I continue my updated rankings this week with a look at running backs. Unlike quarterback, there was a lot of movement at running back since I last posted my rankings 11 days ago. It’s good news if you’re a fan of Darren Sproles but not so much if you like Roy Helu. There’s still a long ways to go until most people draft, so a lot will change, but here’s a look at my Top 75 fantasy running backs as of May 16.
2012 Fantasy Running Back Rankings
(Last updated on May 16)
1. Arian Foster, Texans
2. LeSean McCoy, Eagles
3. Ray Rice, Ravens
4. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars
5. Ryan Mathews, Chargers ↑
6. Chris Johnson, Titans
7. Darren McFadden, Raiders ↑
8. Marshawn Lynch, Seahawks
9. Trent Richardson, Browns
10. Matt Forte, Bears ↑
11. Darren Sproles, Saints ↑
12. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants
13. Adrian Peterson, Vikings ↑
14. DeMarco Murray, Cowboys ↑
15. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs
16. Fred Jackson, Bills ↓
17. Steven Jackson, Rams
18. Frank Gore, 49ers
19. Doug Martin, Bucs ↑
20. Reggie Bush, Dolphins ↑
21. Michael Turner, Falcons
22. Willis McGahee, Broncos
23. Beanie Wells, Cardinals
24. Isaac Redman, Steelers ↑
25. Roy Helu, Redskins ↓
26. BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Bengals
27. C.J. Spiller, Bills ↑
28. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers ↑
29. James Starks, Packers ↑
30. Peyton Hillis, Chiefs ↑
31. Shonn Greene, Jets ↓
32. Stevan Ridley, Patriots ↓
33. Jahvid Best, Lions
34. Michael Bush, Bears
35. Ronnie Hillman, Broncos
36. Mark Ingram, Saints ↓
37. Donald Brown, Colts ↑
38. Ben Tate, Texans
39. LeGarrette Blount, Bucs
40. Toby Gerhart, Vikings
41. Kendall Hunter, 49ers ↑
42. Felix Jones, Cowboys
43. DeAngelo Williams, Panthers
44. Pierre Thomas, Saints ↑
45. David Wilson, Giants ↑
46. Tim Hightower, Redskins ↑
47. Jacquizz Rodgers, Falcons ↓
48. Isaiah Pead, Rams
49. Shane Vereen, Patriots ↑
50. Mikel Leshoure, Lions ↑
51. Daniel Thomas, Dolphins
52. Rashad Jennings, Jaguars ↑
53. Jason Snelling, Falcons
54. Mike Tolbert, Panthers
55. Bernard Scott, Bengals ↓
56. Ryan Williams, Cardinals
57. Mike Goodson, Raiders
58. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers
59. Javon Ringer, Titans ↓
60. LaMichael James 49ers
61. Dion Lewis, Eagles
62. Curtis Brinkley, Chargers
63. Delone Carter, Colts
64. Brandon Jacobs, 49ers
65. Kevin Smith, Lions ↓
66. Christopher Ivory, Saints ↑
67. Robert Turbin, Seahawks ↑
68. Evan Royster, Redskins ↓
69. Joseph Addai, Patriots ↑
70. Le’Ron McClain, Chargers ↓
71. Lance Ball, Broncos ↑
72. Danny Woodhead, Patriots ↓
73. Brandon Saine, Packers
74. Taiwan Jones, Raiders ↑
75. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos
Going Up
Hillman - I get that a lot of you don’t have a chance to see San Diego State play. That’s why I’m here. Anyone can tell you about the Trent Richardsons of the world but I take pride in letting you know about guys like Eric Decker, Stevan Ridley and Hillman coming out of college. In all seriousness if you came to this site and all you heard was how great Richardson is, it would be a waste of your time. I’m telling you Hillman landed with the perfect team. As I’ve already stated many times, Hillman wasn’t just one of the most explosive backs in this draft but he’s also a tough inside runner.
A guy at one of the most popular fantasy sites who claims to have “tape” said Hillman dances and loses yards. Where? Show me the tape where he’s always dancing. Let’s sit down and watch the tape together and you show me all the plays where Hillman is losing yards. One of Hillman’s best qualities is he hits the hole hard and DOESN’T lose yards. Be careful where you get your info from about these rookies. When most of these guys talk about “tape” they are referring to videos on Yahoo! that anyone can watch. That’s just the truth.
