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Running Back Rankings Week 8

Running Back Rankings Week 8

They're back! (Updated 10/27)
By: Pete Davidson : October 25, 2012 12:39pm

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Welcome the the Week 8 running back rankings. This is a rough week to be looking for backs. We have serious injury losses with MJD and Demarco Murray and we have three RB1s on the bye plus a few other solid guys. I’ve done my best to rank what’s left and I’ll make adjustments on Saturday once we have all the practice reports in.  

I’ll be back with receivers and tight ends before kickoff tonight. Check out our recently released full season rankings. Just use the links to your right.  If you want to receive tweets on late-breaking Sunday information, just sign up to follow us.

      Byes

  • Ray Rice
  • C.J. Spiller
  • Arian Foster 
  • Fred Jackson
  • Ben Tate
  • BenJarvus Green-Ellis
  • Bernard Pierce
  • Cedric Peerman
  • Brian Leonard    

Rank PLAYER TEAM Opponent THE SKINNY
1 Chris Johnson TEN IND CJ should be very good in this matchup and his ankle injury is minor by all accounts.
2 LeSean McCoy PHI ATL
3 Jamaal Charles KC OAK Brady Quinn should not hurt his value any more than Cassel did. Keep rolling with JC.
4 Willis McGahee DEN NO
5 Marshawn Lynch SEA @DET He’s on the injury report with a stiff back again, but he’s practiced fully, so no worries.
6 Ryan Mathews SD @CLE
7 Matt Forte CHI CAR
8 Alfred Morris WAS @PIT
9 Darren Sproles NO @DEN This game demands heavy usage from Sproles. We’d be shocked if he was quiet here.
10 Ahmad Bradshaw NYG @DAL The Giants think Bradhsaw (questionable/foot) will play in Week 8, but make sure you check his status on Sunday. The Giants are a 4:25 start, so you need to make sure you have other options. Andre Brown is a good add if you can still do it.
11 Darren McFadden OAK @KC Is on the injury report with a shoulder issue, but he is practicing fully. Check Sunday status just to be sure.
12 Stevan Ridley NE @STL
13 Frank Gore SF @ARI
14 Reggie Bush MIA @NYJ We’ll believe he’s fully healthy when we see it. He’ll start and it’s a decent matchup as the Jets do struggle against speed backs.
15 Felix Jones DAL NYG He’s been getting in limyted practice work and is expected to play in spite of his questionable tag.
16 Alex Green GB JAC Is practicing fully after being limited with a shoulder last week. He is good to go.
17 Rashad Jennings JAC @GB MJD is out for sure. Jennings will be a high volume back until Jones-Drew returns.
18 Shonn Greene NYJ MIA Greene is ok and has no lingering effect from the big hit he took in Week 7. With Bilal Powell and Joe McKnight both banged up, Greene should see a ton of touches in a bad matchup.
19 Trent Richardson CLE SD T-Rich has practiced in limited fashoin all week and is said to be in better shape than last week. He’s risky, but he’s got enough upside to play in all formats if he is active.
20 Jonathan Dwyer PIT WAS It now sounds like Dwyer will get another start. Rashard Mendenhall is out and Isaac Redman is questionable. It’s a decent matchup.
21 Jonathan Stewart CAR @CHI
22 Michael Turner ATL @PHI
23 Steven Jackson STL NE
24 Pierre Thomas NO @DEN
25 Michael Bush CHI CAR
26 Mikel Leshoure DET SEA
27 Daryl Richardson STL NE
28 Andre Brown NYG @DAL Should see plenty of work behind a banged up Bradshaw and would probably start if Bradshaw is deactivated.
29 DeAngelo Williams CAR @CHI
30 LaRod Stephens-Howling ARI SF
31 Kendall Hunter SF @ARI
32 Vick Ballard IND @TEN Good matchup, but Donald Brown has not been ruled out yet.
33 Shane Vereen NE @STL He’s healthy now and should see some touches with Bolden banged up. Vereen could really establish himself with some more solid play.
34 Montario Hardesty CLE SD
35 Danny Woodhead NE @STL
36 Jacquizz Rodgers ATL @PHI
37 Mike Goodson OAK @KC
38 Daniel Thomas MIA @NYJ
39 William Powell ARI SF
40 Peyton Hillis KC OAK It sounds like he will play after a full practice on Friday. He could be worth a flex start in larger formats.
41 Ronnie Hillman DEN NO
42 Robert Turbin SEA @DET
43 Chris Ogbonnaya CLE SD
44 Joique Bell DET SEA
45 Donald Brown IND @TEN He practiced fully Friday and could play. He is listed as questionable.
46 Jackie Battle SD @CLE
47 Jamie Harper TEN IND
48 Chris Rainey PIT WAS
49 Isaac Redman PIT WAS It sounds like he will try to play despite two sore ankles. He is listed as questionable.
50 Mark Ingram NO @DEN
51 James Starks GB JAC Starks returned to practice on Friday and should get some reps this weekend behind Alex Green. We would not bank on any production until he shows something, but with John Kuhn out this week, Starks should see snaps. It’ll be a bad sign if he doesn’t.
52 Ronnie Brown SD @CLE
53 Joe McKnight NYJ MIA No practice. Listed as questionable.
54 Lamar Miller MIA @NYJ
55 Delone Carter IND @TEN
56 Mike Tolbert CAR @CHI
57 Phillip Tanner DAL NYG
58 Evan Royster WAS @PIT
59 Bilal Powell NYJ MIA Will probably miss Week 8. We’ll update if Powell practices.
60 Shaun Draughn KC OAK
61 Bryce Brown PHI ATL
62 Lance Ball DEN NO
63 Doug Martin TB @MIN Played Thursday.
64 LeGarrette Blount TB @MIN Played Thursday.
65 Adrian Peterson MIN TB Played Thursday.
66 Toby Gerhart MIN TB Played Thursday.