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Week 15 Running Back Rankings - PPR Leagues

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Examining the best matchups for week fifteen running backs from a point per reception-league standpoint.

By Matias Wodner
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Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Hopefully a lot of you advanced to the second round of the fantasy playoffs. Last week was a disaster for a lot of fantasy teams, with plenty of players underperforming expectations by wide margins. If you avoided some of those poor performances, then you probably are still alive. Good luck the rest of the way!

Rank Player Team Opponent Analysis
1 David Johnson ARI NO The Saints have allowed at least one RB to hit double digits in every game except for one, while also giving up SIX 20+ point games to RBs.
2 Le'Veon Bell PIT @CIN Bell really just had a 50 point game. Now he gets a Bengals defense that's bad in the running game.
3 LeSean McCoy BUF CLE Shady has been a fantasy all star all year, and now gets a bottom three Browns run defense.
4 Ezekiel Elliott DAL TB Coming off a relatively disappointing performance in a tough game, but should find much more room to run against an okay but not great Bucs run defense.
5 Latavius Murray OAK @SD Murray has now hit double digits in all but one game in which he's played this entire season. Increasingly efficient and finding the end zone commonly, he's a top 5 play.
6 Devonta Freeman ATL SF Well, last week was an atrocity, but he gets the best, juiciest matchup for an RB this week.
7 DeMarco Murray TEN @KC Looked healthy coming off the bye week, and will be a top 10 play again regardless of the tough matchup. The Chiefs have actually gotten lit up a bit by good backs this year.
8 Thomas Rawls SEA LA Game script killed him last week, but still looked great early on and gets a disintegrating Rams defense next.
9 Carlos Hyde SF @ATL Hyde continues to be great on a terrible team. Game flow hasn't affected him, and it won't in this matchup either. The Falcons give up the 2nd most fantasy points to RBs.
10 Bilal Powell NYJ MIA It's looking like Matt Forte will miss this week, opening the door for Powell to get another full workload. Powell racked up 179 total yards and two touchdowns after Forte went down last week.
11 Jordan Howard CHI GB He continues to produce despite little talent around him. Four straight double digit games and a crumbling Packers run defense is up next.
12 Jay Ajayi MIA @NYJ The Jets defense is falling to pieces and the Dolphins might give Ajayi 30 carries with Matt Moore behind center.
13 Lamar Miller HOU JAX I just don't know with him anymore. What an uncomfortable, frustrating own he's been this year.
14 Jeremy Hill CIN PIT Hill has hit double digits in six of his past seven games and will get a full workload in a division game in December. The odds are in his favor.
15 LeGarrette Blount NE @DEN Denver is much more easily attackable on the ground, and Belichick will make sure to give Blount plenty of opportunities in Denver. Blount has multiple touchdown upside.
16 Doug Martin TB @DAL Martin continues to be inefficient, but continues to also score touchdowns and be involved in the passing game.
17 Tevin Coleman ATL SF The Niners' putrid run defense will provide opportunities for massive games by both Falcons RBs.
18 Jonathan Stewart CAR @WAS Part of the Blount School of Lucking Into Touchdowns. Stewart is a good bet to get a one yard touchdown any week, but he doesn't do much else other than that.
19 Jerick McKinnon MIN IND Has put up three straight solid games against tough run defenses and now gets gifted one of the best matchups for RBs.
20 Spencer Ware KC TEN He's been brutally inefficient and the matchup isn't easy. He's lost his preseason luster.
21 Rob Kelley WAS CAR Finally found the end zone after getting game-scripted out the previous two weeks. This should be a shootout, leading to plenty of goal line chances for Kelley.
22 Todd Gurley LA @SEA His receiving work is saving his weeks. Maybe the coaching change will help him and the offense get started.
23 Isaiah Crowell CLE @BUF The Bills just got eviscerated by Le'Veon and seem to have given up on trying to stop anyone. Crowell should eat against an unmotivated defense.
24 Frank Gore IND @MIN The matchup is tough, but the Vikes have sprung leaks on the ground and Gore has been as consistent as anyone this season.
25 James White NE @DEN Denver's defense needs to be attacked through RBs, paving the way for a White (formerly Vereen) type of game.
26 T.J. Yeldon JAX @HOU This rank is with a Chris Ivory absence assumed. Yeldon was great against a tough defense last week while operating as the featured back. His skill set makes him a great PPR option if Ivory is out.
27 Ty Montgomery GB @CHI Cautiously optimistic that Mike McCarthy will actually use him like a featured back as he should've been doing for several weeks.
28 Theo Riddick DET @NYG His body seems to be breaking down from various injuries, but expected to play this week. Don't expect much as he plays through lingering injuries.
29 Mark Ingram NO @ARI The matchup is brutal and the Saints offense is in absolute disarray. Not much to get excited about.
30 Kenneth Farrow SD OAK Melvin Gordon is expected to miss some time, leaving Farrow with the bulk of the work. Farrow hasn't looked particularly good and Ronnie Hillman could be involved, so temper your expectations.
31 Justin Forsett DEN NE Has already surpassed Booker as the lead back and is the best bet for production in the Broncos backfield.
32 Ryan Mathews PHI @BAL Looked pretty good in his return from injury, and will need to shoulder a big workload this week with Darren Sproles likely out. The matchup is the worst one possible, though.
33 Mike Gillislee BUF CLE He's worked as the red zone back several times this season, and he could get plenty of scoring chances against a terrible Browns run defense.
34 Kenneth Dixon BAL PHI Seems to have seized the lead back job, but knowing the Ravens they'll just make fullback Kyle Juszczyk the workhorse next week.
35 Matt Asiata MIN IND You know the drill. One yard touchdown or bust.
36 Rashad Jennings NYG DET I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm done with this guy.
37 Duke Johnson CLE @BUF Isn't really getting many touches. He'll get you like five to seven points.
38 Chris Thompson WAS CAR A low ceiling, fairly decent floor PPR play.
39 Derrick Henry TEN @KC The Titans have been getting Henry more involved early in games, which could lead to standalone value for Henry as they head to Arrowhead to face a Chiefs defense that is somewhat vulnerable on the ground.
40 Charles Sims TB @DAL Came back from a long layoff last week and was immediately inserted into his normal role. He can do damage in the passing game, and this is a game where he can find himself with a double digit performance.
41 Paul Perkins NYG DET Has forced a timeshare with Jennings, which is sapping the fantasy value from both of them.
42 Devontae Booker DEN NE Looks to have lost his job after being astoundingly ineffective since taking over for C.J. Anderson. Got only three carries last week.
43 Damien Williams MIA @NYJ Got a good amount of run last week, but he doesn't have much of a ceiling. Still, he could be used a lot with backup Matt Moore coming into the starting lineup.
44 Dwayne Washington DET @NYG Got a heavy workload with Riddick out. Riddick should be back, but Zach Zenner looks likely to miss, leaving Washington as the early down back.
45 Alfred Blue HOU JAX Has been able to accumulate a decent amount of touches each week due to Miller's lingering injuries, but Blue is getting capped in that five to seven point range.
46 Jalen Richard OAK @SD Murray is playing so well that Richard just isn't getting enough touches to have flex value.
47 Terrance West BAL PHI Seems to have lost his job, but knowing the Ravens they'll just make fullback Kyle Juszczyk the workhorse next week.
48 Robert Turbin IND @MIN Has been involved the past two weeks, spelling Gore and looking spry while doing so.
49 Rex Burkhead CIN PIT Has had a solid five point floor and ceiling since Giovani Bernard went down. Expect the same this week.
50 Christine Michael GB @CHI Could see a good amount of work if this game is a blowout like last week, which is a legitimate possibility.

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