Week 9 shall be dubbed the week of the handcuff. Two of the top three scorers this week were backup running backs just a week ago, thrust into prominence by injury or other circumstances. On the contrary some of the top scoring backs from this season took a step backwards in Week 9, particularly a handful of heralded guys from the NFC South. Also, there was a fair bit of fumbling that may have lost a few guys their jobs. Sorry Eddie Lacy.

We're nearing that time of year where trends are pretty much locked in. Teams that employ a RBBC approach are not likely to decide upon one back this late in the year. So, those Giants and Browns backs should probably be dropped by now. But waiver wire priority holders should not fear - injuries have been rampant over the past few weeks so a claim-worthy RB should surface soon.

 

AFC EAST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidate(s)	Waiver     Wire Watch
Solid	Patriots	LeGarrette Blount	James White	Brandon Bolden	James White
Solid	Jets	Chris Ivory	Zac Stacy	Bilal Powell	N/A
Solid	Bills	LeSean McCoy	Karlos Williams	Daniel Herron, Boobie Dixon	Karlos Williams
Solid	Dolphins	Lamar Miller	Jay Ajayi	Damien Williams	N/A

 

Say goodbye to yet another star RB. Dion Lewis is done for the season with an ACL tear in his left knee, leaving the door wide open for even more LeGarrette Blount carries. After Lewis went down, Blount became the sole legitimate back in the Patriots backfield, garnering 29 carries for 129 yards and a score. The injury bumps Blount up to a low-end RB1 due to the sheer workload he will likely be receiving in the next few weeks. James White is the back to keep an eye on in the absence of Lewis. Brandon Bolden will probably be seeing more carries, but he is too similar a runner to Blount. White, who is in his second year, is more of a pass-catching back and could absorb some of Lewis' snaps if he performs well in the coming weeks.

Chris Ivory struggled through one of the most inefficient outings by a tail back in recent memory, going just 26 yards on 23 carries. An underrated Jaguars defensive front held him mostly in check, but he did salvage his afternoon with two rushing touchdowns and three receptions for 22 yards. This is now the third straight week Ivory has failed to record 50 yards on the ground, however the fantasy output has still be worthwhile. Zac Stacy tacked on 19 yards on two touches, but is no threat to vulture carries from Ivory anytime soon.

The Buffalo Bills ran all over the Dolphins on Sunday, with 266 yards on the ground among LeSean McCoy, Karlos Williams and QB Tyrod Taylor. Shady looked sharp, ducking and weaving for 112 yards a touchdown on 16 carries. Williams was the real star of the show here, smashing through the defense to the tune of 110 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries. The backup RB has proven time and again that even when McCoy is healthy, he is capable of putting up some serious numbers. After all, Williams was in the top three in scoring for all fantasy running backs for Week 9. When the trio of Taylor, McCoy and Williams is healthy, the Bills offense becomes lethal, especially when you add Sammy Watkins to that picture. This was actually Williams' first game back from a concussion since Week 4. Still, it's worth noting that both of Williams' breakout performances have come against the Dolphins, who couldn't stop the run if their lives depended on it. This backfield will face a tough test when they travel to face the Jets next week.

In yet another display of streakiness, Lamar Miller was a dynamo against the Bills on Sunday, racking up 141 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches with two scores on the ground. In Weeks 7 & 9, Miller is first and second in standard fantasy scoring, respectively. After a pitiful first four weeks of the season, Miller now leads all backs in fantasy production over the last four weeks with 88.9 standard fantasy points, over 20 more than any other back. Rookie Jay Ajayi saw his first snaps of the season after spending the first eight weeks on injured reserve. He carried the ball well on his five attempts, tacking on an additional 41 yards. He should not be considered in most fantasy formats. Earlier this week, the Dolphins released Jonas Gray.

 

AFC WEST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidate(s)	Waiver     Wire Watch
Questionable	Broncos	Ronnie Hillman	C.J. Anderson	Juwan Thompson	N/A
Solid	Chiefs	Charcandrick West	Knile Davis	Spencer Ware	N/A
Solid	Raiders	Latavius Murray	Taiwan Jones	Roy Helu Jr.	N/A
Volatile	Chargers	Danny Woodhead	Melvin Gordon	Donald Brown	N/A

 

One week after it seemed like the Broncos had the run game all figured out, they go ahead and get thwarted by a bottom-10 NFL run defense. C.J. Anderson rushed for a paltry 34 yards on seven carries. That would sound pretty bad, if you didn't know that Ronnie Hillman, who also saw seven attempts, managed only one yard on the ground. This run game is a mess and cannot be relied upon on a consistent basis. Hillman and Anderson will continue to split carries until one of them can find a way to produce.