Now Hillman will have to pass protect because with Peyton Manning blocking is as important as running. So that’s something we’ll have to monitor in the preseason but just from a talent perspective, Denver got one of the best backs in this draft. If I’m wrong I’ll be the first to say it and I’ll take any abuse you want to dish out. I’ve never seen a player live, confirmed what I thought about him by watching tape and liked the team that drafted him more than I do with Hillman. If you only listen to one thing I ever say; listen to me about Hillman. I’ve been following him his entire career and I think Hillman a special player.
Mathews - I loved Mathews so much when he was at Fresno State that I actually selected him No. 9 overall in my fantasy draft when he was a rookie. That’s how much confidence I have in his ability. Mathews has all the talent in the world and I’m starting to like him as my possible first round pick once again this year. I believe he can be the top scoring back in fantasy football if he plays 16 games. Hopefully, Mathews won’t be a tease his entire career and be the next Fred Taylor. Remember Taylor was always nicked up early in his career but once he finally stayed healthy, Taylor was a monster. Mathews reminds me of Taylor a little bit, so hopefully his career will follow the same path. He could be huge this year.
Starks - I liked Starks coming out of the draft a couple of years ago and I’m still high on him. The Packers will never run the ball a lot but I think Starks’ skill-set is a good fit for Green Bay’s offense. Now with Ryan Grant out of the way, Starks should post career bests across the board in 2012. If he doesn’t, it’s a problem. With an ADP of Round 7 in PPR leagues, Starks offers some good value for fantasy owners.
Hillis - The more I think about Hillis the more I like him to have a bounce-back season in 2012. No player can overcome the power of the Madden cover curse. I would never vote for my favorite player to be on that cover. We’ll find out this year because Calvin Johnson is the best non-quarterback in the NFL. If Megatron can’t break the curse, no one can. Hillis is 26 and just one year removed from a big season with the Browns. If you’re looking for a mid-round running back with a lot of upside to pounce on, Hillis is your guy.
David Wilson - I love Ahmad Bradshaw but the bottom like is the Giants don’t want to overuse him. Bradshaw is very productive but Tom Coughlin likes to keep him fresh for later on in the year. That’s where Wilson comes in. As I’ve stated many times, only Richardson had a better combination of speed and power in this draft class. Wilson is getting drafted on average in Round 9 right now. That may be a little high depending which other backs are still on the board at the time but either way expect Wilson to help fantasy owners as a rookie.
Leshoure - Here’s one of the toughest guys to evaluate in my opinion. Leshoure is getting selected on average in Round 9 right now but he could still get suspended by the league for his latest arrest. He’s also one strike away from not playing for a long time. Leshoure has talent, so if he stays clean he will be a nice pick that late in the draft but he obviously comes with risk.
Coming Down
Fred Jackson - I still like Jackson for the upcoming season but I dropped him a little in the rankings because you can get him in Round 3 of most fantasy drafts. C.J. Spiller is on the verge of being a special player but I think Jackson holds him off for one more year in Buffalo. Still, there’s no denying Spiller’s role in the offense is going to increase after his strong finish to 2011, so that will eat into Jackson’s touches.
Helu - This poor bastard can’t catch a break. Listen, I still like Helu and think he has a chance to put up strong numbers this season but the Tim Hightower signing hurts his overall value no matter how you slice it. The biggest problem in PPR leagues is Helu caught 49 balls last year but Hightower will likely play more on passing downs because he’s such a good blocker. I’m high on Helu as a player but I’m going to do myself a favor and not not give myself a headache this year. You should think about doing the same.
Greene - Wake when this guy has three good runs in a row. Now with Tim Tebow in town, Greene’s goal line carries will decline. The Jets say they want to return to Ground and Pound. Greene better start running like a 230-pound back because bruising rookie Terrance Ganaway is waiting in the wings in show him how it’s done. I like Ganaway and Joe McKnight as possible sleepers this year. This is Greene’s last chance to show he can be a productive NFL starter.
Ingram - Ingram’s latest knee procedure isn’t expected to be serious but three knee surgeries in three years is never a good sign. Now the Saints aren’t sure if Ingram will even be ready for training camp. That’s too many red flags for me when we’re talking about a guy that plays in a crowded backfield and is getting selected in the Round 8 area. I moved Darren Sproles up four spots to No. 11, as I start to sour on Ingram.
