Week 13 Running Back Rankings: TreVeyon Henderson & Kenneth Walker Rise

Week 13 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings dive into the biggest risers and fallers of the week, headlined by TreVeyon Henderson’s surge into the Top 10 and Kenneth Walker's potential breakout against the Minnesota Vikings.

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) looks on before the start of the game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Although the NFL continues to move towards a more aggressive and pass-first identity, running backs remain some of the most valuable assets in the world of fantasy football. We all witnessed Jahmyr Gibbs’ electrifying and slate-breaking performance in an overtime victory over the New York Giants in which he tallied a monstrous stat line of 219 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, 11 receptions, 45 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown en route to a season-high 55.4 fantasy points in PPR formats. 

Despite his ridiculous stat line, Gibbs still trails Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor on the running back leaderboard entering Week 13. Despite ranking just 10th in rushing yards this season, CMC’s dual-threat abilities and propensity for finding the end zone has resulted in him topping the leaderboard as we enter the final two weeks of the fantasy football regular season. McCaffrey and Taylor are the only two running backs who are averaging 25+ PPR points per game. 

Last week’s chaos is a good reminder that while fantasy managers always want to ride their studs, the difference between winning and losing often comes from unexpected bench heroes ready to explode any given Sunday. After all, we saw three waiver wire gems – Emanuel Wilson, Kenneth Gainwell, and Kareem Hunt – all finish within the top 10 running backs in Week 12. 

With the bye week blues a thing of the past and all 32 NFL teams in action during Thanksgiving week, fantasy managers will have more options at their disposal.  With Week 13 primed to kick off on Thanksgiving with three games – Green Bay at Detroit, Kansas City at Dallas, and Cincinnati at Baltimore – let’s take a look at the best and worst running backs of the week.

TreVeyon Henderson Enters Top 10 Against New York’s Swiss Cheese Defense

Despite Rhamondre Stevenson’s return in Week 12, rookie workhorse TreVeyon Henderson remained the centerpiece of the Patriots backfield during their win over the Bengals. It wasn’t a highlight-reel performance by any stretch of the imagination, but finishing as the RB23 in PPR with 81 total yards and 11.1 fantasy points demonstrates just how solid his weekly floor has become. Perhaps more encouraging than the point total was the touch disparity. Henderson handled 18 carries and three receptions (21 total touches) while Stevenson turned his six carries and one reception (seven total touches) into just 10 total yards. This reinforces that the rookie is locked into roughly 75% of the workload down the stretch.

We all saw what he can do when the spotlight is on him—during Stevenson’s Week 10 and Week 11 absence, Henderson ripped through defenses for over 200 rushing yards, four touchdowns, and more than 30 fantasy points per game. That kind of upside doesn’t grow on trees in late November.

Now he draws a juicy Week 13 matchup against a Giants defense that just allowed Jahmyr Gibbs to absolutely dominate for one of the best performances of the season. New York is currently giving up the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs, and while Henderson isn’t quite the same multidimensional weapon as Gibbs, he’s in prime position to deliver a massive outing when managers need it most.

Multiple touchdowns are firmly in play, and if you’re pushing for the playoffs, Henderson belongs in lineups everywhere. This is the kind of spot that wins people leagues.

Fantasy Managers Should Consider Benching Javonte Williams on Thanksgiving

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams (33) runs with the ball in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams has been one of the biggest league-winners of the 2025 season, smashing his draft-day value and carrying fantasy managers through the heart of the schedule. Few backs have returned more bang for your buck. But as we head into the most critical stretch of the season, the warning lights are starting to flicker.

Yes, the volume is still fantastic—Williams has topped 80 rushing yards in three straight games—but the production hasn’t fully translated to fantasy gold in PPR leagues. He hasn’t found the end zone during that span and has totaled just four receptions for 14 yards. And with the fantasy playoffs looming, that lack of scoring and receiving value becomes a real concern.

Williams checks into Week 13 as the RB23 in PPR formats, barely clinging to RB2 status. And while many managers might not have the luxury of benching him, the recommendation here is bold: start players like RJ Harvey or even Woody Marks over him this week if you have the depth.

The matchup is a nightmare. The Cowboys head into a Thanksgiving showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs, who are allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs. Just this past Sunday, Kansas City bottled up Jonathan Taylor, holding the superstar to 58 rushing yards on 3.6 yards per carry with only two catches for eight yards and zero touchdowns. And let’s be honest—as good as Williams has been, he’s not JT.

Short week. Elite defense. Cold outdoor setting. Everything points to a grind-it-out afternoon where Williams could struggle to return usable fantasy production.

Kenneth Walker Is In Play Against The Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Kenneth Walker III is heating up at exactly the right time, and fantasy managers should be paying attention. After an up-and-down start to the season, Walker has looked revitalized over the last month, and the Seahawks coaching staff hasn’t been shy about reaffirming their confidence in him. They publicly stated that Walker had earned more opportunities, and unlike many coach-speak promises that fade into thin air, Seattle has backed it up on game day.

Walker has taken full command of the Seattle backfield. He’s operating as the undisputed RB1 ahead of Zach Charbonnet. In the two games since the coaching staff spoke out, Walker has racked up 27 carries and seven targets, turning that workload into 212 total yards and a touchdown. That’s the exact kind of late-season surge fantasy managers salivate over.

Walker now draws a Week 13 matchup against a Minnesota Vikings front seven that was just bulldozed by Emanuel Wilson in Josh Jacobs’ absence. The Vikings offense has been so abysmal that the defense has been put in poor situations. They are leaking production on the ground, and Walker’s combination of burst, physicality, and receiving involvement gives him major upside in the penultimate week of the regular season.

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Let’s take a look at where the rest of the NFL’s running backs stack up in our Week 13 rankings.

Week 13 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings