If you're still reading this, that means you either really like me or you're in some sadistic league that scheduled their Championship to be played during Week 17. Either way, I'm sorry. But the rules from here on out are fairly simple: Know your playoff scenarios. After all, you wouldn't want to be forced into playing C.J. Anderson if the New England Patriots win during the morning games, or stuck starting DeMarco Murray if the Dallas Cowboys are left with nothing to play for. It doesn't appear after Google searches, sure, but ranking "motivation" might be your best bet for a title.
Fantasy football rankings, Week 17: Running backs for standard, PPR leagues
Congrats for making it this far! Now get those backups ready...
Take Devonta Freeman, for instance. Normally, he wouldn't sit anywhere near our Top 50. But since the Carolina Panthers allow the fifth-most yards per carry to opposing running backs, Freeman suddenly becomes a justifiable RB2/Flex in PPR leagues. The same goes for a handful of other opportunistic backs with everything on the line, including Matt Asiata (motivations to be named the starter in camp), Andre Williams (wants to start, in general), Branden Oliver (no Ryan Mathews, playoffs on the line), Juwan Thompson (vying for postseason carries if the Denver Broncos were to have the No. 2 seed secured by kick-off), Jonathan Stewart (win-and-in scenario) and Jeremy Hill (Giovani who?).
On the other hand, if someone like the Houston Texans were to gain a quick lead, you might see Arian Foster take a backseat in hopes of resting him for the playoffs. When your championship is being held in Week 17, these are the things to look for.
Like I said, I’m really, really sorry.
Running back rankings (standard), Week 17
(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)
| Rank | Consensus | Team | Opponent | DK | DC | JD | SK |
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | CIN | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Arian Foster | HOU | JAC | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Matt Forte | CHI | @MIN | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| 4 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA | STL | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Eddie Lacy | GB | DET | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| 6 | Jamaal Charles | KC | SD | 6 | 9 | 7 | 4 |
| 7 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | @PIT | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 |
| 8 | LeSean McCoy | PHI | @NYG | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ATL | 13 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | Joique Bell | DET | @GB | 11 | 10 | 15 | 12 |
| 11 | Alfred Morris | WAS | DAL | 12 | 16 | 14 | 16 |
| 12 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | OAK | 4 | 2 | -- | 2 |
| 13 | Justin Forsett | BAL | CLE | 21 | 13 | 12 | 14 |
| 14 | Mark Ingram | NO | @TB | 15 | 15 | 17 | 13 |
| 15 | Matt Asiata | MIN | CHI | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 |
| 16 | DeMarco Murray | DAL | @WAS | 10 | 12 | 29 | 11 |
| 17 | Fred Jackson | BUF | @NE | 14 | 22 | 10 | 18 |
| 18 | Andre Williams | NYG | PHI | 17 | 21 | 11 | 19 |
| 19 | Lamar Miller | MIA | NYJ | 18 | 17 | 22 | 17 |
| 20 | Tre Mason | STL | @SEA | 24 | 18 | 19 | 22 |
| 21 | Latavius Murray | OAK | @DEN | 22 | 19 | 26 | 21 |
| 22 | Dan Herron | IND | @TEN | 23 | 23 | 21 | 23 |
