Oct 26, 2013

55 & 5: Week 8 RB rankings

I lied, there are a lot of teams on bye, I don't think there will be 55 worthy players this week! Not that you were starting anyone that far down anyway.


  1. LeSean McCoy
  2. Jamaal Charles
  3. Marshawn Lynch
  4. Eddie Lacy
  5. Knowshon Moreno
  6. Adrian Peterson
  7. Frank Gore
  8. Reggie Bush
  9. Stevan Ridley
  10. Fred Jackson
  11. Darren Sproles
  12. Le'Veon Bell
  13. Alfred Morris
  14. Giovani Bernard
  15. Darren McFadden
  16. Jacquizz Rodgers
  17. Zac Stacy
  18. Steven Jackson
  19. Andre Ellington
  20. Lamar Miller
  21. Chris Ivory
  22. Roy Helu
  23. Joseph Randle
  24. Maurice Jones-Drew
  25. BenJarvus Green-Ellis
  26. Peyton Hillis
  27. Pierre Thomas
  28. Willis McGahee
  29. Joique Bell
  30. Brandon Bolden
  31. Kendall Hunter
  32. Joseph Randle
  33. Marcel Reece
  34. Daniel Thomas
  35. Tashard Choice
  36. Lance Dunbar
  37. Bilal Powell
  38. Alfonso Smith
  39. James Starks
  40. Khiry Robinson
  41. Montee Ball
  42. Daryl Richardson
  43. Chris Ogbonnaya
  44. Rashad Jennings
  45. Anthony Dixon
  46. Felix Jones
  47. Michael Cox
  48. Bryce Brown
  49. Jonathan Franklin
  50. CJ Anderson
  51. Justin Forsett
#4 Eddie Lacy - (#8 on ESPN Rankings)
Over the past two weeks Eddie Lacy has shown me that he is an elite back and he has become matchup proof after playing very well against two of the tougher defenses. Play him and watch him perform wonderfully.

#13 Alfred Morris/#22 Roy Helu - (#9/#30 on ESPN Rankings)
I have cautioned people not to overreact to the Roy Helu touchdowns, but I definitely think Helu performed well enough to take away some of the touches from Morris. Either way, I expect both to perform well this week. My ranking of Helu isn't because I think he will steal touchdowns, but rather that if the Redskins fall behind, Helu is the better pass catching RB.

#16 Jacquizz Rodgers - (#28 on ESPN rankings)
I've mentioned this on twitter, but I really believe Jacquizz is the next smaller-sized back in the mold of Sproles and Danny Woodhead. He is great at catching passes out of the backfield. Because of that skillset I think he remains valuable when Steven Jackson comes back. This ranking probably goes down slightly if Jackson is confirmed for certain to be back.

#25 Peyton Hillis - (#35 on ESPN rankings)
Peyton Hillis did not look great in his New York Giant debut, but he got better as the game went along. This is another ranking that could change depending on Brandon Jacobs health. But if Jacobs is out, Hillis clearly played better than Michael Cox and as an RB #1 vs the Eagles, he is a starting option.

#29 C.J. Spiller - (#19 on ESPN Rankings)
No, I haven't given up on C.J. Spiller. Its just that I think he is clearly hurt and it would be a mistake to play him. If I have any reasonable option at all, I am very cautious unless we hear better things. Spiller is highly unlikely to play, confirming my original thoughts. Do not start.

Deeper Looks...I still like Andre Ellington better than Rashard Mendenhall. It's simply in my nature to be very weary of players getting their first start, such as Mike James. I don't see him as a viable option outside of a flex. Brandon Bolden & Daniel Thomas both saw way more time than expected. I actually though Bolden looked very good and even though I like Ridley a lot, Bolden won't be a bad play. Ronnie Hillman is definitely not reliable, but its another matchup where he could end up seeing 8-10 touches, which makes him a decent desperation play. I prefer Lance Dunbar over Joseph Randle in terms of talent. Don't be surprised if he slowly gets more playing time as that game progresses.

As always, if you have any questions about my thinking, leave a comment. You can also tweet me @LopsidedTrades for quick thoughts and suggestions!

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