1. Chris Johnson
(TEN) - The last time Johnson faced the Jaguars, he ran for 224 yards and 2 TDs. He probably won’t match those totals this time around, but he should put up big time numbers against this defense. Jacksonville is giving up over 100 ground yards per game and have allowed 6 rushing TDs so far this season. Only Buffalo has allowed more TDs on the ground. + Thigh (Questionable)
2. Frank Gore
3. Adrian Peterson
4. Michael Turner
5. Rashard Mendenhall
6. Ray Rice
7. Ahmad Bradshaw
8. Arian Foster
9. Maurice Jones-Drew
10. LeSean McCoy
11. LaDainian Tomlinson (NYJ) - Considering the difficulty of his week 5 match up against Minnesota, Tomlinson’s 107 total yards on a rain soaked field was impressive. Chances are he will fare even better in week 6 against an injury plagued Denver defense that allowed 233 rushing yards and 4 rushing TDs against Baltimore in week 5. Tomlinson’s only downside is his ongoing timeshare with Shonn Greene.
12. Steven Jackson (STL) - He isn’t a TD machine, but if you are looking for consistent double figure fantasy totals, Jackson is your man. We expect more of the same in week 6 against San Diego. The Chargers have been very good against the run for the most part this season, but they did allow Michael Bush to run up 135 total yards and a TD against them just last week. Jackson is plenty capable of matching or exceeding Bush’s totals, but it won’t be easy.
13. Ryan Torain (WAS) - He hasn’t wowed anyone since taking over as the feature back for the Skins, but there is a good chance that could change in week 6. Torain will face a Colts run defense that currently ranks just 29th in the NFL. On average, the Indianapolis defense is giving up 142 rushing yards and a TD per game to opposing running attacks. He is a bit of a sleeper pick based on his performance so far, but his chances for success against this defense easily qualify him for high end RB2 or flex status in our opinion.
14. Michael Bush (OAK) - Rushing for over 100 yards and a TD against a very solid San Diego run defense is no easy task and Bush did just that in week 5. In week 6, he will face a 49ers defense that ranks middle of the pack in the NFL in stopping the run and dead last in receiving yards allowed versus running backs. Bush will likely serve you well in both areas, but it will not be a cakewalk against a fired up Niners defense in San Francisco. Side note: There is a chance Darren McFadden will return from injury this week, but even if he does, it will be in a very limited capacity and Bush will carry most, if not all of the load.
15. Jamaal Charles (KC) - He seems to be inching closer every week to regaining his feature role and that will serve fantasy owners well. Charles will be facing the Texans in week 6. While Houston has been fairly stingy in the yardage department against the run ranking 5th in the NFL, they have allowed 5 rushing TDs in 5 games and only 8 teams have given up more fantasy points to opposing RBs so far this season which bodes well for the explosive Charles.
16. Matt Forte (CHI) - It seems we completely underestimated Forte in week 5, but seeing as he hadn’t rushed for more than 50 yards in a game previously; we seriously doubt anyone expected him to blow up against a Carolina defense that had been pretty good against the run to that point. Regardless, it was a promising step in the right direction and Forte will need all the momentum he can get for a tough week 6 match up against a Seattle run defense that ranks 2nd in the NFL. The Seahawks have allowed just 291 ground yards and 2 rushing TDs in 4 games this season. Opposing RBs are averaging just 2.7 yards per carry against them, so Forte will need to be very handy in the passing game to have success in week 6.
17. Ryan Mathews (SD) - Despite Coach Norv Turner’s claim that Mathews would return to a more prominent role in week 5, Mathews only received 9 carries. He did average a hefty 6.6 yards per carry on those 9 carries, but we are a tad skeptical about week 6 even though Turner is making the same claim this week. If Mathews does return to a significant workload against St. Louis, the match up is somewhat favorable. The Rams are much improved on defense, but they still rank just middle of the pack in the NFL against the run. + Ankle (Probable)
18. Joseph Addai (IND) - While Addai said he would likely start this week, he remains a bit risky with his shoulder/neck injury especially with it being a Sunday night game. There is also the chance that Addai could leave the game early with a setback, so it may be wise to consider other options if they are available to you. That said, it is a tough week to find a quality RB2 and Addai has the chance to be very productive in week 6 against Washington if healthy enough to play. The Redskins rank 20th in the NFL against the run and they allowed the mediocre Brandon Jackson to run for 115 yards on just 10 carries last week. Addai is a tough call and you will need to pay close attention to his status heading into Sunday, but if your options are limited and he appears good to, it’s probably worth the gamble. + Shoulder/Neck (Questionable)
19. Jahvid Best (DET) - Best has already proven to be a very capable fantasy RB, but his production has dropped off significantly since the turf toe injury. For this reason, we are a bit skeptical against a Giants run defense that ranks 9th in the NFL and seems to get better by the week. Best’s versatility in the passing game gives him a chance to make an impact, but you probably shouldn’t expect anything substantial from him under the circumstances. Consider Best a serviceable low end RB2 or flex play for week 6. + Toe (Questionable)
20. Ronnie Brown (MIA) - Brown hasn’t given fantasy owners much to be excited about so far this season.. However, there are some favorable aspects to Brown’s week 6 match up against Green Bay. For starters, Dolphin’s Coach Tony Sparano indicated earlier this week that they needed to get back to running the ball more often which is promising. More importantly, the Packers line backing corps and driving force against the run has been decimated by injuries of late which also bodes well for Brown. If Sparano holds true to his word and Brown gets a nice bump in carries this week, it should result in a nice fantasy day, but don’t bet the farm on it.
21. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (NE) - vs. BAL
22. Marshawn Lynch (SEA) - @ CHI
23. Felix Jones (DAL) - @ MIN
24. Shonn Greene (NYJ) - @ DEN
25. Ricky Williams (MIA) - @ GB
26. Brandon Jacobs (NYG) - vs. DET
27. Peyton Hillis (CLE) - @ PIT + Thigh (Questionable)
28. Mike Tolbert (SD) - @ STL
29. Knowshon Moreno (DEN) - vs. NYJ + Hamstring (Questionable)
30. Brandon Jackson (GB) - vs. MIA
31. Ladell Betts (NO) - @ TB
32. Carnell “Cadillac” Williams (TB) - vs. NO
33. Chris Ivory (NO) - @ TB + Knee (Probable)
34. Thomas Jones (KC) - @ HOU
35. Willis McGahee (BAL) - @ NE
36. Marion Barber (DAL) - @ MIN
37. Danny Woodhead (NE) - vs. BAL
38. Justin Forsett (SEA) - @ CHI
39. Donald Brown (IND) - @ WAS + Hamstring (Questionable)
40. John Kuhn (GB) - vs. MIA
41. Earnest Graham (TB) - vs. NO + Hamstring (Questionable)
42. Correll Buckhalter (DEN) - vs. NYJ
43. Jason Snelling (ATL) - @ PHI
44. Javon Ringer (TEN) - @ JAC
45. Deji Karim (JAC) - vs. TEN
46. Darren Sproles (SD) - @ STL
47. Chester Taylor (CHI) - vs. SEA
48. LaGarrette Blount (TB) - vs. NO
49. Mike Hart (IND) - @ WAS + Hip (Questionable)
50. Derrick Ward (HOU) - vs. KC + Ribs (Questionable)