Thanksgiving is a time for feasting, and for two of the top running backs in our standard league fantasy rankings, feasting is exactly what’s on the menu for Week 12.
Fantasy football rankings, Week 12: 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 12.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Le’Veon Bell is our pick for top running back play this weekend in standard leagues. Coming in at No. 3 is No. 21, Ezekiel Elliott. Both will be the featured players on Thursday’s slate of three Thanksgiving Day games, with Elliott taking on division rival Washington in a critical mid-afternoon battle in Dallas. In the nightcap, Bell will look to keep the Steelers in the thick of the AFC playoff chase against the Indianapolis Colts.
Both are poised for big days. Elliott takes on a Washington run defense that has ranked among the league worst the entire season. Bell gets to face an equally giving Colts run defense in a game that the Steelers might now dominate with the news that Andrew Luck is almost certain to be out with a concussion.
Should the Steelers dominate the Scott Tolzien-led Colts, Bell could be in line for a massive yardage day on the ground as Pittsburgh should control the ball and the clock. Bell has not been as dominant this season as a runner, as the Steelers have been using him as an elite pass-catcher out of the backfield. In this scenario on Thursday, Bell could serve as the closer in the second half, pounding out chunks of yards as the Steelers look to put the game away.
Bell is hardly alone as runners primed for big days against teams ravaged by injuries. Our No 4-ranked back, DeMarco Murray, could be called upon to grind down the Bears, who will be missing Jay Cutler, Alshon Jeffery and Zach Miller.
Two other backs who have not been featured as strong plays could take their turn among the top scorers of the weekend thanks to injuries on their own teams. Jeremy Hill now gets the chance to be the every-down back in Cincinnati with the loss of Gio Bernard to a torn ACL. And just when it appeared Thomas Rawls’ return to the Seahawks would be overshadowed by the breakout performance of C.J> Prosise, the rookie is out this week with a broken scapula, putting Rawls in prime position to break out himself against the Buccaneers.
Even at full strength, the San Francisco 49ers have not had much success stopping the run, making Jay Ajayi, also known as Mr. 200 Yards, an appealing play as our No. 6 running back in standard leagues. Ajayi has regressed a bit since his explosion in Weeks 6 and 7, but the 49ers provide a welcome opportunity to gobble up yards for the surging Dolphins.
Running backs (standard), Week 12
(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 | @ IND | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | David Johnson | ARI | @ ATL | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs. WAS | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ CHI | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | Melvin Gordon | SD | @ HOU | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | vs. SF | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| 7 | Todd Gurley | LA | @ NO | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| 8 | Lamar Miller | HOU | vs. SD | 15 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 9 | Spencer Ware | KC | @ DEN | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | @ TB | 9 | 16 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| 11 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | vs. ARI | 8 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 16 |
| 12 | Robert Kelley | WAS | @ DAL | 13 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 20 |
| 13 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. PIT | 11 | 25 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 24 |
| 14 | Latavius Murray | OAK | vs. CAR | 19 | 13 | 27 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
| 15 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | vs. JAC | 12 | 23 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 21 |
| 16 | Matt Forte | NYJ | vs. NE | 14 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 18 | 17 |
| 17 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ OAK | 20 | 8 | 17 | 27 | 22 | 8 |
| 18 | Terrance West | BAL | vs. CIN | 22 | 11 | 29 | 15 | 16 | 11 |
| 19 | Jordan Howard | CHI | vs. TEN | 23 | 14 | 23 | 16 | 17 | 13 |
| 20 | Devontae Booker | DEN | vs. KC | 24 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 23 | 18 |
| 21 | Doug Martin | TB | vs. SEA | 32 | 15 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 14 |
| 22 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. MIN | 16 | 24 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 23 |
| 23 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | @ NYJ | 17 | 31 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 31 |
| 24 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ MIA | 31 | 22 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
| 25 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | @ BAL | 21 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 29 | 25 |
| 26 | Mark Ingram | NO | vs. LA | 29 | 19 | 28 | 32 | 27 | 19 |
| 27 | Rashad Jennings | NYG | @ CLE | 18 | 36 | 16 | 23 | 28 | 35 |
| 28 | James Starks | GB | @ PHI | 25 | 26 | 32 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
| 29 | Chris Ivory | JAC | @ BUF | 26 | 32 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 32 |
| 30 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | vs. NYG | 34 | 30 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
| 31 | Wendell Smallwood | PHI | vs. GB | 30 | 33 | 31 | 33 | 33 | 28 |
| 32 | Mike Gillislee | BUF | vs. JAC | 33 | 27 | 41 | 29 | 31 | 27 |
| 33 | Tim Hightower | NO | vs. LA | 28 | 38 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 |
| 34 | James White | NE | @ NYJ | 27 | 44 | 40 | 35 | 34 | 34 |
| 35 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | vs. ARI | 47 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 41 | 30 |
| 36 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | vs. NE | 40 | 35 | 36 | 34 | 35 | 44 |
| 37 | Paul Perkins | NYG | @ CLE | 39 | 39 | 38 | 36 | 36 | 38 |
| 38 | Matt Asiata | MIN | @ DET | 37 | 45 | 37 | 37 | 37 | 41 |
| 39 | Kenneth Dixon | BAL | vs. CIN | -- | 37 | 33 | 41 | 40 | 36 |
| 40 | Duke Johnson | CLE | vs. NYG | 35 | 42 | 39 | 38 | 39 | 45 |
| 41 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | @ DET | 38 | 41 | 34 | 43 | 46 | 40 |
| 42 | Dwayne Washington | DET | vs. MIN | 50 | 38 | 44 | 39 | 38 | 37 |
| 43 | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | @ BUF | 36 | 43 | 45 | 42 | 42 | 42 |
| 44 | Dion Lewis | NE | @ NYJ | -- | 34 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 43 |
| 45 | Alfred Morris | DAL | vs. WAS | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 46 |
| 46 | Kapri Bibbs | DEN | vs. KC | 49 | 46 | 49 | 46 | 45 | 47 |
| 47 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | vs. CAR | -- | 40 | -- | -- | 50 | 39 |
| 48 | Chris Thompson | WAS | @ DAL | -- | 48 | 42 | 48 | 47 | 50 |
| 49 | Derrick Henry | TEN | @ CHI | 46 | -- | 47 | 49 | 48 | -- |
| 50 | Damien Williams | MIA | vs. SF | -- | 50 | 48 | 47 | -- | 48 |
| -- | Jalen Richard | OAK | vs. CAR | 41 | -- | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Ryan Mathews | PHI | vs. GB | 42 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Darren Sproles | PHI | vs. GB | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Peyton Barber | TB | vs. SEA | -- | 49 | -- | 50 | 49 | 49 |
| -- | DeAngelo Williams | PIT | @ IND | 44 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | DuJuan Harris | SF | @ MIA | 45 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
