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Fantasy football rankings - running backs (RB) Week 18 rankings early edition for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football RB rankings.
Whether your league continues to Week 18 or you are just looking at the RB position for DFS purposes, we're here to guide your start-sit calls with our Week 18 fantasy football running back rankings for 2025. Below, find out where ball carriers such as D'Andre Swift, Bucky Irving, Tony Pollard, Kenneth Walker III, Kenneth Gainwell, Rico Dowdle, and more stand among all other RB options.
Our running back fantasy football rankings for Week 18 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important RB 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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Week 18 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 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 1 |
| 1 | 2 | Christian McCaffrey | RB | 2 |
| 1 | 3 | Derrick Henry | RB | 4 |
| 1 | 4 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 6 |
| 1 | 5 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 8 |
| 1 | 6 | De'Von Achane | RB | 9 |
| 2 | 7 | Kyren Williams | RB | 10 |
| 2 | 8 | RJ Harvey | RB | 11 |
| 2 | 9 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 12 |
| 3 | 10 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 13 |
| 3 | 11 | James Cook III | RB | 18 |
| 3 | 12 | Javonte Williams | RB | 19 |
| 3 | 13 | Chase Brown | RB | 20 |
| 3 | 14 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 21 |
| 3 | 15 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 22 |
| 3 | 16 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 23 |
| 3 | 17 | Breece Hall | RB | 24 |
| 4 | 18 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 26 |
| 4 | 19 | Bucky Irving | RB | 35 |
| 4 | 20 | Tony Pollard | RB | 36 |
| 4 | 21 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 39 |
| 4 | 22 | Aaron Jones Sr. | RB | 41 |
| 5 | 23 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 42 |
| 5 | 24 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 49 |
| 5 | 25 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 51 |
| 5 | 26 | Audric Estime | RB | 53 |
| 5 | 27 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 55 |
| 5 | 28 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 56 |
| 5 | 29 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 58 |
| 5 | 30 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 60 |
| 5 | 31 | Woody Marks | RB | 64 |
| 5 | 32 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 65 |
| 5 | 33 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 68 |
| 5 | 34 | Michael Carter | RB | 77 |
| 5 | 35 | Malik Davis | RB | 78 |
| 6 | 36 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 81 |
| 6 | 37 | David Montgomery | RB | 82 |
| 6 | 38 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 91 |
| 6 | 39 | Devin Singletary | RB | 93 |
| 6 | 40 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 94 |
| 6 | 41 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 97 |
| 6 | 42 | Dylan Sampson | RB | 101 |
| 6 | 43 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 106 |
| 6 | 44 | Ray Davis | RB | 113 |
| 6 | 45 | Ty Johnson | RB | 114 |
| 7 | 46 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 115 |
| 7 | 47 | Rachaad White | RB | 122 |
| 7 | 48 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 124 |
| 7 | 49 | Samaje Perine | RB | 131 |
| 7 | 50 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 132 |
| 7 | 51 | Blake Corum | RB | 137 |
| 7 | 52 | Sean Tucker | RB | 138 |
| 7 | 53 | Emari Demercado | RB | 146 |
| 7 | 54 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 153 |
| 7 | 55 | Brashard Smith | RB | 156 |
| 7 | 56 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 160 |
| 7 | 57 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 165 |
| 7 | 58 | Hunter Luepke | RB | 178 |
| 7 | 59 | Ronnie Rivers | RB | 180 |
| 7 | 60 | Chris Brooks | RB | 183 |
| 8 | 61 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 188 |
| 8 | 62 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 189 |
| 8 | 63 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 202 |
| 8 | 64 | Kyle Juszczyk | RB | 203 |
| 8 | 65 | Jawhar Jordan | RB | 204 |
| 8 | 66 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 223 |
| 8 | 67 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 230 |
| 8 | 68 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 231 |
| 8 | 69 | Rasheen Ali | RB | 232 |
| 8 | 70 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 240 |
| 8 | 71 | Hassan Haskins | RB | 241 |
| 8 | 72 | Tyler Badie | RB | 243 |
| 8 | 73 | D'Ernest Johnson | RB | 249 |
| 8 | 74 | Dare Ogunbowale | RB | 253 |
| 8 | 75 | Trayveon Williams | RB | 256 |
| 9 | 76 | Will Shipley | RB | 259 |
| 9 | 77 | Corey Kiner | RB | 261 |
| 9 | 78 | Ameer Abdullah | RB | 262 |
| 9 | 79 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 266 |
| 9 | 80 | Zavier Scott | RB | 269 |
| 9 | 81 | Patrick Ricard | RB | 273 |
| 9 | 82 | C.J. Ham | RB | 274 |
| 9 | 83 | Dylan Laube | RB | 275 |
Week 18 Running Back Rankings Outlooks
Kyle Monangai, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai is still getting plenty of work in the backfield, and he's a strong grab if he's on the waiver wire as the Bears continue to push for the second seed in the NFC. Monangai had eight carries and three catches against the 49ers, totaling 38 rushing yards and nine receiving yards. D'Andre Swift had nine carries and two catches but was more productive with two rushing touchdowns.
