Week 18 Running Back Projections & Updated Rankings: Bijan Robinson Claims Top Spot

Updated Week 18 fantasy football running back projections and rankings spotlight Bijan Robinson as the clear RB1 with championship and milestone upside.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Over the past three games, five running backs averaged over 20.00 fantasy points in PPR formats, setting the stage for championship runs and overall titles. In the wonderful world of fantasy football, a reset in Week 15 in season-long contests with overall championships creates a three-week run to big prize money with only a slight advantage for each team’s scoring average over the first 14 weeks of the season.

• Bijan Robinson (101.20)
• Derrick Henry (79.40)
• Chase Brown (78.00)
• Christian McCaffrey (76.40)
• James Cook (66.20)

Bijan Robinson was a fantasy scoring machine from Week 15 to Week 17. He gained 572 combined yards with four touchdowns and 20 catches on 77 touches. Robinson gained an impressive 10.4 yards per catch, which is below his season average (10.7), and 6.4 yards per rush over his hot streak.

In Week 17, Derrick Henry posted his best game (36/216/4), reminiscent of 2018, when he helped fantasy teams to overall championships in Week 14 (17/238/4). His success in fantasy points (45.60) last week outshone Bijan Robinson's great game (22/195/1 with five catches for 34 yards and one touchdown). Only eight other backs scored over 20.00 fantasy points.

• Chase Brown (29.10)
• Christian McCaffrey (28.10)
• Rhamondre Stevenson (27.20)
• Zach Charbonnet (26.20)

Best Running Backs in 2025

Here are the top 12 running backs ranked by scoring average in PPR leagues after 17 weeks:

• Christian McCaffrey (25.31)
• Bijan Robinson (22.91)
• Jonathan Taylor (22.34)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (21.73)
• De’Von Achane (20.18)
• James Cook (18.98)
• Derrick Henry (16.87)
• Chase Brown (16.53)
• Kyren Williams (15.89)
• Travis Etienne (15.57)
• Javonte Williams (15.30)
• Josh Jacobs (14.94)

Week 17 Fantasy Football Running Back Bust

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ford Field. | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Over the past three games, the Lions have struggled to get Gibbs into space, resulting in disappointing fantasy points (9.80, 22.80, and 7.40). He was outscored by 61.20 fantasy points by Bijan Robinson from Week 15 to Week 17. The Vikings held Gibbs to 41 rushing yards on 17 carries with only two catches for 23 yards.

Runner Up: James Cook (8.70 fantasy points) had plenty of touches (21) vs. the Eagles, but he failed to score while having a minimal role in the passing game (1/3 on four targets). He had success in fantasy points in Week 15 (31.10) and Week 16 (26.40), but Cook failed to add another needed impact day to his resume for the fantasy teams competing in a three-week run for a big payday.

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Each week, I’ll release my depth charts and projections on Wednesday, with a neutral eye informed by hints from previous results or in-season injuries. These statistics represent baseline outlooks, with their potential already factored in. Touchdowns create impact scores and winning fantasy days, especially in non-PPR formats. Who scores them each week is the Holy Grail that the fantasy market searches for weekly.

My projections will be ranked, and they won’t resemble the weekly consensus in any way. My man, Matt Brandon, is in charge of finding a balance between my player outlooks and the public view of each week's rankings.

Week 18 Running Back Projections Preview

Here’s a look at our opening Week 18 top 12 running back projections:

Shawn Childs

Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Entering Week 18, Robinson (2,255) leads Christian McCaffrey (2,169) by 86 yards for the most combined rushing and receiving yards for the year. McCaffrey needs 110 receiving yards to reach 1,000, putting him in an elite category with three other players.

• Roger Craig (1985) – 1,050 rushing and 1,016 receiving
• Marshall Faulk (1999) – 1,318 rushing and 1,048 receiving
• Christian McCaffrey (2019) – 1,387 rushing and 1,005 receiving

McCaffrey is four catches away from 100 for the year. The NFL record for most rushing and receiving yards is Chris Johnson (2,509 – 2,006 rushing and 503 receiving). Robinson needs 138 combined yards to have the third most combined yards (2,393) in NFL history. 

In Week 12, the Saints held the Falcons’ star back to 70 rushing yards on 14 carries, with two catches for 37 yards.

Shawn Childs

New Orleans ranks just above the league average in running back defense (347.30 fantasy points) in PPR formats. They’ve allowed 14 touchdowns to backs, with them gaining 4.1 yards per rush and 7.3 yards per catch. Over the past three games, the Saints held running backs to under 20.00 fantasy points in each matchup (CAR – 17.20, NYJ – 18.30, and TEN – 13.10). Their worst showing came in Week 7 (Chicago Bears – 36/224/2 with three catches for 27 yards).

Robinson is on a heater, with some milestones to reach in Week 18 if game flow breaks his way. The Falcons could also choose to rest him late in the game if he fails to approach some historic-making moments.

Click HERE to view our full Week 18 Running Back Projections & Rankings!