Week 8 Fantasy Football Rankings: Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson Lead Top RBs

Running backs are very crucial in fantasy football, and while some have been under-performing as of late, the big-name players will deliver in Week 8. 

If you make a poor decision on starting a running back, it could come back to haunt you in the end. Fantasy owners who have Knowshon Moreno or DeAngelo Williams are well aware of this. 

The rankings are a bit different this week since several key backs are on a bye, but there are still some prominent players competing this weekend. 

Here are the top three running backs for Week 8. 

Adrian Peterson 

The Minnesota Vikings did very well with against the Green Bay Packers last week, which was unexpected considering they had an rookie quarterback making his first-ever NFL start. 

Peterson deserves a great deal of credit as he rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown, which helped Christian Ponder play better. That made his owners feel great, and they'll have that feeling again this Sunday when Peterson torches the Carolina Panthers defense. 

The Panthers rank 30th in the league against the run, and Peterson will continue to have success for his owners. Barring any unexpected monster performances, Peterson should lead all running backs in points in Week 8. He would have been the top guy in Week 7 but Arian Foster and DeMarco Murray put up insane numbers.

Chris Johnson 

I know Johnson's owners are very fed up with his performance this season, as it appears he is laying down since he is now a paid man. However, the Titans are a good team and have a chance at winning their division, which is why Johnson will step his game up this week. 

Toss in the fact that he is playing at home against the Indianapolis Colts, and you have one running back who is set to have a great game. The Colts rank 31st in the NFL against the run, and Johnson is finally going to have a stellar performance.

The Titans needed him last week, but he fell short. It won't happen again in Week 8 because he has to much pride to crap out against the worst team in the NFL.

Steven Jackson 

The winless St. Louis Rams continue to struggle week after week, and a lot of that can be credited to injuries. Thankfully, their elite running back is healthy, and he will have a standout showing against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

The Saints rank 24th in the league against the run, but even though they've done a better job in the past few games against opponents' running backs, Jackson will not be denied on Sunday.

The Rams are hungry for a win, and while I don't believe they get it against the Saints because their defense won't be able to stop Drew Brees, their offense will be competitive because of Jackson.