Now that all of the NFL bye weeks are in the past, it's time to get serious and look at the big picture for the remaining weeks of the regular season. Believe it or not, there is more than a handful of capable waiver wire options available across multiple league formats. The AFC East, for example, is headlined by four quality, locked in starters. Yet, each team has a backup RB who is more than able to put up points on a situational basis.

Week 11 was full of breakout performances by previously backup running backs. Two of the week's top-5 scorers entered the week as backups, as did five of the top-10 and nine of the top-15. That's exactly what makes fantasy football so wildly unpredictable. The important thing is that you take a look at those surprise producers and determine which are flukes and which are the real deal.

AFC EAST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

There weren't many offensive stars in the Patriots ugly win over the Bills on Monday night. James White was the closest thing to a star, as the highly anticipated replacement for Dion Lewis broke out for two scores in the contest. Aside from the two big plays, White was not utilized much, recording only four total touches for 46 yards. LeGarrette Blount did exactly what he's been doing repeatedly as of late - running straight down the gut and coming up with a meager 3.5 YPC. Blount will continue to be an every week option due to his workload and status as the clear starting back in New England. However, his ceiling is low, while James White could really bust through the stratosphere any day now. Brandon Bolden mixed in occasionally, rushing four times for 15 yards.

Chris Ivory was stopped short by the resurgent Texans defense on Sunday afternoon, recording just 36 yards on eight carries. Bilal Powell (ankle) came back from injury to lead the backfield with some quality garbage time production. On the day, Powell finished with 89 yards (22 on four carries, five receptions for 67 yards) and seemed to take over for Ivory after his early struggles. After starting the season as a top-5 fantasy RB through Week 4, Ivory has stalled ever since and just doesn't look good on the field. The roles in New York don't seem like they will change soon - Ivory is the locked in starter and Powell will filter in as the third down/passing back. If the Jets continue to find themselves in lengthy garbage time situations, Powell may have a chance to produce. The duo has a friendly matchup at home with Miami next week.

The Bills backfield assumed the appearance of a standard rushing attack against the Patriots on Monday night with LeSean McCoy looking like a real starter and Karlos Williams looking like a true backup. McCoy was overall sharp, evidenced by his 20-82-1 line against a top rushing defense in New England. McCoy added 41 yards on 6-of-10 targets. Williams was a dud after a string of impressive performances to start his career. In fact, Williams is just the second player ever to begin his NFL career with six consecutive games scoring at least one touchdown. That streak came to an end as Williams managed just 1 yards on six carries. The rookie also fumbled dubiously in the third quarter, though he did fall back on top of it. His days as the most productive backup in the NFL (Williams leads the NFL with 6.2 YPA) may be coming to an end.

Lamar Miller made the most of his chances on Sunday against the Cowboys (6.3 YPC), but the chances were too few and far between to have a real fantasy impact in Week 11. Miller accounted for just 55 yards on nine touches. It appears the Dolphins playoff hopes are over for this season, as the offense has imploded more often than not. Miami would be wise to give Miller, easily the most competent player on the offense, more looks and give their quarterback a break from the constant pressure. Regardless, Miller is a consistent option who could go off any week. Jay Ajayi was rumored to receive more carries in this contest, but the carries never really came. The rookie finished with 13 yards on four attempts and two catches for 23 yards. It doesn't seem likely he will pan out this season behind a strong lead option in Miller.

AFC WEST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

The Broncos found the run game for the first time since Week 8 against the Bears defense this past Sunday. More importantly, the game solidified Ronnie Hillman's role as the starting RB as he out-touched C.J. Anderson 22-to-14 and out-gained him 104-to-72. It's almost impossible to tell when these guys will have a significant impact for fantasy owners. Week-to-week, Hillman's output can range anywhere between 1-150 yards from scrimmage. The Broncos schedule over the final six games of the season is very telling for the run game. That is, Hillman can and should be trusted as a low end starter in two remaining games against the Chargers and at home for the raiders, but likely should be sat in three games against the Patriots, Steelers and Bengals.

In an unforeseen series of events, Spencer Ware found himself among the top-3 fantasy running backs of Week 11 with a 96 yard, two TD performance in San Diego. The burst of excellence from Ware can be attributed to two main factors - The Chargers atrocious defense (not to mention nonexistent home-field advantage) and the Chiefs ability to execute a successful ground attack regardless of who is in the backfield. Seriously, if Peyton Hillis were starting for this team right now he might be the best back in the league. Charcandrick West (hamstring) left the game in the third quarter and is questionable for next week's crucial matchup against the Bills. As of right now, it seems like a strong possibility West may need one week of rest before returning to action, rendering Ware a top streaming option for Week 12. Knile Davis has dropped off the face of the Earth and was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive week on Sunday.