**BYE** Another big day for Charcandrick West. The Chiefs rolled over the Lions in London on Sunday morning and West was a big part of that as he amassed 122 yards and a touchdown on 24 touches. It's become abundantly clear that Knile Davis is not going to be receiving quality touches anytime soon, though he did receive four carries for nine yards. Spencer Ware was more efficient out of the backfield, rushing for 12 yards on two attempts. That's now two weeks in a row that West has broken 100 yards rushing, though Detroit does have one of the worst rush defenses in the league. We'll learn a lot more when he goes up against Denver Week 10.

Latavius Murray was solid (though not stellar) in a shootout against the Steelers on Sunday. Most of the game took place in the air, so Murray never really had a chance to pile up a ton of yardage. He managed 96 yards on 17 carries and lost a fumble. A lot of that yardage came on a big 44-yard run in the third quarter. The only rushing touchdown from the Raiders backfield came from backup fullback Jamize Olawale. The Raiders are probably the only team in the league in the past 15 years with two fullbacks who can carry the rock. Marcel Reece also rushed three times for 21 yards. Oakland faces a tough defense when it hosts the Vikings next week.

Danny Woodhead led the Chargers in both rushing and receiving on Monday night against the Bears. He finished the night with 111 yards from scrimmage on six catches and six carries with a receiving touchdown to boot. Melvin Gordon still unadvisedly led the backfield with 11 carries, but managed only 31 yards, adding another 25 on three receptions. Woodhead's proficiency in the passing game has made him one of the best fantasy running backs in the league, especially in PPR leagues. Gordon, on the other hand, is essentially droppable. Branden Oliver has been placed on season-ending IR with turf toe. The Chargers will have a Week 10 BYE.

 

AFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidate(s)	Waiver     Wire Watch
Solid	Ravens	Justin Forsett	Javorius Allen	Lorenzo Taliaferro	N/A
Solid	Steelers	DeAngelo Williams	Dri Archer	Jordan Todman	DeAngelo Williams
Volatile	Bengals	Jeremy Hill	Giovani Bernard	Rex Burkhead	N/A
Questionable	Browns	Duke Johnson	Isaiah Crowell	Robert Turbin	Duke Johnson

 

**BYE** Justin Forsett couldn't get much going against the Chargers bottom-five NFL rush defense on Sunday, accounting for just 74 yards on 18 touches. The only rushing touchdown by the Ravens in this one was a one-yard scamper byJoe Flacco. It was an uncharacteristic outing for Forsett after three consecutive 100-yard rushing games. Javorius Allen couldn't crack the code either, as he tallied just one yard on four carries. It's probably just a random off day for Forsett. The Ravens next matchup is Week 10 when they host the Jaguars.

Called it. DeAngelo Williams was a monster against a top-10 Raiders run defense on Sunday, simply piling on 170 yards on 27 carries, two touchdowns and 55 yards receiving on two receptions. In two of the three weeks that Williams has started for the Steelers, he has led all backs in fantasy scoring. In 90 attempts this year, Williams is averaging 5.3 YPC with 5 TD. Now that Le'Veon Bell is done for the season, Williams will be the sole man in the Pittsburgh backfield. Look for him to continue to pound defenses for weeks to come.

Though the Bengals destroyed the Browns at home on Thursday night, neither running back was particularly effective against the league's worst run defense. Giovani Bernard looked pretty sharp, averaging 5.5 YPC on his 13 carries while Jeremy Hill couldn't get much going with just 52 yards on 15 carries. Neither of these guys is good enough to put up big numbers when splitting carries. Usually Bernard is able to redeem himself in the passing game, but had just one reception for 14 yards in the contest. All things considered, he was really just a TD away from a nice fantasy output. Hill is essentially a flex play at this point.

There simply is no running game in Cleveland. Isaiah Crowell is somehow garnering waiver wire talk despite a 10-38-0 performance with three catches for 26 yards. Duke Johnson again squeaked out a relevant fantasy score in the passing game on two catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. Still, he can't be relied upon for every week production. Nobody in Cleveland can.

 

AFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidates	Waiver     Wire Watch
Solid	Colts	Frank Gore	Ahmad Bradshaw	Josh Robinson	N/A
Volatile	Texans	Alfred Blue	Chris Polk	Jonathan Grimes	Alfred Blue, Chris Polk
Questionable	Titans	Antonio Andrews	Bishop Sankey, Dexter McCluster	Terrance West, David Cobb	N/A
Solid	Jaguars	T.J. Yeldon	Toby Gerhart	Denard Robinson	N/A

 

Frank Gore found a bit of traction against an intimidating Broncos defense on Sunday, amassing 83 yards on 28 carries with a score. Though he was only good for 3.0 YPC in the contest, Gore managed to churn out some solid production yet again. The veteran hasn't seemed very impressive at any time this year. Yet, somehow, Gore has found himself in the top-10 of all fantasy backs in 2015 standard scoring. That's surprising, considering he doesn't have a single 100-yard rushing game this season and sports just four touchdowns. But, in classic Frank Gore fashion, he keeps plugging away and racking up the production week after week. Ahmad Bradshaw added three yards on six carries. The Colts will have a Week 10 BYE.

**BYE** In the absence of star back Arian Foster, the Texans backfield situation was predictably mediocre. As expected, Alfred Blue led the committee, garnering 72 yards on 19 touches while Chris Polk carried the rock eight times for a whopping 18 yards. There is no chance for consistency from this crew in the Texans backfield. There is some talk about bringing in a veteran guy to help lead the committee, but what's the point? This team stinks. Although somehow, at 3-5, the Texans find themselves tied for the division lead in the horrendous AFC South. Blue is worth rostering from now, but should only be started in desperate situations.

Antonio Andrews has taken the Titans backfield by storm. Well, that might be pushing it a bit. Andrews collected 111 yards from scrimmage against the Saints on Sunday with 19 carries and a reception. Now that Ken Wisenhunt is gone, it seems that Tennessee has abandoned its traditional RBBC approach and that Andrews has emerged as the go-to guy. As a result, he must be picked up in most league formats. However, owners should refrain from starting him in a tough matchup against Carolina next week. Dexter McCluster rushed eight times for 19 yards, losing a fumble in the process.

T.J. Yeldon just barely managed 100 yards from scrimmage against the Jets on Sunday on 14 rushes and three receptions. That marks Yeldon's second consecutive 100-yard afternoon, this time coming against the league's toughest rush defense. Toby Gerhart did not see any action, though he is reportedly healthy. If the team discontinues its use of Gerhart as the goal line back, Yeldon could see more chances to score and his fantasy value would receive a huge boost. We'll find out much more when the team travels to Baltimore for Week 10.

 

NFC EAST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidates	Waiver      Wire Watch
Volatile	Giants	Rashad Jennings	Orleans Darkwa, Shane Vereen	Andre Williams	N/A
Questionable	Eagles	DeMarco Murray	Ryan Mathews	Kenjon Barner, Darren Sproles	N/A
Solid	Cowboys	Darren McFadden	Christine Michael	Rod Smith	N/A
Volatile	Washington	Matt Jones	Chris Thompson, Alfred Morris	Darrel Young	N/A

 

Every fantasy owner's nightmare has come true regarding the Giants backfield, as the four-headed rushing attack spread the carries and everyone suffered as a result. Rashad Jennings led the tetrahedron with 13 carries, but only managed 48 yards. The only half back who managed to put up real points was Shane Vereen, as usual, who put together 43 yards and a score on six rushes and four catches. Aside from those two, the team continued to inexplicably use Andre Williams, who tacked on 30 yards on seven attempts, adding a seven-yard reception. Orleans Darkwa received the least love of the group as he only mustered 14 yards on his six carries. The only guy worth starting here is Vereen, who could explode in the passing game at any moment. Nobody is getting any points on the ground here.

Similar to the tandem of McCoy and Williams in Buffalo, the duo of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews has found a way to support two fantasy-relevant running backs despite a clear two-tiered system. Murray had his best game of the season as he was a huge factor in both the ground and air attack. He finished the game with an 18-83-1 line rushing and six receptions for 78 yards. Murray has now amassed over 100 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown in three of his last four games. It's not quite his 2014 form, but owners should consider the good fortune. Mathews continued his stunning efficiency with a very solid 11-67-1 effort. Imagine what Mathews could do in this system if he didn't have to wade in the shadows of the 40 million dollar man. Interestingly, Karlos Williams and Ryan Mathews, both backups to highly paid offseason acquisitions, are one and two in the league, respectively, in yards per attempts. This is why you should never pay free agent backs big money.

