Week 17 was an interesting one for the league’s top running backs. Let’s take a look around the NFL and evaluate every team’s RB1.
32. Los Angeles Chargers Austin Ekeler (Last Week #28)
Week 17 was another underwhelming showing from Austin Ekeler. The former All-Pro running back amassed just 46 yards on 13 carries.
31. Washington Commanders Brian Robinson (Last Week N/A)
Brian Robinson returned from injury this week and got slotted back into first-string duties, but struggled to do much with it against a strong 49ers defensive front. By the game’s end, he had amassed just 44 yards on nine carries.
30. New Orleans Saints Alvin Kamara (Last Week #25)
Alvin Kamara was quiet this week against the Bucs as he was in and out of the lineup with a couple of nagging injuries he picked up during the game. He finished the afternoon with 10 carries for 45 yards.
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29. Carolina Panthers Chuba Hubbard (Last Week #13)
Week 17 was a quiet one for Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers lead running back finished with just 45 yards on 11 carries. He did manage to contribute a little bit in the passing game though, as he snagged four catches for 26 yards.
28. Tennessee Titans Derrick Henry (Last Week #15)
Derrick Henry’s renaissance streak ended at one game with his performance this week. He ran for just 42 yards on 12 carries against a strong Texans defensive front.
27. Dallas Cowboys Tony Pollard (Last Week #20)
Another slow week from Cowboys starting running back, Tony Pollard. His 16 carries amounted to just 49 yards and he was a nonfactor in the passing game, hauling in just one of three targets for 0 yards.
26. Minnesota Vikings Ty Chandler (Last Week #32)
Ty Chandler rebounded well in Week 17 after a tough showing the week prior. Minny’s young RB got 13 total touches for 64 yards from scrimmage.
25. New England Patriots Ezekiel Elliott (Last Week #21)
Ezekiel Elliott was a steady contributor for the Patriots again this week, turning his 14 carries into 39 yards and a touchdown. It wasn’t one of the explosive performances we might’ve seen from him in years past, but solid nonetheless.
24. Denver Broncos Javonte Williams (Last Week #29)
Javonte Williams played well this week against the Chargers. The Broncos first-string running back split time with Jalell McLaughlin, but turned his 18 touches into 58 yards from scrimmage.
23. Houston Texans Devin Singletary (Last Week #30)
Devin Singletary was very efficient this week for the Titans. He turned his 16 carries into 80 yards and helped his team move the chains on several occasions.
22. New York Giants Saquon Barkley (Last Week #10)
Saquon Barkley struggled to find many running lanes in Week 17, as the Rams dared New York to beat them any other way. Barkely finished the game with just 39 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
21. Atlanta Falcons Bijan Robinson (Last Week #22)
Bijan Robinson still didn’t get the workload we expected him to coming into the season, but he did well to turn his 15 carries into 75 yards against a Bears defense that is playing as good as anyone lately.
20. Cincinnati Bengals Joe Mixon (Last Week #24)
Mixon had a couple of nice runs on Sunday for the Bengals, but the Cincinnati running back had trouble finding consistent running lanes against a stout defensive front for Kansas City. He did manage to notch 65 yards on the ground, but it took him 21 carries to do so.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Etienne Jr. (Last Week #31)
After a tough couple of weeks, Travis Etienne balled out this week at home. He tore up the Panthers for 102 yards, and two touchdowns on 16 carries—and tacked on two catches for an additional 16 yards.
18. Seattle Seahawks Kenneth Walker III (Last Week #17)
Kenneth Walker III saw limited action this week—as Pete Carroll went to him just 10 times on the ground this week, but he did make the most of the opportunity he did have, as he notched 53 yards and a touchdown in the process.
Walker also hauled in three catches for 22 yards.
17. Buffalo Bills James Cook (Last Week #9)
James Cook didn’t have his best game against a stout Patriots run defense. Buffalo handed him the rock 16 times—and threw it his way once—and he only managed 44 yards from scrimmage.
