Fantasy Football: Week 17 RB Rankings
Kevin Hanson joins SI for the 2019 season. His fantasy rankings have placed him in the Top 20 in each of the past two seasons among all the industry experts tracked by FantasyPros.com, and he has been in the Top 25 in six of the past eight years.
Check out more of Kevin’s rankings: QB, WR, TE, kicker, defense and flex.
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RB Start of the Week: Sony Michel, New England Patriots (vs. MIA)
It’s been a disappointing season for Michel, who scored as many touchdowns (six) during last year’s Super Bowl run as he has through 15 games this season. Perhaps due for some positive regression, Michel has not scored in eight consecutive games.
While the second-year back has yet to rush for 100 yards in a game this season, he’s coming off a season-high (96) last week against Buffalo. In fact, his workload and production over the past two weeks—40 carries for 185 yards (4.63 YPC)—gives his fantasy owners a glimmer of hope for a big regular-season finale.
As the Patriots play for a first-round bye, they are more than two-TD home favorites with the highest implied total of the week. Miami’s recent competitiveness could help keep the game close enough to keep Michel on the field deeper into the game.
Back in Week 2, Michel had 21 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. With multi-touchdown upside in a plus matchup, Michel will be one of my favorite DFS tournament plays this week.
[Note: Michel was added to the injury report (illness) and is listed as questionable. I expect him to play, but you should, of course, monitor his status up until kickoff.]
RB Sit of the Week: David Montgomery, Chicago Bears (at MIN)
It’s been a disappointing season for the Bears, Montgomery included, as the rookie has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry this season. Like Michel, Montgomery has been on a rushing touchdown drought—seven games—even though he has a receiving score in Week 13.
Over his past seven games, Montgomery has 107 carries for 370 yards (3.46 YPC) and seven receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. During that span, he has performed as fantasy’s RB34 (half-PPR scoring).
This week’s matchup is one of the more difficult for running backs, as the Vikings have allowed the eighth fewest fantasy points to the position this season. In his first matchup against his division rivals, the former Iowa State Cyclone had high usage (24 touches) but limited success (67 scoreless yards and 2.52 YPC).
Week 17 fantasy football running back rankings (half-PPR scoring):
RB1: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs WAS
RB2: Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs NO
RB3: Saquon Barkley, NYG vs PHI
RB4: Aaron Jones, GB @ DET
RB5: Alvin Kamara, NO @ CAR
RB6: Derrick Henry, TEN @ HOU
RB7: Nick Chubb, CLE @ CIN
RB8: Marlon Mack, IND @ JAC
RB9: Joe Mixon, CIN vs CLE
RB10: Melvin Gordon, LAC @ KC
RB11: Austin Ekeler, LAC @ KC
RB12: Miles Sanders, PHI @ NYG
RB13: Kenyan Drake, ARI @ LAR
RB14: Sony Michel, NE vs MIA
RB15: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ BUF
RB16: Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs OAK
RB17: Raheem Mostert, SF @ SEA
RB18: Devonta Freeman, ATL @ TB
RB19: Todd Gurley, LAR vs ARI
RB20: DeAndre Washington, OAK @ DEN
