RADIO
Congratulations to those of you who are still participating in Week 17. You have maintained your highest level of flexibility while navigating through injuries, unexpected decreases in usage, substandard performances, and other unwanted developments that emerged during the season. Now this diligence has placed you on the threshold of your league’s championship.
Winning your league has been your primary goal from the moment that you began preparing for your draft. It has also remained the driving force behind every roster decision that you have made throughout the regular season and your playoff matchups. Now, you are just one win away from fulfilling your championship aspirations. This article is dedicated to helping you make the critical decisions that await you by recommending the best running backs to target on your waiver wires.
These recommendations will appear in three tiers - beginning with the most enticing and progressing to runners that are available if you are contending with desperation. You will also find a group of backs that can be considered droppable in order for you to secure your replacements. Good luck to all of you with your matchups in Week 17.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers won two writing awards and received 12 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. A big congrats to our very own Byron Lindeque (Golf) and Jordan McAbee (NASCAR) for both winning Writer Of The Year awards! Be sure to follow RotoBaller's analysis and advice all year long, and win more. Win More With RotoBaller!
Week 16 Rushing Leaders
| Week 16 | Yards | Attempts | Yards/Att |
| D'Onta Foreman | 165 | 21 | 7.9 |
| Derrick Henry | 126 | 23 | 5.5 |
| Chuba Hubbard | 125 | 12 | 10.4 |
| Cam Akers | 118 | 23 | 5.1 |
| Kenneth Walker | 107 | 26 | 4.1 |
| Devin Singletary | 106 | 12 | 8.8 |
| James Cook | 99 | 11 | 9 |
| Gus Edwards | 99 | 11 | 9 |
| Nick Chubb | 92 | 24 | 3.8 |
| Saquon Barkley | 84 | 14 | 6 |
| Travis Etienne | 83 | 22 | 3.8 |
| James Conner | 79 | 15 | 5.3 |
Frontrunners - Week 17 Waiver Wire Running Backs
These running backs should be your top priorities among the options that are available on most waiver wires. Some will be more beneficial in PPR leagues.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons - 48% Rostered
Allgeier has been included among this column’s recommended roster additions on a frequent basis this season. Now, his expanding workload as both a rusher and receiver has vaulted him into RB2 territory as Week 17 lineups are being constructed.
Tyler Allgeier is different
📺 FOX || NFL+ pic.twitter.com/TlgP3eLFzj
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 24, 2022
Allgeier has generated 493 yards (70.4 per game/6.0 per attempt) with his 82 carries (11.8 per game) since Week 9, which is the seven-game sequence since Cordarrelle Patterson returned from his knee injury.
Allgeier’s usage and production have surpassed Patterson’s during that span, as Patterson has averaged 10.3 attempts per game while assembling 295 yards (42.1 per game/4.2 per attempt).
Allgeier has also been entrusted with 35 carries during his last two outings, including the career-high 18 that he accumulated in Week 16. He has also eclipsed 200 rushing yards (213/106.5 per game) during that sequence, and also secured career-best totals in targets (five) and receptions (four) in Week 16.
Allgeier is available in over 50% of all leagues and is primed to deliver another productive outing when the Falcons host Arizona. He is also positioned firmly as the premier option among running backs on this week’s waiver wire.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills - 52% Rostered
Cook had been included among the recommended roster additions in this column during recent weeks. That ongoing suggestion had been fueled by the belief that he could still garner enough touches to become a resource for your rosters before the conclusion of the fantasy playoffs.
Let Jimbo Cook!
📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/P7Ge5CgByB
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 24, 2022
The potential for Cook to emerge as a viable starting option was dwindling as we progressed into the postseason.
However, his career-best numbers during Buffalo’s Week 16 visit to Chicago have positioned the promising rookie to become deployable as a flex option when the Bills travel to Cincinnati on Monday Night.
Cook exploded for 99 rushing yards and a touchdown with his 11 rushing attempts, and he has now eclipsed 64+ yards during three of his last six games. Cook shared touches with Devin Singletary (12 carries/106 rushing yards/two receptions), but his workload was encouraging, while he also capitalized on his opportunities.
He remains available in nearly 50% of all leagues and has emerged as a back to prioritize on this week’s waiver wire.
Zack Moss, Indianapolis Colts - 44% Rostered
The season-ending ankle injury that was sustained by Jonathan Taylor was clearly unfortunate for anyone who had invested in the Colts’ lead back during draft season. His absence has also provided an opportunity for fantasy managers to prioritize the addition of Moss or Deon Jackson during the waiver process.
Moss had been acquired from Buffalo on November 1 but had been limited to 11 snaps and seven carries from Weeks 10-14. However, he led Indianapolis with a career-high 67% snap share when the Colts traveled to Minneapolis in Week 15, after Taylor suffered his injury.
Moss also led the team with a career-best 24 rushing attempts and tied his previous high in rushing yardage (81). Jackson operated with a 32% snap share, carried 13 times, and assembled 55 yards against the Vikings. However, he also generated a touchdown on his only reception.
