Empty the Bench

Ranks Preview by Andrew Thell

It took the Bills entirely too long to realize that Fred Jackson is their best option in the backfield. Hopefully it’s not a case of too little, too late for those of you who drafted him. Marshawn and his absurd grill are the brand name, and we were generally fond of the Cal product in his rookie year. But it’s been a long time seen we’ve seen him in Beast Mode, and in the interim the less-excitingly-named, grill-less Fred has clearly emerged as the superior talent. Dick Jauron force-fed Lynch 90 carries this season, but he’s only managed to convert them into 278 yards (3.1 YPC, yuck) and 1 TD with 3 fumbles.

Meanwhile, Jackson got the nod on Sunday and turned 15 carries into 73 rushing yards and 2 TDs. That brings his season total to a far more respectable 601 yards on 143 carries, good for a perfectly fine 4.2 YPC. Jackson has also emerged as a strong option in the receiving game, grabbing 32 balls in limited duty. The Jets matchup isn’t ideal this week, but he draws the toothless Chiefs in Week 14 and Falcons in the all-important championship week.

DeAngelo Williams will be playing on a sprained ankle and the Panthers will start Matt Moore, he of the 3-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio in 11 career appearances. The Panthers will be looking to hide their QB, so the forecast calls for a ton of handoffs. That’s a recipe for fantasy production out of Jonathan Stewart, who we absolutely love as a Flex or potential RB2 play this week.

I hate to say it, Matt Forte owners, but this is your last opportunity to expect a big game out of your first-round pick. Forte (and the Chicago offensive line) has struggled with anything resembling a respectable defense, but he’s feasted on the Lions and Browns in two home matchups that have accounted for all of his 3 TDs on the season. Next week Green Bay Comes to town and then the Bears face off against two top-5 NFL rush defenses in Baltimore and Minnesota in the fantasy playoffs. Ouch.

The Bills and their NFL-worst rushing defense are frequent topics in this space. This week the Jets and their No. 2 rushing offense come into town, making Thomas Jones a must-start option. Hell, I know he hasn’t done anything outside of that 144-yard- 2TD game in Oakland, but Shonn Greene might be an option if your team has been ravaged by injuries and you’re desperate. We haven’t ranked him, but Greene got 10 carries last week and could be good for 50 yards with an outside shot at a TD. Again though, only if you’re desperate.

See also:
- Week 13 QB Ranks
- Week 13 WR Ranks
- Week 13 TE Ranks
- Week 13 DEF Ranks

1. Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans @ IND
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. HOU
3. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings @ ARZ
4. Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens @ GB
5. DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers vs. TB (Check Status)
6. Ricky Williams, Miami Dolphins vs. NE
7. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals vs. DET
8. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams @ CHI
9. Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers @ SEA
10. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis Colts vs. TEN
11. Thomas Jones, New York Jets @ BUF
12. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. OAK
13. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers @ CLE
14. Matt Forte, Chicago Bears vs. STL
15. Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers vs. TB

Running back rankings 16 through 36, after the jump…

16. Ryan Grant, Green Bay Packers vs. BAL
17. Laurence Maroney, New England Patriots @ MIA
18. Steve Slaton, Houston Texans @ IND (Now being called out)
19. Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions @ CIN
20. Fred Jackson, Buffalo Bills vs. NYJ
21. Tim Hightower, Arizona Cardinals vs. MIN
22. Pierre Thomas, New Orleans Saints @ WSH
23. Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants vs. DAL
24. Lesean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles @ ATL
25. Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys @ NYG
26. Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks vs. SF
27. Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos @ KC
28. Jerious Norwood, Atlanta Falcons vs. PHI
29. Jason Snelling, Atlanta Falcons vs. PHI
30. Carnell Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs @ CAR
31. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs vs. SD
32. Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers @ CLE
33. Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals vs. MIN
34. Felix Jones, Dallas Cowboys @ NYG
35. Mike Bell, New Orleans Saints @ WSH
36. Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints @ WSH (Check Status)
37. Tashard Choice, Dallas Cowboys @ NYG

See also:
- Week 13 QB Ranks
- Week 13 WR Ranks
- Week 13 TE Ranks
- Week 13 DEF Ranks

Ricky Williams Photo Credit: Icon SMI

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