| 23 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | @PIT | 26 | 27 | 18 | 26 |
| 24 | Frank Gore | SF | ARI | 19 | 24 | 31 | 25 |
| 25 | Chris Ivory | NYJ | @MIA | 20 | 29 | 28 | 24 |
| 26 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @BAL | 25 | 28 | 20 | 31 |
| 27 | Branden Oliver | SD | @KC | 31 | 25 | 25 | 27 |
| 28 | Steven Jackson | ATL | CAR | 27 | 31 | 34 | 20 |
| 29 | Reggie Bush | DET | @GB | 38 | 20 | 33 | 29 |
| 30 | Joseph Randle | DAL | @WAS | 28 | 37 | 13 | 43 |
| 31 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | CAR | 36 | 35 | 23 | 42 |
| 32 | Toby Gerhart | JAC | @HOU | -- | 26 | 32 | 28 |
| 33 | Shane Vereen | NE | BUF | 42 | 30 | 35 | 34 |
| 34 | Doug Martin | TB | NO | -- | 39 | 27 | 32 |
| 35 | Chris Johnson | NYJ | @MIA | 32 | 40 | 39 | 40 |
| 36 | Jordan Todman | JAC | @HOU | 29 | 36 | -- | 38 |
| 37 | Darren Sproles | PHI | @NYG | 33 | 42 | 36 | 44 |
| 38 | Trent Richardson | IND | @TEN | -- | 33 | 37 | 35 |
| 39 | Bishop Sankey | TEN | IND | 37 | 45 | 38 | 39 |
| 40 | Pierre Thomas | NO | @TB | -- | 32 | 41 | 36 |
| 41 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI | @SF | 34 | 50 | 43 | 33 |
| 42 | Stepfan Taylor | ARI | @SF | 35 | 38 | 40 | 50 |
| 43 | Jonas Gray | NE | BUF | -- | 43 | 47 | 30 |
| 44 | C.J. Spiller | BUF | @NE | -- | 34 | -- | 37 |
| 45 | Juwan Thompson | DEN | OAK | 49 | -- | 24 | -- |
| 46 | Khiry Robinson | NO | @TB | 30 | -- | -- | -- |
| 47 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | BUF | -- | -- | 30 | -- |
| 48 | Terrance West | CLE | @BAL | 40 | -- | 44 | -- |
| 49 | Donald Brown | SD | @KC | 43 | 41 | -- | -- |
| 50 | Lance Dunbar | DAL | @WAS | 39 | 47 | -- | -- |
| -- | James White | NE | BUF | -- | 44 | -- | 46 |
| -- | Knile Davis | KC | SD | 47 | 49 | 45 | -- |
| -- | Bernard Pierce | BAL | CLE | 44 | -- | -- | 47 |
| -- | Fitzgerald Toussaint | BAL | CLE | 41 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Ryan Mathews | SD | @KC | -- | -- | -- | 41 |
| -- | Chris Polk | PHI | @NYG | -- | -- | 42 | -- |
| -- | Marcel Reece | OAK | @DEN | 45 | -- | 48 | -- |
| -- | James Starks | GB | DET | 48 | -- | 46 | -- |
| -- | Shonn Greene | TEN | IND | -- | -- | -- | 45 |
| -- | Ka'Deem Carey | CHI | @MIN | 46 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Roy Helu Jr. | WAS | DAL | -- | 46 | -- | -- |
| -- | Charles Sims | TB | NO | -- | 48 | 50 | -- |
| -- | Leon Washington | TEN | IND | -- | -- | -- | 48 |
| -- | Alfred Blue | HOU | JAC | -- | -- | 49 | -- |
| -- | Mike Tolbert | CAR | @ATL | -- | -- | -- | 49 |
| -- | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | PHI | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
Running back rankings (PPR), Week 17
(DK: Daniel Kelley; DC: Dan Ciarrocchi; JD: John Daigle; SK: Scott Kaliska)
| Rank | Consensus | Team | Opponent | DK | DC | JD | SK |
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | CIN | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Matt Forte | CHI | @MIN | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Arian Foster | HOU | JAC | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Marshawn Lynch | SEA | STL | 7 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
| 5 | Jamaal Charles | KC | SD | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 |
| 6 | Eddie Lacy | GB | DET | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
| 7 | Jeremy Hill | CIN | @PIT | 8 | 8 | 7 | 11 |
| 8 | LeSean McCoy | PHI | @NYG | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ATL | 14 | 11 | 9 | 10 |