RB21: Adrian Peterson, WAS @ DAL
RB22: Devin Singletary, BUF vs NYJ
RB23: Ryquell Armstead, JAC vs IND
RB24: Damien Williams, KC vs LAC
RB25: James White, NE vs MIA
RB26: Ronald Jones II, TB vs ATL
RB27: Kareem Hunt, CLE @ CIN
RB28: David Montgomery, CHI @ MIN
RB29: Mike Boone, MIN vs CHI
RB30: Gus Edwards, BAL vs PIT
RB31: Carlos Hyde, HOU vs TEN
RB32: Tarik Cohen, CHI @ MIN
RB33: Travis Homer, SEA vs SF
RB34: Patrick Laird, MIA @ NE
RB35: Latavius Murray, NO @ CAR
RB36: Benny Snell Jr., PIT @ BAL
RB37: Rex Burkhead, NE vs MIA
RB38: Jordan Howard, PHI @ NYG
RB39: Royce Freeman, DEN vs OAK
RB40: Duke Johnson, HOU vs TEN
RB41: Boston Scott, PHI @ NYG
RB42: Justice Hill, BAL vs PIT
RB43: Kerryon Johnson, DET vs GB
RB44: Marshawn Lynch, SEA vs SF
RB45: Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ BAL
RB46: Jalen Richard, OAK @ DEN
RB47: Peyton Barber, TB vs ATL
RB48: Tevin Coleman, SF @ SEA
RB49: Chris Thompson, WAS @ DAL
RB50: Ameer Abdullah, MIN vs CHI
RB51: Dion Lewis, TEN @ HOU
RB52: Malcolm Brown, LAR vs ARI
RB53: Nyheim Hines, IND @ JAC
RB54: Giovani Bernard, CIN vs CLE
RB55: David Johnson, ARI @ LAR
RB56: LeSean McCoy, KC vs LAC
RB57: Frank Gore, BUF vs NYJ
RB58: Tony Pollard, DAL vs WAS
RB59: Matt Breida, SF @ SEA
RB60: Darwin Thompson, KC vs LAC
Week 17 fantasy football running back rankings (non-PPR scoring):
RB1: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs WAS
RB2: Saquon Barkley, NYG vs PHI
RB3: Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs NO
RB4: Aaron Jones, GB @ DET
RB5: Derrick Henry, TEN @ HOU
RB6: Nick Chubb, CLE @ CIN
RB7: Alvin Kamara, NO @ CAR
RB8: Marlon Mack, IND @ JAC
RB9: Joe Mixon, CIN vs CLE
RB10: Melvin Gordon, LAC @ KC
RB11: Miles Sanders, PHI @ NYG
RB12: Austin Ekeler, LAC @ KC
RB13: Sony Michel, NE vs MIA
RB14: Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs OAK
RB15: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ BUF
RB16: Kenyan Drake, ARI @ LAR
RB17: Raheem Mostert, SF @ SEA
RB18: Todd Gurley, LAR vs ARI
RB19: Adrian Peterson, WAS @ DAL
RB20: Devonta Freeman, ATL @ TB
RB21: DeAndre Washington, OAK @ DEN
RB22: Devin Singletary, BUF vs NYJ
RB23: Damien Williams, KC vs LAC
RB24: Ryquell Armstead, JAC vs IND
RB25: Gus Edwards, BAL vs PIT
RB26: Ronald Jones II, TB vs ATL
RB27: Mike Boone, MIN vs CHI
RB28: David Montgomery, CHI @ MIN
RB29: Kareem Hunt, CLE @ CIN
RB30: James White, NE vs MIA
RB31: Carlos Hyde, HOU vs TEN
RB32: Travis Homer, SEA vs SF
RB33: Latavius Murray, NO @ CAR
RB34: Patrick Laird, MIA @ NE
RB35: Tarik Cohen, CHI @ MIN
RB36: Jordan Howard, PHI @ NYG
RB37: Benny Snell Jr., PIT @ BAL
RB38: Boston Scott, PHI @ NYG
RB39: Marshawn Lynch, SEA vs SF
RB40: Royce Freeman, DEN vs OAK
RB41: Rex Burkhead, NE vs MIA
RB42: Duke Johnson, HOU vs TEN
RB43: Justice Hill, BAL vs PIT
RB44: Kerryon Johnson, DET vs GB
RB45: Peyton Barber, TB vs ATL
RB46: Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ BAL
RB47: Tevin Coleman, SF @ SEA
RB48: Malcolm Brown, LAR vs ARI
RB49: Frank Gore, BUF vs NYJ
RB50: Jalen Richard, OAK @ DEN
RB51: David Johnson, ARI @ LAR
RB52: Ameer Abdullah, MIN vs CHI
RB53: Dion Lewis, TEN @ HOU
RB54: LeSean McCoy, KC vs LAC
RB55: Chris Thompson, WAS @ DAL
RB56: Bo Scarbrough, DET vs GB
RB57: Tony Pollard, DAL vs WAS
RB58: Giovani Bernard, CIN vs CLE
RB59: Nyheim Hines, IND @ JAC
RB60: Matt Breida, SF @ SEA
