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David Johnson is a stud, Lamar Miller finally broke out, LeSean McCoy kept rolling, and Jay Ajayi exploded out of nowhere. Week 6 was fun from a running back perspective. Here's to hoping Week 7 keeps the good times rolling for the position.
Rank | Player | Team | Opponent | Analysis |
1 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @MIA | McCoy is reborn and gets an easy matchup to continue his hot streak. |
2 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | IND | Murray got bottled up for the most part last week, but still got into the end zone. Now he gets a Colts defense that gave up 30+ points to Lamar Miller last week. |
3 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | NE | The Pats might stack the box and sell out to stop the run game with Landry Jones behind center, but Bell is good enough as both a runner and receiver to have elite upside anyway. |
4 | David Johnson | ARI | SEA | Coming off two straight weeks of 30+ points in each, DJ is matchup proof and will be a top five play regardless of matchup for the foreseeable future. |
5 | Todd Gurley | LA | NYG | Don't look now, but Gurley has gone over 10 points in four straight weeks after a brutal start to the season. Now gets the Giants who are coughing up rushing production at an alarming rate. |
6 | Doug Martin | TB | @SF | IF he returns as expected, Martin will be locked in as an elite play against a Niners defense that has given up two 30+ and two 20+ point performances to rushers this year. |
7 | Lamar Miller | HOU | @DEN | Denver isn't the imposing matchup it was last year, and they're giving up the 10th most fantasy points to RBs. Miller is coming off a monster game and should keep it going in this one. |
8 | Carlos Hyde | SF | TB | A game against the Bucs should put Hyde in a much better game script. Tampa Bay let Cameron Artis-Payne rush for 85 yards and two touchdowns in their last game. |
9 | Spencer Ware | KC | NO | The Chiefs don't seem willing to let off the Ware gas pedal and he responded with a 23 point performance last week. The matchup is as golden as gold. |
10 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | SD | The Chargers run defense isn't quite as bad as last year's unit, but they're getting gashed by receiving backs. Freeman can do damage on the ground and through the air. |
11 | Mark Ingram | NO | @KC | He's getting the work, but just hasn't gotten the end zone looks. They should be there this week, though, against a Chiefs run defense that has fallen off this year. |
12 | Melvin Gordon | SD | @ATL | Still inefficient, but the volume and goal-line looks are completely outweighing the negatives. Gets a good matchup against a weak Falcons defense. |
13 | Christine Michael | SEA | @ARI | The Awakening is real and Michael is an RB1/high end RB2 until Thomas Rawls returns (probably even when that happens). The matchup is tough, but McCoy and Hyde have gone over 20 points against this defense this year. Start him with confidence. |
14 | Jamaal Charles | KC | NO | The Saints defense is so bad that both Ware and Charles could have huge days. Andy Reid isn't ready to give Charles a full workload, but he should get more touches than last week. |
15 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | HOU | I know he's burned owners for the past four or so weeks, but there is a silver lining: he had around 40 yards and a touchdown called back by holding penalties last week. He's still good and gets a good matchup. |
16 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | @CIN | Crowell has come crashing back to Earth and the Browns are always in negative game scripts, which bodes well for Johnson. |
17 | James White | NE | @PIT | Has come to life with Tom Brady back and is looking like a much more solid option than Blount, both for their real-life offense and for fantasy purposes. |
18 | Terrance West | BAL | @NYJ | The Jets just gave up three rushing touchdowns on MNF and now get West, who scored two rushing touchdowns of his own last week. |
19 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | CLE | Has started over Hill the last two games and handled more touches. Gets a good matchup to prove he should continue being the guy. |
20 | Theo Riddick | DET | WAS | Expected back after a week off with injury, Riddick gets the most perfect of matchups with not much competition for touches behind him. |
21 | Eddie Lacy | GB | CHI | He's tough to trust right now because of his ankle injury and Green Bay's offensive ineptitude, but if he plays he'll get around 15 carries. Against a mediocre Bears run defense, that makes for a startable play. |
22 | Chris Ivory | JAX | OAK | He got more carries than Yeldon and handles the goal-line work. The Raiders gave up two goal-line rushing touchdowns last week, and another if you count Dontari Poe's. |
23 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | BUF | Trying not to overreact to his explosion, but he looked damn good for the third week in a row. The Bills aren't exactly an easy matchup, but if the Dolphins commit to him as their guy then there are fantasy points to be had. |
