National Football League

Fantasy Fox: Top 50 running backs for NFL Week 5

Published Oct. 1, 2014 5:30 a.m. ET

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Here are my top 50 running backs for Week 5, citing standard-scoring leagues.

This countdown doesn't lean on a particular stat. It's merely an educated best guess of which rushers will tally the best combination of total yards and touchdowns for the NFL's fifth weekend.

Regardless of how these rankings shake out every week, it shouldn't supersede two important factors that go into regular lineup consideration:

1. Always play your healthy superstars.

2. Always ride your gut instinct over a certain guru's analysis (read: plausible deniability).

BYES: Miami, Oakland

TOP 50 RUNNING BACKS

1-25

1. Rashad Jennings vs. Atlanta
2. Le'Veon Bell @ Jacksonville
3. Marshawn Lynch @ Washington
4. DeMarco Murray vs. Houston
5. Matt Forte @ Carolina
6. Andre Ellington @ Denver
7. Eddie Lacy vs. Minnesota
8. Reggie Bush vs. Buffalo
9. Jamaal Charles @ San Francisco
10. Arian Foster @ Dallas
11. Zac Stacy @ Philadelphia
12. Gio Bernard @ New England
13. Montee Ball vs. Arizona
14. LeSean McCoy vs. St. Louis
15. Lorenzo Taliaferro @ Indianapolis
16. Matt Asiata @ Green Bay
17. Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Baltimore
18. Frank Gore vs. Kansas City
19. Stevan Ridley vs. Cincinnati
20. Donald Brown vs. N.Y. Jets
21. Doug Martin @ New Orleans
22. Fred Jackson @ Detroit
23. Ben Tate @ Tennessee
24. Bishop Sankey vs. Cleveland
25. Alfred Morris vs. Seattle'

26-50

26. Khiry Robinson vs. Tampa Bay
27. Steven Jackson @ N.Y. Giants
28. Knile Davis @ San Francisco
29. Chris Ivory @ San Diego
30. Andre Williams vs. Atlanta
31. Isaiah Crowell @ Tennessee
32. Toby Gerhart vs. Pittsburgh
33. Darrin Reaves vs. Chicago
34. Darren Sproles vs. St. Louis
35. Antone Smith @ N.Y. Giants
36. C.J. Spiller @ Detroit
37. Jerick McKinnon @ Green Bay
38. Trent Richardson vs. Baltimore
39. Bernard Pierce @ Indianapolis
40. Chris Johnson @ San Diego
41. Joique Bell vs. Buffalo
42. Shane Vereen vs. Cincinnati
43. Bobby Rainey @ New Orleans
44. LeGarrette Blount @ Jacksonville
45. Pierre Thomas vs. Tampa Bay
46. Carlos Hyde vs. Kansas City
47. Roy Helu vs. Seattle
48. Shonn Greene @ Cleveland
49. Robert Turbin @ Washington
50. Branden Oliver vs. N.Y. Jets
50b. James Starks vs. Minnesota
50c. Devonta Freeman @ N.Y. Giants
50d. Justin Forsett @ Indianapolis
50e. Alfred Blue @ Dallas

Jay Clemons, the 2008 Fantasy Football Writer of the Year (Fantasy Sports Writers Association), can be reached via Twitter, day or night, at @FOX_JayClemons.