Monangai could get a little more work if the Bears look to get Swift some rest before the playoffs, and the matchup against the Lions should be a solid one, since Detroit's defense has struggled down the stretch, giving up seven running back touchdowns in the last three weeks.
Brashard Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Across 16 games this season, Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith has recorded 265 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 55 touches. The 22-year-old's opportunities have been limited by the presence of veteran Chiefs backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco, who have dominated the team's rushing work for most of the 2025 season.
Over his last seven games, Smith has logged just four carries. However, Smith has seen a larger role in the Kansas City passing game. In Week 17, Smith earned four targets from Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun and hauled in his first receiving touchdown of the season. With Oladukun likely in line to make his second start of the season in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Smith could continue to see work as a pass-catcher. In deep PPR fantasy leagues, Smith may be worth targeting on the waiver wire heading into Week 18.
Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson returned in Week 17 after a two-game absence due to calf and hand injuries, recording 27 scrimmage yards on 14 touches against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite his inefficient day against the Steelers, Sampson could be in line for a more productive Week 18 in an easier matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. With Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (ankle, leg) suffering a season-ending injury in Week 16, Cleveland split backfield touches in Week 17 between Sampson, Raheim Sanders, and Trayevon Williams.
Sanders led Browns running backs in snap share, but Sampson earned more touches (14) than Sanders and Williams combined (11). If Sampson remains the leader of the Cleveland backfield committee in Week 18, he should post better results. Fantasy managers in leagues with 12 or more teams should consider targeting Sampson on the waiver wire heading into the final week of the regular season.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
Across 13 games this season, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco has recorded 563 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 137 touches. The 26-year-old has not recorded more than 34 rushing yards in a game or scored a rushing touchdown since Week 8. However, Pacheco maintains a consistent role in the Kansas City offense, averaging over 11 touches per game over the last three weeks. Pacheco appears to have wrestled the RB1 role for the Chiefs away from fellow back Kareem Hunt, as he's earned double the touches of Hunt over that same three-game period.
Kansas City has been consistently chasing points during its ongoing five-game losing streak, which limits opportunities to run the football. However, the Chiefs could have a chance to play with a lead in their Week 18 matchup against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. In fantasy leagues with 10 or more teams, Pacheco could be a running back worth targeting on the waiver wire heading into Week 18.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter had seven carries for 29 yards in Sunday's 37-14 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. Carter also had two catches for 14 yards on four targets. The 26-year-old has been the lead running back in the Cardinals' backfield after the team has seen season-ending injuries to James Conner (foot), Trey Benson (knee), and Bam Knight (ankle).
However, Carter had under 50 total scrimmage yards in the perfect fantasy matchup. Heading into Sunday, the Bengals' defense had allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season. Carter and the Cardinals' offense will look to bounce back in Week 18 against the Los Angeles Rams to close the regular season.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (illness) was a late inactive for the team's Week 17 Christmas loss to the Cowboys, clearing the path for rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt to put up 105 yards and two scores on the ground. With roster crunches ratcheting up during the fantasy playoffs, there's a real chance that Rodriguez may be available on some waiver wires this week, making him a must-add in any league with a Week 18 championship game.
While Croskey-Merritt has looked brilliant at times this year, Washington has repeatedly shown that, when healthy, they prefer Rodriguez to handle the majority of their groundwork. Rodriguez has cracked double-digit points in Half-PPR formats in three of his last six games played, and should slot in as a low-end RB2/flex in a plus matchup with the Eagles in Week 18.
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