Fantasy Football Week 10 Rankings: Top 35 RB

We all know that Adrian Peterson is the best running backs in the game (how do people who took Matt Forte No. 1 feel), but it looks that much better when he’s taking on the Lions.  The real question is how the rest of the running backs fall in the rankings, so let’s take a look:

1. Adrian Peterson - Minnesota Vikings - vs. Detroit
2. Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans - vs. Buffalo
3. Ray Rice - Baltimore Ravens - at Cleveland
4. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars - at New York Jets
5. Ronnie Brown - Miami Dolphins - vs. Tampa Bay
6. Michael Turner - Atlanta Falcons - at Carolina
7. Thomas Jones - New York Jets - vs. Jacksonville
8. Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers - vs. Chicago
9. Steve Jackson - St. Louis Rams - vs. New Orleans
10. DeAngelo Williams - Carolina Panthers - vs. Atlanta
11. Brian Westbrook - Philadelphia Eagles - at San Diego
12. Pierre Thomas - New Orleans Saints - at St. Louis
13. Matt Forte - Chicago Bears - at San Francisco
14. Ryan Grant - Green Bay Packers - vs. Dallas
15. Cedric Benson - Cincinnati Bengals - at Pittsburgh
16. LaDainian Tomlinson - San Diego Chargers - vs. Philadelphia
17. Marion Barber - Dallas Cowboys - at Green Bay
18. Rashard Mendenhall - Pittsburgh Steelers - vs. Cincinnati
19. Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo Bills - at Tennessee
20. Joseph Addai - Indianapolis Colts - vs. New England
21. Jamaal Charles - Kansas City Chiefs - at Oakland
22. Laurence Maroney - New England Patriots - at Indianapolis
23. Knowshown Moreno - Denver Broncos - at Washington
24. Ricky Williams - Miami Dolphins - vs. Tampa Bay
25. Mike Bell - New Orleans Saints - at St. Louis
26. Ladell Betts - Washington Redskins - vs. Denver
27. Willis McGahee - Baltimore Ravens - at Cleveland
28. Tim Hightower - Arizona Cardinals - vs. Seattle
29. Kevin Smith - Detroit Lions - at Minnesota
30. Fred Jackson - Buffalo Bills - at Tennessee
31. Justin Fargas - Oakland Raiders - vs. Kansas City
32. Darren McFadden - Oakland Raiders - vs. Kansas City
33. Julius Jones - Seattle Seahawks - at Arizona
34. Jamal Lewis - Cleveland Browns - vs. Baltimore
35. Carnell Williams - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - at Miami

Thoughts

• Chris Johnson gets the nod over Ray Rice, but just barely.  While they both take on weak rushing defenses, Johnson is the better runner.  A lot of Rice’s value stems from his ability to catch passes out of the backfield.
• Ronnie Brown & Thomas Jones have been among the best backs in the league this season, play on teams with inexperienced quarterbacks and face off against weak defenses.  Those three things tell you all you need to know about using them.
• If Pierre Thomas were the main back, he would be a great play this week.  Unfortunately, he shares time with Mike Bell and Reggie Bush, meaning he’ll likely be a good, but not great.
• These are not your normal Steelers.  No longer the run first, run often mentality, coupled with facing a tough Bengals run defense, and it could be a tough game for Rashard Mendenhall.
• Will Darren McFadden return to the lineup after the bye week?  His presence and the questions about who the main back will be, McFadden or Justin Fargas, certainly calls into question both backs value.
• Does anyone else see the Ravens in a blowout over the Browns?  That could mean more opportunity for Willis McGahee, a player who was hot early on but has clearly seen his value diminish in recent weeks.  For this week, however, he’s certainly a usable FLEX option.
• Tim Hightower or Beanie Wells?  The questions continue.  (Put whoever gets more touches this week on the rankings)
• Is there a reason the Chiefs only gave Jamaal Charles six carries in Week Nine?  It is really mind-boggling, but it’s something that I’m holding out hope is rectified for the coming week.  I’d still consider using him as an RB2, but the news this week needs to be watched closely to see if they give us any insight.
• The early news on Clinton Portis seems similar to Brian Westbrook, who was forced to miss two weeks of action due to a concussion.  I’m not counting on him playing (though I would think Westbrook will return next week), so he is left off the rankings completely.

What are your thoughts?  Who was left off the list?  Who should be higher?  Who should be lower?

Other Week 10 Rankings:

• Quarterbacks
• Wide Receivers

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