Fantasy Football Week 17 Rankings: Top 40 Running Backs

Let’s take a look at how I rank the Top 40 runnings backs for the final week of the NFL season:

1. Jamaal Charles – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Oakland
2. Arian Foster – Houston Texans – vs. Jacksonville
3. Michael Turner – Atlanta Falcons – vs. Carolina
4. Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans – at Indianapolis
5. Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens – vs. Cincinnati
6. Rashard Mendenhall – Pittsburgh Steelers – at Cleveland
7. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Houston
8. Adrian Peterson – Minnesota Vikings – at Detroit
9. Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams – at Seattle
10. LeGarrette Blount – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – at New Orleans
11. LeSean McCoy – Philadelphia Eagles – vs. Dallas
12. Ryan Mathews – San Diego Chargers – at Denver
13. Jonathan Stewart – Carolina Panthers – at Atlanta
14. Matt Forte – Chicago Bears – at Green Bay
15. Shonn Greene – New York Jets – vs. Buffalo
16. Ryan Torain – Washington Redskins – vs. New York Giants
17. Ahmad Bradshaw – New York Giants – at Washington
18. Darren McFadden – Oakland Raiders – at Kansas City
19. Joseph Addai – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Tennessee
20. Knowshon Moreno – Denver Broncos – vs. San Diego
21. BenJarvus Green-Ellis – New England Patriots – vs. Miami
22. Peyton Hillis – Cleveland Browns – vs. Pittsburgh
23. Felix Jones – Dallas Cowboys – at Philadelphia
24. Marshawn Lynch – Seattle Seahawks – vs. St. Louis
25. Beanie Wells – Arizona Cardinals – at San Francisco
26. Fred Jackson – Buffalo Bills – at New York Jets
27. LaDainian Tomlinson – New York Jets – vs. Buffalo
28. Ronnie Brown – Miami Dolphins – at New England
29. Pierre Thomas – New Orleans Saints – vs. Tampa Bay
30. Cedric Benson – Cincinnati Bengals – at Baltimore
31. Brian Westbrook – San Francisco 49ers – vs. Arizona
32. Danny Woodhead – New England Patriots – vs. Miami
33. Brandon Jacobs – New York Giants – at Washington
34. Darren Sproles – San Diego Chargers – at Denver
35. Brandon Jackson – Green Bay Packers – vs. Chicago
36. Thomas Jones – Kansas City Chiefs – vs. Oakland
37. Maurice Morris – Detroit Lions – vs. Minnesota
38. Rashad Jennings – Jacksonville Jaguars – at Houston
39. Donald Brown – Indianapolis Colts – vs. Tennessee
40. Tim Hightower – Arizona Cardinals – at San Francisco

Thoughts:

• The Jets have claimed their playoff spot, but one thing they certainly need to get straightened out is their running game.  Against Buffalo, there is a good chance that happens.  Shonn Greene is the better bet, but with Mark Sanchez hurting, they will likely try to get both Greene and Tomlinson involved.
• Chris Johnson has been hit or miss for fantasy owners when they needed him most.  Obviously, you have to continue running him out there, and against the Colts, you have to think that maybe he’ll finally get things back on track.
• Will Maurice Jones-Drew be ready to return to the lineup in Week 17?  I’m ranking him like he’s going to play but be prepared to move him to the bench depending on the news later in the week (and push Rashad Jennings significantly up the rankings).
• Reports are that Knowshon Moreno could’ve returned to the field in Week 16 if necessary.  Yes, Buckhalter had a nice game, but Moreno is still the more attractive option.
• Darren McFadden suffered an ankle or foot injury in Week 16 (depending on the report you read), putting his status for Week 17 in question.  His value drops significantly for the coming week, and you have to be prepared to move him to the bench, depending on the news.  Monitor things closely and grab Michael Bush as a handcuff.
• With Ryan Tolbert down, Ryan Mathews will get the chance to handle lead duties in Week 17.  He had 83 total yards and a touchdown in Week 16 and draws a Denver defense that is poor against the run.  Look at him as a low-level RB1 but a great RB2 option.
• How much work will LeSean McCoy get?  A lot will depend on tonight’s game, but, at worst, he’s a low-level RB2.
• Peyton Hillis is struggling and draws the Steelers.  He’s a low-level RB2 option at this point, at best.

What are your thoughts of these rankings?  Whose too high?  Whose too low?
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Make sure to check out the rest of our Week 17 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks

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