Tyrone Tracy Tops List of 5 Must Start Running Backs for Week 16

It's the semi-finals in fantasy football and managers still competing need to add these running backs into their starting lineups.

Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) celebrates a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Week 16 is here, and it is time to set our fantasy football lineups. Things are only going to get harder each week, and we are now in the second round of the fantasy football playoffs. One position we cannot afford to get wrong is running back. These are the running backs who should be in your starting lineup in Week 16. 

Tyrone Tracy Jr, New York Giants

Questions were coming into Week 15 regarding which Giants running back was the one to start. Tracy answered those questions definitely against the Washington Commanders. He saw 15 carries and caught all three of his targets, which he turned into 97 yards and two touchdowns. Devin Singletary handled five carries and one target, which he turned into 14 yards. We are starting Tracy this week against the Minnesota Vikings.  

Woody Marks, Houston Texans

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; 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

Marks can be frustrating to start because he somehow gets injured every single game, but he usually comes back. However, that wasn't the case last week. He left the game, didn't return, and cost many fantasy owners their season. This makes him a scary option. His head coach, DeMeco Ryans, said he could have returned to the game, but they wanted to make sure he's healthy for this week and beyond. With the amount of volume he's set to see this week against the Las Vegas Raiders, who are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs this season, he has to be in your lineups.  

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Seemingly out of nowhere, over the past two weeks, Pollard has carried the ball 39 times for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Even with the tough matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, we are riding the hot hand here. The Chiefs could also come out looking like a defeated team after losing their quarterback and being eliminated from the playoffs, after being a perennial Super Bowl contender.  

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Dec 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) celebrates a touchdown scored by tight end Connor Heyward (83) in the second quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Gainwell continued to play great on Monday Night Football, rushing for 80 yards on 13 carries and catching seven passes for 47 yards. He's caught fewer than six passes just once in the past five weeks. In a tough matchup against the Detroit Lions, the Steelers will utilize Gainwell heavily in the passing attack to supplement their rushing attack.   

Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals have a solid matchup this week against the Atlanta Falcons, and Carter is the last man standing in their backfield. With Bam Knight out this week, Carter is fully expected to lead the Arizona backfield. In Week 15, he handled 14 carries and caught four passes for a total of 94 yards. He is a player you should plug in this week.