X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 4 Running Back Rankings & Matchups Analysis

Below you will find our Week 4 Running Back rankings, to help determine your RB starts/sits for this week, brought to you by Edward Gorelik (@EdwardGorelik) and Zach Wilkens (@LopsidedTrades).

Featured fantasy football writer Zach Wilkens also highlights some RB rankings and matchups analysis for Week 4, and draws some matchup conclusions. He tells you who he likes, who he doesn't, and most importantly who he thinks you should be starting in Week 4.

You can also check out our 2015 fantasy football ranking dashboard, for more in depth rankings analysis on all positions including rookies and dynasty leagues.

 

Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings - Running Backs

RotoBaller
Staff Ranks
Player Name
(Team - Position)
Zach Wilkens
Rankings
Ed Gorelik
Rankings
1 Le'Veon Bell PIT vs. BAL 1 1
2 Jamaal Charles KC at CIN 3 2
3 Matt Forte CHI vs. OAK 2 4
4 Eddie Lacy GB at SF 4 3
5 Adrian Peterson MIN at DEN 6 6
6 Mark Ingram NO vs. DAL 5 8
7 Frank Gore IND vs. JAC 9 5
8 Latavius Murray OAK at CHI 7 7
9 Devonta Freeman ATL vs. HOU 8 9
10 Karlos Williams BUF vs. NYG 11 10
11 Giovani Bernard CIN vs. KC 10 18
12 Jonathan Stewart CAR at TB 14 15
13 Marshawn Lynch SEA vs. DET 15 14
14 Joseph Randle DAL at NO 18 12
15 T.J. Yeldon JAC at IND 16 19
16 Justin Forsett BAL at PIT 24 13
17 Shane Vereen NYG at BUF 27 11
18 Carlos Hyde SF vs. GB 12 26
19 Lamar Miller MIA vs. NYJ 22 16
20 Christopher Ivory NYJ at MIA 17 22
21 Lance Dunbar DAL at NO 23 17
22 Melvin Gordon SD vs. CLE 20 20
23 C.J. Anderson DEN vs. MIN 21 21
24 Jeremy Hill CIN vs. KC 19 27
25 Danny Woodhead SD vs. CLE 25 23
26 DeMarco Murray PHI at WAS 13 41
27 C.J. Spiller NO vs. DAL 29 28
28 Ryan Mathews PHI at WAS 36 25
29 Matt Jones WAS vs. PHI 33 29
30 Darren Sproles PHI at WAS 32 30
31 Ameer Abdullah DET at SEA 30 35
32 Theo Riddick DET at SEA 26 40
33 Isaiah Crowell CLE at SD 37 32
34 Doug Martin TB vs. CAR 40 31
35 Todd Gurley STL at ARI 35 37
36 Andre Ellington ARI vs. STL 24
37 Alfred Morris WAS vs. PHI 41 34
38 Chris Johnson ARI vs. STL 34 44
39 Chris Thompson WAS vs. PHI 28 57
40 Alfred Blue HOU at ATL 31 48
41 Bilal Powell NYJ at MIA 42 38
42 Thomas Rawls SEA vs. DET 45 36
43 Arian Foster HOU at ATL 33
44 Duke Johnson CLE at SD 38 46
45 David Johnson ARI vs. STL 48 39
46 Charles Sims TB vs. CAR 46 43
47 Rashad Jennings NYG at BUF 44 45
48 Benny Cunningham STL at ARI 39 54
49 Tre Mason STL at ARI 43 47
50 Ronnie Hillman DEN vs. MIN 51 42
51 Andre Williams NYG at BUF 47 53
52 James Starks GB at SF 49 50
53 Darren McFadden DAL at NO 53 49
54 Knile Davis KC at CIN 50 62
55 Lorenzo Taliaferro BAL at PIT 56 51
56 Fred Jackson SEA vs. DET 52 58
57 DeAngelo Williams PIT vs. BAL 57 52
58 Mike Davis SF vs. GB 55 63
59 Josh Robinson IND vs. JAC 55
60 Joique Bell DET at SEA 58 65
61 Khiry Robinson NO vs. DAL 59 59
62 Marcel Reece OAK at CHI 60
63 Fozzy Whittaker CAR at TB 60
64 Chris Polk HOU at ATL 61
65 Damien Williams MIA vs. NYJ 64
66 Mike Tolbert CAR at TB 66
67 Javorius Allen BAL at PIT 67
68 Reggie Bush SF vs. GB 68
69 Branden Oliver SD vs. CLE 69
70 Terron Ward ATL vs. HOU 70
71 Anthony Dixon BUF vs. NYG 71
72 Tevin Coleman ATL vs. HOU 72
73 Jonas Gray MIA vs. NYJ 73
74 Jerick McKinnon MIN at DEN 74

