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Fantasy football rankings - updated running back (RB) Week 16 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football PPR RB rankings.
If you're in the final four of your fantasy football league, you likely have a great team. But it's never been more critical to nail your start-sit calls, and we're here to help with our updated Week 16 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 Quinshon Judkins, Kenneth Gainwell, Omarion Hampton, Aaron Jones Sr., RJ Harvey, TreVeyon Henderson, and more stand for Week 16.
Our running back fantasy football rankings for Week 16 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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Week 16 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 | Bijan Robinson | RB | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | De'Von Achane | RB | 8 |
| 2 | 5 | James Cook III | RB | 11 |
| 2 | 6 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 12 |
| 3 | 7 | Jonathan Taylor | RB | 15 |
| 3 | 8 | Josh Jacobs | RB | 17 |
| 3 | 9 | Chase Brown | RB | 18 |
| 3 | 10 | Travis Etienne Jr. | RB | 19 |
| 3 | 11 | Javonte Williams | RB | 21 |
| 3 | 12 | Bucky Irving | RB | 22 |
| 3 | 13 | Kyren Williams | RB | 25 |
| 3 | 14 | Woody Marks | RB | 27 |
| 3 | 15 | RJ Harvey | RB | 28 |
| 4 | 16 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 30 |
| 4 | 17 | Aaron Jones Sr. | RB | 31 |
| 4 | 18 | Derrick Henry | RB | 33 |
| 5 | 19 | Breece Hall | RB | 34 |
| 5 | 20 | Quinshon Judkins | RB | 37 |
| 5 | 21 | D'Andre Swift | RB | 41 |
| 5 | 22 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | RB | 42 |
| 5 | 23 | Rico Dowdle | RB | 45 |
| 5 | 24 | Omarion Hampton | RB | 47 |
| 5 | 25 | Michael Carter | RB | 50 |
| 6 | 26 | Kyle Monangai | RB | 56 |
| 6 | 27 | Jaylen Warren | RB | 59 |
| 6 | 28 | Ashton Jeanty | RB | 63 |
| 6 | 29 | Tony Pollard | RB | 66 |
| 7 | 30 | Kenneth Walker III | RB | 68 |
| 7 | 31 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 69 |
| 7 | 32 | David Montgomery | RB | 80 |
| 7 | 33 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 81 |
| 8 | 34 | Blake Corum | RB | 83 |
| 8 | 35 | Jordan Mason | RB | 86 |
| 8 | 36 | Kimani Vidal | RB | 87 |
| 8 | 37 | Audric Estime | RB | 88 |
| 8 | 38 | Tyler Allgeier | RB | 95 |
| 8 | 39 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 97 |
| 8 | 40 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 105 |
| 9 | 41 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 112 |
| 9 | 42 | Samaje Perine | RB | 114 |
| 9 | 43 | Zach Charbonnet | RB | 116 |
| 9 | 44 | Sean Tucker | RB | 118 |
| 9 | 45 | Chuba Hubbard | RB | 120 |
| 9 | 46 | Devin Singletary | RB | 123 |
| 9 | 47 | Nick Chubb | RB | 126 |
| 10 | 48 | Jacory Croskey-Merritt | RB | 136 |
| 10 | 49 | Tyjae Spears | RB | 139 |
| 10 | 50 | Evan Hull | RB | 141 |
| 10 | 51 | Keaton Mitchell | RB | 145 |
| 10 | 52 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 146 |
| 10 | 53 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 148 |
| 10 | 54 | Emari Demercado | RB | 151 |
| 10 | 55 | Jawhar Jordan | RB | 152 |
| 11 | 56 | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | 153 |
| 11 | 57 | Rachaad White | RB | 157 |
| 11 | 58 | LeQuint Allen Jr. | RB | 162 |
| 11 | 59 | Malik Davis | RB | 177 |
| 11 | 60 | Ameer Abdullah | RB | 180 |
| 11 | 61 | Ty Johnson | RB | 183 |
| 11 | 62 | Isaiah Davis | RB | 186 |
| 11 | 63 | Kyle Juszczyk | RB | 202 |
| 12 | 64 | Emanuel Wilson | RB | 203 |
| 12 | 65 | Jaylen Wright | RB | 206 |
| 12 | 66 | Ollie Gordon II | RB | 210 |
| 12 | 67 | Dare Ogunbowale | RB | 218 |
| 13 | 68 | Brashard Smith | RB | 223 |
| 13 | 69 | Tank Bigsby | RB | 229 |
| 13 | 70 | Rasheen Ali | RB | 230 |
| 13 | 71 | Tyler Badie | RB | 242 |
| 13 | 72 | Trayveon Williams | RB | 247 |
| 13 | 73 | Ray Davis | RB | 248 |
| 13 | 74 | Hunter Luepke | RB | 251 |
| 14 | 75 | Chris Brooks | RB | 252 |
| 14 | 76 | Corey Kiner | RB | 256 |
| 15 | 77 | D'Ernest Johnson | RB | 261 |
| 15 | 78 | Alec Ingold | RB | 272 |
| 15 | 79 | C.J. Ham | RB | 274 |
| 15 | 80 | Tyler Goodson | RB | 275 |
| 15 | 81 | Raheem Mostert | RB | 280 |
