2012 Fantasy Football Week 1: Running Backs (RB) Rankings and Projections

For now, Jonathan Stewart still has a chance to play against the Buccaneers, but don’t be surprised if he’s out of the lineup, or at best in a limited role, coming of an ankle injury.

Both Cam Newton and Mike Tolbert will be the top candidates to run the football in close to the goal line should Stewart miss the game, but I like Williams as an RB2 option.

Williams looked good during the preseason, and we saw his production go up towards the end of last season as defenses were forced to respect Newton’s abilities as a passer and a runner.

Expect big plays from the Panthers' starting running back, and I have a feeling those of you that selected Williams will be rewarded for not giving up on him after a few disappointing seasons.

Truth is, after Jake Delhomme fell apart, it was hard for the Panthers' running backs to get much done.

Without a reliable quarterback, they faced eight and nine-man fronts, and the passing game was so bad they couldn’t pick up first downs through the air, even with Steve Smith on the field.

The Buccaneers were torched on the ground through the preseason and have been one of the worst teams against the run in recent years. Make sure Williams is in the lineup if you have an injured running back or they face a difficult matchup.

Sean’s Watch List

We have a bunch of injuries at the running back position, and I will be watching to see how key running backs like Adrian Peterson, Trent Richardson, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Beanie Wells, Kevin Smith and Marshawn Lynch will be used.

You may notice that I’ve left Peterson off the list. Unless he puts in a full week of practice and gets the green light to play, hold him out this week and let’s see what happens. Even if he gets on the field, the Vikings are probably going to put him on a low pitch count, as he failed to see live-game action in the preseason and just recently took part in contact drills.

Lynch is battling back spasms, but at this time, I expect him to play against a solid front seven in Arizona.

Green-Ellis is batting a foot injury and will play against a tough Ravens defense, so you might want to sit him this week.

Smith is an interesting play because the Lions host the Rams, but make sure he can participate in a full practice before looking to him as a starting option in standard leagues.

Wells will battle Ryan Williams for playing time, and both will be up against one of the better run defenses in the game.

As for Richardson, he has a respectable matchup, but it’s likely the Eagles will blow the Browns out by the third quarter, making him a risk to be pulled early, as the Browns wouldn’t want to risk further injury in a lost cause.

1	LeSean McCoy	@ Browns
2	Darren McFadden	Chargers
3	Arian Foster	Dolphins
4	Ray Rice	Bengals
5	Matt Forte	Colts
6	Chris Johnson	Patriots
7	Jamaal Charles	Falcons
8	Steven Jackson	@ Lions
9	DeMarco Murray	@ Giants
10	Fred Jackson	@ Jets
11	Doug Martin	Panthers
12	DeAngelo Williams	@ Bucs
13	Ahmad Bradshaw	Cowboys
14	Marshawn Lynch (I)	@ Cardinals
15	Frank Gore	@ Packers
16	Willis McGahee	Steelers
17	Peyton Hillis	Falcons
18	Rashad Jennings	@ Vikings
19	Michael Turner	@ Chiefs
20	Stevan Ridley	@ Titans
21	Shonn Greene	Bills
22	Mark Ingram	Redskins
23	Trent Richardson (I)	Eagles
24	Kevin Smith (I)	Rams
25	Darren Sproles (I)	Redskins
26	Cedric Benson	49ers
27	Reggie Bush	@ Texans
28	Michael Bush	Colts
29	BenJarvus Green-Ellis (I)	@ Ravens
30	Beanie Wells (I)	Seahawks
31	Jonathan Dwyer	@ Broncos
32	Toby Gerhart	Jaguars
33	Ronnie Brown	@ Raiders
34	Donald Brown	@ Bears
35	Roy Helu	@ Saints
36	Beanie Wells (I)	Seahawks
37	Ryan Williams	Seahawks
38	Isaac Redman (I)	@ Broncos
39	Ben Tate	Dolphins
40	Jonathan Stewart (I)	@ Buccaneers

Week 1 Rankings—QB |  WR | TE | Start / Sit | Waiver Wire |