| 10 | Joique Bell | DET | @GB | 10 | 10 | 16 | 9 |
| 11 | Fred Jackson | BUF | @NE | 12 | 20 | 10 | 12 |
| 12 | Matt Asiata | MIN | CHI | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 |
| 13 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | OAK | 4 | 1 | -- | 3 |
| 14 | Justin Forsett | BAL | CLE | 18 | 14 | 12 | 15 |
| 15 | Alfred Morris | WAS | DAL | 15 | 17 | 14 | 18 |
| 16 | Mark Ingram | NO | @TB | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 |
| 17 | DeMarco Murray | DAL | @WAS | 11 | 12 | 30 | 14 |
| 18 | Lamar Miller | MIA | NYJ | 17 | 18 | 22 | 19 |
| 19 | Andre Williams | NYG | PHI | 20 | 22 | 11 | 25 |
| 20 | Latavius Murray | OAK | @DEN | 25 | 16 | 23 | 17 |
| 21 | Tre Mason | STL | @SEA | 22 | 19 | 19 | 21 |
| 22 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | @PIT | 24 | 24 | 17 | 27 |
| 23 | Dan Herron | IND | @TEN | 23 | 23 | 27 | 23 |
| 24 | Reggie Bush | DET | @GB | 36 | 21 | 26 | 20 |
| 25 | Branden Oliver | SD | @KC | 31 | 25 | 25 | 26 |
| 26 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @BAL | 29 | 29 | 20 | 32 |
| 27 | Chris Ivory | NYJ | @MIA | 19 | 30 | 33 | 30 |
| 28 | Steven Jackson | ATL | CAR | 27 | 31 | 32 | 22 |
| 29 | Frank Gore | SF | ARI | 21 | 27 | 35 | 31 |
| 30 | Shane Vereen | NE | BUF | 37 | 28 | 21 | 28 |
| 31 | Darren Sproles | PHI | @NYG | 26 | 33 | 31 | 38 |
| 32 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | CAR | 35 | 37 | 24 | 40 |
| 33 | Joseph Randle | DAL | @WAS | 34 | 43 | 13 | 49 |
| 34 | Toby Gerhart | JAC | @HOU | -- | 26 | 39 | 24 |
| 35 | Pierre Thomas | NO | @TB | -- | 32 | 38 | 29 |
| 36 | Jordan Todman | JAC | @HOU | 28 | 36 | -- | 36 |
| 37 | Chris Johnson | NYJ | @MIA | 32 | 40 | 37 | 42 |
| 38 | Doug Martin | TB | NO | -- | 42 | 29 | 37 |
| 39 | C.J. Spiller | BUF | @NE | -- | 34 | 43 | 34 |
| 40 | Trent Richardson | IND | @TEN | 49 | 38 | 36 | 39 |
| 41 | Stepfan Taylor | ARI | @SF | 33 | 39 | 42 | -- |
| 42 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI | @SF | 42 | 49 | 45 | 33 |
| 43 | Bishop Sankey | TEN | IND | 39 | 46 | 40 | 46 |
| 44 | Jonas Gray | NE | BUF | -- | 35 | -- | 35 |
| 45 | Donald Brown | SD | @KC | 43 | 41 | -- | 41 |
| 46 | Lance Dunbar | DAL | @WAS | 38 | 47 | -- | 43 |
| 47 | Juwan Thompson | DEN | OAK | -- | -- | 28 | -- |
| 48 | Khiry Robinson | NO | @TB | 30 | -- | -- | -- |
| 49 | Marcel Reece | OAK | @DEN | 41 | -- | 41 | -- |
| 50 | LeGarrette Blount | NE | BUF | -- | -- | 34 | -- |
| -- | Terrance West | CLE | @BAL | 44 | -- | 44 | -- |
| -- | Roy Helu Jr. | WAS | DAL | -- | 45 | -- | 45 |
| -- | Fitzgerald Toussaint | BAL | CLE | 40 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | James White | NE | BUF | -- | 44 | -- | 47 |
| -- | James Starks | GB | DET | 46 | -- | 46 | -- |
| -- | Knile Davis | KC | SD | 45 | 50 | 49 | -- |
| -- | Ryan Mathews | SD | @KC | -- | -- | -- | 44 |
| -- | Charles Sims | TB | NO | -- | 48 | -- | 48 |
| -- | Ka'Deem Carey | CHI | @MIN | 47 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Chris Polk | PHI | @NYG | -- | -- | 47 | -- |
| -- | Jacquizz Rodgers | ATL | CAR | 48 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Alfred Blue | HOU | JAC | -- | -- | 48 | -- |
| -- | Benny Cunningham | STL | @SEA | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Jonas Gray | NE | BUF | -- | -- | 50 | -- |
| -- | Marion Grice | ARI | @SF | -- | -- | -- | 50 |
★★★