After an impressive and hope-inducing stretch of wins earlier in the season, Oakland has lost its steam in recent weeks and the running game has suffered as a result. Latavius Murray managed just 28 yards on 13 rushes, though he did score a one-yard touchdown in the process. It's good to know Murray still has the chance to convert goal line opportunities with the presence of Marcel Reece and Jamize Olawale looming over him. The two fullbacks combined for 35 yards on five touches. Murray's 13 touches were good for his lowest total of the season and should rise next week when the team travels to Tennessee. Backup RB Taiwan Jones went down with a knee injury during the game and did not return. The scope of that injury is not eyt known, but any time missed would bring Roy Helu back into backup duties.

The fact that Melvin Gordon still has a job (let along a starting job) in the NFL is shocking to me. But I suppose when your team is as lacking in talent as the Chargers, you have to start somebody. The rookie totaled 49 yards from scrimmage on 16 touches (15 rush, one reception) and was hardly given a look in the second half as the Chargers were fighting for air most of the afternoon. Get this - Gordon still hasn't scored a touchdown. Not even one! If it weren't for his consistent (and inexplicable) weekly workload, Gordon would be droppable across all formats. Danny Woodhead was severely underused in this one, touching the ball just seven times with just 16 yards to show for it. San Diego may not win another game this year, but Woodhead should still be started most weeks for his breakout potential in garbage time.

AFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

It's time to step away from the Ravens offense. Though the team walked away with a surprising win over a reeling Rams team, they lost both QB Joe Flacco (ACL) and lead RB Justin Forsett with two broken bones in his forearm. Buck Allen took over in the first quarter after the injury to Forsett and actually played pretty well, piling up 115 yards on 27 touches. With the Ravens offensive skill players absolutely decimated by injuries, Allen could have a chance to shine as one of the few talented players remaining. Newly signed RB Terrence West will likely be seen occasionally as a change-of-pace back, but the whole team will surely suffer from the inevitably terrible play of new starting QB Matt Schaub. Allen is worth a look on the waiver wire, but everything within me tells me to stay away from this team, unless of course you're looking to stream a defense against them.

**BYE** Sunday turned out to be the Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown show, causing DeAngelo Williams to take the back seat and turn in his first middling fantasy performance of the year. Williams went 54 yards on 17 carries and reeled in a 15-yard reception while backup Jordan Todman saw two carries for eight yards. This weak (but not terrible) output is just a blip on the radar, as Williams is locked in as a starter and should hit double-digit fantasy points again when the team travels to Seattle to face the newly-flawed Seahawks defense in Week 11.

It seems like both Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill are simply incapable of having an individual good day without bringing the other guy with him. That is, from week to week, either both backs are uninspiring or they are both unstoppable. Week 11 leaned towards the unstoppable, as both half backs finished within the top-10 fantasy performers of the week. Hill did most of his damage on the ground, leading the backfield in carries (13), yards (45) and touchdowns (2). Bernard, on the other hand, could not be accounted for in the passing game as the gritty half back piled on 128 yards on eight receptions. Last week, neither guy reached 8.00 standard fantasy points against an invigorated Texans squad. It's nearly impossible to tell when these guys will go off and even more futile to predict which one will perform better. Bernard is probably the more consistent option, but Hill is a constant goal line threat and is the better home run  option of the two. Let's see how they do against a worn down Rams squad in Week 12.

**BYE** There simply is no running game in Cleveland. Fun fact: I haven't changed that opening sentence for four straight weeks now. Seriously, Johnny Manziel led the backfield with 17 yards on three carries. Duke Johnson was the leading RB with 10 yards on four carries and 18 yards on four receptions. Isaiah Crowell totaled -5 yards on six carries. Stay away from this backfield at all costs!

AFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Guess who recorded a top-5 fantasy RB performance in Week 11 - Oh yeah, that's right, it was Ahmad Bradshaw. Though his best days are undeniably behind him, Bradshaw on the Colts is always a weapon in the red zone and could be a legitimate fantasy threat if the coaching staff opted to give him more looks. Well, that very well may be the case. Bradshaw reeled in all four of his targets for 20 yards and two scores, adding 32 more yards on nine carries. Frank Gore (knee, quad) was, shockingly, the leading receiver in this one, catching all five of his targets for a meaningful 46 yards and posted a 14-34-0 rushing line. Not great, but this type of consistent chugging along has kept the veteran in within the top-15 fantasy backs for the 2015 season. Still, it is worth noting that gore lost a fumble in this one, his third lost fumble of the season. The victory came at a price, as Gore was hobbled in the contest and may not play against the Bucs in Week 12. If that is the case, Bradshaw becomes a nice pickup heading into a somewhat friendly matchup.

Hey, Alfred Blue had a good game. The all-of-the-sudden competent Texans produced a worthwhile running game against the Jets formidable run defense on Sunday, as the trio of Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes and Chris Polk churned out 121 yards on 31 carries on the afternoon. Blue was clearly the leader of the group as he topped the crew in touches (24), yards from scrimmage (92) and was the only to score a TD. Blue's standard fantasy output was the seventh-best of the week and his best game since Week 3. The powerful Blue is the only back in this system who has shown multiple signs of ability and is the only one who should be owned. However, his floor remains as low as it gets. The committee is primed for success in Week 12 when the Saints horrendous defense comes to town. The question is, who will be the main guy? My money is on Blue.

May the lord help any owner who thought it would b e savvy to start David Cobb in Week 11. The much-hyped rookie RB, playing in the first game of his NFL career, was held to -3 yards on fur carries. Who knows if this guy is talented or not. He still does not deserve fantasy recognition until he records a positive rushing play. Antonio Andrews, whose value was diminished heading into this matchup, remained the clear leading man in the backfield and managed to squeeze out 94 yards on 17 touches. Andrews is still worth FLEX rostering until Cobb or anyone else can prove his worth. Dexter McCluster was hardly a factor in this one, recording just 18 yards on four touches. The inconsistency of his play makes him droppable in all but the deepest league formats.

T.J. Yeldon (foot) was O.K. against a lackluster Titans squad on Sunday. The rookie back amounted to 82 yards on 17 carries. He must be the most middling, average back in the league this year. In fact, all running backs should be measured on the Yeldon scale to determine their worth.  If you're better than Yeldon, you're good - if you're worse, you stink. It seems that Yeldon will fall between 60-110 yards each week. In fact, he's only landed outside of that range twice this year - falling short once and surpassing it once. Of course, he has been playing through a foot injury the past two weeks. His heavy workload alone will keep him in the every-week start range. Denard Robinson tacked on 27 yards on seven carries.

NFC EAST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

**BYE** The fantasy nightmare continues in New York. Of the four available runners in the Giants backfield, none exceeded 3.5 YPC or 40 total yards against the Patriots on Sunday. If these four guys were combined into one player, he would still only be a moderately successful RB, as the whole backfield combined for just 70 yards on 22 carries. Last week was slightly better, as the crew accrued 114 yards on 33 attempts, good for 3.5 YPC. None of these guys can get it going individually or together. Jennings still seems to be the lead guy here with a team-leading 11 carries for 39 yards and two catches for an additional 12 yards. Beyond that, no one is worth considering.

With Ryan Mathews (concussion) sidelined, starting back DeMarco Murray seemed primed for a big day against a somewhat middling Tampa Bay run defense. That wasn't necessarily the case, as Murray only received 13 of the 28 carries from the Eagles backfield. Those 13 rushes amounted to 64 yards (4.9 YPA) with four catches for 27 yards and a big ol' fumble. Not a terrible day for Murray, but certainly not a $42 million day. Kenjon Barner, the fourth string running back, assumed the change-of-pace duties. Barner looked sharp, gaining 37 yards on seven attempts, with no rush long than eight yards and none shorter than four. Mathews is still going through the league's concussion protocol - if he can't suit up next week, Barner may be an option in very deep leagues as the team travels to lowly Detroit next week. Darren Sproles touched the ball nine times to the tune of 59 yards from scrimmage.

Darren McFadden (groin) was given a much-needed boost by the return of Tony Romo, as the oft-injured rusher ripped the Dolphins defense for 129 yards on 29 carries. He added three receptions for another 20 yards. In other news, Christine Michael was cut from the team for not wearing a suit, making Robert Turbin the primary handcuff in this one. The Cowboys sure do love those ex-Seahawk running backs. Fortunately, McFadden looked much healthier than originally anticipated and did not need much help from his backups. Turbin rushed seven times for 35 yards, adding a three-yard catch. Run-DMC is still the one and only guy worth playing in Dallas.

After a dominant showing in Week 10, the Washington run game simply could not break the line of scrimmage against the Panthers on Sunday. Both Matt Jones (five attempts) and Alfred Morris (two attempts) finished the day with zero total yards, while Chris Thompson managed a whopping 10 yards on four carries. None of the three made a significant impact in the passing game either. Look - the Panthers defense is on fire and certainly is a tough one to run on. But these RBs need to find some consistency. Really, Jones is the only one here worth looking at. But, after scoring 24.80 standard points last week, he finished Week 11 with -0.80 points (he lost his NFL-worst fourth fumble). Basically, only start Jones against the worst defenses in the league.

NFC WEST: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

In the first game of Carlos Hyde's (foot) absence back in Week 9, the 49ers went run-heavy to dismantle the Falcons en route to a shocking victory. Week 11 in Seattle was witness to a very different series of events. After giving up an early first quarter lead, the Niners were forced to pass most of the afternoon, leaving just 12 total carries from the backfield. All of those 12 attempts went to Shaun Draughn, who only managed to reach 37 yards. However, he did add another 40 yards by securing 8-of-11 targets. It seems that Draughn and new starting QB Blaine Gabbert have some chemistry going on. If Hyde still isn't ready to return from his stress fracture for a Week 12 matchup against the Cardinals, Draughn could hold some real value in PPR leagues. With the state of San Francisco's season, it seems unlikely the coaches will rush Hyde back to action.

About an hour before game time, much to the chagrin of fantasy owners, Marshawn Lynch (abdomen) was scratched, paving the way for a monstrous game from Thomas Rawls. Rawls was the league's top fantasy scoring RB of Week 11 by a huge margin, nearly doubling the outputs of those right behind him. The undrafted rookie exploded for 209 yards and a score on 30 attempts while adding 46 yards and a second score on three receptions. The breaking news today is that Lynch may be dealing with a sports hernia. If that is indeed the case, Lynch will need to undergo surgery which will likely be season ending. Rawls must be added in all leagues as a top waiver wire priority.

Despite the high score of Sunday night's game, Cincinnati actually held up pretty well against the run, allowing just 82 yards on 25 attempts from four different men. Those men were led by veteran RB Chris Johnson, who had a relatively mediocre night with 63 yards on 18 carries. Andre Ellington wasn't nearly as explosive as he was last week, tacking on just seven yards on three touches. The other Johnson (David) surfaced for the first time since Week 4 with a receiving touchdown and a modest 26 yards from scrimmage on four touches. The rookie was having a promising start to the season before Ellington's return from injury. With both backup RBs healthy, neither will hold value behind the heavy workload of CJ2K.

With the Rams season in shambles, Todd Gurley's value is going down, down, down. Gurley's fantasy output has dropped lower and lower each week since a breakout performance five weeks ago (28.30 points against the Browns in Week 7). Much of this can be attributed to the woeful production from the quarterback in St. Louis, where the tandem of a flustered Nick Foles and a concussed Case Keenum has done little to take attention away from the run game. Also, that Week 7 performance against the Browns may have been misleading, as many running backs across the league have been overvalued as a result of dominant showings against Cleveland. Regardless, Gurley has managed to put up double-digit fantasy points every week since Week 4. His 10.60 standard fantasy points in Week 11 (66 rushing yards, 1 TD) may have been his lowest total during that stretch, but it could be worse. In fact, it very well may be worse next week in Cincinnati.

NFC NORTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

Eddie Lacy jiggled his way to his first 100-yard rushing game since 2014 in Minnesota on Sunday, reaching the milestone exactly on 22 carries. The performance came as a shock, as Lacy had been dealing with groin and ankle injuries over the past few weeks, not to mention head coach Mike McCarthy had publicly stated that James Starks would be the starting back moving forward. There were probably very few of you starting Lacy in your lineups this week. Well, it looks like Lacy is back in control of the Packers backfield and is primed for a big game (or a big dud) against the Bears on Thanksgiving. James Starks started the game on Sunday, but struggled, amounting to only 14 yards on eight carries, although he did bust out a big 30-yard screen play. It should be noted that Lacy still looks a little shaky (literally) on the field and it will take a string of good performances to keep him locked in as starter. Starks is still well worth rostering until further notice.

