Week 6 was odd. There's no other way to put it. Every RB in the AFC East (a division with historically poor running back play over the years) had a magnificent performance and seem poised for future success as well. On the contrary, Every back in the AFC West, which has purported impressive RB play this season, was loathsome in fantasy terms over the past week. Nearly every RB situation in the division is listed as volatile this week. Surprise! Charcandrick West wasn't an immediate stud from the Chiefs backfield. Can't say I didn't warn you.

There were also a few much needed breakout performances from long-dormant running backs in Miami and Carolina and yet another stellar day from some guy in Atlanta. Let's take a moment to go through all of the games from Week 7 to see what has changed over the past week of play.

 

AFC EAST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

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

 

Just like Mitt Romney at a presidential debate, the Patriots backfield flip-flopped yet again. Though Dion Lewis led with 39 snaps, he carried the ball only four times for 21 yards and added three receptions for 18 yards, good for his worst fantasy performance of the season. LeGarrette Blount was the star of this one. The bruising back recorded a 16-93-1 line to go with a crucial 11-yard touchdown pass, making him a top-four fantasy RB play in Week 6. There is a chance that the abdominal injury to Lewis was a factor in his limited usage and success on Sunday night. The injury is worth monitoring in the coming days. For now it seems that Blount is the better option here, nut the slippery Lewis can be one of the most productive backs in the league when healthy.

Chris Ivory was monstrous against the Washington Professional Football Team in the Meadowlands Sunday afternoon. His 20-146-1 performance was good for the most yardage of any half back in the NFL in Week 6. To the delight of Ivory-owners and Jets fans, he also added three catches for 50 yards. Ivory was the second-best RB of the week, just a few points behind unstoppable stud Devonta Freeman. Zac Stacy was the featured backup in this game and put up some pretty nice numbers. On 15 touches, Stacy added 61 yards. Still, neither he nor Bilal Powell (who put up negative yardage on five touches) are viable fantasy plays until further notice.

LeSean McCoy (hamstring) returned in a big way on Sunday, rushing for 90 yards on 17 attempts and scored a touchdown in the process. Shady looked sharp from the get-go as he exploded for a 33-yard rush on the first play of the game. With Karlos Williams (concussion) still sidelined, McCoy was the only noteworthy half back in the losing contest against the Bengals. Boobie Dixon was only present for one snap. Boom Herron had two receptions for 17 yards, while neither backup received a carry out of the backfield. Has anyone else noticed the fact that the Bills roster a pair of tail backs named Boobie & Boom? Sounds like a great TNT show. Williams still hasn't practiced, so there is a decent chance he will have to miss another week. If that's the case, Shady will be in line for a big day in Jacksonville Week 7.

At last, the day of redemption is upon us. The Dolphins ground attack finally got rolling on Sunday as the Dolphins trounced Tennessee for their second win of the season. Lamar Miller was the much-overdue star of the show, delivering a 19-113-1 performance. This was an encouraging day all around for a destitute Miami offense. If any Dolphins were dropped in your fantasy league out of frustration (Jordan Cameron, Jarvis Landry, Miller) make sure to scoop them up while you can, because it seems as if the team may turn its season around. Jonas Gray resurfaced for garbage time, as he is apt to doing, and amassed 36 yards on eight touches. Damien Williams played the role of third-stringer, and worked hard for his five yards.

 

AFC WEST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

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

 

The tides are beginning to turn in Denver's backfield. After another disappointing half of football from C.J. Anderson, the Broncos decided to roll with Ronnie Hillman in the second half of Denver's overtime win against Cleveland. Hillman showed up big when given the rock, rushing 20 times for 111 yards. This is now the second time in 2015 that Hillman has busted out a huge game and seemingly the 20th time Anderson has failed to produce. It now seems likely that Hillman will be taking over starting duties for the struggling Anderson, making Anderson the biggest bust of the year. He is borderline droppable in  most leagues if he fails to get carries in Denver's Week 8 matchup against the Packers. The Broncos will have a Week 7 BYE.