DeAngelo Williams - Williams was once my favorite back in the NFL and if he were on another team I still think he could be a big fantasy factor. However, with Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert in line for touches and Cam Newton the best goal line runner on the team, Williams isn’t a guy I want on my fantasy squad this year.
Woodhead - I’m not overly excited about the Patriots signing Joseph Addai. He isn’t even assured a roster spot but the signing tells me something I’ve been suspecting all offseason; the Pats got all they can out of Woodhead. Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen are both good receivers out of the backfield, so Woodhead doesn’t really have a role on the team anymore even if Addai gets cut. Woodhead’s production fell off quite a bit in 2011 and I see him being the odd man out in New England’s crowded backfield this season.
Rankings are based on a 12-team league flex format with 1 point awarded per reception.
Follow me on Twitter @ThePigskinGuy
High on my RB radar now is the contract dimension, chiefly the franchise tag dynamic. It’s interesting that Wes Welker happily signed his today. Yeah, he’s a WR, but guys like Matt Forte and Ray Rice are indicating they may be headed towards missed workouts and even hold outs. We saw how that impacted CJ2K’s season last year, even though he ultimately prevailed on the contract side of the equation.
Similarly, LeSean McCoy is in the last year of a rookie deal that pays him pennies on the dollar of what he’s worth He’s a class act, but it’s not impossible to envision a scenario where he holds out too, especially combining the fact that LeSean ridiculously outplayed his current contract with Andy Reid’s “this stuff takes a LONG time to work out” comments, i.e. maybe even next year! Hope it ain’t so, but it is a factor impacting drafts & rankings…
Contract disputes certainly play a part if they linger into camp and the preseason. I won’t downgrade a guy like Forte in May but the longer it goes on the worse it is for the player. I wouldn’t worry about McCoy. Teams like the Eagles, Steelers and Patriots deal with players similarly. They will let players they think can be replaced go but on the other hand they pay the guys they feel are most important to the team. McCoy is only 23 years old and in my opinion he’s the Eagles most important player. I think the Eagles will pay him and lock him up long-term before it comes to any kind of a hold out situation. When you combine age and production, McCoy is an easy decision when it comes to an organization paying him.
I told you not to worry about McCoy. All locked up.
I love the rankings. You are doing an awesome job with the site. There is a lot of information for only one person putting it out. this is now one of my fantasy football go to sites. Since you always give me advice i will give you some. Bernard Scott is terrible. I see a down arrow by his name. make sure that stays there. I am a bengals fan and fantasy people have him ranked too high. The benagls have given him chances and he is not that good. Benson was getting an inch a carry late last year and Scott still could not take advantage. that is my contribution to the rankings. Otherwise great job.
Thanks for the comments Mason and I’m glad you are enjoying the site. I tend to agree with you about Scott. I liked him early on in his career but as you said, he showed very little last season. It will be interesting to see how he is used this year with Green-Ellis in town.
Sweet work once again!!! - Just nabbed Mathews Over MDJ - the contract issue was the final nail but, I already have a bunch of MDJ.
Wasn’t sold on Mathews this high but, like your perspective.
On a side note - Love the college input - Wonder if you will have time once the season starts, to cater to the Football fan like myself who probably only watches a dozen or so college games a year… Kind of a weekly Guide of who to watch and what games are MUST SEE TV. Then again, you probably do this already
Thanks Stampats. I will have college football stuff up once we get closer to the season. I will probably do player updates and also a weekly review of everything I saw on Saturday. Don’t worry, I’ll have you covered.
Agreed with the site, great job. Glad I found it. Anyway, the rankings, like BJGE this year. Played with a toe injury last year and was still productive. He always gets positive yards, and NEVER fumbles.Dont really see to much compitition with the Bengals, and believe he will be a steal in 5th-6th rd. James Starks will always be a tease because the goal line work either goes to Rodgers on a sneak, or Kuhn punching it in. stayinging away unless he falls. Workhorse RB’s are an endangerd species, so I feel if you can get one of the top 10, you better hop on it, or there is a great drop-off
I agree about Starks not getting a lot of goal line carries but he’s going in Round 7. So I’m not saying to draft him to be your top back but if you waited on RB and you are looking for a couple guys in the middle rounds that can help your team, Starks is good value there. If nothing else he’s set to get a lot of touches in one of the NFL’s top offenses.
