2012 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Week 5

Author:
Athlon Sports
Publish date:
Oct 4, 2012

Each week during the NFL season, we will rank enough players at each position to appease everyone from those in 8-team leagues to 16-team leagues, those that can start two QBs, two TEs, three RBs and four WRs. We cut out the rest, because if you're looking at who the 50th-best running back or the 17th-best kicker is for that week, you need more help than any Web site can give you.

Dallas, Detroit, Oakland and Tampa Bay are on bye.

2012 NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings — Running Backs


Rk	Player	Team	OPPONENT	Notes
1	Arian Foster	HOU	at NYJ (Mon.)	Jets gave up 254 rushing yards to 49ers last week.
2	Ray Rice	BAL	at KC	Could have field day against Chiefs.
3	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	at CAR	Panthers allowing most fantasy points to RBs.
4	Adrian Peterson	MIN	vs. TEN	Almost back to being a Top 10 RB.
5	LeSean McCoy	PHI	at PIT	Should get another heavy workload vs. Steelers.
6	Jamaal Charles	KC	vs. BAL	Ravens D not as fearsome as past years.
7	Frank Gore	SF	vs. BUF	Bills allowed two Patriots to rush for 100+ last week.
8	Maurice Jones-Drew	JAC	vs. CHI	Bears D has been solid against rush.
9	Reggie Bush	MIA	at CIN	Didn't do a lot against Cardinals, but key is knee is OK.
10	Ryan Mathews	SD	at NO	May finally break through against Saints.
11	Trent Richardson	CLE	at NYG	More than held his own against Ravens last week.
12	Matt Forte	CHI	at JAC	Limited, but still had impact on MNF vs. Cowboys.
13	Alfred Morris	WAS	vs. ATL	Had first 100-yard game against Tampa Bay.
14	Chris Johnson	TEN	at MIN	CJ finally got loose (141 yards) against Texans.
15	Stevan Ridley	NE	vs. DEN	Even with Bolden's big day, ran for 100+ and 2 TDs.
16	Michael Turner	ATL	at WAS	Busted out in a big way last week, encore?
17	Cedric Benson	GB	at IND	Has one rushing TD so far.
18	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	CIN	vs. MIA	Dolphins have been good against the rush so far.
19	Willis McGahee	DEN	at NE	Rib issue didn't slow him down (112, TD) vs. Raiders.
20	Darren Sproles	NO	vs. SD
21	Ahmad Bradshaw	NYG	vs. CLE	Didn't do much but still got majority of work over Brown.
22	Steven Jackson	STL	vs. ARI (Thurs.)	Questionable (groin) vs. Cardinals, game-time decision.
23	Fred Jackson	BUF	at SF	Got more carries, targets than Spiller last week.
24	Ryan Williams	ARI	at STL (Thurs.)
25	C.J. Spiller	BUF	at SF	Shoulder seems OK, but now in timeshare with Jackson.
26	DeAngelo Williams	CAR	vs. SEA	Had most carries of any Panther back against Atlanta.
27	Donald Brown	IND	vs. GB
28	Michael Bush	CHI	at JAC	Opportunities could decrease as Forte gets healthier.
29	Rashard Mendenhall	PIT	vs. PHI	Expected to start, but will share carries.
30	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	vs. SEA	Returned, but crowded backfield limits impact.
31	Shonn Greene	NYJ	vs. HOU (Mon.)
32	Ben Tate	HOU	at NYJ (Mon.)	Texans not really limiting Foster's workload so far.
33	Kendall Hunter	SF	vs. BUF
34	Pierre Thomas	NO	vs. SD
35	Jackie Battle	SD	at NO	More touches than Mathews last week, will it continue?
36	Mark Ingram	NO	vs. SD
37	Jacquizz Rodgers	ATL	at WAS
38	Daniel Thomas	MIA	at CIN
39	Brandon Bolden	NE	vs. DEN	One-week wonder or is there a timeshare in NE?
40	Andre Brown	NYG	vs. CLE	Didn't get a lot of chances with Bradshaw back.
41	Isaac Redman	PIT	vs. PHI	Should get his chances even with Mendenhall back.
42	Shaun Draughn	KC	vs. BAL
43	Ronnie Hillman	DEN	at NE	Finally got some consistent playing time, more coming?
44	Robert Turbin	SEA	at CAR	Had 45 yards on just six carries last week.
45	Bernard Pierce	BAL	at KC
46	Daryl Richardson	STL	vs. ARI (Thurs.)	Will start if S. Jackson (groin) can't go.
47	Bilal Powell	NYJ	vs. HOU (Mon.)
48	Toby Gerhart	MIN	vs. TEN	Not getting many chances with AP back.