 

Week 4 Running Back (RB) Rankings Analysis

By Zach Wilkens (@LopsidedTrades)

There have been A LOT of disappointing running backs early this season. I remain high on some of them, like Jeremy Hill and DeMarco Murray. I still love the Bengals offense and I think Hill has a clear role there even though Giovani Bernard looks really good. I’m still starting Hill this week. As for DeMarco I am a little more concerned but I still expect the Eagles to bounce back at some point soon. Despite what Ryan Mathews did last week I think Murray is clearly the more talented back, it’s just a matter of whether the offensive line can improve. Assuming Murray plays I think he should be in your lineup this week.

I’m feeling less comfortable with Lamar Miller and C.J. Anderson, but I think they should still make it into to most lineups this week as low-end RB2s. Neither has a great matchup but they really need to prove themselves this week. Miller's usage is frustrating but on the bright side there is no clear competition behind him just yet. The same can’t be said for Anderson, who has Ronnie Hillman hot on his heels. Luckily for Anderson owners, Hillman was very quiet in Week 3.

It looks like rookie Karlos Williams will get the start for the Bills this week. He should be in all lineups against a mediocre Giants defense. I expect the Bills to run a lot here and Williams has looked really good so far mostly as the backup to LeSean McCoy. I don’t expect Williams to permanently take the lead role but I do expect a big day in Week 4.

I think Duke Johnson is a PPR sleeper. He quietly recorded six catches last week, flashing a skill set that was a large part of his college succes. He had 38 receptions his final year, but he didn’t catch any balls in his first two NFL games. Now that he’s finally being integrated as a pass-catcher I expect his PPR value to increase. Crowell is still the main rusher for now but Johnson will be looking to impress the coaches and get more touches.

I don’t think we saw enough of Todd Gurley last week to plug him into lineups just yet. I do think he has a good chance to lead the Rams in touches in Week 4, but I don't expect much in a tough matchup against the Cardinals. If he does well with 12+ touches this week I think he'll make a good start in Week 5 against the Packers.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 


Check out all of RotoBaller's fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Logan Gilbert

Fans 10 In Return Start Monday
Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers, DeShon Elliott Agree to Two-Year Extension
Ryan Pepiot

Strikes Out 11 in Win
Hunter Goodman

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Stephen Curry

"Not Even Close" to Retirement
Jonathan Kuminga

Linked to Bulls, Heat
Kevin Durant

Has "No Desire" to be Traded to Minnesota
Isaac Paredes

Returns as DH on Monday
New York Giants

Mike Kafka Expected to Reclaim Play-Calling Duties
Jon Runyan

Limited During Minicamp
Saquon Barkley

Feels Great Physically
Justin Simmons

Panthers Have Talked With Justin Simmons
Jordan Addison

Trial Date Set for July 15
New York Jets

Jets Sign Kingsley Jonathan, Marquis Hayes
Jarace Walker

Remains Sidelined for Game 5
Justin Verlander

Returning to the Rotation on Wednesday
Tony Finau

Finishes Tied For 38th at U.S. Open
Bud Cauley

Misses The Cut at U.S. Open
Cameron Young

Finishes Tied For Fourth at U.S. Open
J.J. Spaun

Wins U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 12th at U.S. Open
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at U.S. Open
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 42nd at U.S. Open
Vershon Lee

