Fantasy Football Week 1 Rankings: Running Backs

While there are always going to be matchups we like and others we don't like, we need to remember it's Week 1 of a new fantasy football season. The preseason doesn't matter too much, nor does last season. Sure, we have to use something upon which to base our rankings, and those factors will be somewhat weighed, but we also need to use our brain and not get too cute.

For example, Ryan Grant shredded the Bears last season in Green Bay. Does that mean he's going to blow up again? Considering the Bears' run defense is much stronger than pass, we're saying an emphatic no. That's just one example, and we'll talk a bit more after you've seen the top 50 fantasy running backs for the week.

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1. Adrian Peterson, MIN at CLE
2. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC at IND
3. Matt Forte, CHI at GB
4. Steven Jackson, STL at SEA
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, SD at OAK
6. DeAngelo Williams, CAR vs. PHI
7. Frank Gore, SF at ARI
8. Brian Westbrook, PHI at CAR
9. Michael Turner, ATL vs. MIA
10. Steve Slaton, HOU vs. NYJ
11. Thomas Jones, NYJ at HOU
12. Brandon Jacobs, NYG vs. WAS
13. Ray Rice, BAL vs. KC
14. Kevin Smith, DET at NO
15. Marion Barber, DAL at TB
16. Clinton Portis, WAS at NYG
17. Willie Parker, PIT vs. TEN
18. Cedric Benson, CIN vs. DEN
19. Ronnie Brown, MIA at ATL
20. Chris Johnson, TEN at PIT
21. Ryan Grant, GB vs. CHI
22. Reggie Bush, NO vs. DET
23. Julius Jones, SEA vs. STL
24. Mike Bell, NO vs. DET
25. Darren McFadden, OAK vs. SD
26. Joseph Addai, IND vs. JAX
27. Felix Jones, DAL at TB
28. Knowshon Moreno, DEN at CIN
29. Beanie Wells, ARI vs. SF
30. Fred Jackson, BUF at NE
31. Larry Johnson, KC at BAL
32. Cadillac Williams, TB vs. DAL
33. Derrick Ward, TB vs. DAL
34. Leon Washington, NYJ at HOU
35. LenDale White, TEN at PIT
36. Tim Hightower, ARI vs. SF
37. Jamal Lewis, CLE vs. MIN
38. Le'Ron McClain, BAL vs. KC
39. Chester Taylor, MIN at CLE
40. Sammy Morris, NE vs. BUF
41. Fred Taylor, NE vs. BUF
42. Ahmad Bradshaw, NYG vs. WAS
43. Edgerrin James, SEA vs. STL
44. Donald Brown, IND vs. JAX
45. Darren Sproles, SD at OAK
46. Willis McGahee, BAL vs. KC
47. Jerious Norwood, ATL vs. MIA
48. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT vs. TEN
49. LeSean McCoy, PHI at CAR
50. Bernard Scott, CIN vs. DEN

• Jamal Lewis is the starting running back in Cleveland and doesn't, for now, have a time-share situation. We have ranked him below a couple of guys who are actually backups. That's because the Browns are facing Minnesota and its vaunted "Williams Wall" -- meaning you can't run up the middle. And Jamal can't run outside. And we're expecting them to be playing from behind all game. My best guess is 16 carries for 33 yards and no scores. Good luck winning with that.

• I mentioned this in the podcast (which will be posted Thursday), but the Brian Westbrook injury stigma is getting a little ridiculous. He's missed just four games in the past three seasons, and one of those was to rest him before the playoffs. Look for him to play and play very well in Carolina.

• If you're noticing a theme in the rankings, we're loving fantasy points in the Broncos/Bengals tilt. Thus, give Cedric Benson and Knowshon Moreno -- and even their backups -- a little extra bump. We aren't expecting much defense to be played in that game.

• Jonathan Stewart's absence isn't an accident. He's badly hampered by an Achilles issue, and we've seen how easily DeAngelo Williams can handle the full load if he needs to. He will. Bench Stewart.

• Pierre Thomas is also absent, because we don't think he will play. Expect both Reggie Bush and Mike Bell to enjoy solid days against the still-rebuilding Lions.

• Finally, Ray Rice is a huge value play this weekend at home against the Chiefs. The KC defense is awful and it doesn't look like their offense is going to get much going against the still-stout Ravens defense. Expect a lot of running from the Ravens -- which is why you see three of their backs ranked here -- and most of it will be done by the diminutive second-year man from Rutgers.