Editor’s update: There are now reports Le’Veon Bell and Ben Roethlisberger will not play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Stevan Ridley would likely get the bulk of carries in Bell’s absence, with Fitzgerald Touissant potentially getting some work as well. Ridley has some flex appeal in deeper leagues.
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
As many of you know, friends don’t let friends play fantasy in Week 17. And yet, here we are. The worst week of the fantasy NFL season is upon us, and we must find the running back plays that will help all you 17ers out there survive the inevitable scratches and early exits that make this such a hard week to decipher.
Even our default-setting top-10 backs are not immune. Le’Veon Bell is still ranked in the top two, but will he even play on Sunday? The Steelers, who are probably assuming that the Patriots will win their game against the Jets, might sit Bell or play him sparingly on Sunday.
Melvin Gordon, another weekly top-10 selection who plays for a team very much in the thick of things on Sunday, also isn’t likely to play, due to injury.
So where do we go this week? Certainly, the top play is Todd Gurley, who is putting the finishing touches on an MVP season with massive performances to close the regular season. The Rams can still clinch the No. 3 seed in the NFC, which should allow them to avoid both the Saints and Panthers in the Wild Card round, which should keep Gurley on the field against a 49ers team ranked 28th in fantasy points allowed to running backs in PPR leagues.
LeSean McCoy owners should also consider themselves lucky, as the Bills have everything to play for, and McCoy draws a Dolphins team allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs in PPR leagues.
Those are the obvious plays.
Here are a few of the top matchups for the “non-stud” backs in PPR leagues heading into the weekend:
Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are dead last in points allowed to PPR running backs, and Dion Lewis took full advantage of that on Sunday. Now, it’s Drake, who has been brilliant almost every week for Miami since Damien Williams got hurt, getting a shot at ruining Buffalo’s season. Drake had 22 points in his first meeting with the Bills.
Collins has cooled off a bit in the past two weeks, but with the Ravens hanging on to a playoff spot and facing a team allowing 128.5 yards rushing per game, the rookie is poised for a rebound. The Bengals rank 30th in fantasy points allowed to running backs in PPR leagues.
Williams had his best weeks of the season when Brett Hundley was quarterback. This week, Williams faces the Lions, who are allowing the second-most points to running backs in PPR leagues. It’s a tough sell, considering the way the Packers’ season has crashed and burned, but the numbers don’t lie.
Running back (standard) rankings, Week 17
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB standard rankings, Week 17
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | vs. CLE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Todd Gurley | LAR | vs. SF | 9 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ MIA | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | Mark Ingram | NO | @ TB | 4 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 5 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | vs. BUF | 6 | 6 | 6 | 11 |
| 6 | Alvin Kamara | NO | @ TB | 2 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| 7 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | @ PHI | 3 | 10 | 11 | 6 |
| 8 | Dion Lewis | NE | vs. NYJ | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 9 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | vs. CAR | 8 | 13 | 10 | 10 |
| 10 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | @ TEN | 33 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | @ ATL | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 12 | Alex Collins | BAL | vs. CIN | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
| 13 | Kareem Hunt | KC | @ DEN | 37 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 14 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | vs. KC | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| 15 | Latavius Murray | MIN | vs. CHI | 15 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| 16 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | vs. CHI | 18 | 17 | 18 | 15 |
| 17 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ LAR | 12 | 20 | 19 | 20 |
| 18 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | @ LAC | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 19 | Derrick Henry | TEN | vs. JAC | 16 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
| 20 | Jay Ajayi | PHI | vs. DAL | 32 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| 21 | Jordan Howard | CHI | @ MIN | 14 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
| 22 | Peyton Barber | TB | vs. NO | 25 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| 23 | Brandon Oliver | LAC | vs. OAK | 48 | 16 | 15 | 17 |
| 24 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | @ BAL | 21 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
| 25 | Lamar Miller | HOU | @ IND | 23 | 27 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | Samaje Perine | WAS | @ NYG | 40 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| 27 | Jamaal Williams | GB | @ DET | 19 | 31 | 30 | 30 |
| 28 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | @ PIT | 34 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
| 29 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. HOU | 28 | 28 | 31 | 29 |
| 30 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. GB | 26 | 30 | 29 | 31 |
| 31 | Mike Gillislee | NE | vs. NYJ | 22 | 32 | 34 | 34 |
| 32 | Joe Mixon | CIN | @ BAL | 45 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
| 33 | Mike Davis | SEA | vs. ARI | 30 | 34 | 35 | 33 |