Vikings Ink Undrafted Offensive Lineman Vershon Lee
Luke Clanton

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
San Francisco 49ers

C.J. West Signs Rookie Deal with San Fran
Jaylen Warren

Training to Handle Larger Workload
Giancarlo Stanton

to Make Season Debut on Monday
Will Campbell

Ends Minicamp as Top Left Tackle
Sam Cosmi

Making Good Progress From Torn ACL
Kamaru Usman

Gets Back In The Win Column
Adonai Mitchell

Impresses at Minicamp
Joaquin Buckley

Winning Streak Comes To An End
Miranda Maverick

Drops Decision At UFC Atlanta
Bradley Chubb

Fully Healed, Looking Disruptive
Jonnu Smith

Contract Talks "Still Fluid"
Rose Namajunas

Wins Decision At UFC Atlanta
Andre Petroski

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Edmen Shahbazyan

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Raoni Barcelos

Wins Third Fight In A Row
Chase Elliott

Ends Mexico City with A Great Finish of Third
Christopher Bell

has A Strong Runner-Up Performance At Mexico City
Chase Briscoe

Wild Day Ends with A Top-10 Finish
Michael McDowell

Leaves Mexico City with A Top-Five Finish
Cody Garbrandt

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Brundage

Defeated After Accidental Clash Of Heads
Cody Brundage

Mansur Abdul-Malik Defeats Cody Brundage By Technical Decision
Oumar Sy

Suffers His First Loss
Alonzo Menifield

Scores Upset Win
Alex Bowman

Delivers Bravura Performance After Michigan Injury
Tyler Reddick

Inexplicably Mediocre on his Once-Best Track Type
John Hunter Nemechek

Canny Strategy Gives John Hunter Nemechek Best Career Road-Course Finish
Cole Custer

Earns Best Finish Since Cup-Series Comeback at Mexico City
Grant Holmes

Punches Out 15 in Loss
Elly De La Cruz

Goes Yard in Fourth Straight Game
Will Vest

Dealing With Finger Injury
Jackson Merrill

Placed on Seven-Day Concussion Injured List
J.J. McCarthy

Looking "a Lot Stronger"
Shohei Ohtani

Will Be Dodgers' Starting Pitcher Monday
Roki Sasaki

Shut Down From Throwing
Garrett Wilson

Receives New Contract Offer
Jordan Hicks

Headed to Boston
Kyle Harrison

Traded to Red Sox
Travis Kelce

Slims Down During the Offseason
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Restart Contract Discussions
Brady House

Nationals Promoting Brady House to Major Leagues
Rafael Devers

Traded to San Francisco
Logan Gilbert

to Start on Monday
Jayden Higgins

Impresses During Minicamp
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

on the Move to Memphis
Cole Anthony

Dealt to the Grizzlies
Seattle Seahawks

DeMarcus Lawrence Making an Impression With his New Team
Tyler Mahle

Placed on 15-Day Injured List
Luis Robert Jr.

Scratched with Thumb Soreness
Desmond Bane

Traded to Orlando
Byron Buxton

Scratched from Sunday's Lineup
Brendan Donovan

Returns to the Lineup
Steven Adams

Rockets Agree to Three-Year Contract Extension
Ty Dillon

Is a Respectable Cap Flexiblity-Focused DFS Option For Mexico City
Corey Perry

Produces 10th Postseason Goal
Connor McDavid

Scores First Finals Goal
John Hunter Nemechek

Is John Hunter Nemechek Worth Rostering In Mexico City DFS Lineups?
Sam Bennett

Nets Another Road Goal in Game 5 Win
Eetu Luostarinen

Earns Two Points Saturday
Brad Marchand

Pots Two Goals in Game 5 Victory
Sergei Bobrovsky

Ties NHL Record with 10th Road Win
Ross Chastain

Trackhouse Racing's Mexico Focus Makes Ross Chastain a Leading Contender for the Win
Kyle Busch

