For most leagues, there are two weeks remaining before the fantasy football playoffs start. With six teams on a bye in week 13, it’s critical to start the right players if your playoff hopes are on the line. Or maybe, you’re fighting to improve your playoff seeding. Regardless of your situation, keep trucking along, you never know what will happen down the stretch. With that said, here are your week 13 running back rankings.
Fantasy Football Week 13 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1: Elite Options
- Austin Ekeler
- Christian McCaffrey
- Travis Etienne
Last week Austin Ekeler got bottled up for the most part, but things will be a little easier this week against the New England Patriots. The NFC rematch everyone has been waiting for, the Eagles versus the 49ers. It should be a physical battle, but Christian McCaffrey is the main cog in the San Francisco engine. His volume alone will keep him atop the running back rankings. A week ago the Cincinnati Bengals defense got gashed by the Pittsburgh Steelers running attack. This week they’ll have to try and contain Travis Etienne and the Jacksonville Jaguars running game. I expect Etienne to get back into the 20+ threshold for the first time since week 8.
Tier 2: Safe RB1
- Tony Pollard
- Jonathan Taylor
- Rachaad White
- Alvin Kamara
- Bijan Robinson
Tony Pollard has back-to-back weeks with a rushing touchdown. He’s starting to gain steam and faces a Seattle run defense that’s given up 14 rushing touchdowns this season. The Colts are in the thick of the playoff race thanks in part to their running back duo, Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss. The matchup isn’t ideal this week, but Taylor is among the league’s best and the Colts need to keep winning. They’ll continue to rely on their workhorse running back.
Rachaad White has been on fire lately. He’s been one of the best players on the Buccaneers as of late and now gets to face one of the worst run defenses in the league. Alvin Kamara is matchup-proof. His involvement in the passing game alone gives him a safe weekly floor in the running back rankings each week. The Falcons are finally utilizing Bijan Robinson. They’ll need to feed him this week to break through a stout New York Jets defense.
Tier 3: Borderline RB1
- Isiah Pacheco
- Derrick Henry
- Raheem Mostert
- Kyren Williams
- D’Andre Swift
The Kansas City Chiefs offense isn’t the normal big-play threat we’re accustomed to. Isiah Pacheco is a beneficiary of the offensive scheme change and will be a major factor against the Green Bay Packers. Derrick Henry is just an unstoppable force when it comes to his divisional foes. Always, always, always start Derrick Henry when he’s going up against the AFC South. Raheem Mostert is coming off a two-touchdown performance. Depending on the health of running back teammates, he could be looking at a large workload once again. Kyren Willaims racked up 204 total yards in his first game back coming off injured reserve and appears to pick up where he left off. D’Andre Swift will be in a dogfight on the cusp of a tough matchup. However, this Eagles team can score at will and Swift gets enough volume to finish towards the top of the running back rankings.
Tier 4: RB2 Floor
- Javonte Williams
- Rhamondre Stevenson
- James Conner
- Aaron Jones*
- De’Von Achane*
The Denver Broncos are making some noise in the wildcard race winning their last five games. Javonte Williams and the other running backs should have another good outing. Over the last three games, Rhamondre Stevenson has been the fantasy stud managers drafted him for. He could be a “league winner” and climb the running back rankings if he keeps it up. With the possible quarterback change, look for New England to rely on him even more. James Conner hasn’t had a double-digit fantasy outing since week 3. However, if you believe in the “revenge game” magic, Conner is in store for a big game against his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both Aaron Jones and De’Von Achane were inactive last week, but if they’re a go then they have a safe RB2 floor with higher upside.
Tier 5: Backend RB2
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- David Montgomery
- Najee Harris
- Jaylen Warren
- Kenneth Walker*
The Detroit Lions were disappointing on Thanksgiving serving their fans with a loss to the Green Bay Packers. Now they travel to New Orleans and their running duo of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have a tough matchup versus a tough run defense. Gibbs has the edge over Montgomery with his receiving upside in the running back rankings, however. Another pair of teammates finds themself in this tier. The Pittsburgh Steelers had 400+ total yards in their first game without former offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Arizona is one of the worst run defenses in the league and Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren should feast. Both should be higher on this list, but let’s make sure last week wasn’t a fluke first. If Kenneth Walker is active, you’re playing him. Although, playing against Dallas you’re not feeling good about it.
#Steelers first game without Matt Canada
– Kenny Pickett threw for a season-high in yards
– Najee Harris ran for a season-high in yards
– Pat Freiermuth career high in yards
– Steelers had largest time of possession of season
– snapped 58-game streak with sub-400 yards— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) November 27, 2023
Tier 6: Borderline RB2
- Breece Hall
- Joe Mixon
- Jerome Ford
- Kareem Hunt
- Joe Mixon
- Devin Singletary
- Brian Robinson
The quarterback inconsistencies aren’t helping Breece Hall reach his ceiling. Things won’t get any easier this week against a top-notch run-stuffing unit. Joe Mixon is also dealing with subpar quarterback play without Joe Burrow under center. The Browns are another team dealing with injury after injury. This team is going to power through their running backs for the remainder of the season. Meaning, that the volume of both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt is going to stay steady, but they’ll cancel each other out, capping their upside. It appears Devin Singletary held onto the starting role with Dameon Pierce back. Singletary out touched Pierce 12 to 6. Neither is overly appealing against an improved Denver defense on a winning streak. Brian Robinson could be phased out of the game quickly if Washington can’t keep up with the high-powered Miami offense. It’ll likely take a touchdown to say his fantasy day among the running back rankings.
Tier 7: Flex Desperation
- Zack Moss
- AJ Dillon
- Tyjae Spears
- Zach Charbonnet
- Samaje Perine
- Tyler Allgeier
Zack Moss can be a thorn in Jonathan Taylor’s side at times, but he does help the offense at times. AJ Dillon will benefit from a larger role if Aaron Jones is forced to miss another game. The last time Tyjae Spears played the Colts, he earned his first career touchdown and his best fantasy output of 16.9 points. If Kenneth Walker is inactive for a second straight contest, Zach Charbonnet will get the start again. Although, playing against one of the best defenses in the league is not inspiring. Samaje Perine has back-to-back games with 13+ fantasy points. This week he has a great matchup to make it three straight games and climb the running back rankings. Tyler Allgeier isn’t a sexy pick, but he’s almost guaranteed double-digit touches every week. If the Falcons want to beat the Jets, they’ll have to do so by running the football with both Bijan Robinson and Allgeier.
Main: [Thomas Shea] – USA Today Sports
