RADIO
Week 16 was a full-fledged marathon for fantasy football as we had one game on Thursday night, two on Saturday, a full slate on Sunday, and three on Monday. It was an exciting time of football and here's to hoping you had a Merry Christmas with your family and loved ones. This will be the second to last article on RB performances for the 2023 season, and here at RotoBaller, we are sending plenty of good fortune and luck your way if for the final Week 17 showdown.
The big dogs at running back delivered in Week 16. Christian McCaffrey continued his torrid pace and found the end zone despite the 49ers losing pretty handily to the Ravens on the final game of the weekend slate. Breece Hall had a monster performance against the depleted Commanders' defense and one can only wonder what CMC is going to do to that unit next week coming off a 49ers loss. Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs delivered yet again and is showing why he was worth the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
As we near the end of the 2023 fantasy season, here are the top 10 RBs based on half-PPR scoring in Week 16. If you need some real-time stats, bookmark our live fantasy scoreboard to your browser. You'll get live updates, top performances, and more -- because who doesn't want some nonstop live fantasy action?
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Top 10 Running Backs Of The Week
Here are the top 10 running backs from Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season in half-PPR scoring:
| Rank | Player | Team | Points |
| 1 | Breece Hall | NYJ | 37.1 |
| 2 | Christian McCaffrey | SF | 22.1 |
| 3 | Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | 22.0 |
| 4 | Derrick Henry | TEN | 20.9 |
| 5 | James Conner | ARI | 19.7 |
| 6 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS | 19.0 |
| 7 | Khalil Herbert | CHI | 18.6 |
| 8 | Saquon Barkley | NYG | 17.9 |
| 9 | Rachaad White | TB | 16.7 |
| 10 | Ezekiel Elliott | NE | 16.5 |
1. Breece Hall, New York Jets
Somewhere in an alternate universe, Jets QB Aaron Rodgers stayed healthy all season and RB Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson both finished inside the top five at their positions. New York has been plagued by poor backup quarterback play since Rodgers went down in Week 1 and it greatly sunk Hall's upside on top of their offensive line struggling. However, against a depleted Commanders defense in Week 16, Hall showed why he is one of the most talented backs in the league, rushing 20 times for 95 yards and two scores on top of having 12 receptions for 96 yards. Hall is a complete back who does it all. If Rodgers is able to come back in 2024 and even be 75 percent of his former self, Hall feels like a lock to be a first-round pick in 2024 fantasy drafts.
2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
Another week, another clutch fantasy performance from CMC with your season on the line. So far in the fantasy playoffs, he's delivered 61.30 fantasy points in half-PPR formats. On Monday night in a loss to the Ravens, McCaffrey had 14 rushes for 103 yards and one TD on top of seeing 10 targets to finish with just six receptions for 28 yards. San Francisco's offense failed to get going after QB Brock Purdy had a couple of INTs (some were on tipped passes) and the offense never kicked it into high gear. The good news for CMC in fantasy is that the 49ers play the Commanders in Week 17, whose defense just got obliterated by Breece Hall. It's not unreasonable to think that McCaffrey could drop a 40-burger in this one.
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Starting the fantasy season, Gibbs had yours truly playing dodgeball with the fury of fantasy fans who took my sage advice to heart. But hold the phone because Gibbs has flipped the script faster than a pancake on a Sunday morning. The Lions, it seems, have finally cracked the code on how to weave him into their offensive tapestry. Over his last nine games, Gibbs has strutted his stuff as an RB1 in six -- we're talking top-12 RB performances. So for those who stuck with him (and me), it looks like our patience is paying off like a slot machine on a lucky day.
In a win over the Vikings on Sunday, the Lions clinched the NFC North for the first time since NFL realignment took place in 2002. Gibbs had 15 rushes for 80 yards and two TDs while finishing with four receptions for 20 yards. What's incredible about Gibbs this season is he has weekly finishes as the RB2, RB7, RB3, and RB3 despite having just 17, 14, 13, and 19 touches in those games. Just a complete maestro of efficiency.
4. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
Given the Titans' struggles on offense this season on top of Henry being 29 and an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, one has to wonder if these are his final days on the team. Rookie RB Tyjae Spears has shined in his limited usage and Tennessee likely wants to start becoming more of a vertical passing team and get away from their downhill running style.