While either player could ultimately emerge as the most productive member of the Colts’ backfield during the team’s remaining matchups, Jeff Saturday’s decision to rely heavily on Moss in Week 15 supplies the incentive for securing him from this week’s waiver wire.
In The Running - Week 17 Waiver Wire Running Backs
These running backs remain available on the waiver wire but are not necessarily must-adds.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens - 41% Rostered
The wheels on the Gus Bus go round and round 🚌🚌🚌
Tune in on FOX! pic.twitter.com/GSYzbkwZVC
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 24, 2022
After a season of frequent fluctuations in the workloads of Baltimore’s running backs, the Ravens have remained consistent in their rotation of Edwards and J.K. Dobbins since Dobbins re-emerged from injured reserve in Week 14.
Edwards and Dobbins have combined for 71 attempts since Dobbins resurfaced, while Edwards has now accumulated 31 attempts (10.3 per game) and 220 rushing yards (73.3 per game) during his last three matchups.
That includes the 99 yards that Edwards generated when Baltimore hosted Atlanta in Week 16. He has also eclipsed 55+ yards in three consecutive outings and has also rushed for 65+ during four of his seven matchups this season.
Kenyan Drake has been limited to just one rushing attempt, two receptions, and two total yards since Week 14 while being relegated to healthy scratch status during two of the Ravens’ last three games.
The reliance on Edwards and Dobbins has bolstered Edwards’ viability as an RB3/flex option, and he should garner another favorable workload when the Ravens host Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers - 38% Rostered
Sam Darnold has averaged 22 attempts per game since he emerged under center for Carolina in Week 12. The Panthers have also run the ball 43+ times in three of their four matchups with Darnold guiding the team’s restructured offense.
This coincided with a surge in Hubbard’s workload as he has now carried 47 times (11.8 per game) since Week 12 - including 12+ during three of those contests.
Anyone have Chuba Hubbard over rushing yards?
He went over on the first drive. ✅
— RotoRadar (@RotoRadar) December 24, 2022
Carolina also ran the ball 43 times when they hosted Detroit in Week 16, with Hubbard accumulating a career-high 125 yards with his 12 attempts. He also eclipsed 30 yards on two of his initial carries while averaging 10.4 yards per attempt.
D’Onta Foreman also carried 21 times and generated a career-high 165 yards against the Lions. However, there are enough opportunities in Carolina’s ground-oriented approach for Hubbard to operate as a viable flex option, as both backs combined for 61 snaps (Hubbard 31/Foreman 30) during the matchup with Detroit.
Hubbard can also function as the Panthers’ pass-catching back as he did in Week 15 when he accrued a season-best 57 receiving yards. That provides further incentive to include him among this week’s priorities.
Deon Jackson, Indianapolis Colts - 24% Rostered
Even though the majority of touches have been distributed to Moss following Taylor’s ankle injury, there is also a rationale for securing Jackson if you are searching for flex options entering your Week 17 matchups.
Jackson’s versatility has been displayed during the season including a two-game sequence in Week 5-6 when he operated effectively as a rusher and receiver. He secured a 64% snap share while performed as the Colts’ lead back during those matchups, while Taylor was sidelined with his previous ankle issue.
Jackson capitalized on his expanded workload while leading Indianapolis in carries (25) and rushing yards (104) during those contests. Jackson also collected all 14 of his targets and assembled 108 receiving yards during that two-game span.
Jackson can accumulate a sufficient number of touches to remain worthy of consideration as a starting option even if Moss continues to confiscate the majority of opportunities. Jackson’s capabilities as a pass-catcher can also expand his involvement when game scripts dictate the need for Indianapolis to become more reliant on the Colts' receiving weaponry. This makes Jackson an intriguing roster addition if you participate in PPR leagues.
Dark Horses - Week 17 Waiver Wire Running Backs
This group consists of running backs that can be added if you are willing to wait for the possibility of a larger role during the year or consider your situation to be desperate due to injuries.
Damien Harris, New England Patriots - 51% Rostered
Harris sustained a thigh issue in Week 12, which has now sidelined him for the Patriots’ last four matchups. The fourth-year back has yet to resurface since that injury transpired and the timing of his return remains uncertain.
While his current status does not present the appeal that exists with several other backs who are contained among this week’s recommendations, the fourth-year back does have a navigable path toward a favorable workload if he re-emerges for New England’s Week 17 matchup with Miami.
Harris has averaged 9.3 attempts per game during the season while operating in a rotation with Rhamondre Stevenson. It is reasonable to believe that he could regain a similar workload upon his return.
Stevenson’s disappointing performance during New England’s Week 16 matchup with Cincinnati could also have enhanced the likelihood that Harris will collect rushing attempts if he is active. Stevenson was limited to 30 rushing yards on 13 carries (2.3 yards per attempt) before losing a critical fumble near the conclusion of the contest.
Anyone who is positioned to stash Harris could be presented with an additional flex option if he is active on Sunday.
