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Week 18 Fantasy Football Running Back Preview

Top 50 Fantasy RBs for Week 18

Let's dig into the reasons you should -- or shouldn't -- play these guys ...

Check out the other positions as well:

• QB preview
• WR preview
• TE preview

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

4:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Derrick Henry, Ravens

Henry snapped a four-game scoreless streak in last week’s win at Houston. He has hit 22 touches in four of his past five and should play his normal role vs. Cleveland.

Justice Hill, Ravens

Hill’s expected to return from a concussion to face Cleveland on Saturday. He remains a low-end flex option.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Hill has been ruled out. Look for Henry to dominate touches.

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

8 p.m. ET Saturday

Jaylen Warren, Steelers

The Steelers are in the playoffs, and could still win the division if the Ravens lose the game directly before them on Saturday. Even if the Ravens win, a Steelers victory secures the 5 seed so that they go to Houston in the first round of the playoffs instead of Baltimore. Warren has led backfield touches the past two weeks. Harris might rebound on that front if the game stays closer. Double-digit Pittsburgh losses the past three weeks have favored Warren's superior receiving. Expect both backs to be plenty involved, though, in a game that finds Cincinnati just a 1.5-point favorite. The first meeting between these teams delivered 82 total points.

Najee Harris, Steelers

The Steelers are in the playoffs, and could still win the division if the Ravens lose the game directly before them on Saturday. Even if the Ravens win, a Steelers victory secures the 5 seed so that they go to Houston in the first round of the playoffs instead of Baltimore. Harris trailed Jaylen Warren in touches the past two weeks, but Pittsburgh also lost each game by double digits. Harris still started both games and should see some touch rebound as long as the Steelers can at least keep it close.

Chase Brown, Bengals

Brown suffered a high ankle sprain last week but may tough it out. (Cincinnati calls him a game-time decision.) He will be less than 100% and likely will cede carries to Khalil Herbert even if he does play. The uncertainty makes Brown a RB2, albeit with plenty of upside. Playing in the second game of the week will at least keep all RBs available at kickoff outside of the Browns and Ravens.

Khalil Herbert, Bengals

Chase Brown suffered a high ankle sprain last week but may tough it out. If Brown doesn’t go, Herbert should have a large majority of the backfield touches. Even if Brown does play, Herbert will get more work than he had in previous games. Herbert has flashed talent and on an offense as explosive as the Bengals, there is some TD upside.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson, Falcons

Robinson comes off two straight 2-TD games to face a Panthers team that afforded him a pair of rushing scores back in their Week 6 meeting. He has garnered 20+ touches in five straight games and nine of the past 10.

Miles Sanders, Panthers

Sanders appears likely to return from a six-game ankle injury. He’ll find a backfield that was down to Raheem Blackshear and Mike Boone last week – and just 31 total yards between them. Bet on Sanders leading the backfield if ready. There’s workhorse potential here, but it’s tough to project that usage after six weeks off. Consider Sanders a boom-bust touch bet – with far more bust-type production than booms since he landed in Carolina. Atlanta remains a negative scoring matchup for RBs on the season.

Tyler Allgeier, Falcons

A competitive game last week found Allgeier’s touch count falling back down vs. the previous four weeks. Carolina presents a positive RB scoring matchup, and Allgeier delivered a season-best 18-105-1 rushing line against the Panthers back in Week 6. Vegas doesn’t expect a much more competitive contest this time, with Atlanta favored by 8. But Allgeier hasn’t exceeded 12 touches in a game outside that first Carolina matchup. He has also scored just once among the past seven games.

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys

Rico Dowdle, Cowboys

Dowdle has topped 100 rushing yards in four of his last five games, averaging 20.2 carries and 104 yards over that stretch. He gets a plus Week 18 matchup against the Commanders, who rank 26th in run defense DVOA. And RB Ezekiel Elliott's departure frees up goal-line carries. Zeke has out-carried Dowdle two to one inside the five-yard line over the last five weeks.

Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders

Robinson has played just 56% of Washington's offensive snaps over the last two weeks, receiving 23 of the 34 RB carries. That bumps him down the Week 18 rankings a bit, but Robinson is in a great spot with the Commanders 4.5-point favorites against the Cowboys' 20th-ranked RB defense.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs, Packers

Jacobs has already set a career high with 14 rushing TDs. He’s scored 11 times since Week 11 alone, a stretch that started at Chicago. Jacobs racked up 23.4 fantasy points in that one. Just note: There's a chance he plays a smaller role this week with the Packers unable to significantly improve their playoff seeding.

