Welcome to the fantasy football Week 17 running back rankings hub!
LAC RB Austin Ekeler returns from COVID-19 for a blowup spot against the injury depleted Denver Broncos front-seven. The status of Cardinal James Conner (heel) is up in the air right now so it looks like Chase Edmonds is in line for another hefty workload. Whether it’s Elijah Mitchell or Jeff Wilson Jr., the SF lead back is going to crush the Houston Texans’ defensive front–their running lanes should be wide open with threat of a Trey Lance scramble now in play.
Below are my top-60 running backs for Week 16. These rankings are geared toward .5PPR scoring formats for Week 16 of the 2021 NFL season but should aid those who play in both non-PPR and full-point PPR formats. I’ve also included my top RB streaming option this week and DFS play of the week (cost via FanDuel).
Check back throughout the week to see how expectations have changed as news continues to roll in, enhancing our prognostication abilities. Feel free to hit me up on twitter @Ginger__Nic for any fantasy related advice.
Stream of the Week: Darrel Williams at Cincinnati Bengals
KC lead back Clyde Edwards-Helaire suffered a collarbone injury last week and is unlikely to play in Week 17. The Bengals’ front-seven is no pushover but the incoming volume for Williams can’t be beat. This one’s a layup. Williams is a volume-based, top-15 RB for the fantasy championship.
DFS Play of the Week: Ronald Jones ($7,000) at New York Jets
RoJo had a fine Week 16 showing but it was far from the smash spot that many expected (20 carries, 65 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, 3 targets, 2 catches, and 16 receiving yards). This week he’ll handle lead back duties vs. fantasy’s most RB-friendly front-seven, the New York Jets, who have allowing a whopping 30.5 .5PPR RB PPG this year. Their run defense NEFF score is also third worst in the league. After last week’s performance, Jones’ roster percentage isn’t going to be as high as it should be. He’s a safe top-12 play at just $7,000 on Fanduel.
Week 17 Running Back Rankings
Rank | Name | Team | Opp |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | vs LV |
2 | Austin Ekeler | LAC | vs DEN |
3 | Dalvin Cook | MIN | @ GB |
4 | Joe Mixon | CIN | vs KC |
5 | Ronald Jones II | TB | @ NYJ |
6 | Alvin Kamara | NO | vs CAR |
7 | David Montgomery | CHI | vs NYG |
8 | Aaron Jones | GB | vs MIN |
9 | Sony Michel | LAR | @ BAL |
10 | Najee Harris | PIT | vs CLE |
11 | Nick Chubb | CLE | @ PIT |
12 | D'Andre Swift | DET | @ SEA |
13 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | vs ARI |
14 | Rashaad Penny | SEA | vs DET |
15 | Chase Edmonds | ARI | @ DAL |
16 | Darrel Williams | KC | @ CIN |
17 | Josh Jacobs | LV | @ IND |
18 | Elijah Mitchell | SF | vs HOU |
19 | Damien Harris | NE | vs JAC |
20 | Melvin Gordon III | DEN | @ LAC |
21 | Javonte Williams | DEN | @ LAC |
22 | Cordarrelle Patterson | ATL | @ BUF |
23 | Jordan Howard | PHI | @ WAS |
24 | Jeff Wilson Jr. | SF | vs HOU |
25 | Boston Scott | PHI | @ WAS |
26 | AJ Dillon | GB | vs MIN |
27 | Devin Singletary | BUF | vs ATL |
28 | Michael Carter | NYJ | vs TB |
29 | Rex Burkhead | HOU | @ SF |
30 | D'Onta Foreman | TEN | vs MIA |
31 | Dare Ogunbowale | JAC | @ NE |
32 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | @ CHI |
33 | Devonta Freeman | BAL | vs LAR |
34 | Tony Pollard | DAL | vs ARI |
35 | Justin Jackson | LAC | vs DEN |
36 | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | vs JAC |
37 | Jonathan Williams | WAS | vs PHI |
38 | Jaret Patterson | WAS | vs PHI |
39 | Duke Johnson Jr. | MIA | @ TEN |
40 | Myles Gaskin | MIA | @ TEN |
41 | Mike Davis | ATL | @ BUF |
42 | Jamaal Williams | DET | @ SEA |
43 | Chuba Hubbard | CAR | @ NO |
44 | Kareem Hunt | CLE | @ PIT |
45 | Devontae Booker | NYG | @ CHI |
46 | Mark Ingram II | NO | vs CAR |
47 | Derrick Gore | KC | @ CIN |
48 | Zack Moss | BUF | vs ATL |
49 | James Conner | ARI | @ DAL |
50 | Ameer Abdullah | CAR | @ NO |
51 | Jeremy McNichols | TEN | vs MIA |
52 | Dontrell Hilliard | TEN | vs MIA |
53 | Ty Johnson | NYJ | vs TB |
54 | Nyheim Hines | IND | vs LV |
55 | Ke'Shawn Vaughn | TB | @ NYJ |
56 | Craig Reynolds | DET | @ SEA |
57 | JaMycal Hasty | SF | vs HOU |
58 | Kenneth Gainwell | PHI | @ WAS |
59 | Samaje Perine | CIN | vs KC |
60 |