Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL in rushing. (Getty)
Running back by committee.
How I loathe those four words.
Unfortunately, the use of multiple backs and shared carries are huge parts of offenses these days. NFL coaches hate fantasy football. Oh well, we must deal with it. So before we get to the Week 9 fantasy football rankings, let’s breakdown a couple RRBCs we need to be aware about.
New Orleans Saints — Starter Mark Ingram has really struggled with a season-high of 77 yards and just 1 touchdown. He was then benched last week after fumbling, then proceeded to watch Tim Hightower gain 102 yards on 26 carries vs. a very tough Seahawks defense. Now head coach Sean Payton says Hightower deserves more touches. Outlook: Expect Ingram to get a chance to redeem himself at San Francisco against the 49ers’ league-worst rush defense. If he gets off to a hot start, he’ll keep Hightower on the sidelines. You can probably start both as RB2 (Ingram) and FLEX (Hightower).
Philadelphia Eagles — Ryan Mathews has been his usual mediocre-at-best self in 2016, opening the door for Darren Sproles to get 15 carries in Week 8. He turned them into an impressive 86 yards. Head coach Doug Pederson has said it might be time for Mathews to become a backup. Outlook: Sproles won’t be a workhorse back, but he’s getting the job done with handoffs, expect him to be the lead dog with Mathews sprinkled in as a change-of-pace. Sproles obviously gets a boost in value (always had value in PPR leagues, anyway) and makes the smarter play in Week 9 vs. the Giants.
On the bye this week are the Cardinals, Patriots, Texans, Bears, Redskins and Bengals. Some pretty significant backs will be missing from fantasy lineups such as David Johnson, LeGarrette Blount, Lamar Miller, Jordan Howard and Jeremy Hill.
Keep reading to see our top running back fantasy football rankings for Week 9:
1. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, at Browns
2. DeMarco Murray, Titans, at Chargers
3. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers, at Ravens
4. Devonta Freeman, Falcons, at Buccaneers (Thursday)
5. Matt Forte, Jets, at Dolphins
6. Devontae Booker, Broncos, at Raiders
7. Christine Michael, Seahawks, vs. Bills
8. Jay Ajayi, Dolphins, vs. Jets
9. Jacquizz Rodgers, Buccaneers, vs. Falcons (questionable/Thursday)
10. Latavius Murray, Raiders, vs. Broncos
11. Melvin Gordon, Chargers, vs. Titans
12. Todd Gurley, Rams, vs. Panthers
13. Jonathan Stewart, Panthers, at Rams
14. Carlos Hyde, 49ers, vs. Saints (questionable)
15. Charcandrick West, Chiefs, vs. Jaguars (Spencer Ware is questionable with a concussion)
Broncos running back Devontae Booker. (Getty)
16. Terrance West, Ravens, vs. Steelers
17. Rashad Jennings, Giants, vs. Eagles
18. Frank Gore, Colts, at Packers
19. Mark Ingram, Saints, at 49ers
20. Carlos Hyde, 49ers, vs. Saints (questionable)
21. Darren Sproles, Eagles, at Giants
22. Isaiah Crowell, Browns, vs. Cowboys
23. Matt Asiata, Vikings, vs. Lions
24. LeSean McCoy, Bills, at Seahawks (questionable)
25. Theo Riddick, Lions, at Vikings
26. Tim Hightower, Saints, at 49ers
27. Mike Gillislee, Bills, at Seahawks
28. Ryan Mathews, Eagles, at Giants
29. Derrick Henry, Titans, at Chargers
30. Tevin Coleman, Falcons, at Buccaneers (questionable/Thursday)
Chiefs running back Charcandrick West. (Getty)
31. T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars, at Chiefs
32. Bilal Powell, Jets, at Dolphins
33. Doug Martin, Buccaneers, vs. Falcons (questionable/Thursday)
34. Duke Johnson Jr., Browns, vs. Cowboys
35. Mike Davis, 49ers, vs. Saints
36. Chris Ivory, Jaguars, at Chiefs
37. Ronnie Hillman, Vikings, vs. Lions
38. Kapri Bibbs, Broncos, at Raiders
39. DeAndre Washington, Raiders, vs. Broncos
40. Don Jackson, Packers, vs. Colts