Week 5 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

Only three other running backs — all with busts in Canton (OH) — have done what Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has done to start the season.

With 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 4 against the Saints, Murray has now rushed for 100-plus yards with a touchdown in four consecutive games to start the season.

Behind one of the league’s best offensive lines, Murray has racked up 534 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 99 carries, all of which lead the NFL, and nine catches for 68 yards through four games.

In fact, Murray would lead the NFL in rushing based on his first-down runs alone. On first downs, Murray has 66 carries for 428 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns.

(Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell ranks second in the NFL in rushing with 378 yards on 72 carries — on all four downs.)

Murray has yet to finish as the top scorer at his position in any week this season, but he has finished as a top-eight fantasy running back in all four games with three top-five performances. His worst performance was 17.1 fantasy points in Week 3.

Going back to last season, Murray has scored double-digit fantasy points in 12 consecutive games and has 20-plus fantasy points in six of those games. In his past 16 games, Murray has 1,544 rushing yards, 330 receiving yards on 49 catches and 15 touchdowns.

If there is a concern for Murray owners, it is that he has a checkered durability history and he’s currently on pace for 432 touches — 396 carries and 36 receptions.

The Texans have been middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to running backs (18th-most), they are one of only seven teams to allow at least 5.0 yards per carry this season.

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Here are some notes on running backs:

- Broncos second-year running back Montee Ball has 49 carries for only 165 yards (3.37 YPC) and a touchdown plus seven catches for 51 yards through three games. In addition to his slow start, Ball faces a brutal start to his post-bye schedule with matchups against the Cardinals, Jets and 49ers — all three rank in the top four in the league in run defense.

- Eagles running back LeSean McCoy had a couple of solid but not spectacular games (217 yards from scrimmage on 51 touches and a touchdown) to start the season. In the next two (most recent) games, however, McCoy has just 39 rushing yards on 29 carries and no receptions against Washington and San Francisco combined and finished as the RB60 and RB61, respectively. The good news for McCoy and his fantasy owners is that he gets his right tackle back from suspension and the Rams have allowed two 100-yard rushers in their past two games (Murray and Bobby Rainey). Interior offensive line injuries remain a concern for the Eagles, though.

- With a dynamic 1-2 punch of Jamaal Charles and Knile Davis, the duo has a combined for 66 carries for 331 yards, four catches for 28 yards and four touchdowns even though Charles missed Week 3. (The team’s other RBs had 90 YFS and three TDs in Week 3 as well.) Although the 49ers allow the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, something the Chiefs likely won’t be able to exploit, the Niners are tough against the run and have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

- Houston running back Arian Foster went over the century mark in each of his first two games on a league-high 55 carries during that span and then missed Week 3 with a hamstring injury. At less than 100 percent, Foster played last week, but he gained only six yards on eight carries although he added seven receptions for 55 yards. With a quality matchup against the Cowboys, it appears that Foster will once again be a game-time decision, but he should have better overall results if he can go.

- Bears running back Matt Forte has had two excellent games (top-six finishes) and two not-so-good games (RB30+). Those bad games were against two elite run defenses (49ers and Jets), however. Forte rushed for a season-high 122 yards on 23 carries last week, but he has at least five receptions in all four games and is on pace for 96 catches this season. Over their past two games, the Panthers have surrended a total of 389 rushing yards and three scores plus 49 receiving yards to opposing running backs.

- In their two most recent games, Bengals running backs Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill have each scored touchdowns in each of those games. In those games, Bernard has finished as the RB2 and RB5 and Hill finished as the RB12 and RB21, respectively, in standard-scoring leagues. The Patriots have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

Here are my Week 5 fantasy football running back rankings (standard scoring):

1. DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys (vs. HOU)
2. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears (at CAR)
3. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks (at WAS)
4. Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers (at JAX)
5. Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (at NE)
6. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. STL)
7. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs (at SF)
8. Rashad Jennings, New York Giants (vs. ATL)
9. Arian Foster, Houston Texans (at DAL)
10. Chris Ivory, New York Jets (at SD)
11. Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers (vs. MIN)
12. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers (vs. KC)
13. Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals (at DEN)
14. Matt Asiata, Minnesota Vikings (at GB)
15. Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals (at NE)
16. Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at NO)
17. Alfred Morris, Washington Redskins (vs. SEA)
18. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills (at DET)
19. Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens (at IND)
20. Ahmad Bradshaw, Indianapolis Colts (vs. BAL)
21. Montee Ball, Denver Broncos (vs. ARI)
22. Zac Stacy, St. Louis Rams (at PHI)
23. C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills (at DET)
24. Khiry Robinson, New Orleans Saints (vs. TB)
25. Trent Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (vs. BAL)
26. Ben Tate, Cleveland Browns (at TEN)
27. Reggie Bush, Detroit Lions (vs. BUF)
28. Toby Gerhart, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. PIT)
29. Donald Brown, San Diego Chargers (vs. NYJ)
30. Knile Davis, Kansas City Chiefs (at SF)
31. Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings (at GB)
32. Shane Vereen, New England Patriots (vs. CIN)
33. Bishop Sankey, Tennessee Titans (vs. CLE)
34. Joique Bell, Detroit Lions (vs. BUF)
35. Darrin Reaves, Carolina Panthers (vs. CHI)
36. Stevan Ridley, New England Patriots (vs. CIN)
37. Steven Jackson, Atlanta Falcons (at NYG)
38. Darren Sproles, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. STL)
39. Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns (at TEN)
40. Terrance West, Cleveland Browns (at TEN)
41. Chris Johnson, New York Jets (at SD)
42. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers (vs. CHI)
43. Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers (vs. KC)
44. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints (vs. TB)
45. Branden Oliver, San Diego Chargers (vs. NYJ)
46. Denard Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. PIT)
47. LeGarrette Blount, Pittsburgh Steelers (at JAX)
48. Lorenzo Taliaferro, Baltimore Ravens (at IND)
49. Bernard Pierce, Baltimore Ravens (at IND)
50. Andre Williams, New York Giants (vs. ATL)

More of our Week 5 rankings:

• Week 5 Quarterback Rankings
• Week 5 Wide Receiver Rankings
• Week 5 Tight End Rankings

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