I’m liking Donald Brown all the way down at 37. He really seemed to turn the corner last year and should be the undisputed starter for the Colts this season. Delone Carter looked terrible during the limited times I actually saw him play. I see the team definitely trying to run the ball more to help take some of the pressure off of Andrew Luck. Plus, an improved passing game should lead to a better running game (or so you’d think). A 1,000+ total yd, 6+ TD season is there for the taking. Not bad for someone you can get in rd 8 or 9.
I would probably like Brown more if I didn’t spend months after he was drafted declaring he would win Rookie of the Year. It would be funny though that four years after making people send me angry e-mails to this day if Brown became a big fantasy factor.
Joe “Super Size Me” McKnight. Gotta love when these smaller and quicker RB try to bulk up. How did that work out for Felix Jones in 2010? Why isn’t Darren Sproles following these guy’s leads?
Plus he bulked up by eating McDonalds. Great job Joe. Aren’t you an athlete? So you basically gained 15 pounds of fat? That’s encouraging. If I updated my rankings today I would take that fat ass right out completely.
I know, that’s why I used the “Super Size Me” reference. Definitely an entertaining documentary from Morgan Spurlock. Worth checking out sometime if you haven’t seen it.
I’ve seen it. It’s both entertaining and scary. Sorry, I didn’t get it the first time. It’s getting hot over here and I don’t function well in the heat. Already counting down the days until late October.
Never liked Mcknight…. I do think there is some value in Shonn Greene - I know it sounds like Jet fan excuses but, that OL fell apart last year. Of course it needs to stay healthy again but, the entire OL and Blocking scheme is going to be simplified and they are going to commit to the run come hell or high water… I see Greene at times ranked the lowest starting RB in the league. Form a fan who NEVER took Greene before because he doesn’t catch the ball, at 30+ ranking I might buy a bit.
I understand what you’re saying about value but I don’t agree with the OL theory. I was actually a big Greene fan when he was at Iowa but he just isn’t running like a 230-pound back in the NFL even when there are holes. He just looks slow to me. Like I said, I believe he’s better suited for the closer role he had when Thomas Jones was there. Not every player in the NFL is meant to be a star. That’s not a knock. There are a lot of good players who realize their role and excel in it. He’s not the worst RB in the NFL and I do think he will have some big weeks against bad defenses but remember these rankings are based on a PPR format. That’s a big factor because Greene isn’t going to catch many passes. He’s one of those guys that needs to find the end zone most weeks to put up a decent number and with Tebow roaming around, that could be a tall order. He has one more chance to be the guy but usually if a RB hasn’t shown much in four years, he never will. Jones was one of the few that bucked that trend actually.
I was looking for a good site to pull these stats from……FBG only shows Non-ppr - but I found it.. he was 18 in PPR as well!!!!!!!!! WITH the disaster that was last year. - he had 30 catches - Not too shabby and a big leap from when he came out of college as Mr. Stone hands….
So, 18 last year during a disaster - Finally going to be THE #1 with little else behind him - certainly not LT or Thomas Jones……And an offense that IMO is done with the Schotty pussyfooting and ready to really Bang and do what they claim….
Jeez, I’m selling myself as we speak - At RB 30 or so, I’m buying. I’m starting to think Greene is one of those guys people have written off and just have a perception about that might not be completely true.
You mentioned everything but the name “Tim Tebow.” I think you may be underselling his role as a runner in the Jets offense. I’ll tell you what, I’ll look into him a little more and see if he deserves to move up. Just from watching him though, I see an average running back on a team that just happens to run the ball a lot. Plus, saying he has no competition is saying Tebow won’t have a big role. That’s where I really disagree.
Point taken…. I do think though that THIS is the 1st time he truly is given the opportunity to be the guy…. Put it this way, Last year was a Complete Disaster in NY - IMO the offense and OL was as big a mess as could be and players were confused - leading to Penalties, clock issues and confusion that many Jets fans will point to Schottenheimer for… I’ve said for years that that guy tries to confuse the defense way too much and winds up confusing his own team - now it’s going to be balls to the wall LET R RIP Sparano - no nonsense, No BS TONY IN YOUR FACE!!
Also of interest will be Shotty in STL which give me pause for their player rankings.
AND……………… With all that said, As big a disaster as it was - Greene had 1260 yards total 6TDs and 30 Receptions!!!!
BTW - got a good PPR stats reference? I look on FBG and Greene was at 18 In Non-ppr
No way was he’s 30 though - Come on, I smell SOME value here
Again from a Jets fan who has Screemed for 4 years Not to draft Greene where people drafted him.