| 15 | 82 | Adam Prentice | RB | 282 |
| 15 | 83 | Raheim Sanders | RB | 283 |
| 15 | 84 | Kaleb Johnson | RB | 285 |
| 15 | 85 | Tahj Brooks | RB | 288 |
| 16 | 86 | Will Shipley | RB | 289 |
| 16 | 87 | Trevor Etienne | RB | 292 |
Week 16 Running Back Rankings Outlooks
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell had a monster game in Week 15, as he totaled 126 all-purpose yards (80 on the ground, 46 through the air), played 52 percent of the snaps, and was much more efficient as a runner than backfield mate Jaylen Warren. That being said, Warren was playing with an illness leading up to the game; however, this has been trending towards an actual backfield split for about six to seven weeks now.
Additionally, in PPR formats, Gainwell is seeing all of the running back receiving work; he has 31 receptions over the past five weeks (6.2 receptions per game). At the same time, Warren is seeing two, maybe three targets per game during that same stretch.
On the season, Warren is RB19 while Gainwell is RB23. Given the Steelers' Week 16 matchup with the Detroit Lions, who are stout against the run (allowing the third fewest points to the running back position), it appears likely the Steelers might be in a shootout or from behind, meaning it's setting up to be a game where Gainwell sees a ton of volume in the receiving game, giving him low-end RB2/flex value in Week 16.
Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings
As the Minnesota Vikings' offense has looked markedly improved during the past two weeks, an increased commitment to the running game offers great potential for running back Aaron Jones Sr. in Week 16 against the New York Giants. The Vikings ran the ball on nearly 57% of snaps the past two games, did damage with play-fakes, and saw quarterback J.J. McCarthy play his best football of the year.
Jones has 15 touches in back-to-back weeks, which could mean good things against a Giants defense that ranks dead last in yards per carry allowed. Additionally, New York ranks a lowly 30th against half-PPR running backs and has allowed the fifth-most rushing touchdowns, presenting a terrific matchup at a great time for managers who roster the veteran running back. Jones can be considered a solid RB2 with the potential for more in Week 16.
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins is coming off two disappointing games, but faces a struggling Buffalo Bills run defense in Week 16, which gives up an average of 143 rushing yards per game. Judkins will continue his workhorse role with rookie running back Dylan Sampson (hand) ruled out for Week 16, but is likely to cede the majority of third downs again to running back Trayveon Williams.
In Week 15 against the Chicago Bears, Judkins only played 28% of third downs, but ran a season-high 23 routes and saw four targets, his most targets since Week 4. The Browns are likely to face a negative game script against the Bills, which should help Judkins' floor in PPR formats, given his recent increased involvement in the passing game.
Though the Bills' run defense is vulnerable overall, they have managed to hit running backs behind the line of scrimmage at the 6th-highest rate in the NFL at 49.3%. This is particularly troublesome for Judkins, who has been hit behind the line of scrimmage on 54.1% of his carries this season, the 2nd-highest among running backs, according to Next Gen Stats. Heading into Week 16, Judkins profiles as a risky low-end RB2 with a favorable matchup.
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 16 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Quinshon Judkins, Kenneth Gainwell, Omarion Hampton, Aaron Jones Sr., RJ Harvey, TreVeyon Henderson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 16.
Week 16 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 16 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 16 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 16 (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 16 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 16 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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