Fantasy Football Week 13 Rankings: Top 40 Running Backs

Has Roy Helu finally become entrenched as a must use option?  Where does the recently returned Peyton Hillis fall on the rankings? Is Steven Jackson a viable option despite an impossible matchup?  Let’s try to answer these questions and all the rest for Week 13:

1. Ray Rice – Baltimore Ravens – at Cleveland
2. Arian Foster – Houston Texans – vs. Atlanta
3. Frank Gore – San Francisco 49ers – vs. St. Louis
4. LeSean McCoy – Philadelphia Eagles – at Seattle
5. LeGarrette Blount – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – vs. Carolina
6. Matt Forte – Chicago Bears – vs. Kansas City
7. DeMarco Murray – Dallas Cowboys – at Arizona
8. Chris Johnson – Tennessee Titans – at Buffalo
9. Michael Bush – Oakland Raiders – at Miami
10. Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville Jaguars – vs. San Diego
11. Michael Turner – Atlanta Falcons – at Houston
12. Marshawn Lynch – Seattle Seahawks – vs. Philadelphia
13. Darren Sproles – New Orleans Saints – vs. Detroit
14. Reggie Bush – Miami Dolphins – vs. Oakland
15. Ryan Mathews – San Diego Chargers – at Jacksonville
16. BenJarvus Green-Ellis – New England Patriots – vs. Indianapolis
17. Kevin Smith – Detroit Lions – at New Orleans
18. Willis McGahee – Denver Broncos – at Minnesota
19. DeAngelo Williams – Carolina Panthers – at Tampa Bay
20. Beanie Wells – Arizona Cardinals – vs. Dallas
21. Rashard Mendenhall – Pittsburgh Steelers – vs. Cincinnati
22. Shonn Greene – New York Jets – at Washington
23. Cedric Benson – Cincinnati Bengals – at Pittsburgh
24. Steven Jackson – St. Louis Rams – at San Francisco
25. Roy Helu – Washington Redskins – vs. New York Jets
26. C.J. Spiller – Buffalo Bills – vs. Tennessee
27. Jackie Battle – Kansas City Chiefs – at Chicago
28. Peyton Hillis – Cleveland Browns – vs. Baltimore
29. Toby Gerhart – Minnesota Vikings – vs. Denver
30. Jonathan Stewart – Carolina Panthers – at Tampa Bay
31. Ben Tate – Houston Texans – vs. Atlanta
32. Joseph Addai – Indianapolis Colts – at New England
33. Brandon Jacobs – New York Giants – vs. Green Bay
34. James Starks – Green Bay Packers – at New York Giants
35. Mike Tolbert – San Diego Chargers – at Jacksonville
36. Kendall Hunter – San Francisco 49ers – vs. St. Louis
37. Daniel Thomas – Miami Dolphins – vs. Oakland
38. Pierre Thomas – New Orleans Saints – vs. Detroit
39. Marion Barber – Chicago Bears – vs. Kansas City
40. Maurice Morris – Detroit Lions – at New Orleans

Thoughts:

• The Rams have long proven to be the worst run defense in the league, though allowing Beanie Wells to go for 228 yards and 1 TD on 27 carries really drives home the point.  Frank Gore has not been stellar over the past three weeks, but it is hard not to like him for the coming week.
• Speaking of Wells, is anyone still concerned about his health?  He had rushed for 198 yards in the previous four games combined, but his Week 12 performance definitely eases any concerns.  Obviously the matchup played a role, so I wouldn’t push him too high based on that one performance.  Consider him a RB2 in all formats.
• LeGarrette Blount has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his past two games.  That alone has put him back on the fantasy map.  Throw in the fact that he’s facing a defense that has allowed 15 rushing TD (the Panthers are tied with the Colts for the league lead) on the season and he emerges as one of the better options in the league for the coming week.  Consider him a RB1 in all formats.
• Chris Johnson is the perfect example of why you don’t give up on someone over one poor performance.  A week after he ran for 13 yards on 12 carries Johnson erupted to go for 190 yards on 23 carries.  It’s the second time in the past three weeks that he’s rushed for at least 130 yards and the third time in his past four games that he has posted 100 total yards or more.  The Bills are currently allowing 123.8 rushing yards per game, as well as having allowed 12 TD, making Johnson a very good play in all formats and a viable RB1.
• The San Francisco49ers continue to be the best rushing defense in the league, allowing 75.5 yards per game.  They still have yet to allow a touchdown.  It’s hard to sit down Steven Jackson, but it’s hard to consider him more than a low-end RB2.
• Will Adrian Peterson play or won’t he?  If he does, will he be at full health?  He’s going to be a RB1 if he plays, so keep that in mind when viewing the rankings.  For now we are leaving him off.
• Have the Redskins finally turned things over to Roy Helu?  They gave him 23 carries in Week 12 and he rewarded them with 108 yards and 1 TD.  He does have a difficult matchup with the Jets, however, and we all have learned not to trust Mike Shanahan at this point (no matter what he says).  Consider him a low-end RB2/FLEX option at this point.
• Until we learn that Ahmad Bradshaw is healthy and playing he has to be left off these rankings.  Monitor the news because if he plays he will definitely be a RB2, at worst.
• Kevin Smith is banged up, but with 10 days between games there is a good chance he is able to take the field for the coming week.  Considering he also is a viable option in the passing game if he’s on the field, he should be a good option in all formats against the Saints.
• Peyton Hillis draws a tough matchup with the Ravens and, while he should operate as the lead back, will share carries with Chris Ogbonnaya and potentially Montario Hardesty.  He’s nothing more than a FLEX option until he proves otherwise.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 13 articles:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 50 Wide Receivers
• Waiver Worthy