You are 100% right about Mini-Schottenheimer. He’s one of those idiots that tries so hard to confuse the defense that he takes his own players out of the game. I know another idiot that does that. His name is Jason Garrett. Let’s try and confuse the defense instead of just throwing to Dez Bryant. Those guys are jerks. Absolute jerks. I will admit that every Jets player has a better chance to succeed with that idiot out of there. I’m confused about what you said regarding Greene in a non-PPR format. Are you saying he was18 in non-PPR rankings? If so that sounds about right to me. I would probably him around 20-22 in that format. Greene is currently going in Round 5 of PPR leagues and I just don’t see a lot of value there. If he was going three rounds later I would agree with you.
By the way, thanks for the opposing view. I love different opinions when the guy is calling me an asshole. I see no need for that stuff. But when you are presenting a different opinion in this way, I think that helps everyone coming to the site. I never claim to be right all the time. I’ve been wrong before and I’ll be wrong again. I just hope it’s not about Ronnie Hillman or I’ll have to kill myself.
First - I like the list - a very realistic and accurate ranking in my opinion - however - 1) why is Michael Turner so low - i don’t think that guy gets his due when it comes to respect in the NFL or in fantasy leagues, the dude has legs like tree trunks (MJD) and is a solid producer. I know Atlanta falls behind in games against New Orleans and abandons the run - but in the other 14 games of the season this guy can have monster games!! 2) anyone know what is up with Cedric Benson - is he going to get picked up anywhere or be in competition with BenJarvus Green-Ellis in Cincy? He isn’t on the list above, and for a good reason no one knows what is up with him, and if he were going to play somewhere he would make the top 50 (like 40th-49th) 3) Doug Martin 19th & LeGarrette Blount 39th ??? That is a real eye-opener - I don’t like Blount either, however - is Doug Martin really going to be that good?
Allan, thanks for the input. One thing you have to remember is my rankings are based on a PPR format. I’ve written a couple of times in the past that I believe the Falcons are going to try and use Jizz Rodgers in a Darren Sproles-like role this year. Plus, I saw a decline in Turner’s game last season. He just began to look a step slower to me. I think he may barely get to 1,000 yards again this season but in a PPR format with Rodgers taking on a bigger role, I don’t love him. If you play in a non-PPR league though, Turner has a lot more value. As for Martin, again, he’s going to catch most of the balls there and it’s already being reported that he will start. I actually like guys like Ronnie Hillman and Isaiah Pead more as players but Martin is going into a pretty good situation. Again, these are PPR rankings and Blount isn’t going to do anything for you as a receiver. As for Benson I’m guessing most teams think he’s done. He was arguably the worst RB in the NFL over the second half of last season. He was so slow it was hard to watch. The fact that no team has signed him yet is pretty significant in my mind. I do admit that I’m down on Turner more than most but a lot of it has to do with my Rodgers/Sproles theory. Sproles killed the Falcons last year and they have a similar player on their own roster. Plus, I think everyone can see Turner is slowing down so it would actually help the team if he didn’t get as many touches. At least that’s how I see it but rankings are subjective. You can look at a player and see one thing and I can see another. That’s the great thing about fantasy football. We’re all general managers. Thanks again for the feedback.
Im curious what people’s opinions are on backup running back Alex Green in Green Bay. The guy has size, speed, and can catch the football. Is there any way he becomes a legit fantasy player late in 2012? I’m in a keeper league and looking for that daimond in the rough that I can pick up early and stash away until they become credible. I understand the Packers have a split backfield and don’t run the ball much. But to me he seems like he could thrive in the screen game much the way that Ahman Green did. Please advise.
Jared, I really like Green in a keeper league. He was one of the players I was high on in last year’s draft and I think he could become the Packers top back if Starks doesn’t work out early on. You mentioned Green’s versatility and that was what really impressed me when he was at Hawaii. The only reason he isn’t on the list yet is because I’ve heard conflicting reports about his injury. It’s funny that you mentioned him because Green is a guy I will be talking quite about in the coming months. He’s also someone I’ll be targeting in my own dynasty league. I think he could be the diamond in the rough you’re looking for. In my next RB rankings I’ll talk more about him. He’s one of my sleepers and I want to make sure he’s healthy before I start promoting him too much. I say grab him. I hope this helped some.
Awesome, I appreciate the input. I agree with everything you said, I just wanted confirmation that I wasn’t being too biased based on my love for the Packers.