formats.

Lacy finds himself atop the rankings to start of the season. In two games against the Bears last season, he combined for 177 yards and two touchdowns (scored in each game). The Bears surrendered 112.7 rushing yards per game last season and 12 rushing touchdowns. Lacy could see a heavier workload with Jordy Nelson on the shelf. This is a great time to have Lacy on your team. Much like Lacy, Jeremy Hill has a favorable matchup in Week 1. The Bengals face the Raiders who yielded the most fantasy points per game to opposing backs last season (22). They allowed nearly 120 rushing yards per game and gave up 22 total touchdowns. Hill established himself as the No. 1 running back on this Bengals offense and should receive the bulk of the carries. Here's a fun fact, every time Hill received 20+ carries last season (five times), he rushed for more than 140 yards four times. Doug Martin is one you may not have seen in the top 10 since his rookie season, but he's had a strong preseason and has a great matchup. Tennessee allowed the second most rushing yards last season (2,195), the third most rushing touchdowns (17), and the second most fantasy points per game (21.2). So long as Martin gets the bulk of the carries, which appears to be the case in Week 1, he should have himself a great game. This could be his chance to completely catapult himself ahead of all the backs in the Bucs backfield.

McCoy is right outside the top 10 despite being questionable for Week 1. If he plays, he should be effective against a weak Colts run defense. The Colts allowed opposing backs to rush for 113.4 yards per game in 2014 and yielded nearly a touchdown per game. The Colts also struggled against pass catching backs as they allowed 787 receiving yards to opposing backs. McCoy is a dual threat back and can have a big day if healthy. While he will be a risky play because of the type of injury he's dealing with, the risk reward factor is worth it. Latavius Murray could finish the day ahead of the 17^th spot he's currently ranked in very easily. The Bengals are perceived to be a solid defense, but against the run, they struggled last season. They actually allowed the fifth most fantasy points per game against running backs, while allowing 116 yards per game and 15 rushing touchdowns. He displayed his big play ability in some instances last year and can certainly explode for another big game. This is one of those matchups that can be deceiving on the surface, but if you look at the numbers closely, it's not so bad.

Outside the top twenty there are a couple of backs that are worth playing, but one stands out the most. Danny Woodhead may not receive 15-20 carries in Week 1, but he can most certainly catch 5-7 passes and score a touchdown. The Lions were a stingy run defense last year, but lost some key defensive linemen. In addition, they also allowed 93 receptions for 766 yards and three touchdowns to opposing backs, clearly they struggled against pass catching backs. Woodhead can be considered a low-end No. 2 RB this week with plenty of upside, and should be highly considered in your flex position.

Best of luck to all Week 1!