:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/51315091/usa-today-9598863.0.jpg)
If someone told you before the season that Isaiah Crowell, Tevin Coleman, and LeGarrette Blount would all be top-10 options at the running back position heading into Week 6, you probably called that person crazy... Or at least I hope you did.
Well, after the fifth week of the season, that's precisely the case. But it hasn't been completely unpredictable, as preseason studs like David Johnson and Zeke Elliott are both sitting as top-3 RBs. Plenty of injuries, breakouts, and backfield shake-ups will unfold in the following weeks, but this ruthless volatility is exactly what makes fantasy football so addicting.
Everyone, despite our current records, should still be in our league's playoff picture. So, without further ado, let's jump into my Top 60 RBs for Week 6 vs. FantasyPros' ECR rankings:
Fantasy Football rankings - Week 6
View Available Players| # | Player (team) | Matchup | ECR™ | vs. ECR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell (PIT) | at MIA | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | David Johnson (ARI) | vs. NYJ | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | DeMarco Murray (TEN) | vs. CLE | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Lamar Miller (HOU) | vs. IND | 6 | +2 |
| 5 | Ezekiel Elliott (DAL) | at GB | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | LeSean McCoy (BUF) | vs. SF | 4 | -2 |
| 7 | Todd Gurley (LA) | at DET | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | Carlos Hyde (SF) | at BUF | 9 | +1 |
| 9 | C.J. Anderson (DEN) | at SD | 8 | -1 |
| 10 | Christine Michael (SEA) | vs. ATL | 12 | +2 |
| 11 | Devonta Freeman (ATL) | at SEA | 13 | +2 |
| 12 | Jordan Howard (CHI) | vs. JAC | 11 | -1 |
| 13 | Mark Ingram (NO) | vs. CAR | 10 | -3 |
| 14 | LeGarrette Blount (NE) | vs. CIN | 18 | +4 |
| 15 | Melvin Gordon (SD) | vs. DEN | 14 | -1 |
| 16 | Isaiah Crowell (CLE) | at TEN | 20 | +4 |
| 17 | Tevin Coleman (ATL) | at SEA | 26 | +9 |
| 18 | Jamaal Charles (KC) | at OAK | 16 | -2 |
| 19 | Matt Forte (NYJ) | at ARI | 21 | +2 |
| 20 | Terrance West (BAL) | at NYG | 22 | +2 |
| 21 | Frank Gore (IND) | at HOU | 19 | -2 |
| 22 | Jonathan Stewart (CAR) | at NO | 37 | +15 |
| 23 | Giovani Bernard (CIN) | at NE | 24 | +1 |
| 24 | Matt Jones (WAS) | vs. PHI | 25 | +1 |
| 25 | Theo Riddick (DET) | vs. LA | 23 | -2 |
| 26 | T.J. Yeldon (JAC) | at CHI | 29 | +3 |
| 27 | Spencer Ware (KC) | at OAK | 27 | 0 |
| 28 | Arian Foster (MIA) | vs. PIT | 43 | +15 |
| 29 | Ryan Mathews (PHI) | at WAS | 15 | -14 |
| 30 | Bilal Powell (NYJ) | at ARI | 33 | +3 |
| 31 | Eddie Lacy (GB) | vs. DAL | 17 | -14 |
| 32 | Jeremy Hill (CIN) | at NE | 28 | -4 |
| 33 | Latavius Murray (OAK) | vs. KC | 39 | +6 |
| 34 | Rashad Jennings (NYG) | vs. BAL | 41 | +7 |
| 35 | Chris Ivory (JAC) | at CHI | 34 | -1 |
| 36 | James Starks (GB) | vs. DAL | 46 | +10 |
| 37 | James White (NE) | vs. CIN | 30 | -7 |
| 38 | DeAndre Washington (OAK) | vs. KC | 38 | 0 |
| 39 | Jay Ajayi (MIA) | vs. PIT | 32 | -7 |
| 40 | Cameron Artis-Payne (CAR) | at NO | 35 | -5 |
| 41 | Derrick Henry (TEN) | vs. CLE | 40 | -1 |
| 42 | Devontae Booker (DEN) | at SD | 48 | +6 |
| 43 | Duke Johnson (CLE) | at TEN | 31 | -12 |
| 44 | Darren Sproles (PHI) | at WAS | 36 | -8 |
