Top 5 Fantasy Running Backs for Week 3

By Jonathan Munshaw on Wednesday, September 18th 2013
Top 5 Fantasy Running Backs for Week 3

Besides the minor disruptions of James Starks of the Green Bay Packers and Knowshon Moreno of the Denver Broncos, all was back to normal in the running back world.

Marshawn Lynch returned to form with three total touchdowns, and Arian Foster picked up 79 yards and a touchdown, and even tacked on a two-point conversion.

Heading into Week 3, Adrian Peterson looks to get back on track, while Darren McFadden continues to give fantasy owners hope that he’ll be somewhat reliable after a 129-yard performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But who will be in the top tier of backs this week? This is eDraft’s rankings of the top five running backs for Week 3.


1. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

This is the third week in a row that I’ve selected Peterson as the No. 1 back, and this could be the week that my prediction actually comes true. Peterson had a 100-yard game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, but couldn’t get it in the end zone and thus had a very average fantasy day.

In Week 1, the league’s best rusher had 93 yards and a touchdown, but most of it came on a 78-yard run for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. This week against the Cleveland Browns, Peterson can be expected to rack up the yards he had against the Bears and the touchdowns from the Lions game. Opponents have scored two rushing touchdowns on the Browns, and last week against the rival Baltimore Ravens, Bernard Pierce carried the ball 19 times for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Cleveland isn’t going to be scoring many points in this game, so Christian Ponder won’t be forced to throw often, which means more time for Peterson, and more chances for him to climb to the top of the running back rankings this week.

Projected Statistics: 25 carries, 110 yards, two touchdowns


2. LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles

Owners who picked up McCoy in the second rounds of their drafts are really loving the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense. Through two games, McCoy has 356 total yards and one touchdown in Chip Kelly’s offense. McCoy has averaged 5.6 yards per carry, and is going up against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have had a strong rush defense up to this point, but have only faced the Jacksonville Jaguars who can’t do anything on offense, and the Dallas Cowboys, who had Tony Romo throw 42 times on Sunday.

The Eagles clearly can’t rely on their defense to hold opponents, so Philly will be looking to score points in bunches against their former coach Andy Reid, and McCoy will be the one getting the majority of the touches.

Projected Statistics: 20 carries, 110 yards, three catches, 35 yards, one rushing touchdown


3. Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Sticking to the same matchup, McCoy’s offense will have to outscore Charles and the Chiefs. The Eagles are ranked second to last in the league in passing defense, and 19th in rush defense. In both games this season, Philadelphia has allowed a comeback (one of which was successful) and is allowing just over five yards per carry. Charles has yet to break 100 yards in a game, but has had success catching the ball, and adds exceptional value in PPR leagues.

Again, expect a lot of scoring in this matchup, and expect Charles to have his best game yet.

Projected Statistics: 15 carries, 90 yards, six catches, 50 yards, one receiving touchdown


4. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Lynch got off to a terrible start to the season in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, only picking up 43 yards. He turned things around in a big way this week, scoring three total touchdowns and finishing as the No. 1 fantasy back. This could get ugly this week as Lynch and the Seahawks face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have given up 173 yards per game to opponents this season.

Lynch will get his 100 yards and touchdown, but if Seattle gets up too big, backup Robert Turbin could take away some late-game carries from Lynch.

Projected Statistics: 18 carries, 100 yards, one touchdown


5. C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills

Spiller hasn’t been as explosive as owners thought he’d be, only catching nine passes out of the backfield through two games for 40 yards, but he will put up some solid numbers this week against the New York Jets. Spiller had 129 total yards against the New England Patriots last Thursday night, but couldn’t find the end zone.

This will likely be a low-scoring game, but Spiller will get the majority of the work against a Jets team who can only score through kicking field goals. In Week 1, New York only gave up 65 yards on the ground to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Spiller will get enough touches that even with a low yards-per-play average, he should still finish in the top five.

Projected Statistics: 17 carries, 100 yards, four receptions, 40 receiving yards
 

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