Week 14 is here, which means the fantasy football playoffs are up and running for just about every league. Going through the rankings and picking the right running back for your fantasy football lineup is never easy, and now it’s very much a do-or-die situation. Ty Johnson came out of nowhere to put up a huge Week 13, but can he do it again?
Note that these rankings are for PPR scoring formats. Obviously, if you’re using a different format, there will be some minor changes to these rankings
Ty Johnson Still A Gamble in Fantasy Football Week 14 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1: Best of the Best
1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Derrick Henry
3. Dalvin Cook
4. Aaron Jones
5. Austin Ekeler
6. James Robinson
Firing up Christian McCaffrey as the RB1 might sound dangerous, considering he’s coming back from an injury. However, fortune favors the bold, and all signs point towards a huge week. He’s still averaging 30.1 PPR points per game and played in 71% of the offensive snaps during his previous return from injury. With D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel on the COVID list, McCaffrey is going to see an absurd amount of targets and be the best running back in fantasy once again.
It’s December and Derrick Henry faces off against a truly atrocious Jacksonville Jaguars defense. What else needs to be said? Dalvin Cook should feast in a high-scoring contest against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has notably slowed down in recent weeks. Aaron Jones is a fantastic talent in a high-powered offense against a bad defense – don’t overthink this one.
Since returning from injury, Austin Ekeler has averaged 12.5 targets per game. Look for him to be far more efficient against a bad Atlanta Falcons defense. James Robinson, meanwhile, will continue to be his ever-reliable self with his guaranteed massive workload.
Tier 2: RB1 Upside
7. Chris Carson
8. Nick Chubb
9. Wayne Gallman
10. Alvin Kamara
11. Ronald Jones
12. Jonathan Taylor
13. Ezekiel Elliott
Update: David Montgomery belongs in this tier
Seattle’s offense hasn’t looked quite right in recent weeks, but you still don’t want to bet against Russell Wilson. Carson has the workload to be a star if the offense starts scoring points at a high rate. Nick Chubb is a lock for 15-20 touches and should make magic with his opportunities.
Wayne Gallman continues to be everything Saquon Barkley owners hoped for this season. He’s the RB6 since Week 7, and the workload should be there for the rest of the season. Alvin Kamara is still a great talent, but his ceiling is limited with Taysom Hill refusing to throw checkdowns. Ronald Jones is not a gifted receiver, but he’s a great runner and should find his way into the endzone once or twice.
Jonathan Taylor is finally starting to get the hang of life in the NFL. Last week, the rookie recorded 91 rushing yards to go along with 44 receiving yards and a touchdown. He faces a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders and should continue his late-season surge. Ezekiel Elliott continues to disappoint, but should have a solid bounce-back week against a terrible Cincinnati Bengals team.
Tier 3: Solid RB2
14. Myles Gaskin
15. Kenyan Drake
16. J.K. Dobbins
17. Raheem Mostert
18. Melvin Gordon
19. Kareem Hunt
20. J.D. McKissic*
21. Giovani Bernard
22. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
23. Miles Sanders
24. Nyheim Hines
25. D’Andre Swift
Myles Gaskin is back and ready to take full control of the backfield. However, Miami’s pedestrian offense isn’t great for fantasy football purposes. Kenyan Drake sees the majority of Arizona’s touches but the offense hasn’t played as well ever since Kyler Murray injured his shoulder. J.K. Dobbins is fantastic every time he touches the ball and is starting to earn a larger share of the work.
Raheem Mostert is back, and Kyle Shanahan is using him as the featured guy. This could change on a weekly basis, but for now he’s a solid start. Melvin Gordon sees the valuable touches in Denver’s low-scoring offense, which makes him good enough for a flex play. Kareem Hunt is the second-fiddle to Nick Chubb, but Cleveland’s run-heavy attack allows both to have fantasy value. Assuming Antonio Gibson doesn’t play, J.D. McKissic is a smash-play in PPR leagues.
Giovani Bernard has complete control of his backfield, but it’s hard to get too excited about anyone in Cincinnati’s offense. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will play more in Week 14 than he did in Week 13, but he’s still looking at an RB2 ceiling. Philadelphia has a bad offense, and Jalen Hurts starting means that Miles Sanders won’t see that many targets.
Even with Jonathan Taylor breaking out, Nyheim Hines will see a decent amount of targets from Philip Rivers. D’Andre Swift has the potential to be an RB1, but Detroit will probably go easy on him after his concussion.
Tier 4: Flex Play
26. David Johnson
27. Damien Harris
28. Ty Johnson
29. Todd Gurley
30. Devontae Booker
31. Latavius Murray
32. Devin Singletary
33. Cam Akers
34. Chase Edmonds
David Johnson is back, but he wasn’t exactly lighting the world up before his injury. Damien Harris, like always, is a great talent that just doesn’t receive enough red zone touches or passing targets to climb these ranks. Ty Johnson stole the show last week, and should be in position to do it again.
Todd Gurley is back, but he’s going to be splitting work with Brian Hill. Devontae Booker isn’t Josh Jacobs and isn’t a one-for-one substitute. Much to the annoyance of Alvin Kamara owners, Latavius Murray will get his fair share of touches in this one.
If you need to start a Buffalo running back, make it Devin Singletary. Ditto for the Rams with Cam Akers, although you probably want to stay away from the whole situation. Chase Edmonds is the clear second fiddle to Kenyan Drake, but he’ll see some action.
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