Fantasy Football Rankings--Running Backs Week 16 Match Ups

1.  Adrian Peterson Vs. Atlanta Falcons

2.  Brian Westbrook At Washington Redskins

3.  Marshawn Lynch At Denver Broncos

4.  Steve Slaton At Oakland Raiders

5.  Matt Forte Vs. Green Bay Packers

6.  Pierre Thomas At Detroit Lions

7.  Thomas Jones At Seattle Seahawks

8.  Maurice Jones Drew Vs. Indianapolis Colts

9.  DeAngelo Williams At New York Giants

10.  Steven Jackson Vs. San Francisco 49ers

11.  Michael Turner At Minnesota Vikings

12.  Ryan Grant At Chicago Bears

13.  Ladanian Tomlinson At Tampa Bay Buccaneers

14.  Brandon Jacobs Vs. Carolina Panthers

15.  Kevin Smith Vs. New Orleans Saints

16.  Sammy Morris Vs. Arizona Cardinals

17.  Deshaun Foster At St. Louis Rams

18.  Clinton Portis Vs. Philadelphia Eagles 

19.  Chris Johnson Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers 

20.  Willie Parker At Tennessee Titans   

21.  Ronnie Brown At Kansas City Chiefs 

22.  Cedric Benson At Cleveland Browns 

23.  Larry Johnson Vs. Miami Dolphins

24.  Joseph Addai At Jacksonville Jaguars (questionable to play)

25.  Tashard Choice Vs. Baltimore Ravens 

Running Back Rankings Week 15

1. Brian Westbrook Vs. Cleveland Browns

2. Adrian Peterson At Arizona Cardinals

3. DeAngelo Williams Vs. Denver Broncos

4. Chris Johnson At Houston Texans

5. Matt Forte Vs. New Orleans Saints

6. Ladanian Tomlinson At Kansas City Chiefs

7. Stephen Jackson Vs. Seattle Seahawks

8. Thomas Jones Vs. Buffalo Bills

9. Maurice Jones Drew Vs. Green Bay Packers

10. Michael Turner Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

11. Ryan Grant At Jacksonville Jaguars

12. Brandon Jacobs At Dallas Cowboys

13. Reggie Bush/Pierre Thomas At Chicago Bears

14. Steve Slaton Vs. Tennessee Titans

15. Marion Barber Vs. New York Giants (Questionable to play)

16. Joseph Addai Vs. Detroit Lions

17. Lendale White At Houston Texans

18. Jonathon Stewart Vs. Denver Broncos

19. Ronnie Brown Vs. San Francisco 49ers

20. Marshawn Lynch At New York Jets

21. Larry Johnson Vs. San Diego Chargers

22. Sammy Morris At Oakland Raiders

23. Derrick Ward At Dallas Cowboys

24. Kevin Smith At Indianapolis Colts

Running Back Rankings Week 13

1. Joseph Addai At Cleveland Browns

2. Adrian Peterson Vs. Chicago Bears

3. Marshawn Lynch Vs. San Francisco 49ers

4. Ladanian Tomlinson Vs. Atlanta Falcons

5. Thomas Jones Vs. Denver Broncos

6. Marion Barber Vs. Seattle Seahawks

7. Larry Johnson At Oakland Raiders

8. Michael Turner At San Diego Chargers

9. Steve Slaton Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

10. DeAngelo Williams At Green Bay Packers

11. Ronnie Brown At St. Louis Rams

12. Clinton Portis Vs. New York Giants

13. Chris Johnson/Lendale White At Detroit Lions

14. Darren McFadden/Justin Fargas Vs. Kansas City Chiefs

15. Ryan Grant Vs. Carolina Panthers

16. Frank Gore At Buffalo Bills

17. Maurice Jones Drew At Houston Texans

18. Brian Westbrook Vs. Arizona Cardinals

19. Jamal Lewis Vs. Indianapolis Colts

20. Mewelde Moore At New England Patriots

21. Warrick Dunn Vs. New Orleans Saints

22. Matt Forte At Minnesota Vikings

23. Brandon Jacobs At Washington Redskins

24. Leron McClain/Willis McGahee At Cincinatti Bengals

1. Brian Westbrook At Cincinnati Bengals

2. Frank Gore Vs. St. Louis Rams

3. Michael Turner Vs. Denver Broncos

4. Marion Barber Ar Washington Redskins

5. Marshawn Lynch Vs. Cleveland Browns

6. Adrian Peterson At Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7. Chris Johnson At Jacksonville Jaguars

8. Ladanian Tomlinson At Pittsburgh Steelers

9. Matt Forte At Green Bay Packers

10. Steve Slaton At Indianapolis Colts

11. DeAngelo Williams/Jonathon Stewart Vs. Detroit Lions

12. Ronnie Brown Vs. Oakland Raiders

13. Joseph Addai Vs. Houston Texans

14. Larry Johnson Vs. New Orleans Saints

15. Reggie Bush/Deuce McAlister At Kansas City Chiefs

16. Clinton Portis Vs. Dallas Cowboys

17. Willie Parker Vs. San Diego Chargers

18. Tim Hightower At Seattle Seahawks

19. Brandon Jacobs Vs. Baltimore Ravens

20. Jamal Lewis At Buffalo Bills

21. Maurice Jones-Drew Vs. Tennessee Titans

22. Ryan Grant Vs. Chicago Bears

23. Thomas Jones At New England Patriots

24. Lendale White At Jacksonville Jaguars

Some fantasy experts differ with me this week but I still favor the reliable staple running back against a terrible match than a questionable back against an easier match up. Yes I'm sure Adrian Peterson has a tougher time against the Bucs than most of his opponents but he can still have a good to great game. I'd much rather lose starting Peterson than reaching on a Slaton or a Hightower who both could have great games but also could have very quiet games as they somewhat frequently do.

The following teams are on bye this week: Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins

1. Ladanian Tomlinson Vs. Kansas City Chiefs

2. Brian Westbrook Vs. New York Giants

3. Adrian Peterson Vs. Green Bay Packers

4. Frank Gore At Arizona Cardinals

5. Michael Turner Vs. New Orleans Saints

6. Willie Parker Vs. Indianapolis Colts

7. Ronnie Brown Vs. Seattle Seahawks

8. Chris Johnson At Chicago Bears

9. Matt Forte Vs. Tennessee Titans

10. Brandon Jacobs At Philadelphia Eagles

11. Maurice Jones-Drew At Detroit Lions

12. Thomas Jones Vs. St Louis Rams

13. Tim Hightower Vs. San Francisco 49ers

14. Jamal Lewis Vs. Denver Broncos

15. Marshawn Lynch At New England Patriots

16. Ray Rice/McClain/McGahee At Houston Texans

17. DeAngelo Williams/Jonathon Stewart At Oakland Raiders

18. Lendale White At Chicago Bears

19. Joseph Addai At Pittsburgh Steelers

20. Ryan Grant Ar Minnesota Vikings

21. Steve Slaton Vs. Baltimore Ravens

22. Kevin Faulk/B. Green-Ellis Vs. Buffalo Bills

23. Ryan Torain At Cleveland Browns

24. Jamaal Charles At San Diego Chargers

This is a huge week for LT owners as they hope his 170 yards and a score against the Saints was not a fluke and he is truly getting healthy now. After the bye he should be even more healthy and everyone is saying he looks great now that his toe injury seems to be nearly 100% gone. Throw in the fact the Chiefs are the worst in the NFL against the run giving up an average of 180+ rush yards a game and LT owners have to be excited. If LT truly is back he should have a devastatting fantasy game.

