For all of you still alive in your fantasy football leagues, congratulations. Week 15 means the semifinals in the vast majority of leagues, which means that lineup decisions have never been more important. Lynn Bowden came out of nowhere last week to put up a huge fantasy football performance, but can you trust him to 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.
Lynn Bowden A Risky Play in Fantasy Football Week 15 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1: Elite RB1
1. Derrick Henry
2. Dalvin Cook
3. Aaron Jones
4. Jonathan Taylor
5. Austin Ekeler
6. James Robinson
7. Nick Chubb
December Derrick Henry is an unstoppable force of nature. He should be a lock for 25-30 touches and is going up against a bad Detroit Lions defense that might not have Matthew Stafford. Despite playing catch-up for most of the second half, Dalvin Cook still managed to touch the ball 24 times in Week 14. Look for the star running back to continue to see his high workload in what should be a more favorable game script against the Chicago Bears. Aaron Jones played in 70% of the snaps last week against Detroit. Giving him that type of workload in this offense is a perfect recipe for a top-three performance.
Hopefully you didn’t sell low on Jonathan Taylor. The game appears to have slowed down for the rookie, as he’s been one of the best all-around running backs in football over the past few weeks. While his snap share isn’t quite what you want (~55%), he gets the ball every time he’s on the field. The Los Angeles Chargers offense has slowed down in recent weeks, but Austin Ekeler still has an elite workload that keeps him as one of fantasy’s most valuable assets.
Gardner Minshew is back in the lineup, which means checkdowns galore for James Robinson. Like always, the undrafted free agent should be a reliable start with great upside. Nick Chubb is probably the best pure runner in the game and Baker Mayfield is coming alive. This is a great formula for a big week against a turnover-prone New York Giants squad.
Tier 2: Low-End RB1
8. Cam Akers
9. Alvin Kamara
10. Miles Sanders
11. Mike Davis
12. David Montgomery
I’m finally trusting Cam Akers, which means it’s probably going to be a Darrell Henderson week. Sean McVay has been infuriating with his running back usage, but Akers appears to have taken over the old Todd Gurley role in the offense. Over the past two weeks, Akers have played in 68% of the offensive snaps and averaged 27 touches per game. That’s elite usage for a great talent.
Taysom Hill finally started throwing the ball to Alvin Kamara last week, but can you trust that to happen again? Checking down is not Hill’s natural style, and New Orleans threw the ball more than normal after falling behind early. Miles Sanders, on the other hand, appears to be as good as ever with Jalen Hurts and still has the target volume.
Another week without Christian McCaffrey means another week of Mike Davis. Arguably the best waiver wire claim of the season, Davis should have another great week in this offense. David Montgomery has heated up in recent weeks and has the volume to be a low-end RB1.
Tier 3: Solid RB2
13. J.K. Dobbins
14. Chris Carson
15. D’Andre Swift
16. Kenyan Drake
17. Wayne Gallman
18. Josh Jacobs
19. Jeff Wilson
20. Kareem Hunt
21. J.D. McKissic
22. Ezekiel Elliott
23. Nyheim Hines
24. Clyde Edwards-Helaire
After Mark Ingram played in just two snaps, it’s safe to say that J.K. Dobbins has taken over as the top dog in Baltimore’s backfield. Gus Edwards will still get some touches, but Dobbins will see the majority of the work in one of the NFL’s best rushing offenses. Chris Carson will forever remain underrated and should have another strong week. D’Andre Swift had a bad Week 14, but he still played in 53% of the snaps while working his way back from injury. He should improve against Tennessee.
Kenyan Drake finally has the workload, but Arizona’s offense hasn’t been the same since Kyler Murray injured his shoulder. Wayne Gallman has done his best Saquon Barkley impression throughout the season but faces a tough matchup against Cleveland. Josh Jacobs didn’t get the passing work that everybody wanted and is ultimately incredibly dependent on his gamescript.
Kyle Shanahan’s starting running back is one of the most valuable fantasy football assets, and right now that appears to be Jeff Wilson. Kareem Hunt still has a lock on Cleveland’s passing work and has the volume to justify a RB2 performance. Ditto for J.D. McKissic, although Washington’s offense isn’t nearly as good as Cleveland’s.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Ezekiel Elliott just isn’t the player he once was, and an Andy Dalton-led passing attack isn’t good enough to mask his flaws. He still has the volume, but that’s the only thing keeping him afloat. Jonathan Taylor hasn’t completely taken away Nyheim Hines’ passing work, and Philip Rivers loves throwing to running backs. Clyde Edwards-Helaire played in 74% of the offensive snaps against Miami, despite his underwhelming finish. If that usage continues for a second straight week, he has great odds of outplaying this ranking.
Tier 4: Serviceable Flex Play
25. Lynn Bowden
26. Melvin Gordon
27. DeAndre Washington
28. Damien Harris
29. James Conner
30. Jamaal Williams
31. Chase Edmonds
32. Todd Gurley
33. Gus Edwards
34. Duke Johnson
35. Giovani Bernard
Lynn Bowden is listed as a running back in most formats, but he should make earn most of his points in the passing game. With DeVante Parker out and Mike Gesicki questionable, Bowden could be the top option in this passing attack. Melvin Gordon isn’t a great talent anymore, and he’s splitting snaps with Phillip Lindsay. However, he still sees the valuable touches, which gives him some fantasy worth. DeAndre Washington did not impress in his first start in Miami, but should have another week with the starting role. Note that this projection changes if Salvon Ahmed is back in the lineup.
Damien Harris is a great talent but doesn’t have the passing work or touchdown upside to justify a higher spot in the rankings. Jamaal Williams is nothing more than a backup, but anyone getting the ball has value in this offense. Chase Edmonds was great earlier in the season, but his role has diminished in recent weeks.
Todd Gurley just might be the worst starting running back in the NFL and now he has to go up against a great defensive front in Tampa Bay. Gus Edwards will see some touches in Balitmore’s backfield, but this is J.K. Dobbins’ show. Duke Johnson showed why coaches refuse to give him a three-down workload and should cede snaps to David Johnson. Giovani Bernard has the volume, but that doesn’t mean much in this terrible offense.
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