24 | Jordan Howard | CHI | @GB | John Fox was up to his John Fox ways last week, giving Ka'Deem Carey nine carries |
25 | Matt Jones | WAS | @DET | I'm starting to think that Matt Jones is actually good. His week-to-week performances are inconsistent, but his blow-up performances are massive. This could be another against a not-great Lions defense. |
26 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @BAL | Man, it's crazy how much four weeks can change everything. Forte went from a top five RB play to now a nearly unstartable one. I'd assume they'll try to get him going this week, but who knows what this offense can accomplish anymore. |
27 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | SD | The Chargers can't cover running backs out of the backfield, which is Coleman's specialty. But his production has been volatile. This could be an all-Freeman game. |
28 | Latavius Murray | OAK | @JAX | I'm assuming he'll be active after two weeks on the sidelines, but he's coming back to a full-blown and ineffective committee. |
29 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @CIN | Hard to feel any sort of confident with him after two horrible weeks in a row, but the Bengals have been getting gashed on the ground. We'll see if he can get back on track. |
30 | Frank Gore | IND | @TEN | As consistent as Gore has been, Tennessee just isn't giving up fantasy production to running backs. They're giving up the third-fewest points to the position. |
31 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | CLE | Has lost his starting job to Gio. If there was ever a matchup to get him going it's this one, but I remain skeptical about his season-long outlook. |
32 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | @PHI | His usage is fine and dandy, but his offensive line is horrible and the matchup this week isn't great. |
33 | T.J. Yeldon | JAX | OAK | The Raiders got pummeled by Chiefs running backs last week, so Yeldon and ivory can both have good games this week. |
34 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | @PIT | If he doesn't get into the end zone, he has a bad fantasy day. As good a bet for that as he is, the Steelers had only given up three rushing touchdowns before Ajayi's unexpected explosion last week. |
35 | Devontae Booker | DEN | HOU | Gary Kubiak said he needs to give Booker more touches, but we'll see if he comes through on that promise. Booker has been good enough and has a good enough matchup to warrant flex consideration. |
36 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @BAL | The Jets were so bad on MNF that Powell couldn't even get garbage time production. He's very efficient with his touches, but the offense limits his upside. |
37 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | @LA |
Pros: he's the starter, I guess. Cons: he's not good, the Giants don't run the ball, and he's also terribly inefficient. |
38 | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | @SF | Still might have a role in the offense with Charles Sims on IR. Would be a top-15 play if Martin were to miss this game. |
39 | Ryan Mathews | PHI | MIN | I have no clue what Doug Pederson is doing with his running backs. Mathews is clearly the most talented and productive of the bunch, but he got just NINE carries against the league's worst run defense. It's baffling, really. |
40 | Matt Asiata | MIN | @PHI | Severely outperformed McKinnon in Week 5, but his week-to-week production is based off one yard touchdowns. Not someone you can bank on. |
41 | Bobby Rainey | NYG | @LA | Orleans Darkwa didn't touch the ball with Jennings back, so Rainey's role will continue to be safe for the foreseeable future. |
42 | Chris Thompson | WAS | @DET | Has actually been very consistent in PPR leagues as the Redskins passing down back. |
43 | Derrick Henry | TEN | IND | Still not being used a lot, but is in such a layup matchup that five touches could end up being 50 yards and a touchdown. |
44 | Mike Gillislee | BUF | @MIA | Doesn't get much run as McCoy's backup, but is efficient with his touches. |
45 | Jalen Richard | OAK | @JAX | Has arguably been the Raiders' best running back, and is a better bet than Washington in PPR. |
46 | Arian Foster | MIA | BUF | Assuming he'll get more work as he was coming off an injury last week. Ajayi might have just taken the starting job and run with it, though. |
47 | Darren Sproles | PHI | MIN | I have no clue what Doug Pederson is doing with his running backs. |
48 | Justin Forsett | DET | WAS | Didn't play much and Riddick should be back this week. Not much value to be had outside of a few touches per game. |
49 | C.J. Spiller | SEA | @ARI | A PPR only play, Spiller still looks explosive as a change-of-pace pass catcher for the Seahawks. |
50 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | @JAX | Didn't impress with Murray out and will fall back into a committee. |