2012 Fantasy Football Week 16: Running Backs (RB) Rankings / Projections

For all the success Doug Martin has had in his rookie season, fantasy owners had to be disappointed and a little shocked by his numbers against the Saints last week. Playing against one of the worst run defenses in the league, Martin appeared to be a shoe-in for over 100 yards and at least one score, but the Saints built up a big lead in the first half, forcing the Buccaneers to stick with the passing game.

Don’t expect the same situation this week as Tampa Bay heads back home to play the Rams. Look for St. Louis to give them a competitive game, but the game scripts will play out the way we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from this team most of the year, and that means Martin touches the football over 20 times.

Until this team improves against the pass, Martin will be susceptible to dud performances against top notch passing attacks.

What Did We Learn From Week 15?

- For the second time in three weeks Adrian Peterson went over 200 yards on the ground, as the Vikings kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating the Rams. While I had my concerns about Peterson’s ability to stay healthy in his career coming out of Oklahoma, it’s apparent that his physical running style hasn’t put much wear and tear on his body up to this point.

Now that we’ve seen how he’s come back from such a traumatic knee injury to post arguably his best year as a pro, it’s apparent Peterson’s ability to bounce back from health problems is other-worldly. Expect Peterson to be the top draft pick in most leagues next year, and he’s the top fantasy play down the stretch as he needs less than 200 yards to reach 2,000 on the season.

- After tweaking his ankle against the Broncos, Darren McFadden clearly benefited from extra rest after playing a Thursday night game. It also helped that McFadden played against the Chiefs, a team he’s had sound success against in his career.

While McFadden failed to find the end zone, he did total 145 yards in the game and touched the football over 25 times. Expect the Raiders to play from behind in Carolina this week, but McFadden should be viewed as a respectable RB2 going forward.

Sean’s Week 16 Watch List

- Despite playing from way behind throughout the second half against the Seahawks, Buffalo continued to keep C.J. Spiller involved on the ground. This week the Bills head down to Miami, and we should expect over 20 touches for Spiller with Fred Jackson out of the picture.

Look for the Dolphins to win the game, but I would be surprised if they run away from the Bills like the Seattle did last week. With Jackson gone, Spiller is a RB1 through the final two weeks of the season.

- After two ineffective performances from rookie Bryce Brown, it appears LeSean McCoy will have a chance to play this week. If you’ve made it to the Super Bowl in your league without McCoy, we should give him serious consideration as at least a flex play this week. Keep an eye on his availability and practice participation this week.

If everything is a go for this weekend, McCoy is a worthy low-end RB2 as I’m sure Brown’s role will be tailed back because of his ball security issues.

1	Adrian Peterson	@ Texans
2	Arian Foster	Vikings
3	Alfred Morris	@ Eagles
4	Marshawn Lynch	49ers
5	Knowshon Moreno	Browns
6	C.J. Spiller	@ Dolphins
7	DeMarco Murray	Saints
8	Jamaal Charles	Colts
9	Ray Rice	Giants
10	Trent Richardson	@ Broncos
11	Darren McFadden	@ Panthers
12	Doug Martin	Rams
13	Matt Forte	@ Cardinals
14	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	@ Steelers
15	Frank Gore	@ Seahawks
16	Reggie Bush	Bills
17	Stevan Ridley	@ Jaguars
18	LeSean McCoy (I)	Redskins
19	Chris Johnson	@ Packers
20	Vick Ballard	@ Chiefs
21	David Wilson	@ Ravens
22	DeAngelo Williams	Raiders
23	Mikel Leshoure	Falcons
24	Michael Turner	@ Lions
25	Shonn Greene	Chargers
26	Beanie Wells	Bears
27	Darren Sproles	@ Cowboys
28	Ahmad Bradshaw (I)	@ Ravens
29	Steven Jackson	@ Buccaneers
30	Alex Green	Titans
31	Jacquizz Rodgers	@ Lions
32	Jonathan Dwyer	Bengals
33	Montell Owens	Patriots
34	Danny Woodhead	@ Jaguars
35	Bryce Brown	Redskins
36	Mark Ingram	@ Cowboys
37	Isaac Redman (I)	Bengals

Week 16 Standard Rankings – QB | WR | TE | K | D |