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2024 Week 15 Fantasy Football: Running Back Rankings and Insights

2024-12-12

Derrick Henry, the star running back, finds himself in an interesting situation as a two-plus touchdown favorite. This might just be the most amusing event of the entire season. Saquon Barkley, on the other hand, has a lofty goal - to average 121 yards over the next four weeks to set the single-season rushing record. If he can achieve this in the same 16 games as Eric Dickerson, it would be a remarkable feat. Bijan Robinson emerged from the Falcons' bye week with two of the biggest carry counts of his career. It's clear that the Falcons have a plan to hide Kirk Cousins through their running game.Even with the Bengals' bye week factored in, Chase Brown has been performing exceptionally well. Since taking over as the lead back in Week 9, he is seventh in the NFL in touches. He is only behind Saquon Barkley and Ja'Marr Chase in yards from scrimmage during this period. Kyren Williams finally broke free from his "touches slump" against the Bills last Sunday. Now, he faces the tough challenge of the 49ers' extreme run-funnel defense on a short week. Although the Niners are not an easy team to run against on the ground, Kyren Williams remains a safe top-10 option.Josh Jacobs has been on a touchdown avalanche and has regained his RB1 status. The Seahawks' defense is particularly vulnerable in the run game, which works in Jacobs' favor. De'Von Achane, however, has been struggling, averaging just 2.26 yards per carry on 31 rushes over the past three weeks. His pass-catching ability remains his secret weapon, as he has caught 17 passes in that span and scored three times. There doesn't seem to be any change in the Dolphins' offense going forward.David Montgomery has been a reliable option, catching at least three passes in four straight appearances. This has enhanced his touchdown-based RB1/2 appeal. He may not be everyone's "favorite starter," but he is a strong choice for the quarterfinals in the highest-totaled game of the year. With Jonathon Brooks out and the Panthers favored for the first time in two years, Chuba Hubbard could play a crucial role. The Cowboys defense has been giving up 4.8 yards per carry and 142 rushing yards per game, making Chuba Hubbard a potential one-man advancing crew.Opposing Chuba Hubbard will be Rico Dowdle, who has been performing exceptionally well since his snap rate climbed above 60 percent three weeks ago. It has been above 70 percent in the past two games. If Chuba Hubbard's matchup is good, Rico Dowdle's situation becomes even more favorable. The Panthers continue to allow the most rushing yards and RB fantasy points.Kenneth Walker (calf, ankle) has been dealing with injuries and is likely to miss another game. This leaves Zach Charbonnet in a position to have another plug-and-play RB1 day. In Week 14, he had an overall RB1 finish. However, this time, the Seahawks do not project to dominate the proceedings like they did against Arizona. The road favorite Green Bay surrenders the ninth fewest rushing yards.Jonathan Taylor has reached 25 touches in each of the Colts' past two competitive contests. Although the Broncos are known for their tough defense, they don't seem likely to blow out the Colts. Therefore, Taylor cannot be considered a genuine RB1 for the first week of the fantasy playoffs. Brian Robinson Jr. returned to health and is back in fantasy business. The Saints are one of the few teams allowing at least 5.0 yards per carry. With the Commanders being 7.5-point favorites, there are opportunities for Brian Robinson Jr. Jeremy McNichols also offers desperation second FLEX appeal.James Cook had a disappointing performance in Week 14. Josh Allen has six rushing scores over the past four weeks, and Ty Johnson has been catching passes frequently. This has affected Cook's bottom line, but he cannot be ignored in this offense with the given game total. Always dealing with injuries, Tony Pollard is now nursing an ankle injury. If he is healthy and the Titans can keep the game close, there are always yards to be gained against the Bengals' "defense."Isaac Guerendo (foot) is questionable for Thursday evening. If he plays, he is at risk of re-injury and should be considered a FLEX option. If he doesn't play, Patrick Taylor Jr. is likely to make it into the top 24. With Guerendo in the lineup, Taylor will be in the RB36-44 range. Isiah Pacheco approached 50 percent of the snaps last Sunday and is expected to see an increase this weekend before potentially seeing a decrease before the Chiefs' Week 16 and 17 short-week extravaganzas.Tank Bigsby finally had a good game script in Week 14 and moved ahead of Travis Etienne on the depth chart. With the Jaguars only modest home underdogs against a Jets team that is 25th in the league in scoring, Bigsby should be able to handle a FLEX-level workload.With Breece Hall (knee) likely to be inactive and potentially out for the season, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis will continue to compete in the Jets' backfield. They played similar snap shares and touch totals in Week 14, including in the red zone. This makes them difficult to trust in the top 30, but they both have the potential for upside against a Jaguars defense that allows the second most RB fantasy points.Alexander Mattison (ankle) is expected to return for the Raiders. Coach Antonio Pierce has stated that Sincere McCormick will remain the RB1. However, with Desmond Ridder (likely) under center, McCormick's upside is limited and he is a low-upside FLEX despite having a decent floor. Jaleel McLaughlin is the only Broncos back worth considering as a FLEX, but there is always a risk of another setback. He had his best performance heading into the bye week and could be a key part of the backfield coming out of the open date.