D’Andre Swift, Bears

Swift tallied 4.4 YPC last week vs. Seattle, his best efficiency mark since Week 11. He tallied 14-71-1 in that one – his first matchup vs. Green Bay.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

Jonathan Taylor, Colts

Taylor has been hot the last two weeks, scoring 5 total TDs over that time. Even in a meaningless game, the Colts will likely lean on JT and the run game, especially when they get in close to the goal line. Lock Taylor in as a RB1 this week.

Travis Etienne, Jaguars

Etienne has had a disappointing season, but he is still earning plenty of passing work and targets. Though most of the Jaguars scoring has come from the receivers, so Etienne’s upside is capped. He is an RB3 with RB2 upside in PPR.

Tank Bigsby, Jaguars

Bigsby has taken a step back since his early season success. For now, he is handling short yardage and pure runs up the middle. He doesn’t offer a ton of PPR upside, but could score a goal line TD at some point in this game. RB3 at best.

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

Ray Davis, Bills

Expect the Bills to rest James Cook. We’ll see whether that means a Davis-led backfield or a work split between him and Ty Johnson. The latter has led Davis in playing time the past two weeks. But Davis closing out last week’s game after the starters left might signal how Buffalo will organize this week’s work. Unless we get clarity on roles ahead of Sunday’s kickoff, there will be risk to using this rookie. That same lack of clarity would likely keep his rostered rate lower in DFS contests, though, and make Davis an intriguing play there.

Antonio Gibson, Patriots

Gibson beat Rhamondre Stevenson 12-2 in carries for last week’s loss to the Chargers. He also watched Stevenson play more passing snaps, though. It’s best to avoid both New England backs if possible, barring greater role clarity ahead of Sunday’s game. Gibson did, at least, deliver 5.25 yards per carry on his elevated workload. That would seem to support another week as the favored ball carrier.

Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots

Stevenson nearly disappeared from the game plan with just 2 carries and 1 target last week. He did lead Antonio Gibson in pass snaps. We’ll see whether Pats coaches reveal anything about their expected Week 18 roles.

Ty Johnson, Bills

Johnson has led Ray Davis in playing time each of the past two weeks. But it was Davis logging the team’s final 5 carries last week after starters left the blowout win. If Buffalo plays it similarly this week – with starters resting for the meaningless finale – then Davis could control the backfield. We’ll watch for signals of the usage plan ahead of Sunday’s kickoff.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants

Tracy dominated usage in last week’s surprising win over the Colts, logging 20 carries and 3 targets to 5 and 1 for Devin Singletary. Similar usage this week would present attractive upside against a Philly defense planning to rest at least some starters.

Will Shipley, Eagles

We know the Eagles plan to rest Saquon Barkley for their meaningless finale. We don’t yet know whether that means a start for Kenneth Gainwell, a split between him and Shipley, or backfield control for this rookie. Gainwell has played clearly ahead of Shipley all season, though. So we’ll head into the weekend at least expecting Shipley to beat Gainwell in work. An offense that appears to be trending toward starting Tanner McKee at QB might make it tough for any RB to produce.

Kenneth Gainwell, Eagles

Gainwell has operated as the clear No. 2 all season. We’ll see whether that means significant work in Saquon Barkley’s expected absence this week – or if the Eagles will also limit Gainwell’s exposure and let rookie Will Shipley carry the load.

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Alvin Kamara, Saints

Kamara is pushing to make it back from his groin injury for the finale. He needs 50 more rushing yards for his first 1,000-yard season. Expect the Saints to make sure he gets there if he suits up. Kamara's usage beyond that is more uncertain -- but we know there's tons of pass-catching upside if he's healthy enough.

Bucky Irving, Buccaneers

The Bucs rode Irving in the Week 17 win over the Panthers. He responded by turning 24 touches into 190 total yards. With the NFC South on the line in Sunday's finale vs. the Saints, expect another big workload for Irving. New Orleans ranks 29th in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs.

Rachaad White, Buccaneers

White registered a season-low 36% snap rate last week, finishing with just six carries and one target. That makes him tough to trust in Week 18 fantasy lineups, despite the plus matchup against the Saints' 29th-ranked RB defense.

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans

Tony Pollard, Titans

Pollard has a chance to make it back for Sunday's finale, where he needs 83 more rushing yards to earn a $250,000 incentive. The Texans rank seventh in adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs but could pull some starters early in a game that means nothing to them. RB Tyjae Spears (concussion) is not expected to play.

Joe Mixon, Texans

Texans HC Demeco Ryans hinted early in the week that starters will play in Sunday's meaningless finale vs. the Titans but could be pulled early. We suspect that Mixon, who's up to 275 touches on the season, would be one of the first guys to get some rest. It makes him a risky Week 18 fantasy start.

Dameon Pierce, Texans

He could end up getting more run on Sunday if the Texans pull RB Joe Mixon early, but Pierce would need to play almost the entire game to be an exciting fantasy start. He's averaging 3.8 yards per carry for his career.

