Fantasy Football 2015: Rankings for Top 10 Running Backs and Sleepers

This is the dawn of a new era as far as fantasy running backs are concerned.

The 2015 season marks the return of Adrian Peterson after missing all but one game last year as a result of being placed on the commissioner's exempt list. DeMarco Murray, the league's leading rusher, has moved from the Dallas Cowboys to the Philadelphia Eagles, while former Eagles back LeSean McCoy will now tote the rock for the Buffalo Bills.

Will any of those three become the best fantasy running back in the NFL this season? In this piece, we provide a look at the 10 best fantasy running backs heading into the 2015 season as well as a few sleepers who could emerge as impact players.

Rank	Player	Team	Projected Rushing Yards	Projected Rushing TDs	Projected Receiving TDs
1	Jamaal Charles	KC	1,388	12	4
2	Adrian Peterson	MIN	1,365	13	1
3	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	1,221	14	1
4	Eddie Lacy	GB	1,177	11	0
5	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	1,126	10	4
6	DeMarco Murray	PHI	1,045	10	3
7	LeSean McCoy	BUF	1,002	9	4
8	Arian Foster	HOU	988	10	2
9	Jeremy Hill	CIN	945	9	0
10	Matt Forte	CHI	921	8	3

1. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Charles got off to a very slow start in 2014 with just 23 rushing yards in the first two weeks of the season and missing Week 3 with a high ankle sprain. Nevertheless, Charles finished the season with 1,033 yards, an average of 5.0 yards per carry, nine rushing touchdowns and five more as a receiver.

Charles' 14 regular-season touchdowns finished second to Seattle's Marshawn Lynch, and that's a strong indicator that he should be even more productive in 2015. Charles has explosive speed when he gets to the second level, and his change-of-direction ability allows him to run through and out of tackles.

The Chiefs remain a team that should be heavily dependent on their ground game this year, and that should give Charles an opportunity to run the ball around 250 times. If he gets that many carries, he should be good for at least 1,300 yards and double-digit touchdowns.

"

Chiefs' RB Jamaal Charles says he sometimes feels like "The LeBron (James) of football."... http://t.co/UDHBVzFi97

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 2, 2015"

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

2. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

The No. 2 slot is a conservative estimation for Peterson, and if he can shake off the rust after missing 15 games last season, he could put together an MVP-type season. 

The Vikings appear to be a team that will feature defense and the running game under second-year head coach Mike Zimmer, and Peterson should be able to make that work. Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards in 2012, and he followed that up with a 1,266-yard season in 2013.

While many running backs have slowed down or finished their careers by the time they hit the age of 30, that does not apply to Peterson. He is an explosive and powerful man that dishes out as much punishment as he receives. 

"

In Adrian Peterson's absence Vikings RBs forced 29 MTs last season. Peterson's career low is 33 in 12 games in 2011. pic.twitter.com/VmhZNOG7JR

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) August 1, 2015"

3. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Lynch will continue to be a punishing and hard-hitting running back who helps set the tone for his team.

He is a powerful and aggressive runner who ran for 1,306 yards and 4.7 yards per carry last year. He has become one of the most consistent running backs in fantasy football with touchdown totals of 13, 12, 14 and 17 the last four years, respectively.

In addition to his own powerful running, Lynch is the beneficiary of quarterback Russell Wilson's running ability. Opposing defenses can't focus on Beast Mode because Wilson has the speed and quickness to tear them up if they do.

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

4. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers

As much as Lynch benefits from having a great running quarterback under center, Lacy benefits from the presence of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers is the top passer in the game, and that means opposing defenses have to put their focus on stopping or slowing down the Green Bay passing attack. That gives Lacy the opportunity to take on tacklers and either run over them or make them miss.

He ran for 1,178 yards as a rookie in 2013, then followed that up with 1,139 yards last year. He has 20 rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons and should be good for at least 10 more this year.

"

McCarthy on Eddie Lacy in pads: "That's when the big backs show up." #PackersCamp pic.twitter.com/zHUqV8zdVJ

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 1, 2015"

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

5. Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Bell will miss the first two games of the season, but head coach Mike Tomlin is breathing a sigh of relief because his star running back's suspension was reduced from three games.

Bell is a versatile player who can run with speed and power. He hit his stride last year when he ran for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns while also contributed 854 receiving yards and three more touchdowns. 

Bell is likely to come back from his suspension fully motivated to continue his stellar play, and he has the kind of support from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown to give the Steelers one of the most explosive offensive attacks in the league.

Sleepers

Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers

The rookie from Wisconsin is a sleeper because he does not have a track record in the pros, but the Chargers are depending on him to give them the kind of running attack that can relieve the pressure on quarterback Philip Rivers.

Gordon could be a fantasy player's dream come true; he picked up yardage and touchdowns by the bushel basket as a senior when he accumulated 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns. Gordon will have to prove himself in the NFL, and we expect 1,000 yards in his first year.

"

What did @Melvingordon25 learn on the first day of #ChargersCamp READ: http://t.co/XEAz7oNI2L pic.twitter.com/S6D1X5yXuu

— #ChargersCamp (@Chargers) July 30, 2015"

Eric Risberg/Associated Press

Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders

Fans may remember a late-season Thursday night game against the Chiefs that saw Murray run for 112 yards on four carries before leaving the game with a concussion.

Murray rushed for 413 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry over Oakland's last six games. He has surprising speed and the kind of power that allows him to run through tackles. He should be ready for a memorable season if he can stay healthy for 16 games.

"

Latavius Murray physically ready for heavy workload. 'I know how important this season is.': http://t.co/7OPOiPNm40 pic.twitter.com/Z57EtuDXEz

— Scott Bair (@BairCSN) August 2, 2015"

Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Maybe this is a reach, as his last two seasons have been a major disappointment, but the feeling here is that Martin will return to the form he showed in 2012, when he rushed for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns as a rookie.

Tampa Bay's offensive line has been poor the past two years, but it should be a bit better in 2015. If rookie quarterback Jameis Winston is not a complete bust, Martin will be the beneficiary.