The eleventh week of the 2016 regular season is just about over, with only the Monday Night Football game remaining. Most fantasy football leagues will run their waiver wires late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but we are here to help you get a jump on the best options to consider.
We will be ranking the top five players likely to be available in your league at each of the major positions. Some weeks there might not be five good options available, but we’ll scour for the best we can find. Additionally, throughout the week, we will update each of these articles as ownership percentages change (via Yahoo!) and news arrives.
Waiver wire running back rankings, Week 12
1. Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars (48 percent owned)
Ivory benefited from the exit of his backfield-mate T.J. Yeldon, receiving more offensive attention that he would’ve otherwise. The Jaguars running back ran for 39 yards on 17 carries, added 75 yards on six catches, and lost a fumble, in the Jaguars’ loss to the Lions. At worst, Ivory will be in a fairly even timeshare going forward. If Yeldon does miss a game or two, Ivory will receive feature back status for a limited time.
2. Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears (30 percent owned)
The Chicago backfield seemingly found some consistency, utilizing Jordan Howard as their primary running back for most of Langford’s injury-induced absence. Now that Langford has returned from his injury, he’s mainly taken on the role of the pass-catching back for Chicago, but his usage appears to be trending upward. The Chicago running back ran for eight yards and a touchdown, and added 30 yards on three catches in the Bears’ loss to the Giants. If Langford is able to continue capitalizing on his opportunities, he may earn a bigger role in the coming weeks.
3. Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens (28 percent owned)
The rookie running back basically split carries with Terrance West; however, with the Ravens trailing for most of the game, neither running back received much attention. Dixon ran for 40 yards on six carries in the Ravens’ loss to the Cowboys. Dixon should continue to see an increase in playing time as the running back of the future in Baltimore.
4. Mike Gillislee, Buffalo Bills (25 percent owned)
LeSean McCoy exited the game with a dislocated thumb, allowing Gillislee to act as the primary running back for the remainder of the game. The Bills running back ran for 72 yards on 14 attempts in Buffalo’s win over the Bengals. Due to the Bills’ run-first style of offense, Gillislee should have some standalone value even as the second running back. McCoy is expected to start in Week 12, but will certainly be impacted by his thumb ailment. This should give Gillislee at least some uptick in production.
5. Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles (two percent owned)
Ryan Mathews exited the game against the Seahawks early in the second quarter, and the initial prognosis of an MCL sprain will most likely cause Mathews to miss some time. As such, Smallwood should take over the role of primary running back for the Eagles. He ran for 48 yards, and caught four passes for an additional 31 yards in Philadelphia’s loss to Seattle. Smallwood has shown flashes of his talent in the past, but has a tough matchup against Green Bay’s stout run defense in Week 12. Even with this matchup, he should get the touches to put up a productive week.
