Welcome to Week 15, which for most fantasy players is the playoff semifinal round. Now it really counts and finding an edge is never more critical. In PPR leagues, the top running back option is pretty obvious. Le’Veon Bell is on fire right now and his matchup at home on Sunday against a bad Patriots run defense on a short week makes him SB Nation’s top-ranked running back play in PPR leagues.
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports
Guys like Bell and the Saints’ Alvin Kamara and LeSean McCoy in Buffalo are the obvious calls, and all rank in our top 5. But it’s that second running back or flex back that owners need to identify in order to advance to the championship round.
Looking at DVOA rankings, the most interesting play this weekend is Tampa Bay’s Peyton Barber, who played the entire second half last week against the Lions after Doug Martin was benched for a second-quarter fumble. If Martin’s punishment extends to this Sunday against the Falcons, then Barber is a tremendous play in PPR leagues, as the Falcons rank 31st in DVOA against the run and 23rd against pass-catching backs. Barber is probably still available in a decent amount of leagues, so for teams struggling to find a No. 2 back, Barber could be a league-winning option.
As we saw on Monday night, Kenyan Drake can take advantage of a bad run defense with both carries and receptions. This week, the Dolphins face the Bills, who have allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the league (18) and the sixth-most yards. The Bills also rank 19th in DVOA against pass-catching backs. Drake has become the focal point of the Miami offense and that will continue this week.
If you think C.J. Anderson has one more good game left in him, the Colts rank dead last in pass-catching DVOA. We know that the Cowboys’ Rod Smith literally has one game left in him before Ezekiel Elliott returns in Week 16. His last hurrah could be as productive as his big game against the Giants. Smith, who excels as a pass-catching option, takes on an Oakland defense ranked 28th in DVOA against pass-catchers and 19th against the run overall.
The biggest boom or bust play in Week 15 is Alex Collins. The Browns rank 30th in pass-catching DVOA but first against the run. But perhaps this play is more boom than bust, as Jamaal Williams laughed in the face of that ranking and shredded the Browns on Sunday. Owners who play Collins on Sunday could end up with the last laugh, too.
Running back (PPR) rankings, Week 15
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB PPR rankings, Week 15
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | KB | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | vs. NE | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Todd Gurley | LAR | @ SEA | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | vs. MIA | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | vs. HOU | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| 5 | Alvin Kamara | NO | vs. NYJ | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Mark Ingram | NO | vs. NYJ | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| 8 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | @ KC | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| 8 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | @ TB | 8 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
| 9 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | @ BUF | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 12 |
| 10 | Kareem Hunt | KC | vs. LAC | 10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 10 |
| 11 | Jordan Howard | CHI | @ DET | 11 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 7 |
| 11 | Carlos Hyde | SF | vs. TEN | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 11 |
| 13 | Alex Collins | BAL | @ CLE | 15 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 18 |
| 14 | Jamaal Williams | GB | @ CAR | 14 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 16 |
| 15 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | vs. GB | 12 | 14 | 25 | 14 | 18 | 14 |
| 16 | Dion Lewis | NE | @ PIT | 20 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 17 | 19 |
| 17 | Rex Burkhead | NE | @ PIT | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 22 |
| 17 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | vs. DAL | 18 | 17 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 13 |
| 19 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ SF | 25 | 19 | 13 | 19 | 16 | 25 |
| 20 | Latavius Murray | MIN | vs. CIN | 29 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
| 21 | Alfred Morris | DAL | @ OAK | 23 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
| 22 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | vs. CIN | 24 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 33 |
| 23 | Lamar Miller | HOU | @ JAC | 19 | 20 | 27 | 23 | 30 | 21 |
| 24 | Joe Mixon | CIN | @ MIN | 30 | 23 | 16 | 24 | 23 | 29 |
| 24 | Jay Ajayi | PHI | @ NYG | 21 | 25 | 34 | 25 | 34 | 15 |
| 26 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | vs. BAL | 27 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 |
| 27 | Samaje Perine | WAS | vs. ARI | 22 | 24 | 33 | 26 | 31 | 23 |
| 28 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | @ IND | 28 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. CHI | 17 | 28 | 42 | 29 | 29 | 27 |
| 30 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. DEN | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 39 | 26 |
| 31 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | vs. BAL | 26 | 29 | 39 | 30 | 28 | 37 |
| 32 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | @ TB | 35 | 31 | 37 | 34 | 24 | 31 |
| 33 | Mike Davis | SEA | vs. LAR | 37 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 36 | 30 |
| 34 | Derrick Henry | TEN | @ SF | 36 | 37 | 24 | 38 | 40 | 34 |
| 35 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @ NO | 38 | 33 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 41 |
| 36 | Peyton Barber | TB | vs. ATL | 34 | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 36 |
| 37 | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | vs. PHI | 45 | 32 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 43 |
| 38 | Doug Martin | TB | vs. ATL | -- | 40 | 22 | 37 | 38 | 42 |
| 39 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI | @ WAS | 33 | 38 | -- | 39 | 41 | 35 |
| 40 | Rod Smith | DAL | @ OAK | 41 | 34 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 39 |
| 41 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | vs. GB | 42 | 41 | 43 | 41 | 42 | 32 |
| 41 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | @ MIN | 32 | 39 | 40 | 40 | -- | 40 |
| 43 | Adrian Peterson | ARI | @ WAS | -- | -- | 26 | -- | 25 | -- |
| 44 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | @ KC | 44 | 44 | 48 | 44 | 45 | 44 |
| 45 | Devontae Booker | DEN | @ IND | 50 | 42 | 44 | 43 | 44 | -- |
| 46 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | vs. CHI | -- | 43 | 45 | 45 | 46 | -- |
| 47 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ NO | 43 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 38 |
| 48 | Buck Allen | BAL | @ CLE | 49 | 48 | 38 | 48 | -- | -- |
| 49 | Danny Woodhead | BAL | @ CLE | 39 | 49 | 50 | 49 | -- | 47 |
| 50 | Marlon Mack | IND | vs. DEN | -- | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 50 |
| -- | James White | NE | @ PIT | 47 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 49 | -- |
| -- | Tarik Cohen | CHI | @ DET | 40 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 45 |
| -- | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | @ NYG | -- | -- | -- | -- | 35 | -- |
| -- | Charcandrick West | KC | vs. LAC | -- | 47 | 49 | 50 | 48 | -- |
| -- | Wayne Gallman | NYG | vs. PHI | 46 | 50 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Zach Zenner | DET | vs. CHI | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 46 |
| -- | Aaron Jones | GB | @ CAR | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | Eddie Lacy | SEA | vs. LAR | 48 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | JD McKissic | SEA | vs. LAR | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 49 |
| -- | Corey Clement | PHI | @ NYG | -- | -- | -- | -- | 50 | -- |
