RADIO
Championship Week in Week 17 came and went! There was plenty of excitement during just about all of the games on Sunday, and it felt like a chore trying to keep with 10 of them during the 1 PM slate! Here's to hoping you were victorious in your finale and here's to wishing you plenty of happiness and health in the new year.
Field Yates reported that 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey was rostered on 59% of teams who made the championship in ESPN leagues. Incredible! However, the heralded back got banged up with a lower-body injury and missed most of the second half of the game. Rams RB Kyren Williams delivered another epic performance and finished as the overall RB1 in Week 17 and was one of the late-round draft gems of the 2023 season along with Dolphins' RB Raheem Mostert.
We have now reached the end of the 2023 fantasy season, so here are the top 10 RBs based on half-PPR scoring from Week 17. Thank you for following along this fantasy season and stay tuned all offseason long for plenty of NFL Draft coverage, offseason dynasty and startup strategy, and how to best prepare your best ball portfolios for 2024.
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!
Top 10 Running Backs Of The Week
Here are the top 10 running backs from Week 17 of the 2023 NFL season in half-PPR scoring:
| Rank | Player | Team | Points |
| 1 | Kyren Williams | LAR | 29.1 |
| 2 | Isiah Pacheco | KC | 26.0 |
| 3 | James Conner | ARI | 25.8 |
| 4 | Jerome Ford | CLE | 25.1 |
| 5 | Travis Etienne | JAC | 24.8 |
| 6 | Najee Harris | PIT | 24.2 |
| 7 | Breece Hall | NYJ | 23.1 |
| 8 | De'Von Achane | MIA | 21.7 |
| 9 | Khalil Herbert | CHI | 19.9 |
| 10 | Justice Hill | BAL | 19.7 |
1. Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
The man, the myth, the legend. Kyren delivered in Week 17 yet again with an epic performance. The Rams clinched a playoff berth as Williams had 20 carries for 87 yards and three TDs on top of two receptions for 14 yards. It's hard not to be impressed with what head coach Sean McVay has done with this team in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Now imagine what the 2024 Rams might look like once they have salary cap space and draft picks again as their last first-round selection was QB Jared Goff in 2016.
Williams was one of the best late-round values of 2023 and it will be interesting to see where his ADP settles in 2024 drafts. It does seem more likely that the Rams will bring in more depth in the backfield, but one thing about Williams is he makes McVay's offensive scheme very dangerous as he's the central cog to making it operate at high-octane levels not seen since the days of Todd Gurley. Kyren was arguably the Fantasy MVP down the stretch.
2. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
After missing Weeks 14 and 15 with an injury, Pacheco didn't do much in a tough loss to the Raiders in Week 16. But yesterday, he roared back to life in what was a must-win and get-right game for the Chiefs. Pacheco carried the ball 18 times for 130 yards and finished with seven receptions for 35 yards and one TD. The Bengals' defensive front was lacking with DT D.J. Reader lost for the season and the Chiefs were able to move the ball at will. An interesting storyline will be how the Kansas City backfield looks in 2024. Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon are likely gone. Pacheco still has value, but it's fair to question if he will see some added competition next year, either in the draft or in free agency.
3. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals
The Eagles' defense seems to have been leaking a good bit of oil over the last month, and Conner was able to get going in a big way. Many fantasy pundits were worried about this fantasy matchup four to six weeks ago, but as we have seen: the teams we see in September are a lot different than the ones we watch in December. Conner had a fantastic game where he rushed 26 times for 128 yards and one TD and caught another TD pass for five yards. It was an incredible one-handed reception from Kyler Murray. The Cards have an out on Conner's deal next season, but after how well he's played, it seems silly not to bring him back.
4. Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
On a short week, Ford delivered quite a game on Thursday Night Football against the Jets. He only had 12 rushing attempts for 64 yards, but had two receptions for another 57 yards and scored a TD on both of them. The Browns' offense has been unleashed over the last month with the rise of QB Joe Flacco and their offense feels completely dangerous right now with WR Amari Cooper and TE David Njoku both playing well. Veteran RB Nick Chubb is set to return next season, leaving Ford's fantasy value for 2024 very much in question.
5. Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars' offense has been stalling out over the last month after WR Christian Kirk was placed on injured reserve and QB Trevor Lawrence suffered a nasty ankle injury. Etienne had cooled off in recent weeks, but had a monster game in Week 17 as the Jaguars thumped the Panthers. He had 16 rushes for 102 yards and two TDs on top of two receptions for 16 yards. Etienne had been bottled up for much of the afternoon but took a second-half carry 62 yards to the house. It will be interesting to see where Etienne's ADP settles in 2024, but it does feel like the Jaguars' offense still has more room to go up than down.
6. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
Harris was a hotly-debated player in the 2023 fantasy landscape as many believed RB Jaylen Warren would emerge and there were questions about the overall viability of the Pittsburgh offense. Harris had just 1.3 fantasy points in Week 15, but against the Seahawks in Week 17, Harris had a monster day as he reached his season-high in carries with 27. It was the first game all season where had had 20+ rush attempts. He finished with 27 rushes for 122 yards and two TDs but didn't see a single reception. Will the Steelers make a change at quarterback in 2024, or have a competition between Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph? This team will be one to watch this offseason. Will they continue to stick with the status quo or make the necessary changes needed to get this offense out of the 1990s?
7. Breece Hall, New York Jets
One can only wonder what the Jets' offense with Breece Hall and WR Garrett Wilson might have looked like with a healthy Aaron Rodgers under center all year, but Hall's talent was on full display in Week 17. He had 13 rush attempts for 84 yards and shined as a receiver with nine receptions for 42 yards and one TD. After coming off an ACL tear that prematurely ended his rookie season in 2022, Hall showed the same explosiveness and is arguably one of the most talented RBs in the NFL. He is the complete three-down back. If the Jets can get Rodgers healthy and make some upgrades along the offensive line, watch out in 2024.
8. De'Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
With veteran RB Raheem Mostert sidelined, Achane shined in Week 17 and was one of the Dolphins' lone bright spots in a game where they were manhandled. He had 14 rush attempts for 107 yards and has kept up his video-game like numbers where he's averaged 8.0 yards per carry on 93 rush attempts this season. Achane is also a solid receiver out of the backfield and had four receptions for 30 yards and one TD. Depending on what happens with Mostert next season (as he is 31), Achane could be in for a larger workload if he stays healthy.
9. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
Herbert missed a decent chunk of the season and had been mired in a committee with Roschon Johnson and D'Onta Foreman, but over the last two weeks has started looking like his old self. On Sunday, Herbert had 18 carries for 124 yards and one TD, but had just two receptions for a paltry five yards. Chicago has landed the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by way of Carolina, so it's anyone's guess as to how they will look next year. Will QB Justin Fields return, or will they draft another QB? This will be one of the most talked-about storylines of the offseason.
10. Justice Hill, Baltimore Ravens
After an injury ended the season of promising rookie RB Keaton Mitchell, Hill and fellow RB Gus Edwards have gotten more involved in the offense. Hill had just three carries for 48 yards on Sunday, but he had five receptions for 64 yards and one TD. The Ravens' offense has started clicking on all cylinders in the second half of the year and they look like the most dominant team in the NFL. How this backfield will look in 2024 is anyone's guess.
Looking Forward to the 2024 Offseason
How did your teams fare in Week 17? Thank you for following along this season and be sure to stay tuned to RotoBaller all offseason long for plenty of NFL content. If you have any dynasty or NFL Draft-related questions, feel free to get at me on Twitter/X.
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