Week 9 Fantasy Football Rankings: Arian Foster and RBs Who Are Huge-Point Locks

The most efficient route to fantasy dominance is a well-rounded team effort week in and week out, that obviously isn't always going to happen. Sometimes players simply have off weeks, and as we have seen over the past month, bye weeks have to be contended with.

Perhaps the best way to combat that is to have a player who simply goes off. It isn't easy to predict when that is going to happen, but much of it has to do with matchups. Here are three premier running backs who are sure to put up monster numbers this week, and may do enough to essentially help you win single-handedly.

Matt Forte - Chicago Bears

When people talk about a contract-year performance, this is what they mean. While Chicago Bears running back has been a very reliable fantasy starter since his rookie season, he has taken his game to new levels this year as he is playing for a fat, new contract.

It doesn't seem like he is going to get it at this point, but that only seems to motivate Forte more as he leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage. Forte already has over 1,000 total yards through just seven games. While he has only hit pay dirt three times, his 38 receptions make him absolutely invaluable in increasingly-popular PPR leagues.

Forte will have a very advantageous matchup on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Eagles have cleaned up their run defense a bit in recent weeks, the Dallas Cowboys' DeMarco Murray had success on the ground last week albeit in limited carries. The Bears wills surely lean on Forte and he has big play potential on screens as the Buffalo Bills and Fred Jackson killed Philly in the short passing game a few weeks ago.

Michael Turner - Atlanta Falcons

It is certainly no coincidence that the Atlanta Falcons' recent surge has occurred just as running back Michael Turner has gotten more heavily involved in the offense. Atlanta seemed to be very committed to quarterback Matt Ryan and the passing game early in the season, but that got the Falcons away from their winning formula.

Turner has been given many more touches in recent weeks and is now one of the league's leading rushers with 621 yards and six touchdowns in seven games. If that weren't already enough to make Turner a fantasy lock in Week 9, he is facing the lowly Indianapolis Colts, who happen to rank 31st in the league when it comes to defending the run.

With that in mind, it stands to reason that the Falcons will pound the rock with Turner all day. This game figures to be a blowout as well, so Turner should get plenty of opportunities to carry the ball in an effort to salt the game away. With how bad Indy is against the run and how punishing of a runner Turner can be, I wouldn't be shocked if he approached 200 yards on the day.

Arian Foster - Houston Texans

After a magical 2010 season, it wasn't surprising to see Houston Texans running back Arian Foster fly off the draft boards early prior to 2011. He looked like he might be the second coming of Priest Holmes, but like Holmes, injuries quickly became a concern for his owners.

Foster suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss a couple games early in the season. He has shown himself to be completely healthy over the past month, however, and he has recaptured his spot as one of the top players in fantasy. Not only has Foster been grinding out 100-yard games on the ground, but he also has been heavily involved in the passing game, just like last season.

The Cleveland Browns are one of the NFL's weaker teams against the run, meaning Foster should be in line for a great day. Foster's early-season injury may have actually been a blessing in disguise as the Texans haven't hesitated to give him nearly 30 touches per game due to his freshness. With wide receiver Andre Johnson likely hobbled, or possibly out of the lineup again, Foster should be "Mr. Everything" for Houston and you fantasy team on Sunday.