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Fantasy Football Rankings: Running backs for Week 4

Ranking the best running backs by matchup and opportunity for Week 4 of the 2018 NFL Season.   

By NHB
NFL: Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

My Week 4 running back rankings for Week 4 of the 2018 NFL Season!

RB rankings - Week 4

Rank Player Team Opponent High Floor/High Ceiling RB1s
Rank Player Team Opponent High Floor/High Ceiling RB1s
1 Alvin Kamara NO at NYG Kamara gets another stellar matchup and maintains the top spot in our weekly rankings.
2 Todd Gurley LAR MIN Chris Ivory hung 126 yards from scrimmage on Minnesota last week. Gurley should have no problem surpassing that.
3 Mevlin Gordon LAC SF Gordon's date with SF will be a breath of fresh air after last week's outing against the Rams. All systems go for the RB3 of 2018.
4 Ezekiel Elliott DAL DET Zeke might've been No. 1 on this list had he played Detroit last week. The Lions D is shaping up though so he drops a few spots.
5 Saquon Barkley NYG NO Sub-optimal, high-volume usage is still high-volume usage. Barkley will likely see even more passing game work against the lowly Saints D with Evan Engram sidelined.
6 Giovani Bernard CIN at ATL Atlanta simply cannot stop pass-catching RBs. They've allowed the most RB receptions for 3 consective years -- CMC caught 14 balls against them in Week 2, Kamara caught 15 in Week 3.
Low Floor/High Ceiling RB1s
7 Leonard Fournette JAX NYJ The balky hamstring may pose workload issues.
8 James Conner PIT BAL High-volume buoys his value against a top-flight Baltimore defense.
9 Jordan Howard CHI TB Tampa Bay is allowing the 3rd-fewest rushing yards per game. Passing game usage will be key.
10 Carlos Hyde CLE at OAK Hyde has locked-in bellcow usage and Oakland is allowing the 11th-most rushing yards per game.
11 Tevin Coleman ATL CIN This will change if Freeman is fully healthy but until we know that for sure, we'll expect roughly 20 touches for Coleman against the league's 7th-worst run defense.
12 Kareem Hunt KC at DEN Denver is shutting down run games and Hunt is not being utilized through the air. The workload is troubling.
High Floor/High Ceiling RB2s
13 Marshawn Lynch OAK CLE Shogunjobi is a 1-man wrecking crew. Lynch's high-volume of work in what should be a slugfest makes him a very safe play though.
14 Phillip Lindsay DEN KC Assuming he doesn't lose playing time as punishment for getting ejected last week, the electric play-maker needs to be started against the NFL's worst defense.
Low Floor/High Ceiling RB2s
15 Dalvin Cook MIN at LAR Cook comes in at 15 on talent alone. This is a terrible matchup and Cook's nursing a bad hammy.
16 Lamar Miller HOU at IND Indy D is on the up-and-up but they're still struggling to stop RBs. Miller's secure workload + the matchup keep him as a mid-range RB2.
17 Jay Ajayi PHI at TEN Assuming he's healthy, Ajayi faces a Titans defense that has played well against bad running backs. His redzone usage makes him a good weekly bet to find the endzone. Wentz's return boosts Ajayi's floor.
18 Kenyan Drake MIA at NE Miami's on fire right now and New England hasn't had much luck stopping opposing run games.
19 David Johnson ARI SEA Seattle's offensive ineptitude keeps opposing offenses in games. DJ should have a solid -- if moronically designed -- workload.
20 Alex Collins BAL at PIT This one's tough. The team is committed to using a committee but Collins is easily their best RB. PIT is allowing the 8th-most rushing yards per game this year.
21 Matt Breida SF at LAC Assuming he's healthy, Breida should have great a great floor moving forward. C.J. Beathard can't quit throwing to RBs.
22 Sony Michel NE MIA Miami has given up fruitful outings to Dion Lewis, Bilal Powell, and Marshawn Lynch. With Burkhead's recent neck injry, Michel should be operating as New England's lead back.
23 Chris Carson SEA at ARI Seattle committed to Carson last week and he produced. Arizona can't stop anything.
24 James White NE MIA White's got a locked-in role in the passing game and should have standalone value regardless of who heads the New England backfield.
High Floor/High Ceiling RB3s
25 LeSean McCoy/Chris Ivory BUF at GB Whichever RB gets the starting nod will be on the flex radar given GB's porous run defense.
26 Kerryon Johnson DET at DAL Johnson played very well last week. The other running backs didn't.
27 Javorius Allen BAL at PIT The Touchdown Vulture will likely strike again this week against a weak Pittsburgh run D.
28 Royce Freeman DEN KC Start everyone who plays KC.
29 Austin Ekeler LAC SF Ekeler came back to earth last week but he's still got his own role in a great offense.
Low Floor/High Ceiling RB3s
30 Jamaal Williams GB BUF Buffalo looked better last week but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Williams is at least the nominal RB1 in GB.
31 Aaron Jones GB BUF Lower floor but higher ceiling than Williams in a decent matchup.
32 Dion Lewis TEN PHI He'll maintain his touch count against Philly but… he's playing Philly.
33 Isaiah Crowell CLE at JAX Jacksonville has a smothering defense but if the Jets make it to the redzone, Crowell will get opportunities to score.
34 Derrick Henry TEN PHI He's approaching bust-status but he's still getting ample opportunity to score.
35 Nyheim Hines IND HOU Hines' snap count is on the rise.
36 Alfred Morris SF at LAC He can't catch so Beathard won't fall in love with him, but he's healthier than Breida right now.
RB4s
37 Peyton Barber TB at CHI He's a starting RB.
38 Bilal Powell NYJ at JAX Could be used as a safety valve for Darnold against the ferocious Jags pass rush.
39 Frank Gore MIA at NE Death, Taxes, & Frank Gore.
40 Ty Montgomery GB BUF Led the Packers backfield in yardage last week.
41 Tarik Cohen CHI TB TB's pass-funnel D/high-scoring offense could lead to a decent volume of targets for Cohen.
42 Ito Smith ATL CIN Has looked good on the touches he's been given.
43 Jalen Richard OAK CLE Has PPR-league value with his role in the passing game.
44 Jordan Wilkins IND HOU Still in the mix to be the Colts' lead RB.
45 T.J. Yeldon JAX NYJ Should see work regardless of Fournette's health.
46 Corey Clement PHI at TEN Will see 5-10 touches.
47 Theo Riddick DET at DAL Still has his role in the passing game.
48 Rashaad Penny SEA at ARI Could plod his way into the endzone if Pete Carroll let's his ego decide personnel groupings.

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