Week 16 Fantasy Rankings: The Top 50 RBs Ready to Bring You a Championship

Figuring out who the best running back plays are from week to week is a little easier than doing so for wide receivers, but by no means is it simple. With some of the league's top players injured and more than a few playoff implications to consider, Week 16 is certainly no walk in the park.

That's why those of us in the fantasy industry put together these lists for you—to give the reader a gauge of what to expect from his or her players on any given Sunday.

With that, here are the weekend's top-50 running backs, along with some detailed analysis on the five best plays for the week:

50.       Kregg Lumpkin (@ Car)

49.       Toby Gerhart (@ Was)

48.       Ryan Grant (vs. Chi – Sunday Night, Christmas)

47.       LaDainian Tomlinson (vs. NYG)

46.       Jacquizz Rodgers (@ NO – Monday Night)

45.       Stevan Ridley (vs. Mia)

44.       Thomas Jones (vs. Oak)

43.       Sammy Morris (vs. Phi)

42.       John Kuhn (vs. Chi – Sunday Night, Christmas)

41.       Ricky Williams (vs. Cle)

40.       James Starks (vs. Chi – Sunday Night, Christmas) 

39.       Brandon Jacobs (@ NYJ)  

38.       BenJarvus Green–Ellis (vs. Mia)

37.       Chris Ivory (vs. Atl – Monday Night) 

36.       Lance Ball (@ Buf)

35.       Mike Tolbert (@ Det) 

34.       Jackie Battle (vs. Oak) 

33.       Pierre Thomas (vs. Atl – Monday Night)

32.       Danny Woodhead (vs. Mia)

31.       Peyton Hillis (@ Bal)

30.       Donald Brown (vs. Hou – Thursday Night)

*** GAME ALREADY PLAYED – 11 carries, 35 rush yards, 2 catches, 13 rec yards, 0 TDs ***

29.       Darren Sproles (vs. Atl – Monday Night)

28.       Ben Tate (@ Ind – Thursday Night)

*** GAME ALREADY PLAYED – 6 carries, -1 rush yard, 0 catches, 0 rec yards, 0 TDs ***

27.       Steven Jackson (@ Pit)

26.       Kahlil Bell (@ GB – Sunday Night, Christmas)

25.       Beanie Wells (@ Cin)

24.       Marshawn Lynch (vs. SF)

23.       Jonathan Stewart (vs. TB)

22.       Cedric Benson (vs. Ari)

21.       Felix Jones (vs. Phi) – QUESTIONABLE TO PLAY, POTENTIAL BUST

20.       Shonn Greene (vs. NYG)

19.       LeGarrette Blount (@ Car)

18.       Roy Helu (vs. Min) – QUESTIONABLE TO PLAY, POTENTIAL BUST

17.       Ahmad Bradshaw (@ NYJ)

16.       Kevin Smith (vs. SD) – SLEEPER CANDIDATE

15.       DeAngelo Williams (vs. TB) – SLEEPER CANDIDATE

14.       Frank Gore (@ Sea)

13.       Michael Turner (@ NO – Monday Night) 

12.       C.J. Spiller (vs. Den)

11.       Rashard Mendenhall (vs. StL) 

10.       Willis McGahee (@ Buf) 

9.         Reggie Bush (@ NE)

8.         Chris Johnson (vs. Jax) 

7.         Adrian Peterson (@ Was) 

6.         Ryan Mathews (@ Det) 

THE TOP FIVE

5.         Michael Bush (@ KC)

Ever since Darren McFadden went out with an injury in Week 7, Michael Bush has quietly amassed 985 total yards (703 rushing) in eight games while crossing the goal-line on five different occasions.

He also has four games with 96 or more yards (two 100-yard games) and now sits just outside the top-10 for fantasy RBs in a standard scoring system.

Basically, he’s been awesome.

The first time these two teams hooked up happened to be the game Run DMC went down and Bush came in to rush for 99 yards on just 17 carries.

In fact, of Bush’s three 100-yard games from 2009-2010, two of them came against these same Kansas City Chiefs.

Considering the Chiefs have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season, I think fantasy owners will be very happy starting him this weekend when all is said and done.

4.         Maurice Jones–Drew (@ Ten)

Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jaguars faced the Titans back in Week 1 and came up with one of their four wins on the season, 16-14.

Jones-Drew was a big part of that win scoring the Jags only touchdown while rushing for 97 yards on 24 carries and quite frankly, the kid hasn’t slowed down since.

Only once in 14 games this year has MJD been held to less than 84 yards rushing and he still scored a touchdown in that game.

You also might think that because the Jaguars are almost always playing from behind on the road that he might not get the carries necessary to do well, but the fact is, three of his four 100-yard games this year have come away from home.

Basically, against a Titans defense that has allowed six 100-yard rushers this season (most recently last weekend when Donald Brown went off for 161 yards) along with the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs, you can bet on a nice fantasy performance out of the Wrecking Ball this Saturday.

3.         LeSean McCoy (@ Dal)

Once thought to be too small to be an every-down back in this league, the 5’11”, 208-pound LeSean McCoy continues to prove the haters wrong on weekly basis as he now leads the NFL with 20 touchdowns (17 Rush, 3 Rec), four more than the next guy on the list (Rob Gronkowski).

This week he’ll be facing a Cowboys team he absolutely tore apart back in Week 8 to the tune of 200 total yards (185 rushing) and two TDs.

It will be different this time with both teams playing for their playoff lives and this one being played down in Dallas, but McCoy seems to have their number there as well as he put up 149 rushing yards on 16 carries when they played there in 2010.

There’s only been one week this year when LeSean didn’t score a TD and in that game, he ran for 113 yards.

Basically, I can all but guarantee he does something for your fantasy team this weekend.

2.         Ray Rice (vs. Cle)

With the way Ray Rice ate the Browns alive in their first matchup, it was very tough not to put him in my one-spot this week.

However, for those of you keeping track, you might as well call Rice the 1B of Week 16 because he should be able to do some serious fantasy damage once again on Saturday.

Part of the reason he’s not on top is because the Browns have played much tighter against the run since Rice’s first outburst allowing just 76 yards to Rashard Mendenhall two weeks ago and only 51 to Beanie Wells last weekend.

Neither of those two have Ray’s make-you-miss capabilities, though, so I still believe Rice will come out golden in this one.

Still, you better believe Cleveland will be bearing down on him all game long…I’m just not sure it will make a difference. Not after his 204-yard performance the first time around.

1.         Arian Foster (@ Ind – Thursday Night)

Due to injury, Foster didn’t get to play against Indianapolis in the Texans first game of the season—but backup Ben Tate did and racked up 116 rushing yards along with a goal-line TD.

In 2010, however, Arian faced the Colts twice averaging 202.5 total yards (166.5 rushing) and two touchdowns in their two hard-fought matchups.

Things have changed quite a bit this season with Peyton Manning sidelined for the year, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the atrocity that IS the Colts rush defense.

10 different running backs have put up 100-plus total yards against them this year as the Colts have allowed the third-most fantasy points to RBs this season.

I fully expect a monster game out of last year’s fantasy MVP this Thursday.

*** GAME ALREADY PLAYED – 23 carries, 158 rush yards, 3 catches, 16 rec yards, 1 rush TD ***

Click here to see the Rankings for QBs, WRs and TEs

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