Royce Freeman, Houston Texans - 0% Rostered
To be clear, the possibility of adding Freeman is being presented with the caveat that an investment in the fifth-year back provides a greater likelihood of frustration that you might endure if you secure the other players that are being discussed in this week’s column.
Freeman had been elevated from Houston’s practice squad after Dameon Pierce sustained an ankle injury in Week 14. That quickly propelled Freeman to a sizable in the Texans’ restructured backfield, and he has now paced Houston in rushing attempts (27) and rushing yardage (83) during the team’s last two matchups.
That includes his involvement in Week 16 when he functioned with a 55% snap share. Dare Ogunbowale is second on the Texans in carries (16) and rushing yardage (42) during that two-game sequence, while no other backs have been involved in the distribution of touches.
Houston has also run the ball 58 times since during their last two contests, and Freeman should accumulate carries when the Texans host Jacksonville this week. Availability will not be an issue if you are compelled to add Freeman during a week in which various developments have depleted your roster options.
Keaontay Ingram, Arizona Cardinals – 1% Rostered
In the interest of providing a thorough list of options, Ingram will be included as a prospective roster addition. Arizona selected Ingram in Round 6 of last April’s NFL Draft (201st overall), and was originally infused into a backfield that also contained James Conner, Eno Benjamin, and Darrel Williams. This did not initially provide an unencumbered path toward touches for Ingram in a backup role behind Conner.
Williams was placed on injured reserve due to a hip injury in early November while Benjamin was also waived by the Cardinals during the same month. These developments have elevated Ingram directly below Conner on Arizona’s restructured depth chart.
His involvement this season has remained minimal (24 rushing attempts/55 rushing yards/2 targets). However, the Cardinals could conceivably decide to sit Conner during a Week 17 matchup that has no significance. This would vault Ingram into relevance when Arizona travels to Atlanta this week.
That would elevate Ingram into a sizable workload against the Falcons while supplying a potential flex option for anyone who is contending with a depleted roster in deeper leagues.
Also-Rans - It Is Time To Say Goodbye
These running backs can be dropped in order to secure an RB with greater potential to bolster your scoring during the year.
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns- 78% Rostered
The justification for dropping Hunt has been escalating as his minimal involvement in Cleveland’s distribution of touches continues on a weekly basis.
The sixth-year back has now averaged just 5.7 attempts per game since Week 10 while averaging only 21.4 rushing yards per game. He has also been limited to just 2.3 targets and 11.3 yards per game as a receiver during that seven-game sequence.
The Browns ran the ball 34 times during the wintry conditions that impacted their Week 16 matchup with New Orleans, yet only seven of those opportunities were allocated to Hunt. His snap share is also 37.7% since Week 10, including just 34.3% from Weeks 13-15.
There is an incentive for retaining Hunt if you also have Nick Chubb contained on your roster, as Hunt can provide a safeguard if Chubb would be sidelined for Cleveland’s Week 17 matchup at Washington. Otherwise, Hunt’s limited workloads should prompt you to secure another back if you are searching for a flex option entering your Week 17 matchups.
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars - 28% Rostered
Robinson began the season by vaulting to eighth overall in rushing yardage (230/76.7 per game) from Weeks 1-3, while he was also seventh in rushing attempts during that sequence (17 per game).
His usage and output decreased from Weeks 4-6 (10 attempts/36.7 yards per game) before he failed to register a touch in Week 7 - which was his final game as a Jaguar.
Robinson was traded to the Jets in late October and his stock has plummeted at an accelerated pace since his arrival in New York. He has only carried 29 times, manufactured just 85 rushing yards, and has been relegated to spectator status as a healthy inactive during four of New York’s last five contests.
This includes the Jets' Week 16 matchup with the Jaguars, as Robinson was denied the opportunity to exact any form of revenge against his former team.
There is no rationale for believing that Robinson will somehow become a productive resource in the Jets’ backfield during Week 17. That should incentivize anyone who has still retained Robinson to remove him this week.
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams - 28%
It has become increasingly difficult to even consider elevating Williams into a starting lineup due to his diminished workload during the Rams’ last four contests. Williams appeared to present fantasy managers with a viable flex option after he operated with a 70% snap in Week 12. He also generated 60 total yards with his 14 touches during that matchup in Kansas City.
However, his snap share has dropped to 28% in Weeks 13-16, while he has also been relegated to 14 carries (3.5 per game) and 53 rushing yards (13.3 per game) during that four-game sequence. Williams has also been limited to just two receptions and 13 receiving yards during that span.
Those unwanted results have coincided with Cam Akers’ ascension into the Rams’ lead back responsibilities as Akers has secured a 62% snap share since Week 11 while accumulating 87 attempts (14.3 per game) and generating 383 rushing yards (63.8 per game) during the six-game span. That includes Akers’ performance in Week 16 when he generated 118 yards and three touchdowns with his 23 carries.
When you blend Akers’ late-season statistical ascension with Williams’ limited involvement in the Rams’ offense, there is no rationale for retaining Williams on your rosters.
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