By Bart Lopez

1. Michael Bush (OAK): You know a team has a great running game when its superstar back gets injured and the backup ends up at the top of this list. Since Darren McFadden went down, Bush has accumulated 500 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in three games. Projected fantasy points: 18.5.

2. LeSean McCoy (PHI): McCoy had his fifth 100 plus rushing yards game in the win over the New York Giants. McCoy broke the 1,000 yards rushing mark and is in position to add plenty more yards to that total against the Patriots this week. Projected fantasy points: 17.7.

3. Ray Rice (BAL): Rice had one of his better games of the season against the Bengals. The back rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns. He will have a tough time running the ball against the 49ers top ranked rushing defense, but will have opportunities to catch the ball in the flat. Projected fantasy points: 16.0.

4. Maurice Jones-Drew (JAC): Jones-Drew had his third straight game with a rushing touchdown against the Browns last Sunday. He has been playing a lot better as of late, and will face the Texans defense on Sunday. The Jaguars don’t have many offensive weapons, so Jones-Drew will get plenty of rushes this weekend. Projected fantasy points: 15.1.

5. Arian Foster (HOU): Foster had his fourth straight game with a rushing touchdown against Tampa Bay in week 10. In eight games he has 740 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, and two receiving touchdowns. The Jaguars have a good defense, but he rushed for over 100 yards the last time these two teams faced. Projected fantasy points: 14.9.

Not top 5, but could be: This week’s running back that missed the cut is Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall had a big game against the Bengals in week 10. He rushed for 44 yards and two touchdowns in the win. The Steelers play the struggling Chiefs this week, and I’m expecting Mendenhall to get into the end zone at least once. Projected fantasy points: 12.6.