One of Two Past Mexico City Winners in the Field
Ryan Preece

Earns Surprising Front-Row Start
Austin Cindric

Not as Strong of a Road Racer as People Think
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Stronger on Infield Road Courses Than Purpose-Built Ones
Joey Logano

Seemingly Alternating Between Good and Mediocre Races
Brad Keselowski

One of the Few Drivers with Mexico City Experience
Denny Hamlin

Ryan Truex Makes First Cup Series Start Since 2014
Erik Jones

Mexico City Will Likely be a Struggle for Erik Jones
Noah Gragson

Front Row Motorsports' Speed May Make Noah Gragson a Decent DFS Option
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Road Courses Are Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s Worst Track Type
Evander Kane

Drops to Fourth Line Saturday
Kasperi Kapanen

Won't Play on Saturday
Calvin Pickard

Starts Game 5 for Oilers
Tyrese Haliburton

Struggles in Friday's Loss to OKC
Chet Holmgren

Dominates the Glass in Game 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Leads the Way in Game 4
Jalen Williams

Has a Quality Showing on Friday Night
Russell Westbrook

to Decline Player Option
Kevin Durant

Trade Could Happen in the "Next Few Days"
Joaquin Buckley

Set For Main Event
Kamaru Usman

An Underdog At UFC Atlanta
Miranda Maverick

Set For Co-Main Event
Rose Namajunas

Looks To Bounce Back
Andre Petroski

Looks To Extend His Win Streak To Four
Edmen Shahbazyan

A Favorite At UFC Atlanta
Raoni Barcelos

Set To Take On Former Champion
Cody Garbrandt

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mansur Abdul-Malik

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Connor Hellebuyck

Wins Vezina And Hart Trophies
Aleksander Barkov

Records Two Power-Play Assists Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Collects Three Points in Thursday's Loss
Matthew Tkachuk

Notches Three Points in Losing Effort
Calvin Pickard

Joins Exclusive List with Thursday's Win
Mattias Ekholm

Logs Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Leon Draisaitl

Delivers Victory in Overtime Thursday
Myles Turner

Playing Through Illness
Reed Sheppard

Will Play in the NBA Summer League
Kevin Durant

Deal Could Come Sooner Rather Than Later
Dorian Finney-Smith

Undergoes Ankle Surgery
Anze Kopitar

Wins Third Lady Byng Trophy
Sergei Bobrovsky

Heading Out for Win No. 15
John Klingberg

Won't Play in Game 4 Against Panthers
Viktor Arvidsson

Sits Out Game 4 Against Panthers
Stuart Skinner

Remains in Oilers Crease Thursday
Jalen Williams

Leads Thunder in Scoring Wednesday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Settles for 24 Points in Game 3 Loss
Pascal Siakam

Does Everything for Pacers Wednesday Night
Matt McCarty

Comes Off Season-Best Showing at RBC Canadian Open
Justin Thomas

Desperate to Continue Good 2025 Season
Jon Rahm

Seeks Revenge at U.S. Open
Tom Kim

Aiming for Improvement in U.S. Open
PGA

Sungjae Im Expects Solid Performance at Oakmont
Brian Harman

Aims to Rebound From the Memorial
Tony Finau

has Been Up and Down at U.S. Open
Patrick Cantlay

Hoping This is the Year at Oakmont
Akshay Bhatia

Improving in Time for U.S. Open
Xander Schauffele

Primed for Another Major Championship Run
Cameron Young

May Struggle at U.S. Open
Collin Morikawa

Eyeing Third Major Championship Title
Matt Fitzpatrick

Seeks to Avenge Oakmont Collapse
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF