Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Welcome to Week 17 of the NFL season, which tends to be the toughest week of the fantasy football season to predict. This is the week of the regular season that will play out like a preseason game in many cities this week. Teams that are eliminated from the playoffs will start to play backup players so that they can see what they have for the future. Teams that have already clinched their playoff positioning will rest players to keep them fresh for a run at a Super Bowl title.

So if you are in a fantasy league that plays into Week 17 it is as important as ever to make sure you are well informed when making your lineup decisions this week. As such, it’s time for the final edition of the regular season version of the Bruno Boys Fantasy Football Week 17 Running Back Rankings. Good luck to all that are playing meaningful fantasy football games this week.

1. Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans) @ Seattle

If there is one running back that you can count on to play hard and get his normal number of reps, it’s Chris Johnson this week. The Titans are officially eliminated from playoff contention and the only thing Tennessee has left to play for this season is to try and get Johnson over 2,000 rushing yards for the season. With 142 rushing yards and another touchdown in a loss to the San Diego Chargers on Christmas, he is 128 rushing yards shy of 2,000. Week 16 marked his 10th straight game with more than 100 yards rushing and he has scored 10 rushing touchdowns over that span. Johnson has been an elite fantasy running back this season and that should continue to roll with a milestone on the line.
Point Projection: 22 points

2. Maurice Jones-Drew (Jacksonville Jaguars) @ Cleveland

The Cleveland Browns rush defense should be a welcome sight for Maurice Jones-Drew and fantasy owners a like this week, especially after being shut down by the New England Patriots in Week 16. MJD was held to 63 rushing yards on 18 carries, but he did have an additional 35-yards through the air on three receptions. After scoring a rushing touchdown in his previous two games he was held without a touchdown against the Patriots. He does have 16 total touchdowns this season and this week he faces a Cleveland rush defense that is allowing 145.5 yards per game and has given up 15 rushing touchdowns. Look for Jones-Drew to have a bounce back week, even though neither team has much to play for in this game.
Point Projection: 22 points

3. Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens) @ Oakland

Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers and their No. 1 ranked rush defense Ray Rice had 30 carries for 141 yards in a Week 16 loss. It was the second time in three weeks that the second-year running back had more than 140 rushing yards. He also added one catch for 14 yards, but he was held without a touchdown and lost a fumble. Rice has still been amazing this year and is a big reason why a lot of owners are still alive in their fantasy leagues or won a fantasy football championship. For Week 17 he has a great match-up against the Oakland Raiders who rank No. 29 against the rush this season.
Point Projection: 21 points

4. Frank Gore (San Francisco 49ers) @ St. Louis

There are many fantasy owners who drafted Frank Gore this season based on his excellent playoff schedule. How can you do better then facing the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams in week’s 16 and 17 respectively? If last week’s outcome against the Lions is any indication, he should have another excellent game this week against the Rams. He might have fallen short of his third straight 100 rushing yard performance, but he finished the game with 152 total yards and a touchdown. He led the 49ers in both rushing and receiving yardage. Gore is a candidate to have another big game against a Rams rush defense that has given up nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns this season.
Point Projection: 20 points

5. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings) vs. New York Giants

Adrian Peterson’s fantasy value actually increased this week when his fumble in overtime in Week 16 led to Chicago’s game winning touchdown. It put Minnesota in position to have to win this week to have a shot at a first round bye week in the playoffs. Minnesota will likely play their starters to get a win that can earn them a week off. He had 24 carries for 94 yards with two touchdowns and three catches for 43 yards last week. Expect the Vikings to ride the legs of Peterson this week against a New York Giants defense that has given up 20 rushing touchdowns this season.
Point Projection: 20 points

6. Rashard Mendenhall (Pittsburgh Steelers) @ Miami

For the second straight game Rashard Mendenhall was held to less then 40 rushing yards, but he did punch in a touchdown. He had 16 carries for 34 yards in a big victory for the Steelers over arch-rival Baltimore. He should have a bounce back game against the Miami Dolphins. In 11 starts this season Mendenhall has eight total touchdowns, while Miami has given up 16 rushing touchdowns through 15 games. Pittsburgh needs this win if they want a shot at the postseason and the Steelers will play hard in this one. Look for Mendenhall to touch the ball over 20 times and to punch in another short yardage touchdown.
Point Projection: 17 points

