Rich Hribar has you covered with the best fantasy football rankings for Running backs (RB) based on playoff match-ups.
NFL Playoffs Running Back Rankings
- Alvin Kamara
- Damien Williams
- Mark Ingram
- Aaron Jones
- Raheem Mostert
- Derrick Henry
- Dalvin Cook
- Devin Singletary
- Latavius Murray
- Travis Homer
- Rex Burkhead
- James White
- Sony Michel
- Carlos Hyde
- Tevin Coleman
- Matt Breida
- Duke Johnson
- Jamaal Williams
- Miles Sanders
- Marshawn Lynch
- LeSean McCoy
- Boston Scott
- Frank Gore
- Gus Edwards
- Jordan Howard
The running back position offers a lot of flexibility, but the strategy remains the same. We want to focus on high point scorers attached to winners. Alvin Kamara is the best fantasy option playing on the opening weekend that blends both aspects. After a nine-game scoring drought midseason, Kamara has found the end zone four times over the past two games while averaging 16.6 touches per game over his eight games since returning to the lineup in Week 10.
The next three backs are all attached to teams on bye to open up the playoffs. Damien Williams may be overlooked because of the totality of his season, but when he’s been healthy over the back half of the season, the Chiefs have handed him the keys to the backfield. Over his past four full games, Williams had 16 touches for 154 yards, 19 for 92, 24 for 109, and 14 for 128 with four touchdowns. LeSean McCoy closed the season with 26 total touches since the Chiefs' Week 12 bye.
Mark Ingram suffered a calf strain in Week 16, but will have nearly three full weeks off before the Ravens play in the Divisional Round. Ingram is coming off a career-high 15 touchdowns this season and even has added a receiving touchdown in four of his past six games.
Aaron Jones was tied for the league-lead with 19 touchdowns on the season. With Jamaal Williams sidelined in Week 17 with a shoulder injury, Jones handled a season-high 27 touches (143 yards). Williams’s status is unknown heading into the postseason, but Jones out-touched him 60-24 over their past three full games together.
Raheem Mostert had 12 or fewer touches in three of the past four games with just four receptions over that span as both Tevin Coleman and Matt Breida continue to get a smattering of opportunities each. But when the 49ers have needed to score, Mostert has handled the money touches. He has a rushing touchdown in each of his past six games played.
Wild Card weekend has two backs playing in Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook who are high-end fantasy options that run into potential one-and-done situations as road underdogs. With a monster 211-yard Week 17 performance, Henry ran down Nick Chubb for the rushing title with 1,540 yards on the season. Henry has rushed for 140 or more yards in four of his final six games this season. He has been a touchdown machine, reaching the paint in 11 of 15 games this season. Reaching the end zone against the Patriots has been a struggle for backs this season, as they allowed just two touchdowns — one rushing — to the running back position all season.
Cook missed the final two games of the regular season with a shoulder injury, but was second among all running backs in PPR points per game (20.6) this season when active. Cook hasn’t rushed for 100 yards in a game since Week 7 and has run into some struggles on the ground, carrying 47 times for 144 yards (3.1 YPC) over his past four games played. The Saints haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in any of their past 42 games, but Cook still carries scoring upside. Cook reached the end zone in 11 of 14 games this season.
After Henry and Cook, Devin Singletary is the last remaining back we can count for significant touches. Singletary averaged 19.5 touches per game over his final six games for 91.5 yards per game. The only hang-ups with Singletary are he’s had two or fewer receptions in four of those six games and hasn’t had a rushing touchdown since Week 9.
A couple of teams enter Wild Card weekend with some injuries and committees. The Eagles had turned their backfield over to Miles Sanders, but Sanders suffered an ankle injury in the regular season finale and his status is unknown for Sunday. Filling in for Sanders, Boston Scott handled a career-high 23 touches (138 yards) and scored three touchdowns. Jordan Howard played just one snap in his return to the lineup.
After losing Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and C.J. Prosise to close the season, Seattle has been forced to give 6th-round pick Travis Homer an extended role the final two weeks of the season. Homer posted 42 yards on 28 snaps in Week 16 and then turned in 92 yards on 50 snaps in Week 17. He’s shown pass-catching ability, catching 11-of-13 targets for 56 yards in those games. The downside is that Homer came off the field in goal to go situations, leaving his scoring upside limited. In Marshawn Lynch’s first game since Week 6 of 2018, he played 23 snaps and handled 12 carries for 34 yards and a score.
The Patriots backfield is always a nebulous situation. Sony Michel closed the season with 20, 22, and 18 touches in the final three games, but always remains game script sensitive, catching two or fewer passes in every game this season. Rex Burkhead out-touched James White in each of the past three games (24-18 total over that span) with two touchdowns, but White has still found the end zone through the air in three of his past five games.
