Playing running back in the modern NFL is tough sledding sometimes, but we’ve seen quite a few guys step up as we gear up for the playoffs. Let’s take a look around the NFL and evaluate every team’s RB1.
32. Minnesota Vikings Ty Chandler (Last Week #7)
Ty Chandler led the way for the Vikings rushing attack again this week—even with Alexander Mattison having returned from injury, but he was woefully ineffective. Chandler totaled just 17 yards on eight carries—though it is worth noting he did manage to at least find his way into the end zone once.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Etienne Jr. (Last Week #19)
Travis Entienne Jr. was quiet again this week, as the dynamic, but inconsistent young running back got just totaled just 12 yards on six carries. He wasn’t much more efficient in the passing game either as his three catches resulted in just 19 yards.
30. Houston Texans Devin Singletary (Last Week #8)
Devin Singletary was quiet this week for the Texans as the Browns stout defensive front gave him more trouble than he could handle. He finished the afternoon with just nine carries for 44 yards.
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29. Denver Broncos Javonte Williams (Last Week #22)
Week 16 marks the second consecutive down week for Javonte Williams. The Broncos lead running back had a rough go of it against New England finishing with just 24 yards on 11 carries, but did have the good fortune of finding his way past the goal line once.
28. Los Angeles Chargers Austin Ekeler (Last Week #31)
Austin Ekeler wasn’t quite in vintage form, but he did look better this week, turning 15 carries into 65 yards and tacking on three catches for 21 more through the air.
27. Indianapolis Colts Jonathan Taylor (Last Week N/A)
Jonathan Taylor surprised everyone this week by returning from his gnarly thumb injury to try and help the Colts secure a playoff spot, but unfortunately, his sacrifice was all for not, as the Colts fell to Atlanta. He looked okay out there but was clearly not his normal self.
He finished the outing with just 43 yards on 18 carries but did manage to get in the endzone once.
26. Cleveland Browns Jerome Ford (Last Week #16)
Outside of his lone touchdown on the ground, Jerome Ford was extremely quiet this week for Cleveland, nothing 15 carries for 25 yards.
25. New Orleans Saints Alvin Kamara (Last Week #10)
Week 16 was a tough one for Alvin Kamara. The Saints running back was held to 35 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches. Yikes.
24. Cincinnati Bengals Joe Mixon (Last Week #11)
Joe Mixon was a nonfactor for the Bengals during their offensive struggle on Saturday. He finished with only 41 yards on 11 carries in the loss.
23. Washington Commanders Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Last Week #28)
The Washington Commanders had trouble all over the place on offense this week, but Chris Rodriguez was a bit of an exception to the rule. The Commanders running back was impressive in turning 10 carries into 58 yards and two touchdowns.
22. Atlanta Falcons Bijan Robinson (Last Week #27)
At long last—we have a Bijan Robinson sighting! The dynamic Falcons running back has had a strange rookie campaign, but found his way into regular usage this week and played well, finishing with 72 yards on 12 carries—and tacked on seven receptions for 50.
21. New England Patriots Ezekiel Elliott (Last Week #24)
While the overall numbers weren’t anything crazy: 12 carries for 27 yards and nine receptions for 33, Ezekiel Elliott came up big when he needed to with that epic catch and run that looked like shades of his prime days with the Cowboys.
20. Dallas Cowboys Tony Pollard (Last Week #21)
Tony Pollard simply hasn’t turned into the bell cow back that folks hoped he would taking over from Ezekiel Elliott this year. Dallas lead running back totaled 43 yards on 13 touches against Miami this week.
19. Baltimore Ravens Gus Edwards (Last Week #23)
Gus Edwards had a nice game for Baltimore on Monday Night. The Ravens go-to guy in the backfield turned nine carries into 31 yards and a touchdown and added a 39 catch-and-run in the passing game.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers Najee Harris (Last Week #29)
Najee Harris had himself one of his better days of the season thus far, going for 78 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the Bengals, helping the Steelers secure a huge win.
17. Seattle Seahawks Kenneth Walker III (Last Week #12)
Kenneth Walker III was slightly quieter for the Seahawks this week, but played well all things considered. He turned 16 carries into 54 yards, as Vrabel’s defense dared Seattle to beat them through the air all game, by keying in on the run.