7. Jerome Harrison (Cleveland Browns) vs. Jacksonville

The Jaguars’ run defense has been better then average this season, but they are coming off a game in which they allowed the New England Patriots to total 197 yards on the ground last week. It appears the Jaguars have a tougher assignment this week when they face one of the NFL’s hottest running back. The Browns’ Jerome Harrison followed his 286-yard three touchdown outing in Week 15 with 39 carries for 148 yards and a touchdown game against the Oakland Raiders last week. Look for Harrison to put on another nice audition for the new Cleveland personal boss Mike Holmgren en route to another 25-30 carries, 100+ rushing yards and a touchdown scamper.
Point Projection: 17 points

8. Jonathan Stewart (Carolina Panthers) vs. New Orleans  **CHECK INJURY STATUS OF D.WILLIAMS**

Whenever Jonathan Stewart has been called upon to fill in for DeAngelo Williams he has produced to his potential and Week 16 was no exception. He had a career-high 206 rushing yards with a touchdown on 28 carries. He has started just two games this season and has had more than 15 fantasy points in a game six times this year. He is worth using as a No. 1 fantasy option if Williams is out again, but he falls to a low-end No. 2 if Williams plays; so obviously keep a close eye on Williams this week.
Point Projection: 16 points

9. Thomas Jones (New York Jets) vs. Cincinnati

Last week Thomas Jones owners weren’t very excited to see Shonn Greene out rushing Jones in the second half. There were rumblings that Greene was going to see the ball more, but owners were hoping to make it one more game with Jones leading the way. Fortunately the Colts changed the game by benching Manning and Co. during the second half. This allowed the Jets back into the game and Jones who had a slow start finished with 105 yards and a touchdown. If New York wins this game they can get into the playoffs, so they will be trying to win this game. Look for Greene to get continued carries, but with the game on the line the Jets are likely going to rely on their workhorse, which is Jones.
Point Projection: 16 points

10. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs) @ Denver

Jamaal Charles continues to excel as the Chiefs starting running back. In the teams loss in Week 16 he had 24 carries for 102 yards, while adding three receptions for 22 yards. It was his third straight 100-yard plus rushing performance and the speedster has scored double-digit fantasy points in all but one game he’s started this year. Charles has gone for more then 90 yards rushing five times in his eight starts and he has scored five rushing touchdowns during that span. Charles continues to be a good starting fantasy football option this week as the Chiefs take on a solid Denver Broncos run defense. He will be a valuable commodity in next years fantasy football drafts.
Point Projection: 16 points

11. Jason Snelling (Atlanta Falcons) @ Tampa Bay  **CHECK INJURY STATUS OF M. TURNER**

When you consider that Michael Turner has missed four of the Falcons’ last six games, you would think it would be safe to start Jason Snelling this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who give up more than 155 rushing yards per game. He had 15 carries for 68 yards against the Buffalo Bills last week. In his last seven games, Snelling has had at least 10 carries six times and has had 15 or more carries three times in that span. He will look to solidify his role as the Falcons No. 2 running back heading into the 2010 season in this game against Tampa Bay and should have no trouble finding holes to run through.
Point Projection: 15 points

12. Matt Forte (Chicago Bears) @ Detroit

It has been a season long struggle for Matt Forte this season, but he should end his season on a high note. He has just one 100-yard rushing performance this year and that was in Week 4 when he faced this week’s opponent, the Detroit Lions. Forte had 12 carries for 121 yards with a touchdown in that game and the Lions rush defense is not any better now then they were in Week 4. Look for Forte to finish the season with one of his better performances this season and for the first time in a while he is a good starting fantasy option.
Point Projection: 15 points

13. Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos) vs. Kansas City

With nine carries, Knowshon Moreno led the Broncos in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week. He had just 18 yards rushing, but he did add three receptions for 17 yards with a touchdown. Correll Buckhalter led the team in rushing with 42 yards on just five carries, after missing one game due to an injury. Moreno is the Broncos future at running back, so he should once again lead the team in carries and he has a nice match-up this week against a Kansas City Chiefs run defense that is allowing more than 160 yards rushing per game. Look for a solid stat line from Moreno this week as he looks to put the finishing touches on what has been a very nice rookie season.
Point Projection: 15 points

14. Ricky Williams (Miami Dolphins) vs. Pittsburgh  **CHECK INJURY STATUS**

Facing the leagues No. 1 rush defense is not something you like to see after dealing with an injured shoulder that cost you part of last week’s game with Houston, but this is the situation that Ricky Williams has do deal with this week. He left the Dolphins Week 16 loss to the Houston Texans with an injury and it cost valuable fantasy points. He did return to the game in the second half, but he finished the game with just 10 carries for 35 yards and five receptions for 26 yards. In Williams absence Lex Hilliard had three carries for 12 yards with a touchdown and a team-high nine receptions for 74 yards with a touchdown. If Williams is healthy enough to play in Week 17 consider him a low-end RB1 or a RB2 in this match-up. If Williams is out, Hilliard would become a flex option.
Point Projection: 15 points

