Fantasy Football Week 10 Rankings: RB

In Monday morning's Reality Check this week, I proclaimed that I liked Chris Johnson more than Adrian Peterson -- and everyone else, obviously -- for the rest of the season and in 2010 as the top fantasy running back. In Week 10, I'm already posed with a test. Peterson gets to square off against the hapless Lions. Julius Jones was a stud against them last week and Peterson's coming off a bye week.

Of course, Johnson is taking on the league's worst run defense at home. The Bills allow 5.1 yards per carry, 173.6 yards rushing per game and have given up 12 rushing touchdowns. I'll be surprised if Johnson comes in with less than 150 yards and two touchdowns, but I'm expecting closer to 200 and three. Seriously.

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1. Chris Johnson, TEN vs. BUF
2. Adrian Peterson, MIN vs. DET
3. Ray Rice, BAL at CLE
4. DeAngelo Williams, CAR vs. ATL
5. Michael Turner, ATL at CAR
6. Frank Gore, SF vs. CHI
7. Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX at NYJ
8. Thomas Jones, NYJ vs. JAX
9. Steven Jackson, StL vs. NO
10. Cedric Benson, CIN at PIT
11. Ronnie Brown, MIA vs. TB
12. Pierre Thomas, NO at StL
13. Rashard Mendenhall, PIT vs. CIN
14. Joseph Addai, IND vs. NE
15. Ryan Grant, GB vs. DAL
16. Marion Barber, DAL at GB
17. Marshawn Lynch, BUF at TEN
18. Matt Forte, CHI at SF
19. Ricky Williams, MIA vs. TB
20. Laurence Maroney, NE at IND
21. Brian Westbrook*, PHI at SD
22. Justin Fargas, OAK vs. KC
23. Ladell Betts, WAS vs. DEN
24. Jonathan Stewart, CAR vs. ATL
25. LaDainian Tomlinson, SD vs. PHI
26. Tim Hightower, ARI vs. SEA
27. Kevin Smith, DET at MIN
28. Knowshon Moreno, DEN at WAS
29. Beanie Wells, ARI vs. SEA
30. Reggie Bush, NO at StL
31. Cadillac Williams, TB at MIA
32. Julius Jones, SEA at ARI
33. Correll Buckhalter, DEN at WAS
34. LeSean McCoy*, PHI at SD
35. Jamaal Charles, KC at OAK
36. Shonn Greene, NYJ vs. JAX
37. Mike Bell, NO at StL
38. Tashard Choice, DAL at GB
39. Darren Sproles, SD vs. PHI
40. Darren McFadden, OAK vs. KC
41. Kolby Smith, KC at OAK
42. Chester Taylor, MIN vs. DET
43. Jamal Lewis, CLE vs. BAL
44. Felix Jones, DAL at GB
45. Willis McGahee, BAL at CLE

*This is obviously assuming Westbrook plays. For now, I'm holding out hope he will. They won't run him into the ground or anything, but he matches up quite well with San Diego and could put up some numbers if he goes. I still believe they keep McCoy involved, though.

• One thing you should start noticing from here on out is that we've established our definite, every week RB1 guys. We've seen at least eight games from everyone, so we know what we have for the 2009 season. The top 10 you see above are the absolute must-starts, no matter the opponent. Neither team on a bye -- Giants, Texans -- has a must-start, so we could conclude that, as of right now, this would be the top 10 for next season (not necessarily this order, just these 10 guys). Obviously, things are always subject to change, but that's how it looks for now.

• Expect both Williams and Brown to run all over the Bucs. Tampa ranks 30th against the run in the NFL and allows 4.8 yards per carry. Due to their dynamic duo and creativity, the Dolphins rank fourth in the NFL in rushing offense. They'll have some fun.

• The Broncos are coming off two straight losses, a short week and the realization that Kyle Orton isn't as allergic to interceptions as they previously thought. Considering a loss to the hapless Redskins would be a disaster, expect them to let their defense win the game against a lackluster Washington offense. Thus, they will run the ball frequently with Moreno and Buckhalter, as opposed to last week when they totally avoided the Steelers' top-ranked run defense by only rushing 14 times.

• Love Justin Fargas as an under-the-radar play. He's available in way too many leagues, by the way. Seriously, he's only owned in 25 percent of the fleaflicker leagues out there while Willis McGahee is owned in 69 percent. What is going on? Since Week 6, Fargas has 33.7 points in three games while McGahee has 0.6 in three. Also, Darren McFadden, who is easily less productive than Fargas when on the field, is still owned in 54 percent of fleaflicker leagues. It would seem Fargas' name just isn't sexy enough.

• There's obviously something about Charles that head coach Todd Haley doesn't like in a guy who gets a full workload. For a while, he was using the unproductive Larry Johnson over him, and last week the Chiefs only gave Charles six carries. Thus, take a look at Kolby Smith in the deepest of leagues. I'm expecting a split this time around against a sad Raiders rush defense.