Fantasy football rankings 2015: Running backs for standard leagues, Week 13

This year has been a war of attrition among running backs. We've seen starters fall by the wayside almost every week, and unless you drafted Adrian Peterson or Mark Ingram, you likely haven't had the same guy starting every week (bye aside).

If that feels like an exaggeration, it really isn't. Of the top-20 running backs drafted this season, the only ones who haven't been injured for at least one game are Peterson, C.J. Anderson, Jeremy Hill, Ingram, Alfred Morris, Lamar Miller, Frank Gore, Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Stewart. Of those, Anderson, Morris and Gordon have almost certainly been benched for cause in most leagues at some point. Hill and Miller certainly could have been as well. It's basically Peterson, Ingram, maybe Stewart and some fringe Doug Martin-ing.

The latest guy to take over for the starter is Arizona's David Johnson, coming this week. That's a week after Buck Allen and Thomas Rawls, and to a lesser extent Tevin Coleman and Spencer Ware, had to jump in for their respective teams. Alfred Blue, James Starks and Charcandrick West have taken their turns. So with a few weeks left in the season, let's look at the remaining guys who haven't been starters yet who still could be, if things go poorly:

• Jordan Todman, Pittsburgh. The Steelers went into the year really hoping for a full season out of Le'Veon Bell. DeAngelo Williams was expected to be a veteran backup, but not a full-timer. Williams has been strong, but behind him, it's only Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint (who, truth be told, I kind of like, but he's been with the team for five days). Todman will get all sorts of play if Williams goes down.
• Karlos Williams, Buffalo. Yeah, this is cheating, as Williams had his moment. But since LeSean McCoy's return to full strength, Williams has been almost totally abandoned in the Buffalo running game, despite having been tremendous through Week 10. If McCoy were to go down again, Williams would be a top-10 running back.
• Robert Turbin, Dallas. Joseph Randle was fine. Since, Darren McFadden has been fine. Neither guy has any great shakes. What they are is competent NFL players running behind an excellent offensive line. If McFadden were to go down, you know what Turbin would be? A competent NFL player running behind an excellent offensive line.
• Charles Sims, Tampa Bay. Despite Doug Martin playing every game this season and doubling up Sims in touches in most games, Sims has reached double-digit fantasy points four times, more than you find from most backup running backs. He's at 4.4 yards per carry and averaging about 25 receiving yards a game. Bobby Rainey will be there if Martin goes down, but Sims will get first crack, and I expect good things.

If I'm heading to my playoffs and rostering borderline starters like Antonio Andrews, Rashad Jennings or Shaun Draughn, I'd rather have these guys. First choice, of course, would be to handcuff your own guy, but either way, there's a chance, however remote, that guys like Turbin and Sims can be difference-makers in the fantasy playoffs. Is there any way Andrews can be? Jennings? I don't think it's possible.

(DK: Daniel Kelley; AM: Andrew Miller; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska. Dan Ciarrocchi has the week off.)

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