15. Steven Jackson (St. Louis Rams) vs. San Francisco   **CHECK INJURY STATUS**

Steven Jackson was a surprise scratch last week against the Arizona Cardinals. Sure he was questionable heading into Sunday, and he hadn’t practiced all week, but this has been the case for almost a month now and this was the first game that he has missed. Many owners where left scrambling during the days second set of games to find a last minute fill in for Jackson. With the Rams having just one win heading into the final week this should send up red flags for Jackson owners this week. With nothing left to play for they will likely be cautious with Jackson this week. If he is healthy and plays he is a solid RB2 rushing option. However, if he does not play Kenneth Darby and Chris Ogbonnaya will likely carry the load in St. Louis and neither are recommended fantasy options in this match-up.
Point Projection: 14 points

16. Fred Jackson (Buffalo Bills) vs. Indianapolis

The one good thing that you could take out of another otherwise dismal Buffalo loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16 is that Fred Jackson is clearly the Bills No. 1 option at running back. He only had 39 rushing yards on 13 carries and he added a fumble, but he did have more carries than Marshawn Lynch for the sixth straight week and he has had double digit fantasy points in four of his last seven games. Jackson is a solid fantasy option this week. Not only is he getting the bulk of the workload for Buffalo, this week he will face an Indianapolis Colts defense that will likely be resting some key veterans.
Point Projection: 13 points

17. Marion Barber (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Philadelphia

In the Cowboys previous meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles, Marion Barber had 12 carries for 50 yards. The good news for the Cowboys and fantasy owners is that Barber has been playing much better heading into this week’s contest. He has scored three touchdowns over the last two games and he had 17 carries for 63 yards with a touchdown in a Week 16 victory. He also added four catches for 30 yards in the game. A match-up with the NFC East division rival Eagles in Week 17 should be an exciting NFL game as there are a ton of playoff positioning implications on the line. Barber is the No. 1 rushing option in Dallas and he is a solid fantasy starting option this week, even when facing a Philadelphia defense that is ranked in the top-ten against the rush.
Point Projection: 13 points

18. Cadillac Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) vs. Atlanta  **CHECK INJURY STATUS**

In the Buccaneers surprise victory over the New Orleans Saints, Cadillac Williams had his first 100-yard rushing performance of the season. He finished the game with 24 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. The 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his first rushing touchdown since a Week 10 game in Miami. In the teams Week 12 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Williams had 10 carries for 30 yards and chipped in a receiving touchdown. It appears that he is atop the Buccaneers’ depth chart at running back in Tampa Bay. Coming off a solid game last week look for Williams to contribute as a mid level RB2 with some of your regulars being limited due to their respective teams already having clinched a playoff spot .
Point Projection: 12 points

19. Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) @ Buffalo 

During fantasy drafts this past summer Colts’ rookie running back Donald Brown was garnering a lot of attention. Joseph Addai was coming off a very disappointing injury plagued season and many of us believed that Brown was the heir apparent at running back, even as soon as this year. Fast forward to Week 17 and you will see that Addai rebounded from his 2008 disappointments and had a very good season in 2009. Brown was doing a solid job as the No. 2 option in Indianapolis, before injuries plagued the ladder part of his season. In Week 16 he played for the first time in three weeks and had 15 carries for 22 yards with a touchdown, while Addai was rested during a good portion of the second half. The Colts will likely rest Addai most of this game, if not all, giving Brown value as a No. 2 fantasy option, as he should get a good amount of work against Buffalo’s weak run defense.
Point Projection: 12 points

Others to Watch - Third string running back Mike Hart did not record a stat for the Colts in Week 16, but he did have a total of 16 carries over the teams previous three games. With Joseph Addai expected to sit most, if not all, of the game, Hart should be used as Donald Brown’s backup. He could see 8-10 touches in the game, but he would still have very limited fantasy value.

20. Justin Forsett (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Tennessee  **CHECK INJURY STATUS OF J.JONES**

Justin Forsett outshined Julius Jones on the ground in a Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers. They each had 14 carries and Forsett gained 70 yards, while Jones managed just 39. Jones; however, did do some damage in the passing game with six receptions for 51 yards. Forsett appears to be the back of the future for Seattle, but with the two backs splitting carries they are hurting each other’s fantasy value. Keep an eye on Jones this week during practice as head coach Jim Mora reported that he aggravated a rib injury and hurt his ankle in the game. If Jones misses the game or is even limited, Forsett could be used as a RB2 option, which is where we currently rank him.
Point Projection: 11 points