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

Isaac Guerendo, 49ers

Guerendo returned from a hamstring injury to post a team-high 9 carries vs. Detroit. He added 4 targets – an 11% share. He should see more work as San Francisco likely shifts back toward the run. However, this unit carries more volatility with Josh Dobbs set to start.

Michael Carter, Cardinals

James Conner was ruled out with a knee injury. The team will be without Trey Benson, too. So Carter looks like a candidate for ~15 touches in a fine matchup vs. San Francisco.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Carson Steele, Chiefs

The Chiefs are locked into the top seed so their back-ups will be playing in this game. Steele will likely see plenty of carries as the Chiefs operate the ground game. With back-ups along the OL and the Broncos motivated, don’t expect a huge game, but Steele should get any goal line work. RB3 this week.

Samaje Perine, Chiefs

The Chiefs are locked into the top seed so their back-ups will be playing in this game. Perine may have to step in at times, especially passing downs, and could be an intriguing PPR player. With the Broncos motivated though, it is difficult to trust Perine. RB4 this week.

Jaleel McLaughlin, Broncos

If the Broncos win, they will secure a spot in the playoffs. If they lose, it becomes much harder. McLaughlin got more work last week and has been very reliable in the passing game as well. He offers RB3 upside in PPR leagues.

Javonte Williams, Broncos

If the Broncos win, they'll secure a spot in the playoffs. If they lose, it becomes much harder. Williams continues to get carries, but is completely TD dependent for fantasy upside. The Broncos will be plenty motivated, but Williams may be falling down the pecking order. He's an RB4 this week.

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks

Charbonnet disappointed in that Week 17 black hole of a fantasy game. But he easily led the Ken Walker-less backfield, with 18 opportunities (15 carries, 3 targets) to Kenny McIntosh’s 7. Bet on better production with a similar role for Charbonnet against a Rams D expected to rest at least some starters. There’s also upside for Charbonnet to garner an even larger touch share, as he did in previous Walker absences this season.

Blake Corum, Rams

HC Sean McVay said this week that he’s “excited about watching Blake Corum get a heavy workload” with rest planned for starter Kyren Williams in the finale. That’ll position Corum as a potential workhorse in an offense also resting QB Matthew Stafford and likely – at least – its top two WRs. Seattle presents a neutral RB-scoring matchup, positioning Corum as at least a high-floor RB2 play.

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders

J.K. Dobbins, Chargers

Dobbins returned from a four-game absence last week as the Chargers' clear lead back, tallying 19 carries and one target. Los Angeles can climb from the No. 6 seed to No. 5 with a win on Sunday and a Steelers loss to the Bengals, which would mean a Round 1 game against the Texans rather than the Ravens. So expect the Chargers to go all out in a plus matchup against the Raiders. We'll see if RB Gus Edwards makes it back from his ankle injury for this one. That'd put a dent in Dobbins' Week 18 projection.

Ameer Abdullah, Raiders

Abdullah operated as Vegas' lead back before hurting his foot last week, racking up 147 total yards on 23 touches. It was just his third career game with over 100 total yards -- and first since 2017. We'll see how that foot issue progresses throughout the week. If relatively healthy, Abdullah will be a viable play in PPR leagues. Even prior to last week's game, he'd tallied 12 catches on 13 targets over his previous two.

Alexander Mattison, Raiders

Mattison was out-touched 23 to 11 by Ameer Abdullah last week. Abdullah hurt his foot late in that game, which could impact his availability for Sunday's finale vs. the Chargers. If he's out, Mattison should control backfield work and be a decent fantasy option. If Abdullah plays, Mattison would be a weak bet.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

De’Von Achane, Dolphins

Achane’s struggles without Tua continued last week, as he managed only 25 rushing yards; 13 through the air. With Tyler Huntley set to start again, Achane will remain a volatile asset vs. the Jets. New York limited him to only 1.7 YPC in Week 14.

Breece Hall, Jets

Back healthy, Hall resumed lead-back duties before a blowout affected the final numbers. The Jets are implied for only 18.75 points, but Hall looks poised for 15+ touches.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions

Gibbs has absorbed most of David Montgomery’s work and flashes his talent on a high scoring offense. He has RB1 overall potential every week with his receiving ability along with the ability to hit home runs. In a must win game for the top seed, he is a locked-in RB1.

Aaron Jones, Vikings

Jones looks like he will go in a game that could secure the Vikings the top seed in the NFC. He hasn’t hit 100+ yards rushing since Week 12 and is sharing some goal-line work with Cam Akers. Keep an eye on the injury report, but if Jones goes, his passing work should help set a PPR floor. He is an RB2 this week. 

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.