Fantasy football rankings, Week 4: Running Backs for standard, PPR leagues

The injuries continued to mount during Week 3, leaving only a handful of recognizable names available. If your running back is healthy, he probably sits atop our Week 4 rankings.

by John Daigle

Sep 24, 2014, 1:33 PM UTC

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Through three weeks of football, there’s a particular key to consistency that stands out. You might not be 3-0 with it, but if you’re lucky, it has undoubtedly vaulted you into a comfortable situation.

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After all, while Matt Forte continues to run directly into his center, or LeSean McCoy sustains his lowly three yards per carry, or Matt Asiata refuses to produce anything more than 37 yards, or Rashad Jennings' bones weep and throw in the towel, or DeMarco Murray owners gnaw at their cuticles following every tackle, they all have one important theme in common: They're out there. And given an injury report with as many questionable decisions as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s acting career, stability is the skill that stands out the most.

Arian Foster, Alfred Morris, and Jamaal Charles might be the most significant game-time decisions, but there are still a handful of others worth keeping an eye on. Additionally, do not forget your byes this week. Marshawn Lynch, Gio Bernard, Montee Ball, Terrance West, Zac Stacy, and Andre Ellington are all sidelined as well.

Running Back rankings (Standard), Week 4
(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)

Rank	Consensus	Team	Opponent	DK	DC	JD	SK
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL	NO	1	2	1	1
2	Matt Forte	CHI	GB	4	1	3	2
3	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	TAM	3	3	2	3
4	LeSean McCoy	PHI	@SF	2	4	4	4
5	Alfred Morris	WAS	NYG	6	6	9	6
6	Eddie Lacy	GB	@CHI	5	5	13	5
7	Rashad Jennings	NYG	@WAS	7	9	6	7
8	Lamar Miller	MIA	OAK (England)	10	8	8	9
9	Donald Brown	SD	JAC	15	7	12	8
10	Frank Gore	SF	PHI	16	13	11	11
11	Arian Foster	HOU	BUF	9	12	10	17
12	Stevan Ridley	NE	@KC	23	15	7	12
13	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	TEN	18	10	20	10
14	C.J. Spiller	BUF	@HOU	11	16	21	13
15	Jamaal Charles	KC	NE	8	11	30	14
16	Fred Jackson	BUF	@HOU	13	22	15	23
17	Knile Davis	KC	NE	21	26	5	25
18	Reggie Bush	DET	@NYJ	17	18	27	16
19	Khiry Robinson	NO	@DAL	24	14	26	15
20	Darren Sproles	PHI	@SF	20	24	16	26
21	Joique Bell	DET	@NYJ	19	23	23	21
22	Doug Martin	TAM	@PIT	14	17	37	19
23	Pierre Thomas	NO	@DAL	22	21	29	18
24	Matt Asiata	MIN	ATL	38	19	14	20
25	Shane Vereen	NE	@KC	12	20	39	22
26	Steven Jackson	ATL	@MIN	26	25	22	24
27	Trent Richardson	IND	TEN	29	29	25	27
28	Chris Ivory	NYJ	DET	25	27	34	28
29	Bobby Rainey	TAM	@PIT	33	33	18	32
30	Alfred Blue	HOU	BUF	31	36	19	35
31	Lorenzo Taliaferro	BAL	CAR	34	38	17	36
32	Chris Johnson	NYJ	DET	27	31	38	29
33	Toby Gerhart	JAC	@SD	39	30	32	31
34	Justin Forsett	BAL	CAR	43	32	28	34
35	Darren McFadden	OAK	MIA (England)	46	35	24	33
36	Carlos Hyde	SF	PHI	28	39	36	39
37	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	@BAL	36	28	NR	30
38	Shonn Greene	TEN	@IND	45	37	31	37
39	Bernard Pierce	BAL	CAR	35	34	49	38
40	LeGarrette Blount	PIT	TAM	37	41	40	40
41	James Starks	GB	@CHI	30	44	35	NR
42	Bishop Sankey	TEN	@IND	41	40	42	41
43	Maurice Jones-Drew	OAK	MIA (England)	32	42	NR	43
44	Roy Helu Jr.	WAS	NYG	40	45	41	46
45	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	@BAL	NR	NR	33	45
46	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	ATL	50	43	45	42
47	Darrel Young	WAS	NYG	NR	49	43	47
48	Antone Smith	ATL	@MIN	44	NR	48	NR
49	Jonathan Grimes	HOU	BUF	NR	48	NR	44
50	Jordan Todman	JAC	@SD	42	NR	NR	NR
UR	Jacquizz Rodgers	ATL	@MIN	NR	46	NR	48
UR	Daniel Thomas	MIA	OAK (England)	NR	NR	44	NR
UR	Branden Oliver	SD	JAC	49	NR	46	NR
UR	Dexter McCluster	TEN	@IND	48	47	NR	NR
UR	Joe McKnight	KAN	NE	NR	NR	47	49
UR	Mike James	TAM	@PIT	47	NR	NR	NR
UR	Denard Robinson	JAC	@SD	NR	50	50	50