The following teams are on bye this week: Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers

1. Adrian Peterson Vs. Houston Texans

2. Brian Westbrook At Seattle Seahawks

3. Michael Turner At Oakland Raiders

4. Stephen Jackson Vs. Arizona Cardinals

5. Matt Forte Vs. Detroit Lions

6. Earnest Graham At Kansas City Chiefs

7. Maurice Jones-Drew Ar Cincinnati Bengals

8. Marion Barber III At New York Giants

9. Ronnie Brown At Denver Broncos

10. Chris Johnson Vs. Green Bay Packers

11. Clinton Portis* Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

12. Brandon Jacobs Vs. Dallas Cowboys

13. Marshawn Lynch Vs. New York Jets

14. Lendale White Vs. Green Bay Packers

15. Joseph Addai Vs. New Englanf Patriots

16. Willie Parker At Washington Redskins

17. Willis McGahee (McClain/Rice) At Cleveland Browns

18. Steve Slaton At Minnesota Vikings

19. Ryan Grant At Tennessee Titans

20. Thomas Jones At Buffalo Bills

21. Kevin Faulk/B. Green-Ellis At Indianapolis Colts

22. Justin Fargas Vs. Atlanta Falcons

23. Michael Pittman Vs. Miami Dolphins

24. Tim Hightower At St. Louis Rams

Both Peterson (130 yards & 1 score vs. the Bears) and Westbrook are coming off great performances ( 209 total yards and 2 TD's for Westbrook) and should continue to dominate against 2 weaker run defenses this week. Turner should have a good game against the Raiders despite not being at home and Steven Jackson appears to be healthy and good to go this week. Barber is fantasy player hurt by Romo not being behind center. Against a tougher Giants D there's a good chance they contain him as the Cowboys high octane offense doesn't seem to run well without Romo behind the wheel.

*Portis is listed as questionable and also faces a tough run D in the Steelers if he can go.

The following teams are on bye this week: Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

1. Clinton Portis At Detroit Lions -- The Lions have been unable to stop anyone on the ground giving up 167+ yards on the ground per game. Portis has also been red hot his last 4 games with 570 yards and 4 touchdowns. he has a minor shin injury but should be fine and poised for another big game.

2. Brian Westbrook Vs. Atlanta Falcons -- Westbrook is nursing a few broken ribs but it looks like he is good enough to play according to reports. The Falcons rank 20th vs the rush but Westbrook has nearly 300 total yards and 6 TD's in his 4 games he's played this year and is tough to bench if he's healthy enough to play.

3. Chris Johnson Vs. Indianapolis Colts -- The Colts rank 28th vs. the run and Johnson just burned KC for 168 yards and a score (over 8 yards per carry). As I mentioned last week his biggest hurdle is than Lendale White gets more touches including all the goal line carries.

4. Frank Gore Vs. Seattle Seahawks -- Even as the Niners struggle Gore has been a beacon of consistency as he has 535 rush yards, 246 receiving yards, & 5 touchdowns in 7 games. The Seahawks rank 21st against the rush but 29th in points allowed as they allow over 4 touchdowns per game on average meaning Gore may be poised for a very big fantasy day.

5. Steve Jackson At New England Patriots -- The Rams seem like a new team since Haslett took over and Jackson after a slow start is really rolling now as he has 767 total yards and 4 touchdowns in 6 games. He does have a slightly strained quad muscle so watch the injury reports but it sounds very minor so far. The Pats are still a good D in my opinion but definitely aren't as strong as they used to be and now have lossed veteran safety Harrison for the year (ranked 19th vs. the rush).

6. Steve Slaton Vs. Cincinnati Bengals -- Slaton has been very reliable since becoming the starting back for the Texans as he has 486 total yards & 5 touchdowns in his last 5 games and Cinci is ranked 27th in the league against the run.

7. Lendale White Vs. Indianapolis Colts -- Tough to rank White this high as he loses so many carries to Johnson however he should be guaranteed to find the end zone against the Colts and have a similar day but lesser day as to what he did against the Chiefs (149 yards, 3 TD's). White has 8 TD's on the year and the Colts can't stop anyone on the ground

8. Thomas Jones Vs. Kansas City Chiefs -- Jones quietly (more due to being in Favre's shadow I think) has 538 total yards and 4 TD's in 6 games played and he faces the worst run defense in the league in the KC Chiefs who last week gave up over 300 rush yards last week.

9. Marshawn Lynch At Miami Dolphins -- Lynch has 513 total yards and 5 touchdowns in 6 games and faces the Fins D who ranks 12th against the rush. Not the best match up but not a bad match up either.

10. Marion Barber III Vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- The Bucs are a bad match up for a runner as they rank 10th against the rush and 4th in points allowed however I see Brad Johnson and the Cowboys offense looking better and scoring 2 or 3 touchdowns despite the tough D and Barber having a decent fantasy day.

11. Ladanian Tomlinson At New Orleans Saints -- LT definitely has not been himself with this toe injury but still has nearly 600 yards and 4 TD's this season and faces the Saints who rank 16th against the rush.

12. Willis McGahee Vs. Oakland Raiders -- The Raiders are 24th against the run but its tough to predict who on the Ravens will show up for a good fantasy day. McGahee looked healthy last week but he has burned mein the past so be careful if you start him here as I would not be at all surprised to see McClain or Rice steal the day somehow.

13. Maurice Jones-Drew Vs. Cleveland Browns -- MJD hasn't looked the greatest this year but is coming off a great performance against the Broncos before his bye (148 total yards & 2 TD's) and will be facing the weak Browns defense.

14. Michael Turner At Philadelphia Eagles -- Turner will struggle a little against this tougher run defense at home (9th vs. the run) but Turner is too good to bench here as he has over 600 total yards and 5 touchdowns in 6 games.

15. Ronnie Brown Vs. Buffalo Bills -- Brown again looked pretty normal last week but he's tough to bench as we know he is capable of 5 TD's in one game when he is on. The Bills have a solid defense and are 15th against the run. Since getting healthy Brown averages just under 100 total yards per game and including his passing TD has 7 TD's in his last 4 games.

Other RB's Worth A Good Look: Earnest Graham At Dallas Cowboys, Jonathon Stewart/DeAngelo Williams Vs. Arizona Cardinals, Sammy Morris Vs. St. Louis Rams, Mewelde Moore/Willie Parker Vs. New York Giants, Jamal Lewis At Jacksonville Jaguars, Fred Taylor Vs. Cleveland Browns, Julius Jones At San Francisco 49ers, Deuce McAllister Vs. San Diego Chargers, Brandon Jacobs At Pittsburgh Steelers.

The following teams are on bye this week: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles

1. Marion Barber At St. Louis Rams -- After starting the year on fire Barber has been pretty quiet even being outshined at times by Felix "The Cat" Jones but now that Romo is out I see the Rams seeing a heavy dose of Barber as Brad Johnson settles in. Its also a big plus that the Rams are 30th in the league against the rush giving up nearly 170 rushing yards per game. Barber started out the year with 5 TD's & 372 total yards in his first 3 games. While in his next 2 he did have some nice yardage (262 total yards thanks the Arizona forgetting to tackle Barber because he was by the sideline) but only one score and really not that good minus that catch and run versus the Cards. I expect Marion the Barbarian to have a big day with multiple scores against the Rams.

2. Adrian Peterson At Chicago Bears -- Normally I say bench most backs facing this D who despite a few hiccups is still one of the best defenses in the league and 5th in the NFL vs. the run. However Adrian Peterson smoked the Bears last year with 5 touchdwons & 328 total yards and despite having a low touchdown total this year has been running pretty well. I think Peterson has trouble duplicating those results as defenses are still not worried about the Vikes passing game despite some success from Gus but Peterson has the potential for the big game here.

3. Ladanian Tomlinson At Buffalo Bills -- The Bills are a pretty decent defense and all we keep hearing about is LT's toe injury making it tough for himt o cut but when I see LT still playing and running hard with 3 minutes left in the game and up 20 points I think either the coach is a total moron or LT's injury isn't as bad as people are are making it out to be. In this case I'm fairly confident its both. Yes LT is not playing at 100% but he is still very effective as he has 529 total yards and 4 TD's in 6 games. His yard per carry are way down at 3.7 but he's still a much better start than many other backs despite his struggles this season.

4. Clinton Portis Vs. Cleveland Browns -- Portis has had a great last 3 weeks with 395 rushing yards and 3 scores and the Browns shouldn't be able to slow him down much as despite the good game they had against the Giants they still rank 25th against the run and still aren't very good at all on D.

5. Frank Gore At New York Giants -- Gore has done well under Martz's new system with 720 total yards and 5 scores already this season and a pretty consistent week to week performance. The Giants are pretty decent against the run (12th in the NFL) but I see Gore having another performance in line with his prior 6 games.

6. Joseph Addai At Green Bay Packers -- The Pack have been bad against the run this year currently ranking 29th in the league and Addai has yet to really break out this year (216 yards, 4 TD's in 5 games) as Manning has struggled until last week against the Ravens. I see Addai having a good to great game as long as his hamstring is okay. Watch the injury reports and start him if he will play. Update: Addai is out 2-4 weeks now Dominic Rhodes is to start in his place

7. Chris Johnson At Kansas City Chiefs -- Johnson should have a good day as the Chiefs have pass the Colts for the honor of the worst defense against the run in the league. Johnson has 450 total yards and 3 touchdowns in 5 games and really only struggled this year against the Ravens so I see no reason why he should get a lot of yards and maybe even score depending how close they get to the goal line (Lendale gets those goal line carries and is probably more likely for a TD)

7. Steve Slaton Vs. Detroit Lions -- The Lions also are a terrible defense against the run (31st) and Slaton has been really good since getting his chance to start. He has accrued over 446 total yards while only starting 4 of the 5 games he has played in and has 3 touchdowns. He should have another good to great day against the Lions who are now without Kitna & Roy for the year (injury & trade) and should have a terrible time of possession Sunday.

8. Ryan Grant Vs. Indianapolis Colts -- The jury is still out on Ryan Grant who was perhaps the best running back in the NFL the 2nd half of last season but started this year with a nagging hamstring injury and hasn't impressed much as of late despite being at or near 100%. So far Grant has less than 360 yards in 6 games (although very limited touches as last week was the first time he touched the ball more than 20 times) and not one touchdown. The Colts rank 29th against the rush and will most likely be without Safety Bob Sanders again who is their heart and soul on D and their best run stopper.

9. Willie Parker At Cincinnati Bengals -- While I doubt Willie jumps into his week 1 form where he tripled his touchdown output from 2 seasons ago I do see him coming back and getting a ton of carries against a weak run defense which he has a good history against. Watch the injury reports but it sounds like he has recovered pretty nicely and should get a lot of work you would think with all the injuries Big Ben is reported to be nursing.

10. Brandon Jacobs Vs. San Francisco 49ers -- Hard to predict when Jacobs will have a agood game as he looses many carries to Bradshaw and Ward but he does have 4 TD's and somewhat near 100 total yards per game so he is a definite start against the Niners.

11. Steven Jackson Vs. Dallas Cowboys -- After the slow start that Steven Jackson is known for he has 274 total yards and 1 touchdown his last 2 games against some better defenses (Bills & Skins). The Cowboys defense ranks 7th against the run but I like Jackson to have another good game and maybe score.

12. Marshawn Lynch Vs. San Diego Chargers -- I'm still not really scared of the Bills passing attack which puts a lot of pressure on Lynch but he's performed well (421 total yards and 4 scores in 5 games) and is one of the few backs in the NFL who doesn't split very many carries. The Chargers are decent against the run (17th) but should not be able to shut Lynch down.

13. Reggie Bush At Carolina Panthers -- Its hard to know when Bush will have a great performance like last week but I respect the Panthers D much more than the Raiders. I see Bush still having some success especially catching the ball out of the backfield but I don't see a very big day for Bush.

14. Thomas Jones At Oakland Raiders -- Favre finally found a way to let Jones score some TD's without hurting his own stats, by throwing to him from the goal line. The Raiders rank 19th vs. the run but again it almost seems like its up to #4 whether Jones scores some touchdowns or not.

15. Earnest Graham Vs. Seattle Seahawks -- Graham again is not one of my favorite backs but he has been a consistent producer (514 total yards & 3 TD's in 6 games)and the Seahawks have been struggling against the run as of late as they have moved from a top 10 ranking vs the run to 23rd partially due to the fact that the offense can't keep the ball long enough to give the D a break.

16. Larry Johnson Vs. Tennessee Titans -- The Titans are one of the best D's in the NFL right now only allowing 11.2 points per game and no one knows if Johnson will play this week due to some issues with a woman in a nightclub. Knowing Commish Adolf Goodell we might see a suspension for LJ or possibly a team suspension but if not I'd start him if you don't have 2 better backs on your roster despite the tough match up & any bad advice Matthew Berry might give on LJ. Update: Johnson has been suspended by the Chiefs for the week and will be replaced by Kolby Smith and Jamal Charles.

17. DeAngelo Williams/Jonathon Stewart Vs. New Orleans Saints -- At least one of these backs has had a good to great fantasy week every week of the season (last week neither did that well but it was the Bucs D was pretty effective) the only problem is guessing who's due. Stewart was the stud weeks 2,3, & 4 with 4 TD's & 142 yards. Williams did well weeks 1 & 5 with 238 yards and 3 scores. Flip a coin, consult your tarot cards and start one of them as the Saints are pretty mediocre vs. the run.

18. Ronnie Brown Vs. Baltimore Ravens -- Yes I know its the Ravens and this would be a good week to let Brown rest up on your fantasy bench but remember that week he outscored your entire starting roster while sitting on your bench? I'm not benching him this week unless I have 2 high quality backs (1-17) on my depth chart ahead of him on my team.

Others Worth A Good Look: Matt Forte vs. Minnesota Vikings, Lendale White At Kansas City Chiefs, Sammy Morris Vs. Denver Broncos, Michael Pittman At New England Patriots, Kevin Smith At Houston Texans, Julius Jones At Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dominic Rhodes At Green Bay Packers.

The following teams are on bye this week: Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Tennessee Titans.

1. Adrian Peterson Vs. Detroit Lions -- The Lions are the worst defense in the NFL giving up over 36 points per game and 180 rushing yards per game. Peterson looked pretty spartan last week in New Orleans but he has no ecuse not to have his best game of the year against this struggling team.

2. Marion Barber At Arizona Cardinals -- Barber has been kept out of the endzone 2 weeks in a row now so he is due for a score against this mediocre defense. It looks like Felix Jones will steal some carries away from him but Barber is a must start as he seems to have a nose for the end zone.

3. Brandon Jacobs At Cleveland Browns -- Against a decent defense Brnadon Jacobs shined last week with 130+ yards ans 2 scores. He should continue to stay hot against the Browns who I rank just slightly higher than the Lions D even though they currently rank 22nd vs. the run.

4. Clinton Portis Vs. St Louis Rams -- Portis almost rushed for 150 yards against a good run defense in the Eagles and should continue to stay hot against a Rams D that hasn't been able to stop anyone all year (28th vs. the run).

5. Frank Gore Vs. Philadelphia Eagles -- The Eagles are tough against the run (8th vs. the run) however Gore has yet to have a bad game so far even against some better defenses as he has averaged 84+ rush yard, 36 receiving yards per game and has 4 touchdowns this year.

6. Maurice Jones Drew At Denver Broncos -- MJD has struggled this year but the Broncos are 29th in the NFL in yards given up giving the Jags running game a good chance to get going this year. MJD has had 4 games where he rushed for less than 35 yards but has scored 3 touchdowns this year and rushed for over 100 yards a few weeks ago against the Colts 9over 5 ypc) so he is due for a good game this week.

7. Ladanian Tomlinson Vs. New England Patriots -- Despite his toe injury that seemed to really slow him down last week LT has been able to average over 80+ total yards and has scored 4 times this year. The Patriots defense is pretty good at containing the run but unless LT's injuries continue to worsen and affect his play worse than last week its still not time to bench him as he is still a reliable fantasy scorer.

8. Ronnie Brown At Houston Texans -- I doubt he ever matches his 5 TD performance a few weeks ago but Brown followed up that with another good performance last week against the Chargers (125 yards and a score.) and looks to continue to be a fantasy starter as long as he and the Fins stay hot.

9. Brian Westbrook At San Francisco 49ers -- Westbrook has 2 broken ribs and is listed as day to day but I think he plays with a flak jacket and plays with the pain as he did after the injury happened last week. I do think he loses some extra touches to Buckhalter but will still put up some decent numbers.

9. Steven Jackson At Washington Redskins -- Jackson started out the season pretty slow as he is know to but the last 2 games he has 316 total yards and a touchdown. The Skins rank 9th vs. the run and have playing well as of late but Jackson should have a decent to good day against them.

10. Reggie Bush Vs. Oakland Raiders -- Bush is not going to get you a ton of rushing yards but he averages over 105+ total yards (rushing & receiving) per game and should continue that pace with the Raiders D who give up over 360 yards per game.

11. Matt Forte At Atlanta Falcons -- Forte has quietly accrued 555 total yards & 4 touchdowns in 5 games and should have another good game against the Falcons who rank 21st against the run.

12. Steve Slaton Vs. Miami Dolphins -- Slaton has played very well since winning the starting job in the last 3 games he has 336 rushing & receiving yards and 3 touchdowns against some tougher defenses. The Fins have been playing very well and the defense has been improving (now ranked 7th against the run). The Fins might slow Slaton down but he is still a decent fantasy start here.

13. Julius Jones Vs. Green Bay Packers -- Jones was kept in check by the Giants as they held him to 60 yards, however he still has averaged 100+ yards combining his last three games and has 2 touchdowns in those games. The Pack D is mediocre at best against the run (27th in the league) meaning Jones should have another good game despite the possibility of Maurice Morris coming back and stealing some carries from him.

14. Joseph Addai Vs. Baltimore Ravens -- Addai & the Colts offense has struggled some this year but have faced some tougher defenses as well. Unfortunately the Raven are another tough D as they rank 1st against the run giving up less than 65 rush yards per game. If you have a better option I would think about sitting Addai but considering he has scored 4 touchdowns in 4 games while the Colts offense has been struggling means he might be worth keeping as your starter.

15. Michael Turner Vs. Chicago Bears -- Turner smokes the weak run defenses he has faced but has greatly struggled against the tougher ones meaning the Bears should have some success against him (although itsa plus for Turner to be at home in the dome). The Bears rank 4th against the run but as the Panthers showed us earlier this season its not impossible to have a good fantasy day against them.

16. Leron McClain/Willis McGahee At Indianapolis Colts -- The Colts are terrible against the run (dead last in the NFL giving up over 188 rush yards per game) and are still without safety Bob Sanders due to injury. The only issue is knowing who to start as McGahee is the starter but McClain has been getting a ton of carries and has performed very well through McGahee's injury problems. If I had to guess I think McClain will continue his success but McGahee is due for a good fantasy game as he has underperformed greatly this year so far.

17. Earnest Graham Vs. Carolina Panthers --The Panthers rank 11th versus the run and are playing very well as of late as they just held Larry Johnson to 2 yards. I think Graham has a tougher day but still gets some yards on the ground and through the air.

18. Ryan Grant At Seattle Seahawks -- Grant has started the season very slow due to his hamstring injury but he has looked better every week and I predict he will get 100+ yards and 1 score against a decent Seahawks run defense.

Others Worth A Good Look: Fred Taylor At Denver Broncos, Thomas Jones Vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Darren McFadden At New Orleans Saints, Jamal Lewis Vs. New York Giants, Jonathon Stewart/DeAngelo Williams At Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Felix Jones At Arizona Cardinals.

The following teams are on bye this week: New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, St Louis Rams, & Cleveland Browns

1. Adrian Peterson At New Orleans Saints -- The hamstring looked good last week ( 4+ ypc, 80 yards & 2 TD's against a tough D) and Peterson has an extra day to rest with them playing Monday Night. The Saints give up 120+ rushing yards per game this year so this could be a very exciting game for Peterson owners.

2. Marion Barber Vs. Cincinnati Bengals -- If I were Marion I would be upset that I only got 8 rushes last game and I would take out my anger against the 28th ranked defense in the league that is giving up nearly 165 rush yards per game. Potential for a huge game here for "The Barbarian".

3. Ladanian Tomlinson At Miami Dolphins -- Analysts are saying LT is not the same LT this year but 296 rush yards (3.8 ypc), 58 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns makes LT a must start despite his nagging injuries.

4. Joesph Addai At Houston Texans -- While I worry Peyton Manning is going to put on a clinic this week and not allow Addai any TD's the odds are Addai will have a good game against the 27th ranked rush defense in the league.

5. Earnest Graham At Denver Broncos -- While I'm still not a bug fan of Graham he does have 376 total yards and 2 scores making him a must start against the Broncos defense which is ranked 30th in the NFL giving up over 400 yards per game.

6. Marshawn Lynch At Arizona Cardinals -- Lynch has been Mr. consistency this year averaging 84 total yards per game and scoring in 3 of his 4 games this year. The Cards have a pretty mediocre defense and Lynch should have another solid outing.

7. Steve Slaton Vs. Indianapolis Colts -- Slaton has been very impressive starting the last 2 games for the Texans averaging 120 rushing/receiving yards and has one rushing touchdown and one receiving touchdown. The Colts are still without team leader and run stuffing safety Bob Sanders and ranked 31st in the NFL vs. the run. Some very good indicators for another good game from this back from this former Mountaineer.

8. Frank Gore Vs. New England Patriots -- Despite the Pats ranking 25th in the league vs. the rush this is a dangerous game for Gore as the Pats are tough to beat coming off a bye week. Definitely don't bench your star back as you never know he could pull a "Ronnie Brown" on the Pats but I would be surprised to see it.

9. Larry Johnson At Carolina Panthers -- As LJ showed us (or ESPN "analyst" Matthew Berry at least) you should never leave him on your bench as he led the league last week in rushing and had 2 scores. he faces a tough match up in Carolina who ranks 8th in total defense but 19th against the rush. I don't expecta huge day as the Panther D is better than their #'s so far but LJ is the only real show in town (KC) and should get tons of carries.

10. Jonathon Stewart Vs. Kansas City Chiefs -- Stewart hasn't been lighting it up when it comes to yardage as he has less than 200 yards as he splits carries with Williams however he definitely has a nose for the endzone as he has 4 touchdowns already. The Chiefs rank 30th vs. the rush giving up 175+ rush yards per game giving Stewart a chance to have a very big game.

11. Ronnie Brown Vs. San Diego Chargers -- Brown is a tough start but an even tougher bench as he oustcored most teams that rightly had him on the bench week 3 as he quadrupled his prior production with 116 rush yards and 5 touchdowns (1 throwing). The Chargers are a decent defense that ranks 13th vs. the run and should be ready for some college formations and some trick plays after watching the game vs. the Pats. I won't say to bench him but I would have conservative expectations for Ronnie this week as the match up does not favor him.

12. Matt Forte At Detroit Lions -- Forte struggled last week against the Eagles but luckily for him he faces the Lions who rank DEAD LAST in the NFL vs. the rush giving up 200+ yards per game. Forte should find some success in the dome although I do think the Bears made an error as this back from Louisiana as it gets nasty around here in the winter and I'm curious to see how he holds up.

13. Michael Turner At Green Bay Packers -- The Pack has been susceptible to the run this year as they have given up 150+ rushing yards per game on average meaning Turner might have a nice day although I think the Packers D steps up and limits him greatly. Turner destroys bad defenses but has some trouble against tougher ones and will be lucky to score this game.

14. Brian Westbrook/Correll Buckhalter Vs. Washington Redskins --- A lot of speculation going around saying Westbrook will not go but it is very early in the week still. Whoever starts should have a good fantasy game. Buckhalter in Westbrook's absence last week accrued 90 total yards and a touchdown against a tough Bears D.

15. Julius Jones At New York Giants -- Jones has had 2 very good games against weaker defenses. The Giants won't let him score so easily but Jones should have another decent game.

16. Reggie Bush Vs. Minnesota Vikings -- The Vikes (6th vs. the run) and a healthy Deuce will greatly limit Bush's ground game however I expect him to have a good game through the air (he currently has 257 receving yards to his 183 rushing yards). Deuve will most likely get the goal line carries as well so Bush will need some luck to find the endzone Monday night in what should be a very exciting game.

17. Brandon Jacobs Vs. Seattle Seahawks -- After looking unstoppable against the Skins and very good against the Rams he was pretty quiet in Cincy besides his touchdown. He has another tough match up with the Seahawks who are 9th vs. the run however with Plaxico suspended I see Jacobs getting more touches and chance for a decent fantasy game.

18.Clinton Portis At Philadelphia Eagles -- The Eagles rank #1 vs. the run holding opposing teams to less than 54 yards per game meaning Portis will be running uphill all game in the toughest match up he has seen all year.

Others Worth A Good Look: Maurice Jones-Drew Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Grant Vs. Atlanta Falcons, Chris Johnson/Lendale White At Baltimore Ravens, Felix Jones Vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Sammy Morris At San Francisco 49ers.

The following teams have a bye week 4: Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, N.Y. Giants, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots

1. Frank Gore At New Orleans Saints -- Despite JTO's success Gore carries this Niner offense on his back as evidenced by his 412 total yards and 4 touchdowns. The Saints defense should make it easy for Gore to continue to dominateas the Saints D really hasn't stopped anyone all year.

2. Marion Barber III Vs. Washington Redskins -- The Skins average giving up 4.4 yards per rush and they will be without Jason Taylor meaning it might be a long day for their defense. Barber already has 5 touchdowns on the year and should be able to score a few more against the Skins and continue to rack up the yardage as he gets the major bulk of the carries over his backup Felix Jones.

3. Marshawn Lynch At St. Louis Rams -- Lynch has had 3 very solid games (275 total yards and 4 touchdowns) so far and the Rams are currently ranked 29th in the NFL against the run so Lynch should continue to have success.

4. Reggie Bush Vs. San Francisco 49ers -- Bush is actually more dangerous in the air than on the ground as he actually has 100 more receiving yards than rushing yards (250 to 150). Bush should continue to see more action from Brees as Shockey is now out for 3-6 weeks. The Niners have showed some strength against the pass and some weakness against the run this year (131 yards/gm) but they should have their hands full with Bush getting the ball in open space.

5. Ladanian Tomlinson At Oakland Raiders -- LT had a few touchdowns last week but he has definitely been slowed by his injuries to start this year. While definitely still not close to 100% he seems to get a little healthier as each week progresses. The Raiders are also a team LT normally shreds: 273 yards and 4 touchdowns vs. the Raiders last season in only a game and one half of playing time as the Chargers had clinched their playoff spot late last year.

6. Adrian Peterson At Tennessee Titans -- A tougher matchup for Peterson but he is due for a fantasy scoring explosion (only 1 touchdown so far this year despite over 371 total yards this year) and as we saw last year even the best run defenses sometimes could not contain Peterson. Watch for his hamstring injury (so far he again is listed as questionable) that limited his playing time lasy week, its not a good sign if he is limited in practice again all week. If he is 100% healthy Peterson is due for a big game.

7. Larry Johnson Vs. Denver Broncos -- With so much of the talk about the Broncos offense not much talk has come about their poor defensive play (ranked 29th in total defense). Larry Johnson also appears to be the Chiefs only true weapon on offense as it sounds like the coach is considering going back to Huard at QB. Either way I see Johnson getting a ton of carries against a defense he should perform well against.

8. Brian Westbrook At Chicago Bears -- Westbrook's ankle appears to be okay but even at 100% Westbrook will have a tougher matchup with the Bears D. Watch to see how Westbrook's ankle is during the week as he is still a good start if relatively healthy as the Bears have given up some touchdowns on the ground already this year. As of Wednesday Westbrook did not practice yet and is listed as questionable but it is still too early to tell if he will play or not.

9. Steven Jackson Vs. Buffalo Bills -- Jackson has struggled this year just as he did last season to start the year. If Trent Green (Bulger has been benched) can get anything going on offense it should open up some opportunities for Jackson although he is currently listed as questionable due to a groin injury. If he does play the Bills are a tougher match up but Jackson is due to find the end zone.

10. Maurice Jones Drew Vs. Houston Texans --After 2 quiet weeks against 2 dominant defenses MJD exploded last week against the Colts. He gets another defense (The Texans are ranked 27th vs. the run) he should do well against providing his ankle injury does not hinder him (he's listed as questionable but seems to be improving since his week 2 sprain).

11. Michael Turner At Carolina Panthers --Turner faces a tougher defense in Carolina (ranked 11th right now) and might have a lackluster game as he did in week 2 to the Bucs, however with 366 yards and 5 touchdowns already this year its tough to bench Turner in case he has another great game.

12. Matt Forte Vs. Philadelphia Eagles -- Like Turner its tough to bench Forte as hehas accrued 300+ yards and a touchdown against a few tough match ups however The Eagles D seems like its got its swagger back after that high scoring game against the Cowboys. After holding WillieParker to only 20 yards the Eagles are now ranked first against the runin the NFL so Forte will have his work cut out for him.

13. Clinton Portis At Dallas Cowboys -- Portis was somewhat quiet last week against the Cardinals but with 3 touchdowns already this year should be a good start against this mediocre to good defense. Portis had 176 yards and 2 touchdowns in last year's meetings with their division rival and I expect about the same this year.

14. Steve Slaton Vs. Atlanta Falcons -- Slaton's stock rose very highly overnight after his 116 yards and one touchdown performance against the tough Titans defense. The Falcons are currently giving up 5 yards per carry so Slaton will have the chance to cement his new role in the Texans offense.

15. Jamal Lewis At Cincinnati Bengals -- Lewis (and all the Browns for that matter) has struggled so far this year not even cracking 160 yards yet this year and not scoring at all so far. He has faced some tougher match ups and Cinci is ranked 28th vs. the run and gave up 350 yards and 1 score to Lewis last season in 2 meetings.

16. Thomas Jones Vs. Arizona Cardinals --Jones continues to benefit from all the attention #4 gets from the opposing defense. After getting derailed a little on Monday night Jones should get back on track and have a solid game.

17. Earnest Graham Vs. Green Bay Packers -- The Pack has actually been giving up an average of 5.7 yardsper carry this year so Graham should have a decent day. Definitely better than he did against the Bears.

18. Chris Johnson Vs. Minnesota Vikings -- The Vikes will hamper Johnson's impressive yards per run average however he should still have a decent game and might be more dangerous in the air. One downside Johnson gets no goal line carries sohe will have a very tough time finding the end zone this game.

19. Chris Perry Vs. Cleveland Browns -- With 2 touchdowns already this season and a bad run defense of the Browns (25th in the league) Perry is a good start this week despite how shaky the Bengals have looked so far this year.

20. Jonathon Stewart Vs. Atlanta Falcons --The Falcons are giving up 5 yards per carry and Stewart continues to find the end zone despite some very tough run defenses and his splitting carries with Williams.

Others Worth A Good Look: Ryan Grant At Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fred Taylor Vs. Houston Texans, Selvin Young At Kansas City Chiefs, Edgerrin James At New York Jets, Rashard Mendenhall Vs. Baltimore Ravens

1. Adrian Peterson Vs. Carolina Panthers -- With LT hampered by injuries Peterson is now the most dangerous back in the NFL this week. He didn't make it into the end zone last week but was running very well and should find the end zone this week. Update: Peterson is listed as questionable (hamstring) on the Vikings injury report. While I'm pretty sure Peterson will start I fear he is going to lose a lot of carries to Chester Taylor this week making him less valuable. Watch the injury reports Sunday morning before you make your final decision but if Peterson is going to play its tough to bench him unless you have a deep bench.

2. Brian Westbrook Vs. Pittsburgh Steelers -- The Steelers will rough Westbrook up a little but Westbrook is the Eagles offense and will be sure to score when anymore rook receivers start dancing on the 1 yard line without the ball

3. Frank Gore Vs. Detroit Lions -- Gore is seeing a lot of action and the Lions might be the worst run defense in the NFL right now.

4. Ladanian Tomlinson Vs. New York Jets -- Even with his nagging toe injury its very hard to sit LT. Considering how much time he played last Sunday hopefully he heals up some during the week and is closer to 100% against the Jets. Update: LT is listed as questionable, very similar type situation to Peterson's above.

