Kenneth Gainwell, Emanuel Wilson Poised for Big Roles, Plus 4 More RBs to Start in Week 12

The Steelers and Packers running backs are taking the lead in their team's backfield and will shine for fantasy football teams in Week 12.

Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) reacts after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

We are now racing toward the final stretch of the fantasy football season. Week 12 is here, and it's time to set our lineups. The running backs this season have been wildly inconsistent, thanks to injuries and committees, so it hasn't been easy to find solid starters every week. There are still some strong options this week, though. These are the running backs who should be in your starting lineup in Week 12. 

Start Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers, in Week 12

Jaylen Warren exited in Week 11 with an ankle injury that he said he could have returned from if he needed to. However, he was not moving well after the injury, and there is a real chance that he will be limited at the very least this week. Especially, when you consider how good Gainwell was after he exited and how good he's been every time he's received an opportunity this season. We are willing to roll with Gainwell this week against the Chicago Bears.   

Start Woody Marks, Houston Texans, in Week 12

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (27) rushes against Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome II (6) in the second half at NRG Stadium. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

It's now been two weeks in a row that we have seen Marks serve as the clear RB1. We are hoping that it is now safe to say that he is the undisputed top running back in Houston this week and moving forward. Marks saw 18 carries in Week 11, while Nick Chubb saw just three. This week, he has a great matchup against the Buffalo Bills, who are allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season. 

Start Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay Packers, in Week 12

Sep 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson (23) runs against Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (94) in the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Josh Jacobs exited Week 11 with a knee injury and was unable to return to the game. We are starting Wilson, going on the assumption that Josh Jacobs is not going to play this week. If he does, that could drastically change this take. However, if Jacobs is out, we are starting Wilson against the struggling Vikings in what should be a positive game script for the Packers' rusher. 

Start Sean Tucker, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in Week 12

Nov 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker (44) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the second half of the game at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Tucker exploded in Week 11 and is now clearly running ahead of Rachaad White. There is a chance that Bucky Irving could return this week, which would shake things up, but that's far from a lock. We also don't know how much work Irving will give in his first week back. On Sunday, Tucker carried the ball 19 times and caught both of his targets for 140 total yards and three touchdowns. He should be started for as long as Irving is sidelined.  

Start Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints, in Week 12

Oct 5, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns (0) at Caesars Superdome. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

I am someone who has been extremely down on Kamara all summer and all season. However, something very interesting happened in Week 10. With the NFL Trade Deadline passing on the Tuesday prior to Week 10, Kamara came out and saw 22 carries and three targets. He turned those opportunities into 115 yards from scrimmage. There is a chance that now that the trade deadline has passed, they could just run him into the ground because they no longer need to protect his value. Week 12 will be the first time we see them back in action, being that they had a bye week in Week 11. He returns with a great matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, who are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs this season.  

Start Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals, in Week 12

Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back Bam Knight (20) runs against the Dallas Cowboys in the first half at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Trey Benson is far from a lock to play in Week 12, and Emari Demercado is expected to be sidelined. Knight is clearly running ahead of Michael Carter and should be the undisputed starter in Week 12, which is something we haven't seen much in Arizona this season. However, if Benson does return, that could change our outlook on Knight for this week.