Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Top 40 Running Backs

Injuries have the potential to really shake these rankings as the week progresses.  Steven Jackson, Jahvid Best, Ryan Mathews, and Ray Rice are all battling injuries, but for now we will rank them as if they were going to play. 

Of course, that could change so make sure to check back later in the week and pay close attention to the news.  Who practices and who doesn’t will go a long way in finalizing these rankings.

For now, let’s take a look at how things currently stand:

1. Chris Johnson - Tennessee Titans - vs. Denver
2. Maurice Jones-Drew - Jacksonville Jaguars - vs. Indianapolis
3. Arian Foster - Houston Texans - at Oakland
4. Michael Turner - Atlanta Falcons - vs. San Francisco
5. Ryan Mathews - San Diego Chargers - vs. Arizona
6. Cedric Benson - Cincinnati Bengals - at Cleveland
7. Rashard Mendenhall - Pittsburgh Steelers - vs. Baltimore
8. Frank Gore - San Francisco 49ers - at Atlanta
9. LeSean McCoy - Philadelphia Eagles - vs. Washington
10. DeAngelo Williams - Carolina Panthers - at New Orleans
11. Ray Rice - Baltimore Ravens - at Pittsburgh
12. Steven Jackson - St. Louis Rams - vs. Seattle
13. Pierre Thomas - New Orleans Saints - vs. Carolina
14. LaDanian Tomlinson - New York Jets - at Buffalo
15. Darren McFadden - Oakland Raiders - vs. Houston
16. Jahvid Best - Detroit Lions - at Green Bay
17. Matt Forte - Chicago Bears - at New York Giants
18. Ronnie Brown - Miami Dolphins - vs. New England
19. Ahmad Bradshaw - New York Giants - vs. Chicago
20. Peyton Hillis - Cleveland Browns - vs. Cincinnati
21. Brandon Jackson - Green Bay Packers - vs. Detroit
22. Beanie Wells - Arizona Cardinals - at San Diego
23. Joseph Addai - Indianapolis Colts - at Jacksonville
24. Ricky Williams - Miami Dolphins - vs. New England
25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis - New England Patriots - at Miami
26. Shonn Greene - New York Jets - at Buffalo
27. Marshawn Lynch - Buffalo Bills - vs. New York Jets
28. Jonathan Stewart - Carolina Panthers - at New Orleans
29. Justin Forsett - Seattle Seahawks - at St. Louis
30. Tim Hightower - Arizona Cardinals - at San Diego
31. Mike Tolbert - San Diego Chargers - vs. Arizona
32. John Kuhn - Green Bay Packers - vs. Detroit
33. Chester Taylor - Chicago Bears - at New York Giants
34. Ryan Torian - Washington Redskins - at Philadelphia
35. Laurence Maroney - Denver Broncos - at Tennessee
36. Brandon Jacobs - New York Giants - vs. Chicago
37. Clinton Portis - Washington Redskins - at Philadelphia
38. Michael Bush - Oakland Raiders - vs. Houston
39. Jason Snelling - Atlanta Falcons - vs. San Francisco
40. Jerome Harrison - Cleveland Browns - vs. Cincinnati

Thoughts:

• Maurice Jones-Drew has not looked good thus far this season, with 217 yards on 57 rushes.  Still, you have to anticipate the team trying to feed him the ball this week against a Colts defense that’s been allowing over 141 yards per game on the ground.  This could easily be his “breakout” game of 2010.
• It was another big game for Arian Foster, picking up 126 total yards.  The one concern right now is that he hasn’t scored a TD since the first week, but that can easily reverse itself this week against the Raiders.
• If Ryan Mathews is healthy, he is a top-five option this week.  Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee he’s going to play.  I’m going to leave him as the top back for the Chargers, with Mike Tolbert not doing anything to press the issue in Week 3 (17 carries for 73 yards).  For now I’m going to rank him as if he were healthy, but we’ll be updating this later in the week depending on the news.
• The Packers have said that they aren’t committed to making Brandon Jackson an every down back.  Still, with a favorable matchup against the Lions, he’s a usable RB2 this week.
• Charlie Batch looked good in Week 3, but you have to think the Steelers are again going to focus more on grinding the game out on the ground, especially against the Ravens.  That makes Rashard Mendenhall a strong play this week.
• If you thought LaDanian Tomlinson would emerge as the Jets No. 1 running back this season, please raise your hand.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Well, that certainly appears to be the case over the first three weeks of the season.  Shonn Greene has disappointed while Tomlinson is averaging 5.6 yards per carry (208 yards on 37 carries).  Throw in 60 receiving yards and it has been a solid year.  He’s not going to get 20+ carries a game, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.  With the Bills on the schedule, he should be considered a high-end RB2.
• Ray Rice (knee contusion), Steven Jackson (groin strain), and Jahvid Best (turf toe) are questionable for Week 4.  We’ll rank them as if they are going to play, for now, but consider both of their spots tenuous at best.  They could be in for a dramatic fall later in the week depending on the news.  Rice has the toughest matchup, but could play a factor in the short passing game, which helps keep him up in the rankings.
• The Texans are allowing just 54.3 rushing yards per game thus far this season.  Then again they’ve faced the Colts, Redskins and Cowboys, three offenses that are not known for their ability to run the football.  The Raiders, on the other hand, are now an offense built around Darren McFadden.  Look for him to have another strong game in Week 4.
• Even if the Bears didn’t have a strong front four, you would expect the Giants to be a more pass-oriented team.  It’s just their identity these days.  Bradshaw should be a good option, but this game could quickly breakdown into a shootout.
• Peyton Hillis’ strong Week 3 performance (144 yards, one TD) has pushed him into the RB1 spot for the Browns.  Seneca Wallace is currently running the offense, so he should be the focal point of the offense once again.  That makes him a RB2 in all formats.
• It didn’t take long for Beanie Wells to get the bulk of the carries, did it?  In his first week of action he had 14 carries (for 75 yards) while Tim Hightower had 11 carries (for 40 yards).  While the two will share carries, Wells should once again lead the way and is the back worth using this week.
• Even with a good matchup against the Rams, Clinton Portis got just seven carries.  In fact, his carries have been slowing declining, from 18 to 13 to 7.  Ryan Torain appears primed to get a shot to overtake him, so consider stashing him if you are in need of some help in the backfield.
• It’s hard to predict the Buffalo backfield from week-to-week, but Marshawn Lynch does lead the team in carries with 33 (Fred Jackson has 17 and C.J. Spiller has 12).  Lynch is better suited as a FLEX option against a tough Jets defense.

What are your thoughts on these rankings?  Who’s too high?  Who’s too low?

Make sure to check out the rest of our Week 4 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers
• Top 15 Defenses (coming soon)
•   Waiver Worthy For Week 4
• Sunday Sleepers (coming soon)
•  Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em

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