Week 6 is upon us and that brings us a new pair of bye week running backs. This week the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers are out, leaving fantasy managers without three playable running backs. Four depending on your feelings about AJ Dillon. The running back rankings aren’t altered all that much by this, but it’s never fun trying to find a replacement for a single week. There are a lot of good matchups this week for running backs, so expect a booming week from the position altogether. These are your week 6 running backs rankings.
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Fantasy Football Week 6 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1: Elite Trio
1. Christian McCaffrey
2. Bijan Robinson
3. Tony Pollard
Per usual, these are the top trio at the position and atop the running back rankings. They’re pretty much matchup-proof and control a high volume of touches each week. Not only are they the team’s best running back, but they’re utilized in the passing game as well. Continue starting them with confidence.
Tier 2: RB1 With Good Matchup
4. Travis Etienne
5. D’Andre Swift
6. Alvin Kamara
Travis Etienne is skyrocketing towards being in the top tier of running backs. His weekly volume and role are among the best in the league. He’s a must-start every week. Alvin Kamara and D’Andre Swift are both another couple of backs with safe weekly floors. Make sure they’re inserted into your starting lineups.
Tier 3: RB1 Getting Their Footing Back
7. Jonathan Taylor
8. Saquon Barkley*
9. Austin Ekeler*
Despite being close to returning, Saquon Barkley was inactive last week along with the previous three weeks dealing with an ankle injury. If he returns, Barkley will likely be limited, but he’s the best offensive playmaker on the New York Giants. He might not get a high volume of touches, but he’ll get the important ones. Similar to Barkley, Austin Ekeler has been sidelined with his ankle injury. The Chargers have struggled to get anything out of their running backs during Ekeler’s absence and lost Mike Williams to a season-ending injury as well. The offense is in desperate need of an offensive spark and Austin Ekeler could provide that.
In Jonathan Taylor’s return, he corralled six rush attempts for 18 yards and hauled in one reception on a single target for 16 yards. It typically takes an injured player a week or two to get back into the swing of things. Taylor has top-5 upside every time he steps onto the field. When he starts feeling back to himself, he’ll be a staple top 10 play in the running back rankings.
Tier 4: Borderline RB1/RB2
10. Kyren Williams
11. Josh Jacobs
12. Rhamondre Stevenson
13. Derrick Henry
14. Kenneth Walker
15. Joe Mixon
16. James Conner*
Rhamondre Stevenson and the New England Patriots as a whole didn’t have a great week last Sunday. However, they have a “get right game” against an old friend, Josh McDaniels, and his Las Vegas Raiders. Stevenson should get back on track against a sub-par Raiders defense. Regarding the other side of the field, Josh Jacobs is slowly getting back to his 2022 rushing leader form. Plug him into your lineups no matter what. Kyren Williams has a more favorable run defense this week against their divisional opponent, the Arizona Cardinals. Williams continues to dominate the running back touches in Los Angeles and his volume alone keeps him towards the top of the running back rankings.
Running back studs Derrick Henry, Kenneth Walker, and Joe Mixon all draw tougher matchups this week, but remain high-volume players. All three will continue leading the way for their respective teams and get the bulk of the running back touches. James Conner is dealing with an injury and his status is something to monitor throughout the week. If he’s active, fire him up. He’s one of the few high-volume running backs in the league.
Tier 5: High-end RB2 With RB1 Upside
17. James Cook
18. Isiah Pacheco
19. De’Von Achane*
20. Alexander Mattison
James Cook had a down week against a surging Jacksonville Jaguars defense. This week should be a little easier against a New York Giants defense giving up 151.4 rush yards per game. The Denver Broncos’ run defense is even worse giving Isiah Pacheco a favorable matchup this week. They’ve given up 100+ rushing yards and/or a touchdown in four straight games to the opposing top running back.
The Miami Dolphins have gained the most yards in NFL history through five weeks. The offense has been on fire and rookie De’Von Achane is becoming a star in Miami. He’s got three straight games with over 100 rushing yards and now gets a date with a poor Panthers run defense. If he’s active, he should be in your lineup. Alexander Mattison still has control of the lead gig after the Cam Akers trade. Until there is an obvious shift, Mattison is a solid play in plus matchups.
Isiah Pacheco has had 72.7% (40/55) of the Chiefs’ RB opportunities over the last two weeks.
— Wyatt 🥃 (@WyattB_FF) October 9, 2023
Tier 6: RB2 With Tougher Matchup
21. David Montgomery
22. Rachaad White
23. Brian Robinson
24. Dameon Pierce
25. Breece Hall
26. Jerome Ford
David Montgomery and Rachaad White’s teams square off this week. White is fresh coming off a bye whereas Montgomery is coming off back-to-back 100+ rushing yard games. Both will have to deal with good run defenses this week but are involved enough to dish out a respectable fantasy day. Just like White, Jerome Ford is coming off a bye week but is tasked with a tough San Francisco 49ers defensive unit.
Breece Hall will go from running all over one of the worst run defenses in the league to one of the best. He may be getting more touches, but let’s see how he does against a real defense before bumping him into the running back ranks too far. Dameon Pierce hasn’t had a fantasy game over 15 points this season and don’t expect that to change against a stout New Orleans Saints defense.
Tier 7: RB2 Upside, But Dealing With Injury
27. Roschon Johnson
28. Miles Sanders
29. Javonte Williams*
30. Jahmyr Gibbs*
Khalil Herbert is reported to be out for several weeks paving the way for Roschon Johnson to get a look as the starting running back. Johnson is currently in the concussion protocol, but since he played on Thursday, he’s got extra time to pass all the procedures. Miles Sanders is dealing with a groin injury and fumbling away opportunities to take control of the backfield. Javonte Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs were both inactive last week, but hope to get back this week. Williams would play on Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs while Gibbs travels down to Tampa Bay. Neither matchup is great, especially coming off an injury, but offers a safe floor if healthy.
Tier 8: Flex Desperation Play
31. Raheem Mostert*
32. Tyler Allgeier
33. Ezekiel Elliott
34. Emari Demercado*
35. Justice Hill
36. Jaleel McLaughlin
Once the main back, Raheem Mostert is splitting carries with the rookie. Either way, Mostert continues to stay involved in the game plan and is flex-worthy as long as the Miami Dolphins offense keeps up their hot streak. If Achane were to miss time, Mostert is an RB2 with RB1 upside this week. Tyler Allgeier saw 17 touches last week. As long as Arthur Smith is running the show, both Allgeier and Bijan Robinson are going to be the focal point of the offense. Ezekiel Elliott has mainly been a power back for the Patriots this season. However, this next game feels like it’ll have a heavy dose of the running game with Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson.
Depending on the status of James Conner, Emari Demercado is the back to start. He handled 100% of the running back carries after Conner’s injury with 10 attempts for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Rams are no easy task, but if he gets Conner’s workload, Demercado is a solid streamer. The Baltimore Ravens backfield is a mess and isn’t trustworthy. In a tough matchup against a good Titans run defense, Justice Hill gets the edge over Gus Edwards with his receiving skills. Jaleel McLaughlin has looked good filling in for the injured Javonte Williams. In the past two games, he’s averaged 18.65 points. If he gets another start, he’s worth a flex play and safely a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside in the running back rankings.
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Main Photo: Brett Davis – USA Today Sports