On Sunday in a loss to the Seahawks, Henry threw a touchdown pass on top of rushing 19 times for 88 yards and another TD. He also had one reception for 11 yards. Henry has had an amazing career and is currently the NFL's active rushing leader with 9,307 yards. The question is just how much more does he have in the tank? However, one can't help but wonder if he could continue his dominance while on an offense like the Ravens next season.
5. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
Despite missing four games this season with injury, Conner has been mostly solid for fantasy. He's finished as a top-12 RB for three straight weeks, which is plenty you could ask for down the stretch. The Cardinals are currently 3-12, but their offense has been better than expected for fantasy. On Sunday in a loss to the Bears, Conner had 12 rushes for 45 yards but also had five receptions for 67 yards and one TD. He only played 59 percent of the offensive snaps but has continued to find the end zone. Coming up in Week 17, Arizona plays the Philadelphia Eagles.
6. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Washington Commanders
A name most people outside the dynasty community didn't hear much of until this week, Rodriguez rushed 10 times for 58 yards and two TDs on top of finishing with one reception for seven yards. Lead RB Brian Robinson Jr. was injured with a hamstring injury and given how Washington's season has gone, one can't help but wonder if they might shut him down for the rest of the year.
Rodriguez has a tough matchup against the 49ers in Week 17, but if Robinson is sidelined for the game, he is likely still a mid to low-end RB2 with upside regardless. The sixth-round pick in 2023 out of Kentucky had a productive college career but didn't show much as a receiver. The Commanders' coaching staff and front office appear headed for a complete reset in 2024.
7. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
After all that talk of Chicago deliberately tanking this season, the Bears have continued to fight hard every week. Their running back room has been tough to sort out for fantasy, but RB D'Onta Foreman was a healthy scratch in Week 16, which opened the door for Herbert. In their win over the Arizona Cardinals, Herbert had 20 rush attempts for 112 yards and one TD as well as one reception for nine yards. He is likely a solid play in Week 17 against the Atlanta Falcons if Foreman is out for another week.
8. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
This season has been a disappointing one for the Giants, but to their credit, they fought hard on Sunday against their rival, the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley had 23 rush attempts for 80 yards and one TD and had just three receptions for a paltry four yards. He also saw 89 percent of the team's offensive snaps in the game. It's anyone's guess whether Saquon will be back in New York for 2024 and he received the franchise tag this offseason.
If the Giants also end up with a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, might a change be coming at quarterback as well? Saquon is a very talented RB who does a lot of things well, but he's either been injured or stuck on some bad offenses. His career has still been solid, but the trajectory would have been much different in a different landing spot.
9. Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Every week, White continues to shine. Tampa's offense has started clicking in the last several weeks and QB Baker Mayfield has played well. White saw a total of 26 touches in the Week 16 win over the Jaguars, but he struggled to get going on the ground with 20 rush attempts for just 39 yards. However, he scored on a rush attempt and had six receptions for 38 yards. While White has struggled as a runner at times this season, he has been awesome for fantasy since he receives all of the team's high-value touches in the red zone and as a receiver. White was one of the better fantasy values of 2023.
10. Ezekiel Elliott, New England Patriots
Many thought the Zeke was simply washed after last year when he was overtaken by fellow RB Tony Pollard. However, he has proven to be more than capable as a runner and a receiver this year. On Sunday in a win over the Broncos, Elliott had just 12 rushes for 27 yards, but he shined with 11 targets to finish the game with nine receptions for 33 yards and a TD.
His TD reception was impressive as he evaded a defender and hurdled his way over the pylon for the score. There is no telling what happens with the Patriots and Elliott this offseason, but he has been a capable running back for fantasy with Rhamondre Stevenson sidelined. Coming up, New England faces Buffalo in Week 17. Elliott remains a solid RB2 with upside as long as the receiving work continues.
Looking Forward to the Rest of 2023
How did your teams fare in Week 16? If you have any potential questions involving waivers or start/sit, be sure to follow us here at RotoBaller with up-to-date fantasy news and team reports. Best of luck in the fantasy playoffs!
Are there any running backs not on this list who you expect to bounce back in Week 17? Best of luck in your fantasy football championship! If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter/X.
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