Running Back rankings (PPR), Week 4

Rank	Consensus	Team	Opponent	DK	DC	JD	SK
1	DeMarco Murray	DAL	NO	1	2	1	1
2	Matt Forte	CHI	GB	3	1	3	3
3	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	TB	4	3	2	2
4	LeSean McCoy	PHI	@SF	2	4	4	4
5	Rashad Jennings	NYG	@WAS	8	6	6	6
6	Eddie Lacy	GB	@CHI	5	5	15	5
7	Alfred Morris	WAS	NYG	9	7	11	7
8	Lamar Miller	MIA	OAK (England)	14	11	7	9
9	Arian Foster	HOU	BUF	7	12	9	14
10	Darren Sproles	PHI	@SF	16	10	10	12
11	Donald Brown	SD	JAC	13	16	14	10
12	Reggie Bush	DET	@NYJ	12	8	20	15
13	Jamaal Charles	KC	NE	6	13	30	8
14	C.J. Spiller	BUF	@HOU	15	14	19	13
15	Shane Vereen	NE	@KC	11	9	32	11
16	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	TEN	19	15	21	16
17	Fred Jackson	BUF	@HOU	10	23	16	24
18	Frank Gore	SF	PHI	22	22	13	18
19	Joique Bell	DET	@NYJ	18	18	24	19
20	Knile Davis	KC	NE	20	26	5	30
21	Matt Asiata	MIN	ATL	35	17	12	17
22	Stevan Ridley	NE	@KC	28	31	8	21
23	Pierre Thomas	NO	@DAL	21	20	25	22
24	Bobby Rainey	TAM	@PIT	27	24	18	25
25	Khiry Robinson	NO	@DAL	25	19	29	20
26	Doug Martin	TAM	@PIT	17	21	42	23
27	Steven Jackson	ATL	@MIN	24	25	26	29
28	Trent Richardson	IND	TEN	23	27	27	28
29	Toby Gerhart	JAC	@SD	36	28	35	26
30	Darren McFadden	OAK	MIA (England)	44	30	22	31
31	Chris Johnson	NYJ	DET	29	33	36	33
32	Lorenzo Taliaferro	BAL	CAR	33	41	17	41
33	Chris Ivory	NYJ	DET	31	32	39	32
34	Alfred Blue	HOU	BUF	32	46	23	34
35	Justin Forsett	BAL	CAR	41	34	28	36
36	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	@BAL	37	29	NR	27
37	Carlos Hyde	SF	PHI	26	40	33	48
38	Roy Helu Jr.	WAS	NYG	39	36	37	35
39	James Starks	GB	@CHI	34	47	31	47
40	Shonn Greene	TEN	@IND	NR	37	34	39
41	Bernard Pierce	BAL	CAR	38	35	50	38
42	Bishop Sankey	TEN	@IND	40	39	40	43
43	Maurice Jones-Drew	OAK	MIA (England)	30	42	NR	42
44	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	ATL	46	43	47	40
45	Jacquizz Rodgers	ATL	@MIN	NR	38	NR	37
46	LeGarrette Blount	PIT	TAM	42	48	41	49
47	Dexter McCluster	TEN	@IND	47	44	49	44
48	Joe McKnight	KC	NE	48	NR	43	46
49	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	@BAL	NR	NR	38	NR
50	Antone Smith	ATL	@MIN	43	NR	48	NR
UR	Lance Dunbar	DAL	NO	NR	49	NR	45
UR	Branden Oliver	SD	JAC	NR	NR	44	NR
UR	Darrel Young	WAS	NYG	NR	50	45	NR
UR	Jordan Todman	JAC	@SD	45	NR	NR	NR
UR	Denard Robinson	JAC	@SD	NR	45	NR	NR
UR	Daniel Thomas	MIA	OAK (England)	NR	NR	46	NR
UR	Mike James	TAM	@PIT	49	NR	NR	NR
UR	Devonta Freeman	ATL	@MIN	50	NR	NR	NR
UR	Damien Williams	MIA	OAK (England)	NR	NR	NR	50