Week 16 Updated Running Back Rankings: Trust Woody Marks, Not Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Week 16 is fantasy football’s pressure cooker, and with a championship spot on the line, our updated running back rankings break down who to trust, who to fade, and why players like Woody Marks belong in lineups while Jacory Croskey-Merritt does not.

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Welcome to Week 16, the point of the fantasy football season where the margin for error becomes razor thin and every decision feels like it’s under a microscope. If you’re still alive, congratulations. You’re in your league’s final four, and a championship berth is well within reach. One decision can make your season. One mistake can end it.

For all the talk about the NFL becoming a quarterback-and-wide-receiver league, 2025 has reminded us of a familiar truth in fantasy football: elite running backs still run the show. The only player who has outscored Josh Allen this season isn’t a quarterback or a wideout—it’s Christian McCaffrey. In PPR formats, the backs who catch passes remain the ultimate cheat code. McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, and Jahmyr Gibbs have all piled up more fantasy points than this year’s WR1, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Even more telling, Bijan Robinson and De’Von Achane have outpaced both QB2 Patrick Mahomes and WR2 Puka Nacua. Of the top seven players in PPR formats, five of them are running backs.

The league may be throwing the ball more than ever, but when it comes to fantasy championships, the road still runs straight through the backfield.

Best Running Backs in Week 15

Week 15 was chalkful of surprising performances, superstar busts, and mid-tier running backs proving to be difference makers. Although he only mustered 32 rushing yards, Travis Etienne finished as the top running back with 31.5 fantasy points after turning his three receptions into 73 yards and three receiving scores. James Cook and TreVeyeon Henderson, who participated in the same game, were the only other running backs who eclipsed the 30-point marker. Bijan Robinson (29.5) and Tyrone Tracy (24.7) rounded out the top five. 

Three other running backs topped 20 points: Josh Jacobs, D’Andre Swift, and Kyren Williams. Kenneth Gainwell and De’Von Achane, who both played on Monday Night Football, finished as the RB9 and RB10 respectively. 

The top 10 featured some of the biggest names in the league, but we also saw some superstars such as Jonathan Taylor (RB20), Derrick Henry (RB29), Jahmyr Gibbs (RB30), Bucky Irving (RB36), and Breece Hall (RB47) completely fall short of expectations. 

The fantasy football regular season showed us that it’s not just about stars. More often that not, it’s the decision at the RB2 spot that can make or break your week. The first week of the playoffs were no different. If you had a tough decision between Tony Pollard and David Montgomery, the difficult decision could have netted you an extra nine points if you started the Titan. On the flip side, if you trusted Omarion Hampton over Jacory Croskey-Merritt, you saw over eight points evaporate before your eyes. That could have very well been the difference between a spot in the final four. 

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. Just look at Jawhar Jordan of the Houston Texans. Nobody knew who he was before last week but after Woody Marks exited, Jordan broke off a 50-yard scamper and accumulated more than 100 yards in his NFL debut, finishing as the RB17. 

Although it’s late in the season, there are still waiver-wire gems who can make a big impact in Week 16. All teams will be in action as bye weeks are a thing of the past. So with the fantasy football postseason ready to continue on Thursday Night Football as the Seattle Seahawks battles the Los Angeles Rams for sole possession of first place in the NFC West, let’s take a look at some of the most noteworthy running backs in our Week 16 fantasy football rankings.

Fantasy Managers Must Trust Woody Marks

Marks has been one of the most nerve-wracking players to manage down the stretch, and fantasy managers know exactly why. Almost every week comes with an injury scare, a brief disappearance to the locker room, and then—more often than not—an eventual return that allows him to salvage his day. Last week was different. Marks exited early, never re-entered the game, and cost many managers a chance at advancing. However, at least he scored a touchdown and delivered double-digit fantasy points before sitting on the sidelines for the entirely of the second half. 

Marks’ injury uncertainty alone is enough to give managers pause, especially in the fantasy semifinals, but the postgame context matters. Head coach DeMeco Ryans clarified that Marks could have returned if the situation demanded it, but the Texans opted for caution with an eye on the playoffs. That decision suggests the injury isn’t a long-term concern, even if the timing couldn’t have been worse for fantasy purposes.

Looking ahead, it’s hard to bench a back with Marks’ projected workload, particularly in a matchup this favorable. The Raiders have struggled mightily against the run all season, allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to running backs and routinely giving up chunk plays on the ground. Volume plus matchup is the formula fantasy managers chase in December, and Marks checks both boxes. There’s risk, no doubt—but in a week where upside is king, he belongs in lineups.

Saquon Barkley Gains Steam Ahead of Week 16

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) looks on during the first quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Barkley has been one of the biggest busts in fantasy football this season, but since he has avoided injury, he still has the ability to lead some teams to the promised land. Barkley is arguably coming off his best two-game stretch of the season in which he has tallied 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. It’s the first time he’s found the end zone in back-to-back games since Week 4 and Week 5. 

In Week 16, Saquon takes on a Washington Commanders defense that has yielded the seventh-most fantasy points per game to running backs in 2025. This past Sunday, they allowed Tyone Tracy to accumulate 97 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns (one rushing and one receiving). The week before that, Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason combined for 128 rushing yards and a touchdown. Things weren’t any better the previous week against the Denver Broncos as rookie RJ Harvey tallied 62 yards from scrimmage and two scores. The Commanders simply can’t keep opposing running backs out of the end zone and Barkley is a far superior talent than any of the aforementioned guys.

Barkley is poised for top-five production in the fantasy football semi finals. Although he had been trending in the wrong direction at the tail end of the regular season, Barkley seems to have gotten it together just in time for some postseason magic. Given his recent upward trajectory and the favorable matchup, Barkley is a must-start in Week 16.

The Jacory Croskey-Merritt Breakout Is Not Real

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (22) runs the ball 16 yards for a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

JCM delivered exactly what fantasy managers were hoping for in Week 15 after Chris Rodriguez Jr. was ruled inactive, turning 18 carries into 96 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. It was a clean, efficient performance—but it also came against one of the most forgiving run defenses in football. New York has been a gift to opposing backs all season, allowing the second-most fantasy points at the position, and Croskey-Merritt took full advantage.

The problem is that this outing doesn’t suddenly change who he’s been for most of the year. Croskey-Merritt has flashed before, only to disappear just as quickly, even in spots that looked good on paper. This week’s situation is far less friendly. Washington draws a much tougher matchup against Philadelphia, and the context around the Commanders’ backfield hasn’t shifted enough to inspire confidence.

Before Week 15, Washington consistently leaned on Rodriguez as the lead option. From Weeks 10 through 14, Rodriguez averaged 10.5 carries per game compared to Croskey-Merritt’s 8.6, with Jeremy McNichols still mixing in for about four touches a week. The red-zone usage paints an even clearer picture. Croskey-Merritt saw just 1.2 red-zone carries per game during that stretch, while Rodriguez more than doubled him at 2.5, with McNichols also stealing opportunities near the goal line.

If Rodriguez is active, the volume simply isn’t there to justify rolling Croskey-Merritt out again—especially against an Eagles defense that can control the line of scrimmage and force Washington into a pass-heavy game script. Leave JCM on the bench.

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Let’s take a look at where the rest of the running backs in the NFL stack up in our Week 16 rankings.

Week 16 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings