2015 fantasy football rankings: Consensus running backs for standard leagues, Preseason Week 4
We so often focus on the top of drafts, but it’s the mid-level running backs who will often make or break your season. We break down rankings for standard running backs for your 2015 fantasy football leagues.
In today’s rankings update (scroll down! Woo!), I’m focusing on the next guys. The ones who will fill your bench, maybe your flex spot sometimes. I’m going to hit on a few guys who have gotten extra attention this preseason for one reason or another. The next few paragraphs are my opinion, not the group’s, but whatever, I’m the one writing. Eat it, suckers.
Ameer Abdullah: I’m sorry, I don’t buy it. Abdullah is getting hyped as the guy supplanting Joique Bell in the Detroit backfield. But that all came when Bell was sidelined as he recovered from surgery; Bell is now back and active, and he will be the team’s No. 1. Abdullah, to me, doesn’t profile as a three-down back; he’s a fine change-up guy, or a Darren Sproles-ian pass catcher, but if I’m picking up a Detroit back, it’s still Bell, easily.
Ryan Mathews: I’ll be honest, I don’t really know what to do with Mathews this year. I have him ranked 36th, and all of our group’s rankings are in that general area, but I really don’t know how you’d use him. With DeMarco Murray in the fold, Mathews isn’t going to get a lot of carries (barring Murray injury). With Sproles still around, he won’t be the pass-catching back. Is he going to even get 10 touches a game? I have no idea. But it’s still Ryan Mathews; you have to consider him in the range he’s going. In short, I rank him 36th, and I can’t imagine actually drafting him there.
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Bishop Sankey: “When a guy tells you not to draft him, you believe him.” Do you remember last season? Sankey was terrible, and there’s been nothing about this preseason to change that. It’s true that David Cobb is hurt, and it might be a while before he’s ready, but all that tells me is that the Tennessee running back situation is a complete stay-away. Featuring a terrible running back doesn’t make a terrible running back useful.
Khiry Robinson: Why isn’t he going in drafts? He’s behind Mark Ingram (hurt all the time) and C.J. Spiller (hurt already) in the Saints’ depth chart. That’s code for “he will be very active this season.” I have had two drafts so far, and picked up Robinson near the end of both.
Those were just a few players I felt like talking about. We’re back today with our full fantasy football running back consensus re-ranks after Week 3 of the NFL preseason. Give everything a look, and sound off in the comments.
Running backs
(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; AM: Andrew Miller; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)
| Rank | Consensus | Team | DK | DC | AM | JD | SK |
| 1 | Eddie Lacy | GB | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Adrian Peterson | MIN | 9 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Jamaal Charles | KC | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| 5 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 6 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | Matt Forte | CHI | 4 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | DeMarco Murray | PHI | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | 12 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| 11 | Justin Forsett | BAL | 11 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | Lamar Miller | MIA | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| 13 | Mark Ingram | NO | 13 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 14 |
| 14 | Alfred Morris | WAS | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
| 15 | Frank Gore | IND | 22 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
| 16 | Carlos Hyde | SF | 10 | 19 | 12 | 25 | 19 |
| 17 | Melvin Gordon | SD | 23 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 16 |
| 18 | Latavius Murray | OAK | 17 | 17 | 15 | 26 | 18 |
| 19 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | 20 | 18 | 24 | 16 | 17 |
| 20 | Andre Ellington | ARI | 24 | 20 | 28 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | Joseph Randle | DAL | 28 | 32 | 20 | 18 | 21 |
| 22 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | 21 | 24 | 27 | 21 | 26 |
| 23 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | 31 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 22 |
| 24 | Chris Ivory | NYJ | 25 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 27 |
| 25 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | 30 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 23 |
| 26 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | 16 | 30 | 32 | 20 | 31 |
| 27 | Joique Bell | DET | 19 | 22 | 26 | 32 | 30 |
| 28 | Todd Gurley | STL | 27 | 25 | 25 | 29 | 24 |
| 29 | Doug Martin | TB | 39 | 23 | 19 | 30 | 28 |
| 30 | Arian Foster | HOU | 18 | 46 | 29 | 27 | 34 |
| 31 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | 37 | 33 | 30 | 28 | 32 |
| 32 | C.J. Spiller | NO | 42 | 27 | 38 | 31 | 25 |
| 33 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | 33 | 29 | 33 | 39 | 29 |
| 34 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | 26 | 31 | 41 | 35 | 33 |
| 35 | Tre Mason | STL | 29 | 40 | 35 | 34 | 38 |
| 36 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | 38 | 36 | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| 37 | Bishop Sankey | TEN | -- | 37 | 31 | 33 | 39 |
| 38 | Ryan Mathews | PHI | 36 | 38 | 40 | 44 | 37 |
| 39 | Alfred Blue | HOU | 46 | 34 | 34 | 41 | 41 |
| 40 | Shane Vereen | NYG | 40 | 35 | 47 | 40 | 35 |
| 41 | Duke Johnson | CLE | 34 | 39 | 48 | 37 | 40 |
| 42 | Danny Woodhead | SD | 35 | 41 | 44 | 38 | 42 |
| 43 | Darren McFadden | DAL | 32 | 43 | 39 | 48 | 44 |
| 44 | David Cobb | TEN | 41 | 42 | 42 | 47 | 43 |
| 45 | David Johnson | ARI | -- | 44 | 37 | 45 | 47 |
| 46 | Charles Sims | TB | 43 | 47 | -- | 42 | 46 |
| 47 | Knile Davis | KC | 45 | 49 | 45 | 43 | 50 |
| 48 | Reggie Bush | SF | -- | 45 | 43 | 50 | 45 |
| 49 | Cameron Artis-Payne | CAR | 44 | -- | 49 | -- | -- |
| 50 | Andre Williams | NYG | -- | 48 | 50 | 49 | 48 |
| -- | Roy Helu Jr. | OAK | -- | 50 | -- | 46 | 49 |
| -- | Matt Jones | WAS | -- | -- | 46 | -- | -- |
| -- | Ronnie Hillman | DEN | 47 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Khiry Robinson | NO | 48 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Denard Robinson | JAC | 49 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | 50 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
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SB Nation presents: How to determine fantasy sleepers and busts
