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Fantasy Football Rankings 2012: Running Backs

Check out our updated rankings for fantasy football running backs.

By Michael Gallagher
August 13, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) catches a pass before the start of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at O.Co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE
August 13, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden (20) catches a pass before the start of the game against the Dallas Cowboys at O.Co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Here are my rankings for running backs in standard leagues:

Rank Running Back
1 Arian Foster
2 LeSean McCoy
3 Ray Rice
4 Chris Johnson
5 Darren McFadden
6 DeMarco Murray
7 Adrian Peterson
8 Jamaal Charles
9 Maurice Jones-Drew
10 Matt Forte
11 Steven Jackson
12 Ryan Mathews
13 Reggie Bush
14 Trent Richardson
15 Marshawn Lynch
16 Doug Martin
17 Fred Jackson
18 Ahmad Bradshaw
19 Frank Gore
20 Darren Sproles
21 Michael Turner
22 Frank Gore
23 Evan Royster
24 Donald Brown
25 Ben Tate
26 Stevan Ridley
27 David Wilson
28 Willis McGahee
29 Shonn Greene
30 Jonathan Stewart
31 Kevin Smith
32 Ryan Williams
33 Mark Ingram
34 Roy Helu
35 Peyton Hillis
36 Michael Bush
37 Cedric Benson
38 C.J. Spiller
39 Jacquizz Rodgers
40 DeAngelo Williams
41 Isaiah Pead
42 Beanie Wells
43 LeGarrette Blount
44 Ronnie Hillman
45 Montario Hardesty
46 BenJarvus Green-Ellis
47 Isaac Redman
48 Jonathan Dwyer
49 Bernard Scott
50 Bilal Powell

Quick Notes

Darren McFadden- McFadden has the upside to be fantasy's top back. He has trouble staying healthy, but that's the only knock on him.

DeMarco Murray- Murray has been Dallas' best player at camp, according to several sources. Dallas should improve on their lack of rushing TDs. Plus, with so many skill players not healthy on Dallas, Murray should be utilized as a multi-purpose weapon.

Adrian Peterson- He's off the PUP list and looks like a lock for Week 1. Peterson will be a beast even if he only gets 16 touches per game. For what it's worth, A.D. averaged 18.2 carries per game over his last two seasons. Seems a bit low, right?

Doug Martin- LeGarrette Blount got most of the first-team reps in the Buccaneer's opener. That doesn't mean Martin isn't expected to get the majority of the work, it just means he could be a little riskier than we originally thought. He's still going in the third or fourth round.

Donald Brown- Brown got Andrew Luck's career off to a fast start with his TD on a screen pass. Chuck Pagano said Brown is safe as their starter. He could produce some big numbers and might climb into the top 20 very soon.

Evan Royster- Royster is surging, folks. Tim Hightower still hasn't recovered from his ACL surgery and Roy Helu has Achilles tendinitis. The upside is through the roof, but be sure to get your ibuprofen from Costco to deal with the Shanaheadaches.

Stevan Ridley- Shane Vereen is making his charge to compete with Ridley. Ridley has some fumble problems, so when a back is turning over the ball with an efficient offense like New England's, he could be on thin ice. Ridley's size gives him the edge to score in the red zone, however.

UPDATE: Ridley has injured his knee and could miss time. This injury could destroy his value and also boost the value of Shane Vereen. Stay tune

Kevin Smith- Silent Bob is probably going to be in the top 10 for Week 1 RB rankings. If you feel like your backs are going to stink in the first week, you might want to grab him in the top 25.

Isaac Redman- He said not to worry about his groin injury today. As you can see by the ranking, I am not buying it. Sunday's game against the Colts is probably the most interesting games to watch for potential fantasy value.

I'll be adding 20 or 30 more guys in the next few days, so be sure to check back with us.

Thanks for reading!