16. Kansas City Chiefs Isiah Pacheco (Last Week N/A)
Isiah Pacheco looked good for the Chiefs on Monday Night, unfortunately the running back is having a hard time staying on the field of late and was bounced from action in the third quarter.
15. Tennessee Titans Derrick Henry (Last Week #26)
Derrick Henry had a turn-back-the-clock kind of game this week against the Seahawks. The future Hall of Famer turned 19 carries into 88 yards and a touchdown—and tacked one 11-yard reception—and a passing touchdown to boot!
14. Chicago Bears Khalil Herbert (Last Week N/A)
D’Onta Foreman was out this week due to injury, so Khalil Herbert found his way back into starting duties and the man delivered. He turned 20 carries into 112 yards and one touchdown.
13. Carolina Panthers Chuba Hubbard (Last Week #9)
Once again, Chuba Hubbard found a way to big a serious contributor for the Panthers on offense, even with a relatively light workload. The Panthers lead running back turned 16 carries into 43 yards and one touchdown against the Packers.
12. Arizona Cardinals James Conner (Last Week #13)
Week 16 was a quiet one for James Conner on the ground, as Arizona’s running back was limited to 45 yards on 12 carries, but credit to the veteran for finding a way to contribute otherwise. He hauled in five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown.
11. Philadelphia Eagles D'Andre Swift (Last Week #18)
D’Andre Swift looked like he was back in prime form this week, as the Eagles lead back ripped through the Giants defense on a regular basis. He finished the game with 20 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown.
10. New York Giants Saquon Barkley (Last Week #20)
Saquon Barkley ran the ball well for New York against a strong Eagles defensive line on Christmas, turning 23 carries into 80 yards and a touchdown.
9. Buffalo Bills James Cook (Last Week #3)
James Cook was relatively quiet this week—at least compared to his recent torrid stretch. The Bills running back turned 20 carries into 70 yards, but did manage to eclipse the 1000-yard mark, which is no small feat.
8. New York Jets Breece Hall (Last Week #15)
Breece Hall was an absolute monster this week for the Jets. I mean, really, he made up a huge proportion of the Jets offensive output on the afternoon. When all was said and done he turned 20 carries into 95 yards and two touchdowns—and added 12 catches for another 96 yards through the air.
7. Miami Dolphins Raheem Mostert (Last Week Last Week #6)
Raheem Mostert didn’t have a huge game this week, as Miami deployed a running back by committee with De’Von Achane and Jeff Wilson Jr., but he did turn his 12 touches into 15 yards and a crucial score.
6. Green Bay Packers Aaron Jones (Last Week #25)
Aaron Jones had a vintage performance this week against an admittedly weak Panthers defense. Green Bay’s veteran halfback turned 21 carries into an impressive—and important 127 yards.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rachaad White (Last Week #4)
Rachaad White wasn’t super effective on the ground this week, netting just 39 yards on 20 carries, but he did manage to find his way into the endzone and contribute via the passing game, as he hauled in six catches for 38 yards.
4. Las Vegas Raiders Zamir White (Last Week #14)
Zamir White had himself a monster game for Las Vegas against a talented Chiefs defensive front. White turned 22 carries into 145 yards and had a massive 43-yard gasher that helped to secure the win in the fourth quarter.
3. Detroit Lions Jahmyr Gibbs (Last Week #5)
Another week and another huge performance for the Lions rookie running back. Jahmyr Gibbs turned 15 carries into 80 yards and two scores—chipping in four catches for 20 yards in the process.
2. Los Angeles Rams Kyren Williams (Last Week #2)
Kyren Williams has been a monster since returning from injury. The agile Rams running back brutalized the Saints defense this week to the tune of 104 yards and one score on 22 carries.
1. San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey (Last Week #1)
Stop me if you have heard this one before, but Christian McCaffrey had another huge game for San Francisco. Honestly, if this guy doesn’t win the MVP it is a joke. He converted his 14 carries into 103 yards and a touchdown and snagged six catches for 28 yards through the air.