For the third straight week, Darren McFadden slashed through defensive fronts to the tune of 117 yards on 27 carries. The most impressive part of this performance is the fact that no other running back received a carry from the Cowboys backfield. McFadden will be a work horse for this Dallas team for the remainder of the season and should only gain value upon the return of Tony Romo. McFadden is poised for another big game against a middling Tampa Bay run defense next week.

The Washington run game was nonexistent against the Patriots on Sunday. Matt Jones gained 27 yards on 11 carries and lost a fumble while Alfred Morris tacked on another ten yards on four attempts. That's a 2.5 YPC for each back. The Patriots have a stout run defense, but that's not much of an excuse for a run-based team getting stuffed like this. Chris Thompson, who seemed poised to break out in the coming weeks, did not even receive a carry, though he did reel in two-of-four targets for 21 yards. Nobody is worth starting, or even owning, in this system.

 

NFC WEST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidates	Waiver Wire Watch
Volatile	49ers	Carlos Hyde*	Shaun Draughn	Kendall Gaskins	Shaun Draughn
Solid	Seahawks	Marshawn Lynch	Thomas Rawls	Fred Jackson	N/A
Solid	Cardinals	Chris Johnson	David Johnson, Andre Ellington	Stepfan Taylor	N/A
Solid	Rams	Todd Gurley	Tre Mason	Benny Cunningham	N/A

 

Who saw this one coming? The 49ers edged out a win against the heavily-favored Falcons on Sunday by continuing to pound the run game down Atlanta's throat. The team ran the ball 38 times for 133 yards. That's only 3.5 YPC, but it kept the clock rolling and was an effective strategy that won the game for the Blaine Gabbert-led Niners. The backfield cast is a bizarre one. Newcomer Shaun Draughn, who the team signed six days prior after he was dropped by the Browns, led the crew with 58 yards on 16 carries and four catches for another 38 yards. Kendall Gaskins came next with seven carries for 20 yards. Then there was another newcomer, Pierre Thomas, who gained 12 yards on four attempts. Six total people received carries from the San Francisco backfield, none of whom were particularly effective individually. After a BYE, the team expects Carlos Hyde (foot) to be back from injury, so none of this really matters moving forward. Draughn might be worth a look in very deep PPR leagues. The 49ers will have a Week 10 BYE.

**BYE** Marshawn Lynch was stifled by the Cowboys front seven on Sunday as he managed just 71 yards on 21 carries. Lynch appeared a little lethargic in the battle as he nearly lost the game for the Seahawks on the final drive by going out of bounds instead of running out the clock. Aside from last week's dominance of the lackluster 49ers, Lynch really has no good outings this year. The good news is that he's healthy and will continue to get 20+ carries each week, making him a candidate to break out at any time.

**BYE** Chris Johnson was the anchor of Arizona's offense in a tight contest against the Browns on Sunday as he pounded the defense for 109 on 30 carries. Although the 3.6 YPC are a tad underwhelming against the league's worst-ranked run defense, Johnson's volume rushing is a vital quality for a fantasy RB. That's four times in the past six weeks that Johnson has bested 100 yards on the ground. Touchdowns have been a bit few and far between, but three on the season thus far is hardly something to complain about. Andre Ellington finished with zero yards on the afternoon on three carries and a dropped pass. Ellington should probably be dropped unilaterally in all leagues as should rookie David Johnson, though he did catch two passes for 44 yards.

For the first time in five weeks, Todd Gurley failed to record 125 yards on the ground. Boo hoo. The rookie still managed 100 yards from scrimmage against a surprisingly tough Vikings defense. He finished the day with a 24-89-1 line and three catches for 20 yards. Tavon Austin is basically a running back at this point, as he ran the ball eight times for 66 yards. The dynamic duo of Gurley and Austin in the backfield gives defenses a mix that is difficult to adjust to. Look for Gurley to keep things rolling regardless of his opponent, but especially at home next week against Chicago's suspect run defense.

 

NFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidates	Waiver Wire Watch
Volatile	Packers	James Starks	Eddie Lacy	Alonzo Harris	James Starks
Volatile	Lions	Joique Bell	Theo Riddick, Ameer Abdullah	Zach Zenner	Theo Riddick
Solid	Bears	Matt Forte*	Jeremy Langford	Ka'Deem Carey	Jeremy Langford
Solid	Vikings	Adrian Peterson	Matt Asiata	Jerick McKinnon	N/A

 

Head Coach Mike McCarthy announced earlier this week that James Starks has earned starting duties in the Packers backfield. That's big news, considering Eddie Lacy was drafted in the top three of most fantasy drafts at the beginning of the year. Lacy just doesn't look right. His weigh issues are well documented, but he just doesn't seem to be running with a purpose anymore. Starks, on the other hand, has been looking sharp in the chances he's been given. Though he only rushed for 39 yards on 10 attempts, he was a huge factor in the air attack with a 6-83-1 receiving line. Lacy was essentially pulled from the game after being stuffed for a total of 10 yards on five attempts. Last week, McCarthy said lacy was looking like his old self. Who knows what to think about this situation anymore.

