For fantasy owners, Week 11 means the jockeying for playoff position is already well underway. For the real-life version of the NFL, the playoff push is just getting started.
Fantasy football rankings, Week 11: Consensus running backs for standard leagues
The SB Nation fantasy team reveals which running backs rank in the top 50 for standard leagues heading into Week 11.
Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
The good news for the owners of the elite standard-league running backs is that fantasy and real life are dovetailing at just the right time.
No team is feeling the urgency to get back into playoff contention more than the Pittsburgh Steelers. At one time 4-1 and riding high in the AFC North, the Steelers have now lost four straight and are in serious danger of not making the playoffs unless they can catch the division-leading Ravens, who sit one game ahead in the standings.
Luckily for the Steelers, this Sunday brings an almost guaranteed win against the 0-10 Browns in Cleveland. And that is even better news for Le’Veon Bell, our unanimous selection as the top standard-league running back in Week 11.
As has been discussed in this article all season, the Browns are a bottom-three defense against the run, allowing 143 yards per game and 12 touchdowns, tied for third-worst in the league.
Amazingly, Bell had not scored any touchdowns until netting a pair this past Sunday against Dallas, one on the ground and one through the air. Like his team, Bell has scuffled this season, going over 100 yards rushing just once, in his first game back off suspension in Week 5.
But the Browns make everything better for opposing offenses, and Bell should get back into his owners’ good graces this weekend.
DeMarco Murray owners haven’t had any complaints in 2016. Murray has failed to score a touchdown in just two of 10 games this season and has broken 100 yards rushing five times in his past eight games. On four occasions, Murray has hit 100 yards and scored, and one of those came against the Colts in Week 7.
Murray gets another shot at Indianapolis this week in a game his Titans must win to stay in the thick in the AFC South race, trailing Houston by 1.5 games. That urgency should lead to another monster day of carries for the Titans’ offensive MVP.
At 4-4-1, the Arizona Cardinals are on the edge of the wild card race, and only trail the Seahwaks by two games in the NFC West. David Johnson was solid, if not spectacular, against the 49ers last week, but came up big when it mattered in the final minutes to help secure the game-winning field goal.
Johnson grades as the No. 3 running back on our list this week, but if Johnson is going to catapult the Cardinals back into the thick of the playoff chase, he’s going to have to earn it. The Vikings allow the eighth-fewest rushing yards per game and have given up four rushing touchdowns. Not that Johnson owners are doing anything other than playing him, but set your expectations accordingly.
Running Backs (Standard), Week 11
(ZS: Zach Senvisky, JM: Jason Marcum, SK: Scott Kaliska, JG: Jeff Goldberg, KB: Kyle Bennett, DG: Derek Gordon)
| Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp. | ZS | JM | SK | JG | KB | DG |
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | @ CLE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ IND | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | David Johnson | ARI | @ MIN | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs. BAL | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ CIN | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Lamar Miller | HOU | @ OAK | 9 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 7 | Spencer Ware | KC | vs. TB | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 8 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | @ LA | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| 9 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | vs. NO | 10 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 7 |
| 10 | Latavius Murray | OAK | vs. HOU | 11 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | @ SF | 6 | 21 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 21 |
| 12 | Todd Gurley | LA | vs. MIA | 12 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 16 |
| 13 | Doug Martin | TB | @ KC | 13 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | Robert Kelley | WAS | vs. GB | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 15 | Carlos Hyde | SF | vs. NE | 17 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 |
| 16 | Jordan Howard | CHI | @ NYG | 20 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 17 | 11 |
| 17 | Mark Ingram | NO | @ CAR | 19 | 14 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 |
| 18 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. JAC | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 20 |
| 19 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. TEN | 14 | 26 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 26 |
| 20 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | vs. BUF | 23 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
| 21 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | vs. BUF | 16 | 28 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 24 |
| 22 | C.J. Prosise | SEA | vs. PHI | 21 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| 23 | Terrance West | BAL | @ DAL | 34 | 12 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 12 |
| 24 | Ryan Mathews | PHI | @ SEA | 24 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| 25 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | vs. PIT | 22 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | Darren Sproles | PHI | @ SEA | 27 | 18 | 27 | 31 | 28 | 18 |
| 27 | James Starks | GB | @ WAS | 26 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 |
| 28 | Chris Ivory | JAC | @ DET | 25 | 33 | 26 | 26 | 30 | 33 |
| 29 | Tim Hightower | NO | @ CAR | 33 | 27 | 33 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
| 30 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | vs. CHI | 30 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 |
| 31 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | vs. PHI | 31 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 29 |
| 32 | Kenneth Dixon | BAL | @ DAL | 29 | 39 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 32 |
| 33 | James White | NE | @ SF | 32 | 30 | 32 | 37 | 36 | 30 |
| 34 | Duke Johnson | CLE | vs. PIT | 28 | 32 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 39 |
| 35 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | @ DET | 36 | 38 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 38 |
| 36 | Paul Perkins | NYG | vs. CHI | 37 | 35 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 35 |
| 37 | Matt Asiata | MIN | vs. ARI | 35 | 42 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 36 |
| 38 | Dwayne Washington | DET | vs. JAC | 45 | 34 | 45 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| 39 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | vs. ARI | 40 | 37 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 37 |
| 40 | Jeremy Langford | CHI | @ NYG | 38 | 45 | 38 | 39 | 39 | -- |
| 41 | Peyton Barber | TB | @ KC | 42 | 36 | 46 | 42 | 42 | 42 |
| 42 | Damien Williams | MIA | @ LA | 47 | 41 | 47 | 41 | 41 | 41 |
| 43 | Chris Thompson | WAS | vs. GB | 39 | 50 | 39 | 44 | 44 | 43 |
| 44 | Derrick Henry | TEN | @ IND | 41 | 43 | 41 | 43 | 43 | -- |
| 45 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | vs. HOU | 44 | -- | 44 | 45 | 45 | 47 |
| 46 | Mike Gillislee | BUF | @ CIN | 49 | 49 | 43 | 47 | 46 | 45 |
| 47 | Charcandrick West | KC | vs. TB | 48 | 47 | 48 | 46 | 49 | 44 |
| 48 | Alfred Morris | DAL | vs. BAL | -- | 40 | -- | -- | -- | 40 |
| 49 | Ka'Deem Carey | CHI | @ NYG | 43 | 46 | 49 | 49 | 47 | 50 |
| 50 | DuJuan Harris | SF | vs. NE | 46 | -- | 42 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Andre Ellington | ARI | @ MIN | -- | 48 | -- | 48 | 48 | 46 |
| -- | Jalen Richard | OAK | vs. HOU | 50 | 44 | 50 | 50 | 50 | -- |
| -- | Alfred Blue | HOU | @ OAK | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | Robert Turbin | IND | vs. TEN | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 49 |
