2010 Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings: Running Backs

After a wild Week 1 filled with surprises, Week 2 didn’t disappoint as a follow-up.

This week alone, Jason Snelling had three more scores than Steven Jackson, Maurice Jones-Drew, Ray Rice, and Michael Turner have for the season…combined. That’s right; four of the top-10 players selected in most drafts still don’t have a touchdown.

Jahvid Best seems to have a nose for the end zone, and now has five touchdowns after two weeks, and Adrian Peterson rebounded from a disappointing first week and looked like the guy fantasy-football owners expected when drafting him.

Chris Johnson’s push towards 2,500 rushing yards got sidetracked, and to cap it all off, Darren McFadden is now fantasy-relevant again.

After two wild weeks, we will help you make sense of it all in our Fantasy Football Week 3 Running Back Rankings.

1. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) vs. Detroit

Peterson broke out for 186 total yards and a touchdown Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, which was just what his fantasy owners were hoping for after a lackluster Week 1 performance.

Peterson had 145 yards on the ground, and was able to have his way with the Dolphins' defense all day long.

Peterson owners can be excited for a big performance in Week 3, as he’ll get ready to torture the Detroit Lions' defense. Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy had his way with the Lions in Week 2, averaging 7.5 yards on 16 carries and finding the end zone three times.

Also, Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte had a big game against the Lions in Week 1 as well.

Peterson has dominated them in his career, so, coming off a solid performance, he looks primed and ready for his biggest week of the young season.

Point Projection: 22 points

2. Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) @ Kansas City

After a disappointing Week 1, Gore exploded past the New Orleans Saint defense for 168 total yards and two touchdowns.

His game was well-balanced, with 112 yards and a touchdown coming on the ground and 56 yards and a touchdown through the air. Many were worried about the matchup after the Saints took care of Adrian Peterson in Week 1, but Gore exposed the Saints as a beatable defense on his way to 28 fantasy-football points.

In Week 3, Gore will look to build on this performance and take care of a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs’ defense. Gore is a dual threat, as he’s just as dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield as he is a runner.

He’s an unquestioned RB1 in a 49ers offense that looked much improved in Week 2, so roll with Gore confidently this week.

Point Projection: 20 points

3. Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) @ New York Giants

Johnson’s struggles in Week 2 helped prove the point that the Pittsburgh Steelers have a very good run defense.

The Steelers held one of the best backs in the game to just 34 yards on 16 carries. His fantasy football owners, worldwide, cringed when an 85-yard touchdown run was called back due to holding in the first half, and Johnson never got it going the rest of the game.

One week like this against a tough defense is bound to happen, but Johnson owners better hope he can rebound quickly.

Johnson will look to get back on track against a New York Giants defense that was embarrassed by the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. The Colts put up 38 points against the Giants, while Colt running backs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown combined for 161 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

If that game was any indication, Johnson will be able to roam free this week. If he is really serious about going for 2,500 yards this season, he’ll be running extra hard this week to make up for his lackluster Week 2.

Point Projection: 18 points

To see where your Running Back Ranks click here... Week 3 RB Ranks