Editor’s update: Lamar Miller and Joe Mixon got the most rushing work for their respective teams on Thursday Night Football, but the big emergence was D’Onta Foreman, who had 12 carries for 40 yards. With TNF in our rear view mirror, we have struck through Bengals and Texans players to clear up the rankings for you a little bit.
Fantasy football rankings, 2017: Running backs for standard leagues, Week 2
The SB Nation fantasy staff rounds up the rankings for the top 50 running backs in standard leagues for Week 2.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Can you believe Week 2 is already upon us? Whether you crushed it to start the year 1-0 or slept walk through the draft beginning the season 0-1, we have got you covered at the running back position. To recap Week 1, the biggest news was that Arizona Cardinals superstar David Johnson will be having surgery to repair a broken wrist and will be out three months. Kareem Hunt, Tarik Cohen, and Leonard Fournette dominated in their openers, showing that 2017 might be the year of the rookie running back. Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara, and Marlon Mack also impressed in their NFL debuts.
With Johnson out of the picture, Le’Veon Bell and Ezekiel Elliot will headline most rankings despite tough matchups against the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. Marshawn Lynch has a juicy meeting with the putrid New York Jets defense. Some backs that will be hot on the waiver wire after impressive Week 1 performances include Tarik Cohen, Javorious Allen, Chris Carson, and Marlon Mack.
Running back (standard) rankings, Week 2
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett ZS: Zach Senvisky)
RB standard rankings, Week 2
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | KB | ZS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | vs. MIN | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | @ DEN | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Melvin Gordon | LAC | vs. MIA | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ CAR | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | vs. NYJ | 6 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| 6 | Jay Ajayi | MIA | @ LAC | 9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 7 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | vs. GB | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 14 |
| 8 | Kareem Hunt | KC | vs. PHI | 8 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | @ PIT | 14 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 6 |
| 10 | Ty Montgomery | GB | @ ATL | 11 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 12 |
| 12 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | vs. TEN | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 |
| 13 | Todd Gurley | LAR | vs. WAS | 7 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 15 |
| 14 | Mike Gillislee | NE | @ NO | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 7 |
| 15 | DeMarco Murray | TEN | @ JAC | 12 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 10 |
| 16 | Jordan Howard | CHI | @ TB | 13 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 15 |
| 17 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | vs. DAL | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | Jacquizz Rodgers | TB | vs. CHI | 21 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| 19 | Terrance West | BAL | vs. CLE | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| 20 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | vs. BUF | 18 | 19 | 26 | 20 | 19 |
| 21 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI | @ IND | 32 | 20 | 13 | 18 | 20 |
| 22 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | vs. BUF | 24 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 |
| 23 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ SEA | 22 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 23 |
| 24 | Robert Kelley | WAS | @ LAR | 27 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 |
| 25 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | vs. GB | 26 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 28 |
| 26 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. ARI | 31 | 27 | 24 | 24 | 26 |
| 27 | Mark Ingram | NO | vs. NE | 23 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 32 |
| 28 | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | @ KC | 29 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 24 |
| 30 | Paul Perkins | NYG | vs. DET | 34 | 29 | 36 | 29 | 25 |
| 31 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @ BAL | 20 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 31 |
| 32 | Thomas Rawls | SEA | vs. SF | 35 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 33 |
| 33 | Buck Allen | BAL | vs. CLE | 37 | 34 | 32 | 28 | 29 |
| 34 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ OAK | 25 | 33 | 37 | 35 | 37 |
| 35 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | @ NYG | 28 | 40 | 34 | 33 | 35 |
| 36 | Derrick Henry | TEN | @ JAC | 45 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 34 |
| 37 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | @ TB | 30 | 35 | -- | 36 | 30 |
| 39 | James White | NE | @ NO | 33 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 42 |
| 40 | Theo Riddick | DET | @ NYG | 38 | 38 | 44 | 43 | 39 |
| 41 | Andre Ellington | ARI | @ IND | 50 | 42 | 41 | 37 | 36 |
| 42 | Adrian Peterson | NO | vs. NE | 39 | 44 | 38 | 39 | -- |
| 44 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | @ BAL | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 45 |
| 45 | Eddie Lacy | SEA | vs. SF | -- | 48 | 39 | 40 | 41 |
| 46 | Chris Thompson | WAS | @ LAR | 47 | 49 | 45 | 41 | 38 |
| 47 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @ OAK | 41 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 |
| 48 | Darren Sproles | PHI | @ KC | 40 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 50 |
| 49 | Shane Vereen | NYG | vs. DET | 48 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 46 |
| 50 | Alvin Kamara | NO | vs. NE | 49 | -- | -- | -- | 40 |
| -- | Chris Carson | SEA | vs. SF | 42 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Rex Burkhead | NE | @ NO | -- | 50 | 49 | 49 | -- |
| -- | Samaje Perine | WAS | @ LAR | -- | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | C.J. Prosise | SEA | vs. SF | -- | -- | -- | -- | 49 |
| -- | Jamaal Charles | DEN | vs. DAL | -- | -- | 50 | 50 | -- |
