Dion Lewis - RB, New England Patriots

The Patriots running game was ineffective again on the ground Thursday night, totaling less than 100 yards rushing despite 26 rushing attempts. Don't let that stat fool you. Dion Lewis (abdomen) came back after sitting out last week and caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots routed the Dolphins at home.

Following the conventional wisdom, one would think that the Patriots run game would be more reliable considering they spend most of the game with a huge lead. Instead, Belichick enjoys running up the scoreboard without mercy deep into the fourth quarter and padding Brady's stats.

Fortunately for Lewis, his activity out of the backfield in the passing game makes for a solid fantasy play week-to-week. LeGarrette Blount got his touches, but managed a measly 72 yards on 17 carries. Lewis added another 19 yards on five carries, while James White gained three yards on three carries.

Latavius Murray - RB, Oakland Raiders

Latavius Murray carried the rock well against the league's top rush defense on Sunday as the Raiders blew out the Jets at home, piling up 119 yards on 21 touches. This was Murray's first 100-yard rush day since Week 3 against the Browns. So he's now rushed for 100 yards against the league's best and worst run defenses.

Taiwan Jones busted out an impressive 59-yard catch-and-run from the backfield for a score, shedding multiple defenders in the process. But it's unlikely he will take on a bigger role in the near future. Murray has been trending upward the past few weeks (as has the rest of the Raiders offense) and he will look to keep things rolling next week against Pittsburgh's top-10 rush defense.

DeMarco Murray - RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Let's take a look at the numbers against Carolina on Sunday night: DeMarco Murray - 39 snaps, 18 attempts, 65 yards, 3.6 YPC, no touchdowns, $40 million. Ryan Mathews - 17 snaps, 6 attempts, 97 yards, 16.2 YPC, one touchdown, $11 million. It's almost like the Eagles are trying to limit Mathews from playing well to save face for the front office. It becomes clearer each week that Mathews is the better back in Philadelphia, or at least the better fit for Chip kelly's system.

But the Eagles will never allow him to take over Murray's place on the depth chart due to the massive contract given to Murray in the offseason. Imagine what the Eagles could have done with that money if they had just signed Mathews and moved on to address other issues!

By the way, Mathews added three catches for 24 yards, while Murray reeled in two-of-four targets for five yards. Of course, both backs are worth owning. But it's undeniable that the backup is more valuable regardless of how many carries the coaching staff gives him.

Darren McFadden - RB, Dallas Cowboys

Darren McFadden did not quite repeat his Week 7 performance, but was still the most impressive player on the Cowboys offense in a tough battle against the Seahawks. Though struggled on the ground (just 64 yards on 20 catches), he made up for it in the passing game with six receptions for 49 yards. To put it simply, 113 yards from scrimmage against the Seahawks defense is undoubtedly an accomplishment.

Christine Michael set his yardage mark for the season with 20 whole yards on five carries. He dropped two passes from the backfield as well. The big news here is that the Cowboys decided to drop Joseph Randle amid reports that he violated the NFL personal conduct policy on a slew of different charges involving marijuana possession and domestic violence. McFadden is set to be the man in Dallas and rack up big points in weeks to come.

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