USA Today

Running Back Rankings for Week 17 Fantasy Football

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
RankNameTeamOpp
1Jonathan TaylorINDvs LV
2Austin EkelerLACvs DEN
3Dalvin CookMIN@ GB
4Joe MixonCINvs KC
5Ronald Jones IITB@ NYJ
6Alvin KamaraNOvs CAR
7David MontgomeryCHIvs NYG
8Aaron JonesGBvs MIN
9Sony MichelLAR@ BAL
10Najee HarrisPITvs CLE
11Nick ChubbCLE@ PIT
12D'Andre SwiftDET@ SEA
13Ezekiel ElliottDALvs ARI
14Rashaad PennySEAvs DET
15Chase EdmondsARI@ DAL
16Darrel WilliamsKC@ CIN
17Josh JacobsLV@ IND
18Elijah MitchellSFvs HOU
19Damien HarrisNEvs JAC
20Melvin Gordon IIIDEN@ LAC
21Javonte WilliamsDEN@ LAC
22Cordarrelle PattersonATL@ BUF
23Jordan HowardPHI@ WAS
24Jeff Wilson Jr.SFvs HOU
25Boston ScottPHI@ WAS
26AJ DillonGBvs MIN
27Devin SingletaryBUFvs ATL
28Michael CarterNYJvs TB
29Rex BurkheadHOU@ SF
30D'Onta ForemanTENvs MIA
31Dare OgunbowaleJAC@ NE
32Saquon BarkleyNYG@ CHI
33Devonta FreemanBALvs LAR
34Tony PollardDALvs ARI
35Justin JacksonLACvs DEN
36Rhamondre StevensonNEvs JAC
37Jonathan WilliamsWASvs PHI
38Jaret PattersonWASvs PHI
39Duke Johnson Jr.MIA@ TEN
40Myles GaskinMIA@ TEN
41Mike DavisATL@ BUF
42Jamaal WilliamsDET@ SEA
43Chuba HubbardCAR@ NO
44Kareem HuntCLE@ PIT
45Devontae BookerNYG@ CHI
46Mark Ingram IINOvs CAR
47Derrick GoreKC@ CIN
48Zack MossBUFvs ATL
49James ConnerARI@ DAL
50Ameer AbdullahCAR@ NO
51Jeremy McNicholsTENvs MIA
52Dontrell HilliardTENvs MIA
53Ty JohnsonNYJvs TB
54Nyheim HinesINDvs LV
55Ke'Shawn VaughnTB@ NYJ
56Craig ReynoldsDET@ SEA
57JaMycal HastySFvs HOU
58Kenneth GainwellPHI@ WAS
59Samaje PerineCINvs KC
60

Support Us

Enjoying the site?
Consider supporting us so we can continue to bring you
top notch fantasy football content.