Sorry, Cleveland. You sure picked the wrong week to play the Cowboys.
Fantasy football rankings, Week 9: 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 9.
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Now, most of the folks in Cleveland probably don’t care a whole lot about the Browns right now. On Wednesday night, the Indians were looking to secure their first World Series title since 1948. On Tuesday night, the Cavaliers raised their 2016 championship banner.
But come Sunday, it’s back to football, and back to an 0-8 team that really likes to give up production to opposing offenses. And that is great news for our consensus No. 1 running back for Week 9 in standard scoring leagues.
It’s November, and Ezekiel Elliott is coming home to feast.
The Cowboys rookie running back takes a trip down Narrative Street this week, as the former Ohio State star plays his first professional game back in Ohio. It might not be on the same level as LeBron going from Akron to Cleveland (and then Cleveland a second time), but Elliott will certainly feel nostalgic for those college days when he ran roughshod over inferior Division I defenses.
Inferior is the Browns’ middle name. And while they should get a boost from the acquisition of Patriots’ linebacker Jamie Collins, it won’t completely erase the fact that the Browns have allowed the second-most yards per game on the ground, along with 10 touchdowns.
And they get Elliott in a week where the Rookie of the Year candidate (as well as league MVP) is coming off his worst performance since Week 2. Against the stout Philadelphia defense on Sunday night, Elliott was held under 100 yards for the first time since that Week 2 game against Washington and did not score a touchdown for the second straight game.
So, you think Elliott might be a little motivated this Sunday? Good luck, Cleveland!
Our top five rankings this week come with question marks. Tennessee’s DeMarco Murray and Denver’s Devontae Booker should have no trouble racking up fantasy production against the Chargers and Raiders, respectively, unless they can’t get on the field. Murray is nursing a toe injury and Booker is being checked out for the shoulder issue that caused him to miss a chunk of Sunday’s win over San Diego.
If they’re both given the green light, expect them to continue their strong seasons, although Murray will probably lose carries to rookie Derrick Henry, who had the best game of his brief career last Thursday against the Jaguars. Henry might even make an interesting spot starter for fantasy teams missing their regular starters due to injury or a bye week.
Sitting just outside our top five is Matt Forte, who is enjoying a mid-season renaissance with the Jets, burning the aforementioned Browns for 82 yards and two touchdowns in the Jets’ come-from-behind win. Forte owners were talking about dropping the veteran back as recently as two weeks ago. Fifty-five carries, 252 total yards, and four touchdowns later, Forte is back in the elite back mix, although he does draw a tough assignment against the Dolphins.
Running backs, Standard, Week 9
(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 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | @ CLE | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ SD | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | @ BAL | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | @ TB | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| 5 | Melvin Gordon | SD | vs. TEN | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 6 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @ MIA | 6 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 7 |
| 7 | Todd Gurley | LA | vs. CAR | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| 8 | Devontae Booker | DEN | @ OAK | 16 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| 9 | Christine Michael | SEA | vs. BUF | 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | vs. NYJ | 10 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 12 |
| 11 | Carlos Hyde | SF | vs. NO | 8 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| 12 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ LA | 9 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 11 |
| 13 | Frank Gore | IND | @ GB | 12 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| 14 | Terrance West | BAL | vs. PIT | 14 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| 15 | Latavius Murray | OAK | vs. DEN | 13 | 20 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 20 |
| 16 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | vs. DAL | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 19 |
| 17 | Theo Riddick | DET | @ MIN | 18 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
| 18 | Mark Ingram | NO | @ SF | 21 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| 19 | Tim Hightower | NO | @ SF | 19 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 15 |
| 20 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | vs. PHI | 24 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 21 |
| 21 | Darren Sproles | PHI | @ NYG | 32 | 17 | 28 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| 22 | Spencer Ware | KC | vs. JAC | 22 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| 23 | Ryan Mathews | PHI | @ NYG | 25 | 24 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 22 |
| 24 | Charcandrick West | KC | vs. JAC | 23 | 31 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 29 |
| 25 | Derrick Henry | TEN | @ SD | 20 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 31 |
| 26 | Mike Gillislee | BUF | @ SEA | 15 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 27 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ SEA | 48 | 25 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| 28 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | @ KC | 26 | 28 | 32 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
| 29 | Duke Johnson | CLE | vs. DAL | 28 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
| 30 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ MIA | 33 | 22 | 33 | 36 | 22 | 25 |
| 31 | Matt Asiata | MIN | vs. DET | 27 | 36 | 19 | 30 | 30 | 35 |
| 32 | C.J. Prosise | SEA | vs. BUF | 31 | 30 | 35 | 31 | 31 | 33 |
| 33 | Chris Ivory | JAC | @ KC | 34 | 35 | 30 | 33 | 33 | 34 |
| 34 | Alfred Morris | DAL | @ CLE | 36 | 34 | 38 | 34 | 34 | 32 |
| 35 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | vs. DET | -- | 27 | 39 | 35 | 32 | 26 |
| 36 | Dexter McCluster | TEN | @ SD | 29 | 33 | -- | 32 | 32 | 39 |
| 37 | Peyton Barber | TB | vs. ATL | 30 | 45 | 34 | 37 | 37 | 45 |
| 38 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | vs. DEN | 42 | 37 | 37 | 50 | 41 | 36 |
| 39 | Paul Perkins | NYG | vs. PHI | 46 | 38 | 40 | 43 | 40 | 37 |
| 40 | Don Jackson | GB | vs. IND | 35 | 40 | 49 | 39 | 39 | 47 |
| 41 | Kenneth Dixon | BAL | vs. PIT | 38 | -- | 36 | 38 | 36 | 50 |
| 42 | Zach Zenner | DET | @ MIN | 44 | 48 | 43 | 41 | 38 | 38 |
| 43 | Mike Davis | SF | vs. NO | 40 | 50 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 44 |
| 44 | Antone Smith | TB | vs. ATL | -- | -- | 29 | -- | 35 | -- |
| 45 | Robert Turbin | IND | @ GB | -- | 44 | -- | 42 | 43 | 41 |
| 46 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | @ TB | 37 | -- | -- | 40 | 42 | -- |
| 47 | DeAngelo Williams | PIT | @ BAL | 41 | -- | 46 | 44 | 44 | -- |
| 48 | Wendell Smallwood | PHI | @ NYG | -- | 43 | -- | 48 | 45 | 40 |
| 49 | Antonio Andrews | TEN | @ SD | 47 | 41 | -- | 46 | 49 | -- |
| 50 | Shaun Draughn | SF | vs. NO | -- | 46 | 45 | 47 | 47 | -- |
| -- | Kapri Bibbs | DEN | @ OAK | -- | -- | 44 | -- | -- | 43 |
| -- | Travaris Cadet | NO | @ SF | -- | 42 | -- | -- | -- | 46 |
| -- | Bobby Rainey | NYG | vs. PHI | -- | 47 | -- | -- | -- | 42 |
| -- | Jamaal Charles | KC | vs. JAC | -- | 39 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Doug Martin | TB | vs. ATL | 39 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | vs. PHI | 45 | 49 | -- | 49 | 50 | -- |
| -- | Kenyan Drake | MIA | vs. NYJ | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | Jalen Richard | OAK | vs. DEN | -- | -- | 42 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | DuJuan Harris | SF | vs. NO | -- | -- | 47 | -- | -- | 49 |
| -- | Terron Ward | ATL | @ TB | -- | -- | 48 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Cameron Artis-Payne | CAR | @ LA | 49 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Fozzy Whittaker | CAR | @ LA | 50 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Aaron Ripkowski | GB | vs. IND | -- | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
