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Fantasy football playoffs running back rankings - Week 17 rankings for 2025. Who to start at running back? Read the top-accuracy fantasy football playoffs rankings.
With fantasy football championships on the line in Week 17, your RB start-sit calls could make or break your season. We're here to help you set lineups with our fantasy football playoffs running back rankings for Week 17. Below, you will see where key chain-movers such as Omarion Hampton, Michael Carter, RJ Harvey, Rhamondre Stevenson, Dylan Sampson, Tony Pollard, and more stand for the last week of fantasy football action.
Nick Mariano puts together our fantasy football playoffs rankings. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important 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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Fantasy Football Playoffs RB Rankings (Week 17)
Fantasy Football Playoffs RB Rankings Outlooks
Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton told ESPN's Dan Graziano that Week 16 against the Dallas Cowboys was the "best he has felt" since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for seven games from Week 6 to Week 13. Across three games since returning, the 22-year-old has recorded 227 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 48 touches. The Chargers held Hampton under 25 offensive snaps in each of his first two outings back from injury, but bumped his playing time up to 35 snaps in Week 16 against Dallas.
Hampton could be in line for an even larger bump in playing time in Week 17 against the Houston Texans, as fellow Chargers back Kimani Vidal (neck) is considered day-to-day due to a neck strain. Hampton has been a dynamic player when healthy this season, averaging 4.7 yards per carry and 5.1 yards per touch across eight games played. He profiles as a solid fantasy RB2 with upside, even in a tough matchup in Week 17 against Houston.
Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns running back Dylan Sampson (hand) is expected to return to practice on Wednesday, per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi. Sampson has missed each of Cleveland's last two games due to calf and hand injuries. The 21-year-old has mostly been used in a part-time role as a receiver out of the backfield so far in 2025. However, with Browns RB1 Quinshon Judkins (leg, ankle) suffering a season-ending injury in Week 16, Sampson has an opportunity to take over as the team's lead back.
Across 13 games this season, Sampson has racked up 375 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 72 touches. The Browns also have Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams as backfield options who can help fill in for Judkins. If active, Sampson could be a solid flex option for fantasy managers in his Week 17 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Michael Carter, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals running back Michael Carter had 11 carries for 65 yards in the 26-19 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Cardinals have been decimated by injuries this season, especially in their RB room. James Conner (ankle), Trey Benson (knee), and Bam Knight (ankle) are all on injured reserve, leaving Carter and Emari Demercado as the two lead backs.
Carter played 54% of the snaps and led the team in carries, while Demercado played 30% of the snaps. Their Week 17 matchup brings some upside, as they face the Cincinnati Bengals, who have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season. While he entered the season as an afterthought in Arizona, he could determine fantasy championships this week and offers low-end RB2 value against this struggling Bengals defense.
Chris Rodriguez Jr., Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. returned from injury in Week 16, taking 15 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown in the 29-18 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Although there was concern that rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt would be more of a factor after his big Week 15 outing, Rodriguez returned to his usual workload. He played a season-high 56% of the snaps, while Croskey-Merritt played 22% and Jeremy McNichols played 24%. He faces the Dallas Cowboys, who may be without star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
The Cowboys ranked as the worst run defense in the NFL before they acquired Williams at the deadline, and with him out last week, Omarion Hampton had 95 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts. While there are concerns about the Commanders' quarterback situation this week, look for them to run it a ton against this Cowboys defense, where Rodriguez could be a league-winner in Week 17.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has scored in back-to-back weeks for the first time this season. Croskey-Merritt, aka Bill, played only 11 snaps in last week's loss to the Eagles, but handled eight carries for 25 yards and a score. The rookie seventh-rounder was still firmly behind Chris Rodriguez Jr. in snaps and touches, but he earned more work on the goal line, outcarrying Rodriguez four to three inside the 10.
The Commanders could be starting Josh Johnson at QB this week, with Marcus Mariota (hand, quadriceps) uncertain to play on a short week. That would limit the fantasy appeal for Croskey-Merritt. Plus, he has a tough matchup against a Dallas Cowboys defense that is allowing the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game since acquiring Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline. JCM projects as a desperation flex option for Week 17.
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson could potentially see most of the running back opportunities on Sunday with rookie TreVeyon Henderson (head) currently working his way through the concussion protocol after leaving the game early in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens. Since Stevenson's return from injury in Week 12, his snap share has increased each week, from 31 percent to 58 percent, 67 percent, and 84 percent, respectively.
Combine that with Henderson potentially being out on Sunday, Stevenson would climb up the RB ranks and become a borderline RB1 against the New York Jets, who have been reeling of late and are allowing the fourth most points on the season to the running back position. Regardless of Henderson's status for Week 17, Stevenson will provide fantasy value given the matchup.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 17 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players like - Javonte Williams, Rhamondre Stevenson, Bucky Irving, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, Kyle Monangai. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 17.
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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 17 for players like Javonte Williams, Rhamondre Stevenson, Bucky Irving, Jaylen Warren, Tony Pollard, Josh Jacobs, Kyle Monangai:
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