Josh Jacobs Leads Shocking List of Running Backs to Bench in Week 18

All five running backs on this week's sit list are more than house-hold names, they are sruds fantasy managers banked on for most of the season. Sadly, none of them can be trusted in starting lineups for Week 18.

Dec 7, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) during the game against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Many NFL teams will be benching their players this week to keep them healthy, and that's something fantasy owners who play in the final week of the season will have to navigate. There is nothing worse than getting all the way to your championship and getting stuck with a player in your lineup who barely plays. These are the running backs you need to sit in Week 18. 

Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

Is Jacobs playing? Is he resting? At this point, it doesn't matter. We don't want him in our lineups either way. Over the past two weeks, he has been active, and last week, he was even removed from the injury report, but the Packers are clearly limiting him. After carrying the ball four times for three yards in Week 17, he should be cast off to everyone's bench this week if they survived him last week.  

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt (58) and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (54) during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

We want nothing to do with the Raiders this week, who are actively trying to make sure they secure the first overall pick. Jeanty only rushed for 60 yards on 16 carries last week, and Week 16 is looking like an aberration. This week, he goes from one of the easiest matchups in the league to one of the toughest against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season.   

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have little to play for and will more than likely limit Hampton this week to ensure he is fully healthy for the playoffs. Even if they were going all out, he has a horrific matchup against the Denver Broncos, who are allowing the fewest fantasy points in the league to running backs this season. This is an offense in its entirety that we will be trying to avoid in the final week of the season.  

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) is tackled by New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) and safety Jonas Sanker (33) during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pollard's streak of 100-yard games ended last week, but he still played very well. He carried the ball 18 times for 85 yards at 4.7 yards per carry. So this is not a knock on him or how well he's been playing. However, he has a brutal matchup this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. Their offense is also red-hot and will not allow a game script when the Titans can run the ball very much in the second half.  

Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals

Carter flopped last week against the best matchup in the league in Cincinnati. He rushed for just 29 yards on seven carries. Whether you want to blame him or the volume isn't relevant, because we have little reason to believe anything will change this week against the Los Angeles Rams. They are a much tougher matchup on defense and can pile up points on offense just as rapidly. Avoid Carter this week.