In last week's column, I warned fantasy owners about wasting waiver wire claims on Charcandrick West and Knile Davis in the light of the injury to star running back Jamaal Charles. To reiterate, just because a half back might be starting doesn't make him good. Well, that certainly seemed to be the case in the Chiefs loss to the Vikings on Sunday. West, who was indeed given starting snaps, only managed 39 yards on ten touches and lost a costly fumble in the fourth quarter. The fumble led to a benching, after which Knile Davis did not do much to impress, either. Davis accounted for just 25 yards on six touches. For now, it seems as if the Chiefs will continue to roll with West as starter. Regardless, neither back is worth starting until they prove an ability to produce in the deep shadow of Charles.

**BYE** Week 5 showed another sign of regression for Latavius Murray, who only recorded 57 yards on 16 touches, good for his lowest total of the year. There were a ton of different faces popping up in the Raiders backfield in this contest, as Murray, Jamize Olawale, Roy Helu and fullback Marcel Reece all managed more than five touches. This is a bit worrying for Murray owners, as the back's main strength this year has been his high level of touches and relatively small amount of competition in the backfield. Head Coach Jack Del Rio alluded to some sort of injury to his starting tail back after the game, saying that Murray was "banged up". This is surely a situation worth monitoring over the next few days. Needless to say, Murray is still locked in as starter if healthy.

After six weeks of poor football, Melvin Gordon's chances may finally be coming to an end in the San Diego backfield. Gordon gained 29 yards on seven carries, fumbling twice in the process. Gordon was benched in favor of Branden Oliver, who was a big part of the offense in parts if 2014, in the second half. Oliver was efficient in the passing game and put up 63 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches. Danny Woodhead would appear to be the lead running back now, although it was a relatively quiet game for him. The veteran picked up 71 total yards in the contest and was denied the game-tying touchdown by Packers rookie Damarious Randall in the waning moments of the game. Gordon is droppable in most leagues, or benchable at the very least.

 

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	Le'Veon Bell	DeAngelo Williams	Dri Archer	N/A
Volatile	Bengals	Jeremy Hill	Giovani Bernard	Rex Burkhead	N/A
Questionable	Browns	Duke Johnson	Isaiah Crowell, Robert Turbin	Shaun Draughn	Duke Johnson

 

Justin Forsett just barely managed to eclipse 100 yards from scrimmage against the 49ers, marking the third consecutive week he's accomplished the feat. Though the Ravens are a shell of their form from previous seasons, Forsett has not missed a beat since Wee 3 and looks to be the only reliable player left on the offense, save for a healthy Steve Smith Sr. Javorius Allen recorded a modest 13 yards on four carries as the change-of-pace back. Forsett is an every week RB1 play.

Le'Veon Bell struggled a bit against the Cardinals, relative to his capabilities, rushing 24 times for 88 yards with no receptions. Much of this can be attributed to a stout Arizona defensive unit. Pittsburgh's offense as a whole has been cooled off by the inconsistency from the quarterback position. Still, when 88 yards is a down day, fantasy owners can't really complain. Bell received almost every snap in the backfield, making him one of the most secure starting backs in the league.

Just when everything seemed to be in order in  Cincinnati, the team decides to flip the script in the backfield once again. Jeremy Hill out-snapped Giovani Bernard 36-to-26, but was still largely ineffective on the ground, posting a 16-56-0 line. He saved his afternoon with a 13 yard touchdown, but was bested by a more efficient Bernard, who averaged 6.3 YPC. There's no telling who will be a favored back in each contest the Bengals play; however, Bernard has been the more productive of the two as of late. Either back could break out for 100 yards and two scores on any given day. Unfortunately, it's just as likely that they put up two fantasy points. The Bengals will have a Week 7 BYE.

A new weapon was introduced to the Browns backfield on Sunday, as Robert Turbin joined the committee of Duke Johnson and Isaiah Crowell. Turbin was the least effective of the bunch, gaining just 27 yards on 10 carries. Johnson's 37 snaps were the most, but his nine rushes were the least of the trio. Still, Johnson was the sharpest back, as he gained 56 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches. The performance didn't bode well for anyone, due to a pure RBBC approach that limits the value of everybody involved. Keep in mind that a historically good Broncos defense played a large role in the mediocre numbers from the Cleveland backfield. Johnson still seems to be the guy with the highest ceiling week-to-week, but Turbin could be worth an add in deeper leagues if he ends up taking over Crowell in the depth chart.