| 45 | Fozzy Whittaker (CAR) | at NO | 42 | -3 |
| 46 | Jalen Richard (OAK) | vs. KC | 44 | -2 |
| 47 | DeAngelo Williams (PIT) | at MIA | 45 | -2 |
| 48 | Mike Gillislee (BUF) | vs. SF | 53 | +5 |
| 49 | Kenneth Dixon (BAL) | at NYG | 51 | +2 |
| 50 | Bobby Rainey (NYG) | vs. BAL | 47 | -3 |
| 51 | Chris Thompson (WAS) | vs. PHI | 49 | -2 |
| 52 | Orleans Darkwa (NYG) | vs. BAL | 50 | -2 |
| 53 | Alfred Morris (DAL) | at GB | 52 | -1 |
| 54 | Andre Ellington (ARI) | vs. NYJ | 78 | +24 |
| 55 | Robert Kelley (WAS) | vs. PHI | 75 | +20 |
| 56 | C.J. Spiller (SEA) | vs. ATL | 54 | -2 |
| 57 | Wendell Smallwood (PHI) | at WAS | 57 | 0 |
| 58 | Dwayne Washington (DET) | vs. LA | 60 | +2 |
| 59 | Tim Hightower (NO) | vs. CAR | 64 | +5 |
| 60 | Josh Ferguson (IND) | at HOU | 67 | +7 |
-
Notes & Analysis:
- Le’Veon Bell is a very good running back. Miami is giving up 131.4 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs. Giddy up.
- Lamar Miller is coming off a heavy dose of Vikings defense, which has simply extinguished fantasy production on the other side of the ball. Look for him to “get right” in a big way on Sunday night against a soft-served Colts defense.
- Ezekiel Elliott is quickly rising to the top of the NFL’s talent pool as he sprints through massive holes paved by the Cowboys’ stacked offensive line. The Packers are tough against the run, but I don’t think it’ll matter.
- LeSean McCoy has been one of the few bright spots on this Bills offense. He’s healthy and getting fat workloads, entrenching him as an RB1 in this week’s easy matchup vs. SF.
- C.J. Anderson since his two-TD Week 1 performance: 50.2 yards per game and 3.1 yards per carry... He’s looking more like a high-end RB2 in the long run, but can be treated as an RB1 on Thursday night versus SD’s weak defense.
- Devonta Freeman is running like a man on a mission, regardless of the defense he’s facing. A road game in Seattle is no simple task, but he’s just playing too good to consider him anything less than an upside RB2. Tevin Coleman, his backfield partner, is settling in as a pass-catching RB3 who will have a few week-winning stat lines himself.
- Melvin Gordon is going to be hard to trust as an every-week RB1 when his unsustainable TD rate begins to drop (which it will). Against a fierce Denver defense, he’s a low-floor RB2 who probably needs a score in order to have Week 6 value.
- It’s only a matter of time until Jamaal Charles takes over KC’s backfield... or is it? He’s one of the most unpredictable RBs coming out of a Week 5 bye, but I still find myself ranking him a few spots higher than Spencer Ware for now — stay tuned.
- The Panthers need to remind Jonathan Stewart of his Week 6 opponent, then I’m sure he’ll be healthy enough to play. Through five weeks, no team has allowed more fantasy points to RBs than the Saints “defense.”
- With Jeremy Hill dealing plagued by injury and/or ineffectiveness plus the fact that the Bengals will be forced to play up-tempo against the Patriots, this game sets up nicely for Giovani Bernard, especially in PPR.
- Arian Foster appears set to return from his multi-week vacation this Sunday against the Steelers. Miami’s offense has been stuck in neutral without Foster, so I’m expecting him to get the ball early and often if his hamstring(s) hold up.
Good luck this week. Follow Robert on Twitter.