Updated Week 3 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

Perhaps deserving of his injury-prone tag, Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray played a career-high 14 games last season, but he has been extremely productive when he’s been on the field.

Over his past 16 games, Murray has 1,406 rushing yards — 5.25 yards per carry — and 57 catches for 381 yards with a total of 12 touchdowns.

A top-five fantasy running back in each of the first two weeks of this season, no running back has more rushing yards (285) or fantasy points (39.6) than Murray through two weeks.

Since Week 10 of last season, Murray has eight consecutive games with double-digit fantasy points including 20-plus points in half of those outings.

The probability of that streak continuing another week is extremely high as the St. Louis Rams have allowed 171.0 rushing yards per game, third-most in the NFL, and back-to-back 100-yard rushers (although one of those was a wide receiver).

Murray’s two best games of his career have come against the Rams — 25/253/1 in 2011 and 26/175/1 in 2013.

Here are some more running back notes:

• As the team’s workhorse back, Houston’s Arian Foster has a league-high 55 carries and only Murray has more rushing yards than Foster (241). On pace for 440 carries, the Texans are expected to cut back his carries some, but Foster is a high-end RB1 every week he’s active. That said, the Giants run defense has been excellent so far this season as they have allowed only 3.45 YPC, sixth-best in the NFL.

• On the other side of the field in this game, Giants running back Rashad Jennings gets a favorable matchup against the Texans after two tough matchups — Lions and Cardinals. While the Lions and Cardinals have allowed the fewest YPC in the NFL, no team has allowed more YPC than the Texans (5.8).
• The Vikings have indefinitely suspended Adrian Peterson, which means that Matt Asiata (and/or Jerick McKinnon) could be in store for another solid performance. (Or three solid performances.) The Vikings next three matchups are against the Saints, Falcons and Packers, who have allowed the seventh-most, most and fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.
• Through two weeks, an Eagles running back ranks second in fantasy points. But it’s not that one. Darren Sproles has finished as the RB11 and RB1 in his first two weeks. That said, LeSean McCoy has still been productive (RB20 and RB10) even though he is averaging just 3.73 YPC. Going forward, I’d still expect McCoy to be a top-three fantasy running back and Sproles to be a lower-end RB2 or flex in standard-scoring formats.
• What will Patriots coach Bill Belichick do? Who knows? One week after Shane Vereen led the Patriots backfield in fantasy points (13.1) to Stevan Ridley‘s 2.8 fantasy points, the roles were reversed in Week 2: Ridley (16.1) and Vereen (4.0). Against the Vikings, Ridley had 25 carries for 101 yards and a touchdown and Vereen had only seven touches. With a top-three matchup against the Raiders, it’d be great for fantasy owners to have more clarity. As two-TD favorites against the Raiders, it would make sense for Ridley to get the most work again, but it’s anyone’s guess with Belichick.
• While it shouldn’t come as a shock to most, Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw has been more productive than Trent Richardson through two weeks. That said, T-Rich looked good on Monday Night Football despite his two fumbles. Bradshaw has 181 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches (including 10 catches) and two touchdowns while Richardson has 27 carries for 99 yards (3.67 YPC) and five catches for 47 yards. The duo has a favorable matchup this week against the Jaguars, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
• Jaguars running back Toby Gerhart has had a slow start to the season. Through two games, he has 50 rushing yards on 25 carries and 48 of those 50 yards have come after contact according to PFF.

Here are my Week 3 fantasy football running back rankings:

1. DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (vs. STL)
2. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. WAS)
3. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks (vs. DEN)
4. Arian Foster, Houston Texans (at NYG)
5. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. TEN)
6. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (at CAR)
7. Alfred Morris, Washington (at PHI)
8. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (at DET)
9. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (at NYJ)
10. Rashad Jennings, New York Giants (vs. HOU)
11. Zac Stacy, St. Louis Rams (vs. DAL)
12. Joique Bell, Detroit Lions (vs. GB)
13. Montee Ball, Denver Broncos (at SEA)
14. Knile Davis, Kansas City Chiefs (at MIA)
15. Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals (vs. SF)
16. Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots (vs. OAK)
17. C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills (vs. SD)
18. Khiry Robinson, New Orleans Saints (vs. MIN)
19. Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins (vs. KC)
20. Ahmad Bradshaw, Indianapolis Colts (at JAX)
21. Bernard Pierce, Baltimore Ravens (at CLE)
22. Reggie Bush, Detroit Lions (vs. GB)
23. Terrance West, Cleveland Browns (vs. BAL)
24. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints (vs. MIN)
25. Shane Vereen, New England Patriots (vs. OAK)
26. Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. WAS)
27. Donald Brown, San Diego Chargers (at BUF)
28. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. TEN)
29. Trent Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (at JAX)
30. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers (at ARI)
31. Jamaal Charles, , Kansas City Chiefs (at MIA)
32. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills (vs. SD)
33. Chris Johnson, New York Jets (vs. CHI)
34. Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings (at NO)
35. Chris Ivory, New York Jets (vs. CHI)
36. Toby Gerhart, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. IND)
37. Danny Woodhead, San Diego Chargers (at BUF)
38. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns (vs. BAL)
39. Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens (at CLE)
40. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers (vs. PIT)
41. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers (vs. PIT)
42. Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders (at NE)
43. Maurice Jones-Drew, Oakland Raiders (at NE)
44. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers (at ARI)
45. Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings (at NO)
46. Benny Cunningham, St. Louis Rams (vs. DAL)
47. Shonn Greene, Tennessee Titans (at CIN)
48. Damien Williams, Miami Dolphins (vs. KC)
49. Roy Helu, Washington (at PHI)
50. Mike Tolbert, Carolina Panthers (vs. PIT)
51. Andre Williams, New York Giants (vs. HOU)
52. Lance Dunbar, Dallas Cowboys (vs. STL)
53. Brandon Bolden, New England Patriots (vs. OAK)
54. C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos (at SEA)
55. Stepfan Taylor, Arizona Cardinals (vs. SF)
56. LeGarrette Blount, Pittsburgh Steelers (at CAR)
57. Bilal Powell, New York Jets (vs. CHI)
58. Robert Turbin, Seattle Seahawks (vs. DEN)
59. Dexter McCluster, Tennessee Titans (at CIN)
60. Alfred Blue, Houston Texans (at NYG)

* Note: Both Falcons and Buccaneers running backs have been removed from these rankings.

More of my Week 3 rankings:

• Week 3 Quarterback Rankings
• Week 3 Wide Receiver Rankings
• Week 3 Tight End Rankings

Enter our free Week 3 fantasy football contest to win one of our t-shirts.

Keep track of our site’s updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle