Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

- Written by Rich Arleo
- Edited by Marc Caviglia
- Predictions are based on Staff Consensus

::RANKINGS UPDATED AS OF NOVEMBER 26, 2011::

Just what fantasy football owners were hoping for…another big injury. Adrian Peterson suffered a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss some time. He joins plenty of big names on the injury report and muddles the fantasy running back scene even more.

There are a lot of mid-tier backs with a ton of upside this week, but they all come with their own pitfalls. It’s going to be a very interesting week of football and we won’t have to wait long to get it started with three Thanksgiving Day games Thursday. Before you set your lineups, be sure to read through our Fantasy Football Week 12 Running Back Rankings.

Remember, we update our rankings throughout the week and finalize them on Saturday night before kickoff. Now it’s time to dive into our Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings for Week 12.

Standard Scoring

Pass TD: 4 points |  All Other TDs: 6 points
25 Passing Yards: 1 point |  All Turnovers: -2 points
10 Rushing Yards: 1 point |  10 Receiving Yards: 1 point

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1. Arian Foster (Houston Texans) @ Jacksonville

Foster and the Texans return from a bye and square off against Jacksonville in Week 12. Foster has been sharing carries with Ben Tate, and it’s been working to a tee as both backs have been effective. Foster is putting up monster numbers this season and has at least 17 points in six of the eight games he’s played in. He’s a big threat as a receiver and has been a touchdown machine with eight since Week 4. Foster faced Jacksonville in Week 8 and ran for 112 yards and a touchdown with a 12-yard reception. It was actually his worst game in the last four, which is something fantasy owners must enjoy. He remains a top RB1 option at this point in the season.
Point Projection: 23 points

2. LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles) vs. New England

McCoy was held in check for most of Sunday night’s game, until he broke off a big 60-yard run to ice the win for the Eagles late in the fourth quarter. He finished with 113 yards on 23 carries and two yards on three catches. His touchdown streak ends at nine games, but it had to end sometime, right? The New England Patriots have been solid against the run, allowing just 104.7 YPG this season. McCoy, though, will have plenty of chances to make an impact and as we saw last week, it only takes once carry. He’ll look to have a more consistent game in Week 12 and start up another touchdown streak.
Point Projection: 21 points

3. Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) @ Oakland

Forte was disappointing Sunday with just 59 yards on 21 carries (2.8 YPC) and 26 yards on four catches. He had yet another touchdown stolen by Marion Barber, who continues to be the bane of Forte owners’ existence. He’s having a great season yardage wise and remains a must-start, it’s just disappointing to think of the kind of fantasy points he could be putting up if he was given more goal line carries. The Oakland Raiders are giving up a league worst 5.2 YPC to opposing runners so Forte should be able to have his way Sunday. Expect a bounce back from the young runner.
Point Projection: 20 points

4. Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) vs. Arizona

The red-hot Jackson was slowed by Seattle Sunday and was held to just 42 yards on 15 carries and 19 yards on three catches. He had over 125 rushing yards the previous three games so the 42 yards was a sudden drop. He’ll look to bounce back in Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals, a team he had 130 yards against in Week 9. The Cardinals have allowed 12 rushing touchdowns this season and are giving up 127.2 YPG on the ground, so S-Jax has plenty of upside this week. Look for him to bounce back and break out for some big yardage Sunday.
Point Projection: 18 points

5. Michael Bush (Oakland Raiders) vs. Chicago

Bush had his fourth straight big game for the Raiders with Darren McFadden out, this time running for 109 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries with 20 yards on two catches.  The 245-pound beast is a hard runner who has found success as the lead back these past few weeks and will continue to be a top fantasy option as long as McFadden is out.  The Chicago Bears are allowing just 101.2 YPG on the ground but opposing runners are averaging 4.9 YPC against them, so they certainly aren’t invincible. Bush has run for 461 yards on 96 carries (4.8 YPC) and is also a threat as a receiver with nine catches for 150 yards and a touchdown in those games. He has to remain in your lineup during this hot streak while McFadden sits on the sidelines.
Point Projection: 17 points

6. Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. Houston

MJD had a big day against the Cleveland Browns with 87 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and 31 yards on four catches. He has now scored in three straight games and has been one of the most consistent backs in fantasy football. His lowest point total in standard leagues is eight and he has 10 or more in all but three games. This will be Jones-Drew’s second matchup with the Houston Texans. Just three weeks ago MJD had 63 yards (his lowest yardage of the year) and a touchdown on 18 carries against the Texans, who have played well against the run this year allowing just 91.3 YPG. His propensity for scoring of late is encouraging and he is a must-start despite the tough matchup.
Point Projection: 16 points

7. Michael Turner (Atlanta Falcons) vs. Minnesota

Turner ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries (4.8 PC) against the Tennessee Titans in
Week 11. Turner has been very consistent this season with double-digit fantasy points in all but one game this year. He’s a great, low-end RB1/ high-end RB2 play every week. The Minnesota Vikings have a top ten run defense and will pose a tough test for the Burner, but Michael Bush ran for over 100 yards against them last week so Turner could certainly do the same. Expect another good week from the Falcons back.
Point Projection: 16 points

8. Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens) vs. San Francisco     **THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL**

Rice bounced back from a bad game with 104 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and 43 yards on five catches. He’s been struggling to gain yardage the past few games but broke out with his third 100-yard rushing game of the season. Rice is a PPR animal and has 51 catches for 513 yards, with at least 35 receiving yards in every game this year. He’s also had a nose for the end zone with 10 total touchdowns and remains a top RB1 this season. The San Francisco 49ers have the No.1 run defense in the league, allowing just 73.9 YPG. Fortunately, Rice doesn’t have to run the ball to be effective and should be able to please his fantasy owners once again despite the tough matchup.
Point Projection: 16 points

9. Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) @ Baltimore     **THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL**

Gore returned Sunday and ran for 88 yards on 24 carries (3.7 YPC) with a six-yard reception. He was thrown right into the fire with a boatload of carries and came out of the game healthy, so that was pretty much all Gore’s owners could ask for. He’ll look to improve in his second game back, but it won’t be easy up against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are holding opposing runners to a league-best 3.3 YPC and solid 93.2 YPG, so be wary that Gore could be in for a disappointing week. Still, he’s a talented runner who looks to be healthy and is going to get plenty of work. Keep him in your lineup and hope for the best.
Point Projection: 15 points

10. DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Miami     **THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL**

Murray had 73 yards on 25 carries (2.9 YPC) and 32 yards on six catches for another game over 100 total yards.  Felix Jones returned but had just five carries and one catch. It looks like Murray will retain the starting role for the rest of the season even though Jones will likely see a few more touches in the coming weeks. The Miami Dolphins are rolling and have excelled in stopping the run, allowing just 3.7 YPC and 98.7 YPG, so the matchup doesn’t favor Murray. Nonetheless, he will get enough touches both as a runner and receiver to continue making a big impact and should remain in all fantasy lineups as a high-end RB2 until he cools off.
Point Projection: 15 points

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11. LeGarrette Blount (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) @ Tennessee

Blount had a nice day against the Green Bay Packers, running for 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries (5.9 YPC). Blount had an impressive 54-yard touchdown run in which he broke what had to be at least 700 tackles, showing off some raw power in the process. It was only Blount’s second 100-yard rushing game of the season, but he has been relatively effective this season, averaging 4.6 YPC. To Blount’s credit, he faced very tough run defenses this season, with games against Houston (No. 4) Minnesota (No. 9), Atlanta (No.2) San Francisco (No.1) and Green Bay (No. 12). Tennessee has struggled against the run this year, allowing 124.3 YPG on the ground. Blount was the only Buc to receive more than one carry last week, so his workload isn’t in question and he could be in line for another good game. Consider him an RB2 with upside.
Point Projection: 14 points

12. Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Kansas City

Mendy has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but has at least been able to find the end zone the last two games. He’s seen 20 or more carries in a game just once this season and the past few weeks he’s gotten anywhere between 13-16 carries. The Steelers aren’t relying on him as much as they used to and he’s risky, but he is a very good play against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are struggling as a team and their run defense is giving up 136.3 YPG on the season. Look for Mendy and the Steelers to capitalize this week.
Point Projection: 14 points

13. Willis McGahee (Denver Broncos) @ San Diego

McGahee returned from injury but couldn’t move the ball, gaining just 18 yards on 12 carries (1.5 YPC). The New York Jets did a nice job stopping the run (aside from Tim Tebow) and it’s really going to be tough for McGahee with defenses able to completely forget about the pass and focus on him. He’s going to get a ton of carries though and has been effective this season, so as long as he’s healthy he should be in your lineup. The San Diego Chargers have struggled against the run this season. McGahee is an RB2 this week.
Point Projection: 13 points

14. Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Washington

Lynch had 88 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries (3.3 YPC). Lynch extended his touchdown streak to six games in a row and while he’s not the most effective with his carries, he gets a ton of them and is scoring a bunch so he remains a good start moving forward. The Washington Redskins have a middle-of-the-road run defense allowing 117.3 YPG. Lynch has gotten over 20 carries the past three games and as long as that trend continues, his touchdown streak may continue as well. Keep him in your lineup until he cools off.
Point Projection: 13 points

15. Cedric Benson (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Cleveland

Benson struggled to gain yards against the Baltimore Ravens, running for just 41 yards on 15 carries (2.7 YPC). He did, however, find the end zone twice and thus…had a great fantasy day. Benson has run for over 75 yards just three times this season so when he doesn’t score he’s a pretty boring fantasy play. The troubled back has behaved him self this season so far and is a very good option this week against the Cleveland Browns. In Week 1 against the Browns Benson had his best game of the year with 121 yards and a touchdown. His owners obviously hope for a repeat, and the odds aren’t terrible as the Browns are allowing 139.3 YPG on the ground this season. Keep him in your lineup as a low-end RB2 with upside.
Point Projection: 13 points

16. Beanie Wells (Arizona Cardinals) @ St. Louis     **QUESTIONABLE - STATUS UNCERTAIN FOR SUNDAY** 

Wells ran for 33 yards on eight carries but was an afterthought after the Cardinals fell behind early. He’s struggled the past few weeks, and the St. Louis Rams may, or may not, be the cure. The Rams are allowing a league-worst 148.1 YPG on the ground, but Wells ran for just 20 yards on 10 carries against them a few weeks ago. In Wells’ defense, that was his first week returning from injury so the results should be better this time. Start him as a high-end flex/low-end RB2 and cross your fingers.
Point Projection: 13 points

17. Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) vs. Tampa Bay

A week after he was proclaimed to be “back,” Johnson was outran by Matt Hasselbeck. He had just 13 yards on 12 carries while his quarterback ran for 17 yards on one carry…oh and Jake Locker ran for 11 yards on one carry as well. He added 15 yards on three catches, but these are the weeks that fantasy owners simply can’t afford from their top pick. It’s been a very frustrating season, but Atlanta does have a very good run defense and Javon Ringer didn’t see any carries, so there is some hope here. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are allowing 133.5 YPG on the ground this season, almost 50 more than the Falcons. It’s tough to say how effective he will be on a weekly basis, but he can always break out for a big game on any given day so it’s dangerous to bench him with all that upside. Expect decent RB2 production against a bad run defense and hope for more.
Point Projection: 12 points

18. Shonn Greene (New York Jets) vs. Buffalo

Greene ran for 10 yards on three carries before injuring his ribs in the first quarter. He was unable to return, but x-rays have shown no fracture and head coach Rex Ryan said he expects Greene to play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. The Jets are in an almost must-win situation Sunday so it would be a shock if Greene doesn’t go as the Jets managed to rush for just 83 yards Thursday night, the third lowest total under Ryan.  As long as there are no setbacks, Greene will be out there and he has a great matchup as the Bills have allowed 12 rushing touchdowns with an average of 122.4 YPG on the season. In Week 9 against the Bills, Greene ran for 76 yards on 19 carries (4.0 YPC). That’s nothing special, but add a touchdown to those numbers and you have a very good fantasy day. He is a low-end RB2 with some upside because of the matchup this week.
Point Projection:  12 points

19. Kevin Smith (Detroit Lions) vs. Green Bay     **THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL**

It only took one week for Smith to warm up, and after just a handful of yards in Week 10, Smith broke out in Week 11 and ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries while adding another 61 yards and a touchdown on four catches. He was easily one of the biggest surprises of the day, and is an obvious hot commodity on the waiver wire this week. Jahvid Best is likely going to miss Thursday’s game against Green Bay, so conventional wisdom would lead one to believe Smith will get the bulk of carries for the Lions again. Green Bay is a much tougher matchup than Carolina, and if the Packers get out to an early lead like they often do, Matt Stafford will be throwing way more than Smith will be running. Nonetheless, Smith is a decent flex option coming off a monster game.
Point Projection: 12 points

20. Reggie Bush (Miami Dolphins) @ Dallas     **THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL**

Bush and Daniel Thomas split 30 carries right down the middle in a big win over Buffalo Sunday. Bush ran for just 32 yards with his 15 carries (2.1 YPC) but scored a touchdown and added 34 yards on four catches for a solid fantasy day. It looks as though the two will continue to split carries moving forward, and Bush gets a boost in both standard and PPR leagues because of his receiving skills. The Dallas Cowboys have been solid but inconsistent at stopping the run and are allowing 101.4 YPG on the season, No. 11 in the league.
Point Projection: 12 points

21. Ryan Mathews (San Diego Chargers) vs. Denver

Mathews couldn’t get anything going Sunday with just 37 yards on 13 carries. He had 10 more carries than Mike Tolbert, but he’s going to have to run better than this to keep that trend going.  He had just 14 yards on two catches as well and upset plenty of fantasy owners this week. Mathews will look to bounce back against the Denver Broncos in Week 12. The second-year back ran for 125 yards on 25 carries against them in Week 5, so a repeat performance would be great. If he continues to get the bulk of the work out of the backfield, he remains a very low-end RB2, albeit a risky one. He hasn’t scored since Week 3, so while he should be in your lineups, you have to be wary of the risks.
Point Projection: 11 points

22. Ben Tate (Houston Texans) @ Jacksonville

Despite a healthy Arian Foster, Tate has found himself as a runner and has been extremely effective the past few games, scoring a touchdown the last two. He doesn’t catch any passes, but is averaging 5.6 YPC on the season. This team may lean even heavier on Tate with Matt Schaub out. He had 42 yards on just five carries in Week 8 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but lost a fumble. Look for more carries, more yards and more fantasy points from the promising young back in Week 12.
Point Projection: 11 points

23. Darren Sproles (New Orleans Saints) vs. New York Giants

Sproles is coming off by far his worst game of the year with just one yard on two carries and two yards on four catches. Despite being ineffective, he still had four catches, which was actually his lowest output of the season. He’s one of the biggest PPR threats out there and retains value in standard leagues because of his ability to break off big runs and find the end zone. Start him in PPR leagues and throw him in there in standard leagues as a low-end RB2 or a flex plau. The best part about Sproles is that even with four backs now healthy, his role remains the same.
Point Projection: 10 points

24. Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Carolina

Brown has been leading the backfield with Joseph Addai hurt, but in this offense it’s been tough for him to get much going. If Addai returns this week Brown’s upside is limited, but if he doesn’t then Brown could put up some good numbers against a terrible Carolina Panthers run defense. The Panthers have allowed a league-high 14 rushing touchdowns and are the best matchup for fantasy running backs right now. If Addai is ruled out, Brown could be a nice fill-in at the flex. If three backs are healthy, though, there may not be enough yardage to go around.
Point Projection: 9 points

25. Ryan Grant (Green Bay Packers) @ Detroit     **THANKSGIVING DAY FOOTBALL**

Grant ran just four times for 16 yards and finished without a catch Sunday. He has done close to nothing the past few weeks, but is a name to keep an eye on here with James Starks’ status in question. If Starks misses Thursday’s game, Grant will shoulder the load with a nice Turkey Day matchup against the Detroit Lions. The Lions are allowing 5.0 YPC and 134.7 YPG to opposing runners this season, so if Grant sees around 15 or more carries, which is certainly possible if Starks is out, he could be a solid flex option. If Starks does play, Grant has little to no value.
Point Projection: 9 points