5. Marian Barber III At Green Bay Packers -- Marian the Barbarian faces a tougher run defense however he seems to be able to get into the endzone no matyter who he plays. The rib injury from week 1 looked nonexistant as well.

6. Larry Johnson At Atlanta Falcons -- LJ looks like he's back in good form and the Falcons are challenging the Lions for the worst run D in the NFL

7. Brandon Jacobs Vs. Cincinnati Bengals -- Jacobs should punish the Bengals run defense, only players that can really stop him from having a good game are Bradshaw & Merritt (the backs he splits carries with)

8. Marshawn Lynch Vs. Oakland Raiders -- Lynch has had 2 very solid games, I expect him to break out against this bad run defense.

8. Clinton Portis Vs. Arizona Cardinals -- Despite one good game from Campbell I'm still not sold on the Skins new vaunted passing attack

9. Reggie Bush At Denver Broncos -- Considering what Darren Sproles did to Denver in the open field I like Reggie's chances.

10. Joseph Addai Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars -- Addai is hard to bench with the Colts just breaking out of their preseason rust but Jacksonville is a tough match up for him.

11. Chris Johnson Vs. Houston Texans -- Johnson is the "Eddie Royal" of the rookie backs this year. Only problem Lendale White is his "Brandon Marshall". I'm looking for a big game from the rook here.

12. Willie Parker At Philadelphia Eagles -- Parker will continue to be a big producer this year as he tries to double his touchdown mark from last year in week 3.

13. Thomas Jones At San Diego Chargers -- Favre continues to get a lot of attention giving Jones some nice yards per carry but Jones struggling to find the end zone. Good for 80+ yards and a touchdown if he gets lucky

14. Michael Turner Vs. Kansas City Chiefs -- Turner showed us he's not as good as his week 1 stats, however, the Chiefs proved to us there is a worse team in the NFL than the Raiders.

15. Maurice Jones Drew At Indianapolis Colts --Jones has been struggling so far but the Colts gave up 123 yards to Forte week1 and 160 to Adrian Peterson so Jones will have an opportunity for a good game here. Update: Bob Sanders is out for the Colts (tough run stopping strong safety) so MJD has no excuse not to break out here.

16. Kevin Smith At San Francisco 49ers -- The Niners seem improved this year but still a defense I like my fantasy players to match up against

17. Earnest Graham At Chicago Bears -- Jonathan Stewart proved to us the Bears can be ran on with some success. I still want to avoid playing against this D until some of the key players start getting knicked up by injury.

18. Steven Jackson At Seattle Seahawks -- Two struggling teams but I still respect the Seahawks D more than the Rams offense right now. Hard to bench Jackson but depending who else you have on your team it might be a good idea.

19. Willis McGahee/Ray Rice Vs. Cleveland Browns -- McGahee has yet to play thanks to injury & Ike. If he's healthy there is big potential for a big game here. If he's not Ray Rice might get his first chance to really shine.

20. Laurence Maroney Vs. Miami Dolphins -- Hard to start Maroney as he never sees the end zone but I predict he has a big fantasy game (by his standards meaning he finds the end zone) against these rebuilding Dolphins. Update: Maroney is listed as questionable making a start here very risky. If 100% healthy I would start him but its too risky to start him now unless you have no one else.

Others worth a good look: Darren McFadden At Buffalo Bills, Edgerrin James At Washington Redskins, Julius Jones Vs. St. Louis Rams, Lendale White Vs. Houston Texans

1. Ladanian Tomlinson At Denver Broncos -- A jammed toe might slow him down a tad but he's still #1 this week as he shreds the Denver Broncos defense year and year.

2. Adrian Peterson Vs. Indianapolis Colts -- Bears rookie Matt Forte showed us the Colts defense still isn't up to par vs. the run.

3. Larry Johnson Vs. Oakland Raiders -- The Broncos didn't really run much until the game was over butwhen they did it didn't matter who had the ball. The Raiders defense is atrocious again this year and Larry Johnson looks like the LJ of old with a nice showing against the Pats.

4. Brian Westbrook At Dallas Cowboys -- Westbrook will see a lot of action as McNabb will have a tougher time hitting his receivers.

5. Frank Gore At Seattle Seahawks -- A touogher D so I see more Gore touches to aleviate pressure on QB JT O'Sullivan.

6. Ryan Grant At Detroit Lions -- Grant will cut through the Lions run defense like butter. The Lions have already helped Turner break a Falcons rushing record, we might see more records fall week 2.

7. Willie Parker At Cleveland -- Parker did so well week 1 that I expect Big Ben to try and steal some of the fantasy scoring however Parker should still do well against this defense.

8. Marion Barber III Vs. Philadelhia Eagles -- Barber is nursing a minor rib injury but still is a must start as whenerver he gets the opportunity he gets into that end zone.

9. Clinton Portis Vs. New Orlean Saints -- Portis was one of the few bright spots from last Thursday's game for the Skins. As that new offense continues to struggle to come together Portis will see a lot of action.

10. Steven Jackson Vs. New York Giants -- Jackson looked pretty harmless in Philly but he should be much more explosive in the domend hopefully put some fantasy owners who burned a #1 pick on him at ease.

11. Brandon Jacobs At St. Louis Rams -- He seems to get enough carries and goal line carries to keep starting him despite talk of Bradshaw and Ward splitting carries with him.

12. Michael Turner At Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- I doubt he'll be breaking 200 yards against the Bucs but he has shown he is the only sure thing in Atlanta.

13. Reggie Bush At Washington Redskins -- It looks like Sean Payton is finally usingBush the way he is most effective in the NFL. I expect the Skins D to regroup at home but Bush is still a decent start.

14. Earnest Graham Vs. Atlanta Falcons -- Graham quietly gained nearly 130 total yards last week and should do more of the same against the Falcons.

15. Marshawn Lynch At Jacksonville Jaguars -- The Jags are a tough defense but Chris Johnson and Lendale White gained over 130 yards on the ground against them. Lynch will have some tough running but a decent fantasy day.

16. Joseph Addai At Minnesote Vikings -- Addai not only has the tough run defense of the Vikings to worry about but also looks like is recovering from a possible concussion. If Addai can't go Dominic Rhodes should see a lot of action.

17. Chris Johnson At Cincinnati Bengals -- Johnson looked very dangerous against the Jags and should be able to do just as much if not more damage against the Bengals.

