We are getting down to it. Week 13 brings the playoffs for some, and jockeying for playoff positions in most others. It is time to really focus on who is playing well, who isn’t, and who has the week-to-week matchups to exploit.
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Our Week 13 rankings for running backs in PPR leagues reflects the significance of these data points. Of our top 11 players in this week’s rankings, six have plum matchups in Week 13, while the others hold their high rankings on the basis of their body of work. And in a few cases, those criteria intersect.
Le’Veon Bell has the resume and the matchup worthy of our No. 1 ranking. The Steelers are closing in on a first-round bye in the AFC, and a matchup for the top seed looms in three weeks against the Patriots. But against the Bengals this week, Bell gets to face a defense that has allowed the fifth-most yards to running backs.
Our No. 2 running back has not had the best form in recent weeks, and has been a genuine dud in two of the past three weeks, perhaps a victim of the rookie wall. But this week, he faces a wall made of tissue paper known as the Colts’ defense, which ranks dead last in DVOA against pass-catching backs. When Leonard Fournette was dominating the fantasy landscape early in the season, it was in part by adding 6-8 points each week on receptions and receiving yards, so a suddenly-elusive big game could come this weekend.
The Chargers running back Melvin Gordon, ranked sixth on our list, has been playing well of late, and though the Browns have had success against the run, that has not been the case lately, allowing Fournette to rush for over 100 yards in Week 11 and surrendering the best game of Joe Mixon’s rookie season last week. The Chargers will be looking for a division lead and a little bit of revenge for a brutal loss in Cleveland last season, and Gordon could be the engine that drives them.
LeSean McCoy, Todd Gurley, and Mark Ingram rounds out our top five, while Jordan Howard, Alvin Kamara, Kareem Hunt, and Carlos Hyde finish out the top 10.
Howard gets to face a run defense that ranks third-to-last in yards allowed and second-worst in DVOA against pass-catchers, making him perhaps the best PPR back on the board. Ranked 11th, Patriots RB Dion Lewis also draws a terrific matchup against Buffalo, which ranks 31st against the run overall.
Running back (PPR) rankings, Week 13
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB PPR rankings, Week 13
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | KB | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | @ CIN | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | vs. IND | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 3 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | vs. NE | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 4 | Todd Gurley | LAR | @ ARI | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| 5 | Mark Ingram | NO | vs. CAR | 7 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
| 7 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | vs. CLE | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| 8 | Jordan Howard | CHI | vs. SF | 10 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 8 | Alvin Kamara | NO | vs. CAR | 2 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| 9 | Kareem Hunt | KC | @ NYJ | 12 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
| 10 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ CHI | 8 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 14 |
| 11 | Dion Lewis | NE | @ BUF | 16 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 10 |
| 11 | Latavius Murray | MIN | @ ATL | 27 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 9 |
| 13 | Samaje Perine | WAS | @ DAL | 11 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 16 |
| 14 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | @ NO | 9 | 16 | 19 | 12 | 13 | 20 |
| 15 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | vs. NYG | 19 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 13 |
| 16 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | vs. MIN | 17 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 17 |
| 17 | Joe Mixon | CIN | vs. PIT | 14 | 18 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 21 |
| 17 | Adrian Peterson | ARI | vs. LAR | 23 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 18 |
| 19 | Lamar Miller | HOU | @ TEN | 15 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 26 |
| 20 | Alex Collins | BAL | vs. DET | 24 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 19 |
| 21 | Jamaal Williams | GB | vs. TB | 13 | 20 | 28 | 20 | 12 | 29 |
| 22 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | vs. HOU | 25 | 23 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 15 |
| 23 | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | @ OAK | 29 | 30 | 14 | 22 | 27 | 12 |
| 24 | Rex Burkhead | NE | @ BUF | 18 | 22 | 30 | 23 | 23 | 30 |
| 24 | Devontae Booker | DEN | @ MIA | 26 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 22 |
| 26 | Alfred Morris | DAL | vs. WAS | 32 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 23 |
| 27 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | @ ATL | 20 | 28 | 26 | 26 | 28 | 24 |
| 28 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | vs. DEN | 21 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 30 | 28 |
| 29 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | @ LAC | 22 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 25 | 38 |
| 30 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | @ BAL | 31 | 27 | 25 | 28 | 32 | 25 |
| 31 | Derrick Henry | TEN | vs. HOU | 34 | 31 | 34 | 30 | 34 | 33 |
| 32 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @ LAC | 30 | 38 | 40 | 31 | 31 | 27 |
| 33 | Danny Woodhead | BAL | vs. DET | 28 | 39 | 32 | 32 | 36 | 35 |
| 34 | Jay Ajayi | PHI | @ SEA | 41 | 33 | 35 | 34 | 29 | 32 |
| 35 | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | @ GB | 43 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 35 | 34 |
| 36 | Matt Forte | NYJ | vs. KC | 39 | 43 | 31 | 36 | 43 | 31 |
| 37 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | vs. CLE | 37 | 35 | 43 | 37 | 33 | 42 |
| 38 | Frank Gore | IND | @ JAC | 33 | 34 | 42 | 38 | 41 | 41 |
| 39 | Theo Riddick | DET | @ BAL | 40 | 36 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 40 |
| 40 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | vs. SF | 42 | 41 | 37 | 41 | 38 | 37 |
| 41 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ NO | 47 | 40 | 36 | 42 | 37 | 36 |
| 41 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | @ MIA | 46 | 37 | 39 | 40 | 39 | 39 |
| 43 | James White | NE | @ BUF | 44 | 42 | 41 | 43 | 42 | 44 |
| 44 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | vs. KC | 38 | 45 | 50 | 44 | 50 | 43 |
| 45 | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | @ SEA | 48 | 44 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 46 |
| 46 | DeAndre Washington | OAK | vs. NYG | -- | 47 | 45 | 46 | -- | 45 |
| 47 | Buck Allen | BAL | vs. DET | -- | 46 | 44 | 47 | 49 | 49 |
| 48 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | vs. MIN | 35 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 49 | JD McKissic | SEA | vs. PHI | 36 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 50 | Eddie Lacy | SEA | vs. PHI | -- | 50 | 47 | 48 | 45 | -- |
| -- | Matt Breida | SF | @ CHI | -- | 48 | 48 | 49 | 46 | -- |
| -- | Charles Sims | TB | @ GB | -- | 49 | 49 | 50 | 47 | -- |
| -- | Rod Smith | DAL | vs. WAS | 45 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Shane Vereen | NYG | @ OAK | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 47 |
| -- | Peyton Barber | TB | @ GB | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 | -- |
| -- | Charcandrick West | KC | @ NYJ | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | vs. IND | 49 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Marlon Mack | IND | @ JAC | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 50 |
| -- | Mike Davis | SEA | vs. PHI | 50 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