The Detroit Lions backfield followed a similar formula as it did early in the season - Failed rushing attempts from Ameer Abdullah and Joique Bell and a bunch of receiving yards for Theo Riddick. Abdullah was woefully inefficient against a stacked Raiders front seven, gaining just 44 yards on 12 carries. Bell wasn't much better, or any better, with 22 yards on six attempts. Both lead rushers were good for 3.7 YPA. Riddick was even worse on the ground (just 14 yards on six carries) but racked up another 72 receiving yards on five catches. The Lions will have an insanely friendly matchup on Thanksgiving against the Eagles ramshackle run defense. However, all of these guys are so unreliable that the matchup might not be enough to warrant starting. Riddick, a reliable receiving RB, is the only one worth a look.

Jeremy Langford managed to remain in the top-20 this week thanks to a touchdown, his third in three games. Besides the score, Langford was overall unimpressive. He led the backfield in attempts (13) but finished last in yardage, even behind Jay Cutler. He did, however, add 17 yards on three catches. Ka'Deem Carey led the group, but still only amounted to 32 yards on nine carries. These pedestrian performances can be excused against a top notch Broncos defense. They might not even matter if Matt Forte (knee) returns to action on Thanksgiving, which seems very possible at this point, though he is still listed as questionable. Langford is still worth rostering until Forte's status becomes official. If Forte is active, Langford and Carey lose most of their value.

What happened here? Adrian Peterson was supposed to run for 750 yards and 18 touchdowns at home against the Packers sluggish run defense on Sunday. Instead he was held to 45 yards on 13 carries and just one measly TD, plus another 16 yards on two receptions and a very costly fumble. Technically, this was a better fantasy performance than Peterson's counterpart Eddie Lacy, but it sure didn't feel that way. The Packers held Peterson in check and completely shut down the middle of the field for most of the day, forcing the Vikings to switch to the passing attack early. Who cares? Peterson will bounce back as he has time and again. Watch him embarrass the Falcons despairing defense on Sunday at 1:00 PM, exclusively on FOX.

NFC SOUTH: Fantasy Football Running Backs (RB)

**BYE** In the midst of an afternoon the Saints would like to soon forget, Mark Ingram tallied just a shade under 100 yards from scrimmage with 98 yards on just eight touches. It's miraculous Ingram was able to amass so much yardage considering the Saints were playing catch-up all day. Most of that came on a 70-yard dash in the first quarter. C.J. Spiller rushed nine times for 23 yards and caught three passes for 18 yards. Ingram's consistent play has made him a top-three fantasy RB for the 2015 season.

All great things must come to an end. Devonta Freeman, the NFL's leading fantasy RB scorer by a huge margin, went down with a concussion in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Colts and did not return. Such a shame, considering the hot start he was off to (43 yards on three attempts). As of now, Freeman is still going through the league's protocol and isn't likely the participate in the Falcons Week 12 matchup against Minnesota. If that holds true, Tevin Coleman will be the starting back in Atlanta's run-heavy offense. Coleman looked pretty unimpressive filling in for Freeman, as he only tacked on 48 yards on 17 carries all while losing his second fumble of the season. Terron Ward might be worth a look in this situation if Freeman's absence winds up being prolonged. If Coleman fails to perform or loses another fumble, the Falcons will have no problem plugging Ward into the equation. For what it's worth, fullback Patrick DeMarco caught three passes for 24 yards and two wide open touchdowns, but obviously can't be considered a fantasy option in the future.

Jonathan Stewart was very sharp against the Falcons on Sunday as he totaled 102 yards on 21 carries, adding a 12-yard receiving TD. This is Stewart's second consecutive impressive performance and this time it ranked in the top-5 of the week. The Panthers offense has been rolling for the past few weeks and Stewart has been both a motivator and beneficiary of that. The bruising back was ducking and weaving all day long. With no threat from handcuffs, Stewart will continue to be a top fantasy RB and should come up big against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.

Make way for the Dougernaut. The artist previously known as Muscle Hamster lit up the field against the Eagles on Sunday to the tune of 235 yards on 27 carries, good for the highest yardage total of the season for any running back. Unfortunately, the day did not culminate in any trips to the end zone. Even Charles Sims was able to finish with some nice numbers in the wake of Martin's massive day, with 69 yards on 13 touches and a highlight-reel TD grab. Time to add Sims back to that waiver wire watch. The Eagles defense is in absolute shambles, so these numbers are clearly exaggerated. The duo has another friendly matchup against Indianapolis next week.

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