 

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
Solid	Texans	Arian Foster	Chris Polk, Alfred Blue	Jonathan Grimes	N/A
Volatile	Titans	Antonio Andrews	Dexter McCluster,Bishop Sankey	Terrance West,David Cobb	Antonio Andrews
Solid	Jaguars	T.J. Yeldon*	Denard Robinson, Bernard Pierce	Toby Gerhart	N/A

 

Frank Gore was efficient when given the chance in a Sunday night showdown against the Patriots, but was used sparingly in light of a shoot out. The veteran back averaged 6.0 YPC and totaled 94 yards from scrimmage. Due to the Colts defensive woes, it seems as if Indy will be playing catch-up frequently this season. If that's the case, Gore will not have much of a chance to build a rhythm like his days in San Francisco, where he averaged more than 17 carries per game. Even so, his role as starter continues to be locked in. Ahmad Bradshaw saw some quality touches in his first action of the season and could eat into Gore's value if his role in the offense increases. Bradshaw could be worth a look in very deep leagues as a sneaky, preemptive move. For now, he holds no real value.

Arian Foster is back. The eccentric half back recorded his second consecutive 100-yard game on Sunday, scoring a touchdown in the passing game. He wasn't terribly efficient on the ground, averaging just 2.9 YPC, but managed to put up good stats due solely to his huge workload. The Texans have reverted back to their old ways of relying on Foster out of the backfield to score points, seeing as they get almost nothing from the quarterback position. Even Chris Polk had eight carries for 37 yards. Alfred Blue (turf toe) did not play. Needless to say, Foster is the top guy here and is a top-10 RB movie forward, with added PPR value.

Tennessee has entered into a true RBBC situation, as Bishop Sankey, Dexter McCluster and Antonio Andrews all received an almost equal amount of carries and success, or lack thereof. McCluster led the group in snaps, yardage, and scored a touchdown in the passing game. Although Andrews led with ten touches, he was largely lackluster during those chances. Bishop Sankey was the least active member of the party, gaining just 20 yards on four touches. In the current structure of the Titans offense, paired with the fact that their offense is horrible, none of these guys are worth starting. Something tells me Andrews might be worth stashing in deep leagues, but I have no sound reasoning to support that hunch.

T.J. Yeldon (groin) was scratched from the roster for the Jaguars game against the Texans on Sunday. He wasn't able to practice all week, meaning there's no guarantee he will be back for the Jags week 7 matchup against Buffalo. Pathetically, Toby Gerhart played 52 snaps in the losing contest, amassing just 49 yards in the process. Denard Robinson saw the most action of his season, tacking on 38 yards on 10 touches. There's no one worth rostering in this backfield, even if Yeldon needs another week to return. When he's healthy, Yeldon will regain his role as the every-down tail back in Jacksonville. Bernard Pierce (concussion) was also inactive.

 

NFC EAST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

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

 

Rashad Jennings was the only half back of note in the Giants Monday night contest, as he led the backfield with 32 snaps, 16 touches and 83 yards from scrimmage. A lost fumble was his only blemish in a turnover-ridden game against Philadelphia. Shane Vereen just couldn't get it going all night, accounting for just six yards on five touches, though he did drop two in the passing game. Vereen's success is closely linked to the health of the other personnel in the receiving corps. If Odell Beckham and Ruben Randle have to miss time with injuries, Vereen will be a top target, as he was Week 5 against San Francisco. Similarly, Andre Williams amassed six yards on five caries. He really isn;t worth owning anymore.

DeMarco Murray turned in his first dominant performance of the year on Monday night, with a whopping 21-112-1 line. His success was a key factor in the Eagles dominant performance. It certainly seems likely that Murray will be receiving more and more carries, because when he is hot, the Eagles can run the offensive scheme Chip Kelly so desperately desires. Murray also added another 14 yards in the passing game. Ryan Mathews was still a factor, tacking on 46 yards on ten touches. Darren Sproles received only three touches for seven yards, but was active in the kick return game.

**BYE** Darren McFadden has absorbed Lance Dunbar's role as the pass-catching back in addition to maintaining his handful of carries for the Cowboys. The result was 78 yards on five carries and nine receptions. All of the sudden, McFadden is a tantalizing option in PPR leagues. His role and productivity is only likely to increase as the Cowboys face easier opponents than New England. Joseph Randle remains the starter in Dallas for now, but couldn't get much going against a tough Patriots defense. He accounted for only 60 yards on 15 carries with no scores. Christine Michael had one carry for six yards and is expected to get more work moving forward.

