Fantasy football rankings, Week 5: Running backs for standard, PPR leagues

With only two teams on bye, nearly every top option is in play. The Week 5 running back rankings should help filter out the rest.

by John Daigle

Oct 1, 2014, 2:13 PM UTC

Jonathan Daniel

We're a quarter of the way through the regular season and the dust has yet to settle. After all, the consensus top five running backs coming into this season were LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte and Eddie Lacy. And if it were to end today? DeMarco Murray, Marshawn Lynch, Le'Veon Bell, Ahmad Bradshaw and Rashad Jennings.

Yeah, we missed that one. Let’s go ahead and check in on those who were originally drafted to carry the load and see where they stand moving forward.

LeSean McCoy: That number one sitting next to him on your draft boards wasn't meant to signify his yards per carry, but therein lies the problem. Still, an injury to Evan Mathis wasn't foreseeable, and the offensive line crumbling in his wake certainly wasn't either. The good news is that McCoy, currently averaging 17.5 carries per game, isn't losing his opportunities anytime soon. His line might be dreadful, but those additional receptions are inevitably going to come sooner than later. I'd consider buying low while the time is right.

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Jamaal Charles: If his performance against New England didn't sell you, I'm not sure anything will. Injuries are still certainly a factor, but the Kansas City Chiefs have clearly put all their trust into Charles carrying them offensively. Knile Davis will show up here and there, but not enough to impact his production. Continue starting him until otherwise noted.

Matt Forte: It's understandable if you're an unsatisfied customer, but brighter days are on the horizon. Through the first three games, Forte averaged a mere 14 carries. Last week against Green Bay? A whopping 23. Sprinkle in his top five receptions total and it wouldn't be shocking to see him finish amongst the top three running backs when it's all said and done.

Eddie Lacy: I don't know what to tell you. The line has issues, sure, but Lacy just isn't making the same reads that helped him prosper as a rookie. The league-worst Chicago Bears run defense was supposed to be the match he salivated over, but 2.82 yards per carry isn't exactly drool-worthy. He might be worth keeping around, but it's in your best interest to start weighing offers.

As for this week, you're starting your horses (DeMarco Murray, Le'Veon Bell, Jamaal Charles, Rashad Jennings) and miniature ponies (LeSean McCoy, Eddie Lacy, Arian Foster), all the while keeping a watchful eye on those fading from the pack (Montee Ball, Doug Martin, Frank Gore). And don't forget, the Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins are on bye, so be sure and sit ... yeah, never mind.

Running Back rankings (standard), Week 5

(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)

Rank	Consensus	Team	Opponent	DK	DC	JD	SK
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL	HOU	1	1	1	1
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	@JAC	3	2	3	2
3	Matt Forte	CHI	@CAR	5	3	2	4
4	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	@WAS	4	4	5	3
5	Jamaal Charles	KAN	@SF	2	6	8	8
6	Rashad Jennings	NYG	ATL	6	8	4	6
7	LeSean McCoy	PHI	STL	8	5	6	5
8	Giovani Bernard	CIN	@NE	10	7	7	7
9	Eddie Lacy	GB	MIN	7	9	9	9
10	Arian Foster	HOU	@DAL	9	10	10	11
11	Andre Ellington	ARI	@DEN	11	11	11	12
12	Alfred Morris	WAS	SEA	13	14	13	15
13	Zac Stacy	STL	@PHI	14	13	15	14
14	Montee Ball	DEN	ARI	12	12	22	13
15	Frank Gore	SF	KAN	21	17	16	10
16	Matt Asiata	MIN	@GB	22	15	14	16
17	Doug Martin	TAM	@NO	27	16	17	17
18	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	BAL	15	19	27	19
19	Chris Ivory	NYJ	@SD	18	22	19	21
20	Reggie Bush	DET	BUF	17	18	31	18
21	Khiry Robinson	NO	TAM	23	25	21	20
22	Ben Tate	CLE	@TEN	20	21	26	24
23	C.J. Spiller	BUF	@DET	19	23	28	23
24	Fred Jackson	BUF	@DET	16	20	35	25
25	Justin Forsett	BAL	@IND	33	24	20	22
26	Shane Vereen	NE	CIN	26	26	36	26
27	Donald Brown	SD	NYJ	29	30	29	27
28	Trent Richardson	IND	BAL	31	29	30	34
29	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	@GB	37	39	12	37
30	Bishop Sankey	TEN	CLE	36	38	18	33
31	Stevan Ridley	NE	CIN	35	32	32	29
32	Darren Sproles	PHI	STL	24	31	43	31
33	Knile Davis	KAN	@SF	25	41	23	42
34	Lorenzo Taliaferro	BAL	@IND	30	37	24	40
35	Steven Jackson	ATL	@NYG	28	28	45	30
36	Jeremy Hill	CIN	@NE	38	34	25	36
37	Joique Bell	DET	BUF	39	27	39	28
38	Toby Gerhart	JAC	PIT	40	33	41	32
39	Chris Johnson	NYJ	@SD	34	40	38	38
40	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	@TEN	41	44	34	35
41	Pierre Thomas	NO	TAM	32	35	--	39
42	Carlos Hyde	SF	KAN	45	45	33	44
43	Andre Williams	NYG	ATL	44	43	40	41
44	Branden Oliver	SD	NYJ	47	--	37	47
45	Darrin Reaves	CAR	CHI	--	42	48	43
46	Terrance West	CLE	@TEN	48	36	--	50
47	Bobby Rainey	TAM	@NO	43	50	42	--
48	Antone Smith	ATL	@NYG	42	--	46	--
49	LeGarrette Blount	PIT	@JAC	49	47	--	46
50	Fozzy Whittaker	CAR	CHI	--	48	--	45
--	Ronnie Hillman	DEN	ARI	--	--	44	--
--	Shonn Greene	TEN	CLE	--	46	--	49
--	C.J. Anderson	DEN	ARI	46	--	--	--
--	Alfred Blue	HOU	@DAL	--	--	47	--
--	Denard Robinson	JAC	PIT	--	--	--	48
--	Bernard Pierce	BAL	@IND	50	49	--	--
--	Robert Turbin	SEA	@WAS	--	--	49	--
--	Stepfan Taylor	ARI	@DEN	--	--	50	--

Running Back rankings (PPR), Week 5

(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)

Rank	Consensus	Team	Opponent	DK	DC	JD	SK
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL	HOU	2	1	1	1
2	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	@JAC	1	2	2	2
3	Jamaal Charles	KAN	@SF	3	3	6	5
4	Matt Forte	CHI	@CAR	4	4	3	8
5	Rashad Jennings	NYG	ATL	6	8	4	3
6	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	@WAS	5	7	7	4
7	Giovani Bernard	CIN	@NE	7	6	5	6
8	LeSean McCoy	PHI	STL	8	5	8	7
9	Eddie Lacy	GB	MIN	10	9	10	11
10	Andre Ellington	ARI	@DEN	11	10	12	10
11	Arian Foster	HOU	@DAL	9	14	11	15
12	Matt Asiata	MIN	@GB	19	13	9	12
13	Montee Ball	DEN	ARI	13	11	23	9
14	Zac Stacy	STL	@PHI	15	16	16	16
15	Alfred Morris	WAS	SEA	17	17	14	19
16	Doug Martin	TAM	@NO	28	12	18	13
17	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	BAL	12	19	22	21
18	Frank Gore	SF	KAN	23	18	17	17
19	Shane Vereen	NE	CIN	21	15	33	14
20	Reggie Bush	DET	BUF	16	21	25	22
21	C.J. Spiller	BUF	@DET	18	20	26	20
22	Justin Forsett	BAL	@IND	32	23	19	18
23	Chris Ivory	NYJ	@SD	22	26	20	25
24	Fred Jackson	BUF	@DET	14	22	35	23
25	Khiry Robinson	NO	TAM	27	24	21	24
26	Darren Sproles	PHI	STL	20	25	29	26
27	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	@GB	34	29	13	28
28	Ben Tate	CLE	@TEN	24	27	27	30
29	Donald Brown	SD	NYJ	26	30	28	27
30	Knile Davis	KAN	@SF	25	41	24	40
31	Trent Richardson	IND	BAL	30	28	39	35
32	Bishop Sankey	TEN	@CLE	41	39	15	38
33	Jeremy Hill	CIN	@NE	40	31	31	33
34	Lorenzo Taliaferro	BAL	@IND	36	37	30	37
35	Joique Bell	DET	BUF	35	32	42	31
36	Stevan Ridley	NE	CIN	39	33	40	32
37	Toby Gerhart	JAC	PIT	38	36	43	29
38	Steven Jackson	ATL	@NYG	29	34	--	34
39	Pierre Thomas	NO	TAM	31	35	47	36
40	Chris Johnson	NYJ	@SD	33	40	38	41
41	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	@TEN	46	44	34	39
42	Carlos Hyde	SF	KAN	44	47	32	49
43	Andre Williams	NYG	ATL	43	--	36	47
44	Bobby Rainey	TAM	@NO	37	45	44	--
45	Branden Oliver	SD	NYJ	47	--	37	43
46	Fozzy Whittaker	CAR	CHI	--	42	--	42
47	Darrin Reaves	CAR	CHI	--	43	49	45
48	Antone Smith	ATL	@NYG	42	--	45	--
49	Terrance West	CLE	@TEN	--	38	--	--
50	Ronnie Hillman	DEN	ARI	--	--	41	--
--	Denard Robinson	JAC	PIT	--	49	50	44
--	LeGarrette Blount	PIT	@JAC	--	46	--	46
--	Roy Helu Jr.	WAS	SEA	45	48	--	--
--	Jacquizz Rodgers	ATL	@NYG	--	--	46	50
--	C.J. Anderson	DEN	ARI	48	--	--	--
--	Alfred Blue	HOU	@DAL	--	--	48	--
--	Shonn Greene	TEN	CLE	--	--	--	48
--	Devonta Freeman	ATL	@NYG	49	50	--	--
--	Dexter McCluster	TEN	CLE	50	--	--	--