18. Edgerrin James Vs.Miami Dolphins -- Edge seems to be taking advantage of Warner leading the passing assault and the Miami defense is not very stingy versus the run

Others worth a good look: Kevin Smith Vs. Green Bay Packers -- Smith looked good in his debut but the Pack is tough against the run, Ray Rice/Willis McGahee At Houston Texans --as some of us McGahee owners already know whoever starts should punish theTexans, the problem is figuring out who is going to start, Laurence Maroney Vs. New York Jets -- With Cassel making his first start Maroney should see some more action however it still seems he has no nose for the end zone, Justin Fargas At Kansas City Chiefs -- A lot of his yards were in garbage time but with McFadden knicked up Fargas might have a big week, Felix Jones Vs. Philadelphia Eagles -- If Barber is hurt more than we think then Felix "the Cat" Jones might be worth a start, Ricky Williams/Ronnie Brown At Arizona Cardinals -- another good team to run on, but Brown is still not 100% and Williams failed to impress those with high hopes for him.

1. Ladanian Tomlinson Vs. Carolina Panthers -- Impossible to not start LT no matter who he plays.

2. Brian Westbrook Vs. St Louis Rams -- Westbrook and McNabb are both healthy. I expect a lot of touches for Westbrook Sunday.

3. Adrian Peterson Vs. Green Bay Packers -- only 23 carries (in 2 games) versus this good Packer run defense last year but 157 yards gained. I look for Peterson to continue this trend and score a TD as well.

4. Frank Gore Vs. Arizona Cardinals -- Gore performs well despite a new QB and a weak defense keying in on him all game.

5. Marion Barber III At Cleveland Browns -- Weak defense and no Julius Jones in the way. Barber has potential for a huge game.

6. Steven Jackson At Philadelphia Eagles -- Improved O line and healthy offense gives Jackson no excuses to not perform.

7. Clinton Portis At New York Giants -- 2 solid games last year versus this Giants defense who have lost some starters. Portis should have a good game.

8. Joseph Addai Vs. Chicago Bears -- I expect a decent game but a tough Bears run defense limits his fantasy scoring.

9. Willis McGahee Vs. Cincinnati Bengals -- If he plays (questionable to play) he will be the most effective weapon the Ravens have on offense.

10. Brandon Jacobs Vs. Washington Redskins -- Shredded the Skins D for 130 yards last time they played.

11. Darren McFadden Vs. Denver Broncos -- I see Raiders passing attack struggling but their ground game will impress.

12. Maurice Jones Drew At Tennessee Titans -- (probable to play) will split carries with Fred Taylor but gets most goal line chances, decent fantasy potential this game.

13. Marshawn Lynch Vs. Seattle Seahawks -- Tough run defense but Lynch should get a lot of touches and opportunities.

14. Larry Johnson At New England Patriots -- Tough team to debut against in this year which he hopes to return as a mainstream fantasy starter.

15. Earnest Graham At New Orleans Saints -- Not my fave fantasy unit (The Bucs offense) but Graham should score some fantasy points this game.

16. Ryan Grant Vs. Minnesota Vikings -- A lot of question marks this preseason and a tough run D but 5.1 yards per carry average last season (nearly 1,000 yards in half a season of play) makes it tough to bench him.

17. Lawrence Maroney Vs. Kansas City Chiefs -- Underperforms every year but has the skill and potential to become a prolific fantasy scorer

18. Reggie Bush Vs. Tampa Bay Bucs (Probable to play) --A very dissappointing sophmore year in the NFL but I expect a huge year from Bush if he can stay healthy.

Others worth a good look: Jamal Lewis Vs. Dallas Cowboys (Probable to play), Edgerrin James At San Francisco 49ers, Michael Turner Vs. Detroit Lions, Willie Parker Vs. Houston Texans, Thomas Jones at Miami Dolphins, Lendale White Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Selvin Young At Oakland Raiders

In most fantasy football scoring systems no position is more important than your starting running backs. While this list is comprised based off 3 different scoring systems I use and my own analysis you might want to alter it a bit if your keague's fantasy scoring stress something different. Many new leagues are adopting a point per reception rule to help make the WR position more potent but that also adds value to players like LT & Westbrook who are constantly catching screen passes and racking up yards on the ground as well as through the air.

An update, I have added RB Ray Rice from the Ravens as a sleeper after his excellent performance against the Vikings starting defense in preseason. Unfortunately for Rice, his success not only hinges on him performing extrememly well but also hinges on McGahee missing playing time via injury or a coach deciding to split the carries. Definitely some skills if he can see enough of the field though.

Tier 1

1. Ladanian Tomlinson Chargers Bye: 9

2. Adrian Peterson Vikings Bye: 8

Tier 2

3. Joseph Addai Colts Bye: 4

4. Brian Westbrook Eagles Bye: 7

5. Frank Gore 49ers Bye: 9

6. Steven Jackson Rams Bye: 5

7. Larry Johnson Chiefs Bye: 6

8. Marion Barber III Cowboys Bye: 10

9. Marshawn Lynch Bills Bye: 6

Tier 3

10. Ryan Grant Packers Bye: 8

11. Clinton Portis Redskins Bye: 10

12. Willis McGahee Ravens Bye: 10

13. Willie Parker Steelers Bye: 6

14. Laurence Maroney Patriots Bye: 6

15. Jamal Lewis Browns Bye: 5

Tier 4

16. Maurice Jones-Drew Jaquars Bye: 7

17. Brandon Jacobs Giants Bye: 4

18. Michael Turner Falcons Bye: 9

19. Reggie Bush Saints Bye: 9

20. Selvin Young Broncos Bye: 8

21. Earnest Graham Bucs Bye: 10

22. Ronnie Brown Dolphins Bye: 4

23. Darren McFadden Raiders Bye: 5

24. Edgerrin James Cardinals Bye: 7

25. Thomas Jones Jets Bye: 5

26. Lendale White Titans Bye: 6

27. Fred Taylor Jaquars Bye: 7

28. Rudi Johnson Bengals Bye: 8

29. Julius Jones Seahawks Bye: 4

Tier 5

30. Jonathon Stewart Panthers Bye: 9

31. Justin Fargas Raiders Bye: 5

32. Kevin Smith Lions Bye: 4

33. DeAngelo Williams Panthers Bye: 9

34. Chester Taylor Vikings Bye: 8

35. Felix Jones Cowboys Bye: 10

36. Deuce McAllister Saints Bye: 9

37. Ahmad Bradshaw Giants Bye: 4

38. Ahman Green Texans Bye: 8

39. Rashard Mendenhall Steelers Bye: 6

40. Matt Forte Bears Bye: 8

41. Jerious Norwood Falcons Bye: 7

42. Sammy Morris Patriots Bye: 4

43. Tatum Bell Lions Bye: 4

44. Leon Washington Jets Bye: 5

45. Kenny Watson Bengals BYe: 8

46. Chris Johnson Titans Bye: 6

47. Derrick Ward Giants Bye: 4

48. Ricky Williams Dolphins Bye: 4

Sleeper: Ray Rice Ravens Bye: 10