**BYE** It seems as if the Lions have finally moved on from Ameer Abdullah as the primary running back. The rookie only received one carry for three yards as the Lions were physically and emotionally destroyed by the Chiefs in London on Sunday morning. Joique Bell was surprisingly efficient, piling on 56 yards on seven carries, good for 8.0 YPC. Abdullah was used in the slot receiver position, but mis-ran his route leading to a Matthew Stafford interception. His trust is quickly running out. Theo Riddick remained active in both the ground and air attack, totaling a meager 47 yards on 11 touches. This entire offense is untouchable until the Lions can get their act together.

Matt Forte (knee) was limited at practice Wednesday. Anyone who is familiar with the coaching tactics of John Fox knows that this news should not be read into. It will likely be at least one more week before the star RB can return. In the meantime, Jeremy Langford was stellar in his stead in all facets of the game. Langford sported a 18-72-1 line and reeled in three-of-four targets for 70 more yards. The Bears above average run blocking helped Langford achieve a top-5 fantasy performance. If Forte does not play, Langford will get another shot, albeit against a very tricky Rams team.

With big injuries to Le'Veon Bell, Matt Forte, Jamaal Charles and other, it seems as if Adrian Peterson is the only reliable, healthy running back left from the past few years. AP did it again on Sunday against the Rams tough defense, with a 29-125-1 day, adding two catches for 18 yards. Just another day at the office. He faces another tough test when the team travels to Oakland next week.

 

NFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidates	Waiver Wire Watch
Solid	Saints	Mark Ingram	C.J. Spiller	Tim Hightower	C.J. Spiller
Solid	Falcons	Devonta Freeman	Tevin Coleman	Terron Ward	N/A
Solid	Panthers	Jonathan Stewart	Cameron Artis-Payne	Fozzy Whittaker	N/A
Solid	Buccaneers	Doug Martin	Charles Sims	Mike James, Bobby Rainey	Charles Sims

 

Mark Ingram wasn't at his best (nor his worst) on Sunday against the Titans. He couldn't find a rhythm on the ground, going for just 54 yards on 22 carries. He made up for it with 42 yards on four receptions. Overall decent fantasy performance. The Titans put up a nice team performance after the firing of terrible ex-Head Coach Ken Wisenhunt. C.J. Spiller received just two carries for eight yards and a two-yard reception. After Khiry Robinson (leg) went down for the season it was thought that Spiller might be the beneficiary, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Ingram is still the man in the Saints backfield.

In what seemed to be a prime matchup for the league's most productive running back, Devonta Freeman was completely thwarted on the ground against the 49ers on Sunday rushing for just 12 yards on 12 carries. Of course, he found a way to make things right in the passing game as he hauled in eight-of-ten targets for 67 yards and a touchdown. This is the first time since Week 2 that Freeman has failed to record 100 yards on the ground. No need to worry. After a week off the Falcons should right some of the problems. The Falcons will have a Week 10 BYE.

Jonathan Stewart let a great opportunity go to waste against the Packers on Sunday as he only amounted to 66 yards on 20 carries against a terrible run defense and one of the slowest units in the NFL. For a team that is so committed to the run, Stewart really hasn't produced much this year. It seemed as if he were hitting his stride with two straight impressive outputs against the Seahawks and Eagles, but he has cooled off in recent weeks. Cam Newton is the true rushing star in Carolina. The Panthers match up with an invigorated Titans squad next week.

So close. After a costly fumble in the second quarter, Doug Martin was removed from the game giving way for Charles Sims to prove his worth. After recording 78 yards on just eight carries, Sims suffered an even more costly lost fumble and gave way to Martin again. Most of Sims' yardage came on a crazy play in the fourth quarter when he busted out a huge 59-yard gain, breaking a bunch of tackles in the process. Each week, Sims has earned more and more playing time, but isn't likely to take over duties from Martin anytime soon. The Muscle Hamster (aka Dougernaut) will continue to lead the backfield against Dallas next week.

 

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