Fantasy football: Week 5 running back rankings

Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Christian McCaffrey, Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram top my Week 5 fantasy football running back rankings for 2019.

Nick Chubb, Leonard Fournette, David Johnson, James Conner and LeSean McCoy round out my top 10 options for Week 5.

Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions players should be removed from your lineup, as those teams have Week 5 byes.

There are plenty of other running backs with great matchups this week. If you need help at the position, check out my add/drops article for Week 5. Try to find players who will be on the field for a lot of snaps and are highly involved in their respective offenses when deciding on starting options for your lineup.

Here are some of my favorite players in this week's top 30 rankings:

TOP SHELF

Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is my No. 2 running back for Week 5. The Cowboys battle the Green Bay Packers this week. The Packers have a stellar pass defense, but have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. I expect the Cowboys to feed Elliott early and often in this home matchup. Elliott has win-your-week potential in this matchup. Elliott should see close to 30 touches and surpass 100 total yards against the Packers. He also has a shot to score multiple touchdowns.

Baltimore Ravens veteran Mark Ingram is my No. 5 running back for Week 5. Ingram has five touchdowns and has eclipsed 100 yards in two of his four games this season. This week the Ravens battle the Pittsburgh Steelers, a unit allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Ingram is an elite RB1 until further notice.

SNEAKY PLAYS

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson is my No. 8 option this week, landing in low-end RB1 territory. Johnson is facing a Cincinnati Bengals defense that just allowed 125 yards from scrimmage to Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner and 83 yards to running back Jaylen Samuels. Johnson's skillset is a bad recipe for the Bengals in Week 5. I'm expecting a breakout performance from Johnson against this unit, which has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Kansas City Chiefs running back LeSean McCoy is a fringe RB1 this week against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are tied for allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs. I expect Chiefs quarterback Patriot Mahomes to throw all over the Colts, but McCoy should be on the receiving end of some of those targets. He should have a big day in terms of total yards and could end up milking the clock in the second half.

LONGSHOTS

Los Angeles Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is set to return to the field in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos. While his workload remains uncertain, he should find plenty of room to operate against a unit that is allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs. Gordon is my No. 19 running back, landing in RB2 territory. I also expect Chargers running back Austin Ekeler to have RB2 value in this matchup.

Indianapolis Colts backup running back Jordan Wilkins comes in at No. 24 in my Week 5 rankings, landing in RB2 or flex territory. The Colts are facing the Kansas City Chiefs. I expect Indianapolis to be playing catch up in this spot, making Wilkins valuable as a pass-catcher. He will likely see a larger workload than usual, especially if Marlon Mack is slowed due to his ankle injury. I would avoid starting Wilkins in shallow leagues, but he does have value in deeper leagues, especially in points per reception format.

Week 5 fantasy football running back rankings

1. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers vs. JAX

2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys vs. GB

3. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings at NYG

4. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints vs. TB

5. Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens at PIT

6. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns at SF

7. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars at CAR

8. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals at CIN

9. James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. BAL

10. LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs vs. IND

11. David Montgomery, Chicago Bears at OAK