With Matt Jones (toe0 inactive for the game, backfield duties were split between Alfred Morris and Chris Thompson. Neither back was particularly successful, but the roles between the two were pretty defined. Morris was given more chances on the ground, but gained only 21 yards on 11 carries. Thompson received eight targets in the air, reeled in six of them, and totaled 38 yards from scrimmage on 11 touches. This was not a good day for the backfield in Washington, indicating the perhaps Matt Jones is the glue that holds the attack together. More likely, it is due to a top-class Jets rush defense. We will get a much better picture next week against Tampa Bay.

 

NFC WEST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Baller Stability Rating	Team Name	Primary Running Back	Backup or Handcuff	Longshot Candidates	Waiver Wire Watch
Solid	49ers	Carlos Hyde	Reggie Bush	Jarryd Hayne, Mike Davis	N/A
Solid	Seahawks	Marshawn Lynch	Thomas Rawls	Fred Jackson	Thomas Rawls
Questionable	Cardinals	Chris Johnson	David Johnson	Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor	Andre Ellington
Solid	Rams	Todd Gurley	Tre Mason	Benny Cunningham	N/A

 

Despite a nice win against the Ravens, Carlos Hyde was rather inefficient on Sunday, gathering just 60 yards on 23 touches. Hyde continues a streak of inconsistency, as he seems to only be effective against a handful of teams. With Reggie Bush (calf) sidelined yet again, Hyde is the only worthwhile man in the 49ers backfield. Jarryd Hayne, former rugby sensation and terrible football player, was present for 10 snaps but did not receive a touch, while Mike James had one carry for no gain.

Marshawn Lynch dominated the Seahawks backfield on Sunday evening against Carolina, as he was the only back who touches the ball more than twice. Lynch also recorded his first touchdown of the year en route to a decent 17-65-1 line. Carolina's defense was playing tough all day, so it is impressive that Lynch was able to manage even that much. The performance was encouraging and Beast Mode appears to be 100% moving forward. He's poised for a big day against San Francisco's defense.

Chris Johnson maintained his role as the lead back despite Andre Ellington's return to the offense, but he couldn't get into a rhythm in a tough loss to the Steelers. C. Johnson managed only 45 yards on 15 touches, well below his 2015 average. Surprisingly, Ellington was only present for nine offensive snaps. Still he left his mark on the game with two big receptions for 45 yards, meaning he may receive an increased role in future weeks. For now, it seems the Cardinals are pushing him behind both Johnsons. David Johnson was in the game for 24 snaps, but managed a meager 17 yards on four touches. Neither Ellington nor D. Johnson are worthwhile owns, except in very deep leagues. However, something tells me Ellington might be a sneaky stash going forward.

**BYE** Todd Gurley is now, indisputably, a top-5 fantasy football running back. The rookie from Georgia had his second consecutive monster game, racking up 159 yards on 30 carries, the most attempts of any RB this week. The time to buy low on Gurley is gone and the time to sell high is nonexistent. Don't let go of this guy. Tre Mason and Benny Cunningham can and should be dropped in all leagues. No one else is touching the ball in Saint Louis any time soon.

 

NFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

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

 

Eddie Lacy was one of the biggest disappointments of the week, as he only turned in three yards on four carries. It is worth noting that he still accounted for 17 yards on two receptions, but a pathetic performance nonetheless. the Packers have asserted that their main BYE week priority is making sure Lacy is healthy and productive in the second half of the season. On the contrary, James Starks was a dynamo on Sunday, posting a 10-112-1 line with a five-yard touchdown reception to boot. Starks is a must-add in all fantasy formats until Lacy can prove he is healthy and has his head in the game. The Packers will have a Week 7 BYE.

