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Fantasy football rankings - updated running back (RB) Week 17 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football PPR RB rankings.
If you're in the fantasy football championship game, you have good players. But you're about to face another strong team, and nailing your start-sit calls has never been more critical. We're back with our updated Week 17 fantasy football running back rankings for 2025. For assistance at RB, check the rankings below to find out where key ball carriers and chain movers like Rhamondre Stevenson, Rico Dowdle, Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Michael Carter, and more stand for Week 17.
Our running back fantasy football rankings for Week 17 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find key fantasy football outlooks from our RotoBaller staff, as well as the "Who to Start?" tool. Also, be sure to check our fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.
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Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings:- Overall fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
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Week 17 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football
Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | James Cook III | RB | 8 |
| 2 | 5 | De'Von Achane | RB | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 10 |
| 3 | 7 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 12 |
| 3 | 8 | Chase Brown | RB | 14 |
| 3 | 9 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 15 |
| 3 | 10 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 18 |
| 3 | 11 | Kyren Williams | RB | 19 |
| 3 | 12 | Javonte Williams | RB | 20 |
| 3 | 13 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 25 |
| 3 | 14 | Derrick Henry | RB | 27 |
| 3 | 15 | RJ Harvey | RB | 28 |
| 4 | 16 | Bucky Irving | RB | 30 |
| 4 | 17 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 33 |
| 4 | 18 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 35 |
| 5 | 19 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 37 |
| 5 | 20 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 38 |
| 5 | 21 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 41 |
| 5 | 22 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 43 |
| 5 | 23 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 45 |
| 5 | 24 | Tony Pollard | RB | 46 |
| 5 | 25 | Michael Carter | RB | 51 |
| 6 | 26 | Aaron Jones Sr. | RB | 56 |
| 6 | 27 | Breece Hall | RB | 57 |
| 6 | 28 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 62 |
| 6 | 29 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 67 |
| 7 | 30 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 68 |
| 7 | 31 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 70 |
| 7 | 32 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 74 |
| 7 | 33 | David Montgomery | RB | 81 |
| 8 | 34 | Woody Marks | RB | 84 |
| 8 | 35 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 85 |
| 8 | 36 | Blake Corum | RB | 91 |
| 8 | 37 | Samaje Perine | RB | 97 |
| 8 | 38 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 98 |
| 8 | 39 | Audric Estime | RB | 104 |
| 8 | 40 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 106 |
| 9 | 41 | Devin Singletary | RB | 114 |
| 9 | 42 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 117 |
| 9 | 43 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 118 |
| 9 | 44 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 121 |
| 9 | 45 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 125 |
| 9 | 46 | Sean Tucker | RB | 128 |
| 9 | 47 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 129 |
| 10 | 48 | Emari Demercado | RB | 133 |
| 10 | 49 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 136 |
| 10 | 50 | Rachaad White | RB | 141 |
| 10 | 51 | Ty Johnson | RB | 146 |
| 10 | 52 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 153 |
| 10 | 53 | Jawhar Jordan | RB | 157 |
| 10 | 54 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 158 |
| 10 | 55 | Malik Davis | RB | 160 |
| 11 | 56 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 162 |
| 11 | 57 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 163 |
| 11 | 58 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 167 |
| 11 | 59 | Trayveon Williams | RB | 168 |
| 11 | 60 | Zavier Scott | RB | 170 |
| 11 | 61 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 173 |
| 11 | 62 | Evan Hull | RB | 183 |
| 11 | 63 | Kyle Juszczyk | RB | 191 |
| 12 | 64 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 205 |
| 12 | 65 | Nick Chubb | RB | 215 |
| 12 | 66 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 217 |
| 12 | 67 | Corey Kiner | RB | 224 |
| 13 | 68 | Rasheen Ali | RB | 225 |
| 13 | 69 | Ameer Abdullah | RB | 231 |
| 13 | 70 | Tyler Badie | RB | 232 |
| 13 | 71 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 233 |
| 13 | 72 | Chris Brooks | RB | 234 |
| 13 | 73 | Ray Davis | RB | 236 |
| 13 | 74 | Dare Ogunbowale | RB | 237 |
| 14 | 75 | Brashard Smith | RB | 241 |
| 14 | 76 | Hunter Luepke | RB | 261 |
| 15 | 77 | Chase Edmonds | RB | 262 |
| 15 | 78 | Hassan Haskins | RB | 263 |
| 15 | 79 | Will Shipley | RB | 269 |
| 15 | 80 | Dylan Laube | RB | 273 |
| 15 | 81 | Tyler Goodson | RB | 274 |
| 15 | 82 | Alec Ingold | RB | 275 |
| 15 | 83 | Patrick Ricard | RB | 276 |
| 15 | 84 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 277 |
| 15 | 85 | D'Ernest Johnson | RB | 280 |
Week 17 Running Back Rankings Outlooks
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell is the fantasy RB21 on the season and carries plenty of value in PPR formats against the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. Although Gainwell is not listed on the team's injury report, the status of all of Pittsburgh's starters needs to be monitored up until game time. If the Baltimore Ravens lose to the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, the Steelers will clinch the AFC North title and could choose to rest some players on Sunday.
Assuming Gainwell plays, however, he is set up for success against a Cleveland defense that has surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing backs over the past eight weeks. With DK Metcalf suspended, Gainwell's involvement as a pass-catcher could increase. That said, fantasy managers can continue to rely on Gainwell as an RB2 or flex option if he is expected to play a full allotment of snaps.
Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III is in a great position to exploit a weak Carolina Panthers' rushing defense in Week 17. Carolina's defense has improved overall this year, but the rushing defense remains a problem. The Panthers are 25th against opposing running backs in fantasy. Additionally, Carolina is allowing 4.76 yards per carry to opposing running backs. This matchup is the remedy needed for a struggling Seahawks' rushing game.
It could allow Walker to build on his best performance of the season in Week 16 when he scored 25.40 fantasy points against a tough Rams defense. Walker's volume is going to remain in the 12 to 15-touch range, but his potential for a big play will be high in Week 17. He is still a flex consideration considering his low floor, but Walker has RB1 upside this week. If you are a heavy underdog in your matchup, Walker could provide the upside you need to balance the playing field.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter has seen double-digit carries in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The 26-year-old finds himself as the Cardinals' RB1 after the team has lost fellow backs James Conner (foot), Trey Benson (knee), and Bam Knight (ankle) to season-ending injuries. Carter enters Week 17 as RotoBaller's 23rd-ranked running back in Half-PRR formats with a favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals' defense has struggled to stop running backs on the ground and in the air this year. They have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs and have given up 25.9 fantasy points per game this season, according to Pro-Football-Reference. Carter is an RB2 with upside that can be fired up as a flex option in fantasy championships in Week 17.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 17 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Rhamondre Stevenson, Rico Dowdle, Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Michael Carter. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 17.
Week 17 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, we've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 17 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 17 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 17 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 17 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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