16. Baltimore Ravens Gus Edwards (Last Week #19)
Another week, another touchdown for Gus Edwards, as he’s been one of the best red zone runners in the league this year. The Ravens running back finished the blowout win with 16 carries for 68 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.
15. Cleveland Browns Jerome Ford (Last Week #26)
After a couple of down weeks, Jerome Ford had a big night in Cleveland in Week 17. He turned his 14 touches into 113 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns against a Jets defense that was supposed to be amongst the tops in the league.
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rachaad White (Last Week #5)
Rachaad White came back down to earth this week. The Buccaneers running back only managed 42 yards on his 11 carries, but to his credit, he did manage to haul in four catches for 24 yards.
13. Philadelphia Eagles D'Andre Swift (Last Week #11)
D’Andre Swift was moderately efficient this week carrying the ball, but the Eagles probably would’ve been wise to lean on the talented running back more. He finished the game with 61 yards on just 13 carries, but he likely would’ve been able to break through had the Eagles called upon him.
12. Las Vegas Raiders Zamir White (Last Week #4)
Zamir White was good, but not great this week after his blowout performance in Week 16. The Raiders explosive, young running back finished the contest against the Colts with 71 yards on 20 carries.
That said, he did manage to chip in an additional 35 yards on five catches.
11. Indianapolis Colts Jonathan Taylor (Last Week #27)
Jonathan Taylor was in prime form this week with the season on the line. The Colts superstar turned 21 carries into 96 yards and a score, helping Indy to a critical win.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers Najee Harris (Last Week #18)
Najee Harris looks like a new man of late. The Steelers running back had a huge game against Seattle, turning his 27 carries into 122 yards and two touchdowns. What a turn of events for Harris after a slow start to the season.
9. Arizona Cardinals James Conner (Last Week #12)
What a week for James Conner! The Cardinals veteran RB1 torched the Eagles porous run defense all afternoon, turning 26 carries into 128 yards and a touchdown. Conner also managed to chip in one catch for five yards and a score.
8. Miami Dolphins De’Von Achane (Last Week Last Week N/A)
With Raheem Mostert sidelined by an injury, De’Von Achane got the lion’s share of the carries this week. He was really the only consistent facet of the Miami offense, as he turned his 14 carries into an impressive 107 yards with a long of 45.
7. Chicago Bears Khalil Herbert (Last Week #14)
Week 17 marks back-to-back 100-yard performances for Khalil Herbert. The Bears running back had a huge game turning his 18 carries into 124 yards and a touchdown.
6. Detroit Lions Jahmyr Gibbs (Last Week #3)
On tape, Jahmyr Gibbs looked good this week. The rookie running back was explosive as ever, unfortunately, he had a couple of big runs called back due to penalties and ultimately finished with just 43 yards on 15 carries.
5. New York Jets Breece Hall (Last Week #8)
Back-to-back huge weeks for the Jets explosive, young running back. Breece Hall looked awesome against a strong Browns defense on Thursday Night. He touched the ball 22 times, 13 carries, and nine receptions—and turned that into 126 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
4. Green Bay Packers Aaron Jones (Last Week #6)
Aaron Jones turned back the clock this week with a huge game in a must-win spot for the Packers. The veteran running back turned 20 carries into 120 yards—and tacked on one catch for 10 yards.
3. Kansas City Chiefs Isiah Pacheco (Last Week #16)
Isiah Pacheco arguably won the game for Kansas City single-handedly this week, the explosive young running back could not be stopped all evening.
Pacheco racked up 130 yards on 18 carries and chipped in another 35 and a touchdown as a receiver.
2. San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey (Last Week #1)
Week 17 was a rare touchdown-less game for Christian McCaffrey, but he still managed to total 91 yards from scrimmage which would be a solid afternoon to the normal mortal standards of NFL running backs.
1. Los Angeles Rams Kyren Williams (Last Week #2)
Week 17 was another big one for Kyren Williams, as he’s quietly become one of the most consistent running backs in the game. He took 20 carries for 87 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Rams clinch a playoff berth.