| 34 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ ATL | 24 | 36 | 41 | 38 |
| 35 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ NE | 20 | 39 | 50 | 32 |
| 36 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @ PIT | 27 | 38 | 43 | 36 |
| 37 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI | @ SEA | 35 | 35 | 38 | 37 |
| 38 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | vs. CAR | 29 | 37 | 39 | 40 |
| 39 | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | vs. WAS | -- | 33 | 32 | 35 |
| 40 | Buck Allen | BAL | vs. CIN | 44 | 41 | 40 | 39 |
| 41 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @ NE | 43 | 47 | 33 | 43 |
| 42 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | @ MIN | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 |
| 43 | Doug Martin | TB | vs. NO | -- | 40 | 37 | 41 |
| 44 | Alfred Blue | HOU | @ IND | 38 | 44 | 47 | 46 |
| 45 | Devontae Booker | DEN | vs. KC | 49 | 43 | 44 | 44 |
| 46 | Matt Breida | SF | @ LAR | -- | 48 | 36 | 45 |
| 47 | Wayne Gallman | NYG | vs. WAS | 31 | 50 | 49 | -- |
| 48 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | vs. GB | -- | 45 | 45 | 48 |
| 49 | Kapri Bibbs | WAS | @ NYG | 36 | -- | -- | -- |
| 50 | Marlon Mack | IND | vs. HOU | -- | 46 | 48 | 47 |
| -- | Corey Clement | PHI | vs. DAL | 39 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Charcandrick West | KC | @ DEN | 42 | -- | -- | 49 |
| -- | LeGarrette Blount | PHI | vs. DAL | 46 | 49 | -- | -- |
| -- | Elijhaa Penny | ARI | @ SEA | 47 | -- | -- | 50 |
| -- | Aaron Jones | GB | @ DET | -- | -- | 46 | -- |
| -- | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | @ TEN | 50 | -- | -- | -- |
Running back (PPR) rankings, Week 17
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG: Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
RB PPR rankings, Week 17
Rk | Consensus | Tm | Opp | SK | JG | DG | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Le'Veon Bell | PIT | vs. CLE | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | Todd Gurley | LAR | vs. SF | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | LeSean McCoy | BUF | @ MIA | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 4 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | @ PHI | 4 | 6 | 11 | 6 |
| 5 | Alvin Kamara | NO | @ TB | 2 | 7 | 9 | 9 |
| 7 | Mark Ingram | NO | @ TB | 5 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | Dion Lewis | NE | vs. NYJ | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| 8 | Kenyan Drake | MIA | vs. BUF | 6 | 9 | 6 | 11 |
| 9 | Devonta Freeman | ATL | vs. CAR | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 |
| 10 | Leonard Fournette | JAC | @ TEN | 33 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 11 | Christian McCaffrey | CAR | @ ATL | 7 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| 11 | Alex Collins | BAL | vs. CIN | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
| 13 | Kareem Hunt | KC | @ DEN | 41 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 14 | C.J. Anderson | DEN | vs. KC | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| 15 | Jerick McKinnon | MIN | vs. CHI | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
| 16 | Carlos Hyde | SF | @ LAR | 10 | 19 | 19 | 20 |
| 17 | Latavius Murray | MIN | vs. CHI | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
| 17 | Derrick Henry | TEN | vs. JAC | 14 | 20 | 22 | 19 |
| 19 | Marshawn Lynch | OAK | @ LAC | 19 | 21 | 20 | 21 |
| 20 | Jay Ajayi | PHI | vs. DAL | 37 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| 21 | Jordan Howard | CHI | @ MIN | 16 | 24 | 25 | 24 |
| 22 | Peyton Barber | TB | vs. NO | 29 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| 23 | Giovani Bernard | CIN | @ BAL | 18 | 26 | 27 | 26 |
| 24 | Duke Johnson Jr. | CLE | @ PIT | 23 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 24 | Lamar Miller | HOU | @ IND | 24 | 30 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | Theo Riddick | DET | vs. GB | 20 | 28 | 29 | 31 |
| 27 | Jamaal Williams | GB | @ DET | 21 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| 28 | Samaje Perine | WAS | @ NYG | 43 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| 29 | Frank Gore | IND | vs. HOU | 27 | 31 | 31 | 29 |
| 30 | Joe Mixon | CIN | @ BAL | 45 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| 31 | Orleans Darkwa | NYG | vs. WAS | 32 | 32 | 33 | |
| 32 | Mike Davis | SEA | vs. ARI | 30 | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| 33 | Mike Gillislee | NE | vs. NYJ | 35 | 33 | 34 | 34 |
| 34 | Isaiah Crowell | CLE | @ PIT | 26 | 36 | 43 | 36 |
| 35 | Tevin Coleman | ATL | vs. CAR | 28 | 37 | 39 | 40 |
| 36 | Bilal Powell | NYJ | @ NE | 22 | 41 | 50 | 32 |
| 37 | Jonathan Stewart | CAR | @ ATL | 31 | 35 | 42 | 38 |
| 38 | Kerwynn Williams | ARI | @ SEA | 40 | 39 | 40 | 37 |
| 39 | Tarik Cohen | CHI | @ MIN | 34 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| 40 | Buck Allen | BAL | vs. CIN | 49 | 38 | 38 | 39 |
| 41 | Doug Martin | TB | vs. NO | -- | 42 | 37 | 41 |
| 41 | Matt Breida | SF | @ LAR | 50 | 43 | 36 | 43 |
| 43 | Wayne Gallman | NYG | vs. WAS | 25 | 49 | 49 | 49 |
| 44 | Matt Forte | NYJ | @ NE | 44 | 50 | 33 | 45 |
| 45 | Devontae Booker | DEN | vs. KC | 48 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| 46 | Kapri Bibbs | WAS | @ NYG | 32 | -- | -- | -- |
| 47 | Alfred Blue | HOU | @ IND | 46 | 47 | 47 | 46 |
| 48 | Ameer Abdullah | DET | vs. GB | -- | 45 | 45 | 47 |
| 49 | Charcandrick West | KC | @ DEN | 36 | -- | -- | -- |
| 50 | Aaron Jones | GB | @ DET | -- | 46 | 46 | 48 |
| -- | Corey Clement | PHI | vs. DAL | 38 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | T.J. Yeldon | JAC | @ TEN | 39 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Danny Woodhead | BAL | vs. CIN | 42 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Marlon Mack | IND | vs. HOU | -- | 48 | 48 | 50 |
| -- | Elijhaa Penny | ARI | @ SEA | 47 | -- | -- | -- |
