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We’re in a post-bye world now and there’s a bounty of running backs to be started.
Good will running!
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Rank | Running Back | Team | Opponent | High-Floor/High-Ceiling RB1s -- Elite Tier |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Running Back | Team | Opponent | High-Floor/High-Ceiling RB1s -- Elite Tier |
1 | Todd Gurley II | LAR | at DET | Gurley's gonna eat Snacks' lunch. |
2 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | at TB | McCaffrey has 9 touchdowns over the last 5 games and Tampa Bay's on deck. |
High-Floor/High-Ceiling RB1s | ||||
3 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | NO | A high-volume of work will keep Zeke rolling. |
4 | Alvin Kamara | NO | at DAL | Kamara will likely have steady work all night long. |
5 | David Johnson | ARI | at GB | This is a good spot for DJ to smash. The Packers are reeling. |
6 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | CHI | Banking on talent to beat out coaching in a tough matchup. |
7 | Aaron Jones | GB | ARI | Jones gets bellcow usage again a bottom-barrel run defense. |
8 | Nick Chubb | CLE | at HOU | Chubb's obliterating defenses and his passing game usage is ticking up. |
9 | James Conner | PIT | LAC | A fumble derailed his usage last week. Go back to him and you will be rewarded. |
10 | Joe Mixon | CIN | DEN | The Bengals will lean heavily on their bellcow with Andy Dalton going on IR. |
11 | Phillip Lindsay | DEN | at CIN | The Bengals defense is appalling. Lindsay could have a career day. |
12 | Josh Adams | PHI | WAS | Adams was solidly productive on 22 carries last week and Coach Doug Pederson said he wants to get Adams even more work. It's a great matchup too. |
High-Floor/High-Ceiling RB2s | ||||
13 | Spencer Ware | KC | at OAK | Ware resumes his old role as Kansas City's bellcow in a heavenly matchup against the league's slowest defense. Expect the reliable, well-rounded Ware to smash box scores as a season-altering starter in redraft leagues. |
14 | Gus Edwards | BAL | at ATL | Similar to the man listed above him, Edwards is in a spot to set career bests against the barely-there Falcons defense. |
15 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | at PIT | We'll need to watch practice reports to get an understanding of how Justin Jackson will be utilzed. Ekeler could potentially walk into the Melvin Gordon role uncontested. |
16 | Sony Michel | NE | MIN | The potential return of Rex Burkhead drops Michel out of the RB1 tier for now. |
17 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | at NE | Cook seems to be solely producing through the air -- a good thing in a surefire shootout against the Pats. |
18 | Chris Carson | SEA | SF | Seattle's presumed lead back has a great matchup against a struggling 49ers defense. |
19 | Matt Breida | SF | at SEA | Breida looks to be at full health and should see a full 20-touch workload. |
20 | Lamar Miller | HOU | CLE | A volume play with a good matchup. |
21 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | at NYG | Trubisky's limited at best and it's a good run defense matchup. |
High-Floor/Capped-Ceiling RB2s | ||||
22 | James White | NE | MIN | White's production has dropped off steeply in recent weeks but he's still got a concrete role in the NE offense. |
23 | Adrian Peterson | WAS | at PHI | WAS will look to feature AD against the struggling division rival. |
24 | Nyheim Hines | IND | at JAX | Hines and Wilkins will likely split work down the middle. I like the guy featured in Andrew Luck's passing game more. |
High-Floor/Capped-Ceiling RB3s | ||||
25 | T.J. Yeldon | JAX | IND | Jacksonville will be forced to throw the ball to keep up with Indy. Yeldon could lead the team in targets as a result. |
26 | Peyton Barber | TB | CAR | Barber's recent production is pushing him towards the RB2 discussion. He's got a great matchup on deck. |
27 | Mark Ingram | NO | at DAL | Dallas plays stout run defense but a 10-touch player in the New Orleans offense is good for RB3 production. |
28 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | BAL | A very difficult matchup, volume of work keeps him buyoued. |
Shaky Floor/Capped-Ceiling RB3s | ||||
29 | Justin Jackson | LAC | at PIT | If we get any indication that Jackson will see serious work, he will immediately replace Tevin Coleman in the RB2/3 fringes. |
30 | Dion Lewis | TEN | NYJ | Lewis's sporadic production makes things unclear, it's a great matchup though. |
31 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | at MIA | McCoy should get 15+ touches against a crappy Dolphins defense. |
32 | Doug Martin | OAK | KC | Jon Gruden will look to boost Martin's stats even in a blowout. |
33 | Frank Gore | MIA | BUF | With Kenyan Drake hurt, Gore will receive a slightly higher volume of work against a subpar Buffalo run D. |
34 | Jordan Wilkins | IND | at JAX | Jacksonville's defense is reeling once again and Wilkins should see 10 or more touches against a bulldozing offensive line. |
35 | Carlos Hyde | JAX | IND | Hyde will likely see 10+ touches against a middling Colts defense. |
36 | Jordan Howard | CHI | at NYG | The weekly Howard dice roll features a plus matchup and a shaky workload. |
37 | Royce Freeman | DEN | at CIN | Freeman could see some productive garbage time goal-line work in a plus matchup. |
RB4s | ||||
38 | Rashaad Penny | SEA | SF | Penny should see decent change-of-pace work as the Seahawks roll over the San Francisco 49ers. |
39 | Isaiah Crowell | NYJ | TEN | He's got a bad matchup and Josh McCown at quarterback. |
40 | Theo Riddick | DET | LAR | The slot receiver will have a boost in targets against the Rams. |
41 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | at HOU | His usage is trending the wrong direction and it's a tough matchup. |
42 | Jalen Richard | OAK | KC | Richard could see a decent amount of second half snaps as Oakland tries to rally back against a murderous Kansas City offense. |
43 | Elijah McGuire | NYJ | TEN | Banking on McGuire slowly taking over the lead back role. |
44 | LeGarrette Blount | DET | LAR | If Detroit makes it near the goal-line, Blount should punch one in. |
45 | Corey Clement | PHI | WAS | Clement will funciton as the No. 2 back in a good matchup. |
46 | Alfred Blue | HOU | CLE | Blue was afforded 14 touches last week. |
47 | Derrick Henry | TEN | NYJ | A touchdown-dependent small-boom or bust RB. |
48 | Chris Thompson | WAS | at PHI | "If he plays…" |