For the fifth consecutive week, Theo Riddick led the Lions backfield in total yards from scrimmage with 78 yards on ten touches. Of course, leading the Lions backfield is not much of an accomplishment, but it still makes Riddick the only rosterable RB in Detroit. Hey, The Lions finally won a game! Kudos, boys. Ameer Abdullah looked to be having his first viable start of the season, posting 52 yards on 14 attempts before losing a costly fumble and ruining his afternoon. Zach Zenner rushed for a respectable 15 yards on three carries. For the first time all season, Riddick led the backfield in snaps. Still, Abdullah's 14 carries make him the de facto starter in Detroit.

It was a modest 89-yard, one touchdown day for Matt Forte, who did most of his damage on the ground against the Lions on Sunday. It was the first time since Week 3 that Forte has failed to top 100 yards from scrimmage. Of course, the performance was still impressive and Forte continues to be the most consistent RB1 in fantasy. Jeremy Lanford added 27 yards on six touches in the backup role. The Bears will have a Week 7 BYE.

Adrian Peterson was nothing special against the Chiefs on Sunday, piling up a pedestrian 57 yards on 27 touches. The Chiefs stout front seven just didn't allow Peterson to get into a groove throughout the contest. Although his 27 touches were the most of any RB in Week 6, Peterson exited early with a scary finger injury. Luckily, he did practice on Wednesday and should be good to go for a Week 7 matchup in Detroit. Matt Asiata saw the bulk of the work in Peterson's absence, tacking on 35 yards on eight touches. Jerrick McKinnon had just one carry for a two-yard gain.

 

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	Khiry Robinson	C.J. Spiller	N/A
Questionable	Falcons	Devonta Freeman	Tevin Coleman	Terron Ward	N/A
Solid	Panthers	Jonathan Stewart	Cameron Artis-Payne	Fozzy Whittaker	N/A
Questionable	Buccaneers	Doug Martin	Charles Sims	Mike James, Bobby Rainey	Charles Sims

 

Though Mark Ingram could not get much going in the yardage department, he saved his afternoon with a two-touchdown performance. In total, he finished with 56 yards on 23 touches. Ingram has been incredibly solid all season long and is seemingly not capable of putting up a lousy performance on any given day. Because of this all, he finds himself among the top-5 fantasy football RBs. Khiry Robinson and C.J. Spiller split time in the backup role. Robinson racked up 47 yards on nine touches, while Spiller had seven touches for 27 yards. Neither backup is worth rostering until one can prove himself. Spiller is worth keeping an eye on.

Ever since his Week 3 breakout performance, Freeman has been a top-2 fantasy running back every single week. In fact, he was the top dog every week except for a dominating day from Doug Martin Week 5. In Week 6, Freeman was back to his domineering ways, piling on 156 yards from scrimmage with a pair of scores in the passing and running games. What can't this guy do? It seems that he will not be coming back to Earth any time soon and could be poised for a historic campaign if this pace continues. Tevin Coleman was solid in a backup role as well, tacking on 40 yards on four carries. Terron Ward caught a seven-yard pass.

Alas, Jonathan Stewart has finally arrived. Stewart and his bruising ways wore down the Seahawks defense on Sunday, as he powered his way up the gut for a 20-78-2 line. The two scores were Stewart's first of the year in what has been a lackluster fantasy season thus far, Still, Stewart has a strong factor working in his favor - there are no other capable runners in the Panthers backfield, save for fullback Mike Tolbert. Stewart with continue to get the rock in the Panthers future contests, but it is unlikely he will see this level of success on a wee-by-week basis. Fozzy Whitaker added 23 yards on three touches. Also, if the Panthers season wasn't exciting enough already, try listening to it in Spanish.

**BYE** The half back situation in Tampa Bay continues to be an interesting one. Doug Martin is among the top-3 fantasy RBs this season (top-2 if you take into account the injury to Jamaal Charles). His performance against the Jaguars on Sunday helped reaffirm that, as the Muscle Hamster produced a 24-123-2 line (along with a 3-35-1 receiving line) against a lackluster Jags defensive squad. Despite this dominant play, backup Charles Sims continues to receive quality touches and remains relevant from a fantasy standpoint. The handcuff tacked on 136 yards on just 16 touches. There are plenty of things Tampa Bay does poorly - but rushing the ball is not one of them. Both of these guys are incredibly valuable in fantasy and Sims' value is only likely to increase as his talent earns him more and more touches, as has gradually been the case thus far in 2015. If there is any chance he's still available on your waiver wire, scoop him up before it's too late.

 

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