National Football League

Fantasy Fox: Top 50 running backs for NFL Week 8

Published Oct. 22, 2014 4:15 a.m. ET

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Here are my top 50 running backs for Week 8, 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 eighth 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: N.Y. Giants, San Francisco

TOP 50 RUNNING BACKS

1-25

1. Matt Forte @ New England
2. Le'Veon Bell vs. Indianapolis
3. DeMarco Murray vs. Washington
4. Arian Foster @ Tennessee
5. Jamaal Charles vs. St. Louis
6. Marshawn Lynch @ Carolina
7. Andre Ellington vs. Philadelphia
8. Joique Bell vs. Atlanta (London)
9. LeSean McCoy @ Arizona
10. Darren McFadden @ Cleveland
11. Ronnie Hillman vs. San Diego
12. Ben Tate vs. Oakland
13. Lamar Miller @ Jacksonville
14. Gio Bernard vs. Baltimore
15. Ahmad Bradshaw @ Pittsburgh
16. Jerick McKinnon @ Tampa Bay
17. Eddie Lacy @ New Orleans
18. Branden Oliver @ Denver
19. Shane Vereen vs. Chicago
20. Alfred Morris @ Dallas
21. Doug Martin vs. Minnesota
22. Tre Mason @ Kansas City
23. Mark Ingram vs. Green Bay
24. Chris Ivory vs. Buffalo
25. Bishop Sankey vs. Houston

26-50

26. Justin Forsett @ Cincinnati
27. Denard Robinson vs. Miami
28. Anthony Dixon @ N.Y. Jets
29. Khiry Robinson vs. Green Bay
30. Steven Jackson vs. Detroit (London)
31. Roy Helu @ Dallas
32. Jonathan Stewart vs. Seattle
33. Reggie Bush/Theo Riddick vs. Atlanta (London)
34. Storm Johnson vs. Miami
35. LeGarrette Blount vs. Indianapolis
36. Trent Richardson @ Pittsburgh
37. Isaiah Crowell vs. Oakland
38. Bryce Brown @ N.Y. Jets
39. Antone Smith vs. Detroit (London)
40. James Starks @ New Orleans
41. Bernard Pierce @ Cincinnati
42. Bobby Rainey vs. Minnesota
43. Knile Davis vs. St. Louis
44. Benny Cunningham @ Kansas City
45. Chris Johnson vs. Buffalo
46. Stepfan Taylor vs. Philadelphia
47. Joseph Randle vs. Washington
48. Brandon Bolden vs. Chicago
49. Chris Polk @ Arizona
50. Daniel Thomas @ Jacksonville
50b. Lorenzo Taliaferro @ Cincinnati
50c. Matt Asiata @ Tampa Bay
50d. Robert Turbin @ Carolina
50e. Maurice Jones-Drew @ Cleveland
50f. Zac Stacy @ Kansas City

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.