Fantasy Football: Week 14 Running Back Rankings

MIAMI, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- If you've made it to this point in the fantasy football season, it's unlikely that you've remained unscathed from the injury bug.

By adding proper depth at the running back position prior in the season, you might have some good options to decide between when selecting your Week 14 lineup. Studs like David Johnson, Le'Veon Bell, DeMarco Murray, and Ezekiel Elliott should never see your bench. But after that, you should invest time in educating yourself about the best matchups to capitalize on.

To help you figure out who to sit or start at the position, take a look at my top 30 running backs for Week 14. You can also view my add/drops for the week and more positional rankings in the links below.

TOP SHELF

Spencer Ware is an RB1 this week against an Oakland Raiders unit allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs. Ware has at least 16 touches in four consecutive games. He should get excel against the Raiders after battling the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.

LeSean McCoy might carry your fantasy team to glory, following his stellar Week 13 showing. This week, the Buffalo Bills workhorse gets to face a Pittsburgh Steelers defense allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs. McCoy piled up 191 yards from scrimmage on 24 touches last week against the Oakland Raiders. He has at least 100 yards from scrimmage and/or a touchdown in four consecutive games.

SNEAKY PLAYS

Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill should be the biggest benefactor of a Week 14 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns are allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs. Hill has four scores in his last six games and won't disappoint for you in the opening round of the playoffs.

Although Doug Martin's status for this weekend is clouded, I would take him, or any of his Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield-mates, as an RB1 against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints have allowed a combined 16 scores from running backs via the ground and through the air, the second-most in the NFL. Martin has at least 90 yards from scrimmage and/or a touchdown in every game since his Week 10 return from injury.

LONGSHOTS

While the New York Jets' quarterback situation is as ugly as it gets, I expect Matt Forte to continue to get a large workload. The Jets will lean on the run against a San Francisco 49ers defense allowing the most fantasy points to running backs. Forte cracks the RB1 cut this week. The 49ers have also allowed a league-high 20 touchdowns to the position and are the only NFL defense that has allowed more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage to opposing running backs. Forte has gone for more than 100 yards from scrimmage and/or scored a touchdown in every game when he has gotten 20 or more touches.

Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood is a borderline RB2 against the Washington Redskins. The Redskins are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs. Smallwood can be booked for about 10 carries in this contest.