We’ll see if it’s still the case come Sunday, but for now, as we look ahead to Week 5 of the NFL season, and specifically to the top running backs in PPR leagues, the man SB Nation lists at the top of its weekly rankings is Ezekiel Elliott.
Fantasy football rankings 2017: Running backs in PPR leagues for NFL Week 5
Here are our fantasy football running back rankings for PPR leagues entering Week 5.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
By a near-unanimous vote, the Dallas Cowboys’ star is atop our rankings for the first time this season, unseating rookie Kareem Hunt after Le’Veon Bell held the top honors the first three weeks.
But Elliott’s status for Sunday’s marquee matchup against the Packers could well change before the week is over.
The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans heard oral arguments on Monday as the NFL seeks a stay of the injunction that is allowing Elliott to play while his lawsuit against the league winds its way through the court system. If the stay is granted — and a decision is possible by the end of the week — Elliott would be forced to begin his six-game suspension Sunday.
If Elliott is eligible to play, he gets to face a defense ranked 25th of out 32 against pass-catching running backs, making Elliott a terrific PPR play.
The other main back in the Dallas-Green Bay game is also an enormous question mark, and also an enormously great PPR play if he suits up. Ty Montgomery is dealing with broken ribs and will likely be a game-time decision. If he plays, he gets to face the second-worst defense in the league against pass-catching backs after being targeted 12 times against the Bengals in his last full game in Week 3.
Bell is always a terrific PPR play, even if he remains No. 2 overall on our list for another week. Bell finally had the kind of game we expect last week, thrashing the Baltimore defense for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He gets a tough task this week against Jacksonville, although the Jags have been better defending the pass than the run thus far in 2017.
Hunt, who was kept out of the end zone for the first time in Week 4, drops to third in our rankings, as the Texans rank fifth in the league at stopping pass-catching backs. Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy and the Rams’ Todd Gurley finish out our Top 5.
Running backs (PPR) rankings, Week 5
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB PPR rankings, Week 5
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | KB | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs. GB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | vs. JAC | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | Kareem Hunt | KC | @ HOU | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ CIN | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | Todd Gurley | LAR | vs. SEA | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | @ PIT | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| 8 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ IND | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 6 |
| 8 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | @ NYG | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| 10 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | vs. TEN | 10 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| 11 | Jordan Howard | CHI | vs. MIN | 14 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 11 |
| 11 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ MIA | 13 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 10 |
| 13 | Lamar Miller | HOU | vs. KC | 11 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | @ DET | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 15 |
| 15 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ CLE | 9 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 18 |
| 16 | Joe Mixon | CIN | vs. BUF | 18 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 12 |
| 17 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | vs. CAR | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | Ty Montgomery | GB | @ DAL | 30 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 14 |
| 19 | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | vs. ARI | 26 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 19 |
| 20 | Latavius Murray | MIN | @ CHI | 31 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 28 | 17 |
| 21 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | vs. NYJ | 15 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 27 | 23 |
| 22 | Mike Gillislee | NE | @ TB | 20 | 23 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| 23 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | vs. BAL | 22 | 22 | 22 | 29 | 20 | 26 |
| 24 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. SF | 21 | 25 | 30 | 28 | 18 | 24 |
| 24 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ DET | 34 | 26 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 21 |
| 26 | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | vs. NE | 41 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 27 |
| 27 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | vs. MIN | 17 | 28 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 30 |
| 28 | Andre Ellington | ARI | @ PHI | 25 | 29 | 24 | 25 | 39 | 28 |
| 29 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | @ LAR | 40 | 21 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 20 |
| 30 | Alex Collins | BAL | @ OAK | 33 | 27 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 29 |
| 31 | Buck Allen | BAL | @ OAK | 24 | 30 | 32 | 24 | 31 | 31 |
| 32 | Doug Martin | TB | vs. NE | 27 | 34 | 27 | 31 | 37 | 25 |
| 33 | James White | NE | @ TB | 19 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| 34 | Wendell Smallwood | PHI | vs. ARI | 23 | 33 | 38 | 32 | 29 | 38 |
| 35 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | @ CHI | 37 | 31 | 37 | 34 | 19 | 41 |
| 36 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | vs. NYJ | 29 | 37 | 40 | 36 | 30 | 32 |
| 37 | Chris Johnson | ARI | @ PHI | 45 | 36 | 31 | 35 | 41 | 36 |
| 38 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. CAR | 28 | 39 | 35 | 37 | 42 | 43 |
| 39 | Aaron Jones | GB | @ DAL | 32 | 41 | 41 | 38 | 43 | 37 |
| 40 | Derrick Henry | TEN | @ MIA | 39 | 35 | 34 | 43 | 38 | 48 |
| 41 | D'Onta Foreman | HOU | vs. KC | 46 | 40 | 46 | 39 | 32 | 35 |
| 41 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | vs. BUF | 36 | 38 | 36 | 40 | 50 | 40 |
| 43 | Eddie Lacy | SEA | @ LAR | 43 | 44 | 45 | 41 | 35 | 39 |
| 44 | C.J. Prosise | SEA | @ LAR | 42 | 46 | 39 | 42 | 49 | 34 |
| 45 | Chris Ivory | JAC | @ PIT | 48 | 42 | 42 | 46 | 45 | 42 |
| 46 | Matt Breida | SF | @ IND | 47 | 45 | 49 | 44 | 36 | 44 |
| 47 | Rex Burkhead | NE | @ TB | -- | 43 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 47 |
| 48 | Terrance West | BAL | @ OAK | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 40 | 45 |
| 49 | Dion Lewis | NE | @ TB | 50 | 48 | 44 | 47 | 47 | 49 |
| 50 | Robert Turbin | IND | vs. SF | -- | 50 | 47 | 48 | 44 | 46 |
| -- | Wayne Gallman | NYG | vs. LAC | 35 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Jalen Richard | OAK | vs. BAL | -- | 47 | 48 | 49 | 48 | 50 |
| -- | Shane Vereen | NYG | vs. LAC | 38 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Elijah McGuire | NYJ | @ CLE | 44 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
