Week 16 Fantasy Rankings: Marshawn Lynch and Big-Name RBs Sure to Struggle

The finals are here in most fantasy football leagues, meaning that you need your studs to come up big. While some of them will, it's simply inevitable that others will fall short. Inevitably, some normally reliable players have some very difficult matchups this week, particularly at the running back position.

As important as quarterbacks and wide receivers are in a fantasy sense, your running backs still tend to make up the bulk of your points. Because of that, an off performance by one or both of your backs could put you in a major hole. While I wouldn't suggest sitting them unless you have a dynamite backup option, here are three big-name backs that are sure to struggle this weekend.

Beanie Wells—Arizona Cardinals

While Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells has had his ups and downs this season due mostly to injuries, he has truly lived up to the potential the Cardinals saw in him when they drafted him in the first round a couple years ago. With two games to go, Wells has 994 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, meaning that his 2011 season will be counted as a successful one when it's all said and done.

Despite those numbers Wells isn't the greatest play this week thanks to a matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have one of the better run defenses in the league, as they rank ninth in yards allowed. On top of that, Wells has three straight games with less than 70 yards, although he does have two touchdowns during that time. Wells is sort of a boom-or-bust player, and he is much more likely to bust than boom against Cincinnati.

Steven Jackson—St. Louis Rams

For the past seven years, St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson has been one of the more reliable players in fantasy. While he has dealt with injuries from time to time, he has been a lock to top 1,000 yards rushing, score around seven touchdowns and get heavily involved in the passing game. While the Rams have been awful this season, that continues to be true, as he is on pace for all those numbers again this season.

As consistent as Jackson is, though, he will be hard-pressed to find running room on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their sixth-ranked rushing defense. The Steelers are certain to be angry after a decisive loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, so they'll be determined to lay the wood to the Rams. Jackson hasn't had over 64 yards rushing over his past five games and that is unlikely to change against the Steelers.

Marshawn Lynch—Seattle Seahawks

After a very ordinary start to the season, Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch has been on an absolute tear. Not only has he surpassed 1,000 rushing yards on the season, but he has at least one touchdown in an incredible 10 straight games. Running room will be much tougher to find on Saturday, however, as the Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers and their league-best run defense.

Not only do the Niners only allow roughly 70 rushing yards per game, but they haven't allowed a rushing score all season long. With that in mind, something has to give between Lynch's scoring prowess and the Niners' stout defense. I've got to side with the 49ers in this case, however, as they shut down Lynch to the tune of 33 yards. Lynch has been excellent, but it's tough to see him reaching pay dirt for an 11th straight week.