Another week is in the books, and Saquon Barkley remains on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record after a 124-yard outing against the Panthers. Barkley will need to average 120.5 rushing yards per game over his final four contests to tie Dickerson. With the Giants and Cowboys still on the schedule, Barkley has the potential for a few more explosive games.
Barkley may be pushing for a record-breaking season, but don’t let it distract you from Derrick Henry’s phenomenal season. Through 13 games, Henry has 1,407 yards and 13 scores on the ground. If it weren’t for Barkley, Henry would likely be running away with the RB1 crown this season.
Barkley and Henry highlight the fantasy superstars, but there are plenty of running backs who are underwhelming fantasy producers. If you’re the type of manager who will be choosing between Jaylen Warren and Sincere McCormick this week, these Week 15 running back rankings may be of help.
WEEK 15 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Fantasy RB Rankings Week 15: Who to start, sit at running back
Rankings based on PPR scoring. These rankings were updated on Dec. 15 and will be updated throughout the week, so check back often.
RANK | PLAYER NAME | TEAM | OPPONENT | CHANGE |
1 | Derrick Henry | BAL | at NYG | |
2 | Joe Mixon | HOU | vs MIA | |
3 | Saquon Barkley | PHI | vs PIT | |
4 | Bijan Robinson | ATL | at LV | |
5 | Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | vs BUF | |
6 | Kyren Williams | LAR | at SF | |
7 | James Conner | ARI | vs NE | |
8 | De’Von Achane | MIA | at HOU | |
9 | Chuba Hubbard | CAR | vs DAL | |
10 | Chase Brown | CIN | at TEN | |
11 | David Montgomery | DET | vs BUF | |
12 | Rico Dowdle | DAL | at CAR | |
13 | Brian Robinson Jr. | WAS | at NO | |
14 | Josh Jacobs | GB | at SEA | |
15 | Tony Pollard | TEN | vs CIN | |
16 | James Cook | BUF | at DET | |
17 | Alvin Kamara | NO | vs WAS | |
18 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | at DEN | |
19 | Rhamondre Stevenson | NE | at ARI | |
20 | Zach Charbonnet | SEA | vs GB | |
10 | Bucky Irving | TB | at LAC | N/R |
21 | Aaron Jones | MIN | vs CHI | Down 1 |
22 | Rachaad White | TB | at LAC | Down 1 |
23 | Jaylen Warren | PIT | at PHI | Down 1 |
24 | Isiah Pacheco | KC | at CLE | Down 1 |
25 | Tank Bigsby | JAC | vs NYJ | Down 1 |
26 | Sincere McCormick | LV | vs ATL | Down 1 |
27 | Isaac Guerendo | SF | vs LAR | Down 1 |
28 | Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG | vs BAL | Down 1 |
29 | D’Andre Swift | CHI | at MIN | Down 1 |
30 | Najee Harris | PIT | at PHI | Down 1 |
31 | Tyler Allgeier | ATL | at LV | Down 1 |
32 | Braelon Allen | NYJ | at JAC | Down 1 |
33 | Gus Edwards | LAC | vs TB | Down 1 |
34 | Isaiah Davis | NYJ | at JAC | Down 1 |
35 | Kendre Miller | NO | vs WAS | Down 1 |
36 | Jerome Ford | CLE | vs KC | Down 1 |
37 | Jaleel McLaughlin | DEN | vs IND | Down 1 |
38 | Tyjae Spears | TEN | vs CIN | Down 1 |
39 | Kimani Vidal | LAC | vs TB | Down 1 |
40 | Nick Chubb | CLE | vs KC | Down 1 |
41 | Travis Etienne Jr. | JAC | vs NYJ | Down 1 |
42 | Sean Tucker | TB | at LAC | Down 1 |
43 | Kareem Hunt | KC | at CLE | Down 1 |
44 | Jeremy McNichols | WAS | at NO | Down 1 |
45 | Ray Davis | BUF | at DET | Down 1 |
46 | Audric Estime | DEN | vs IND | Down 1 |
47 | Antonio Gibson | NE | at ARI | Down 1 |
48 | Devin Singletary | NYG | vs BAL | Down 1 |
49 | Ameer Abdullah | LV | vs ATL | Down 1 |
50 | Cam Akers | MIN | vs CHI | Down 1 |
51 | Trey Benson | ARI | vs NE | Down 1 |
52 | Emanuel Wilson | GB | at SEA | Down 1 |
53 | Javonte Williams | DEN | vs IND | Down 1 |
54 | Alexander Mattison | LV | vs ATL | Down 1 |
55 | Ty Johnson | BUF | at DET | Down 1 |
56 | Justice Hill | BAL | at NYG | Down 1 |
57 | Samaje Perine | KC | at CLE | Down 1 |
58 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | WAS | at NO | Down 1 |
59 | Jaylen Wright | MIA | at HOU | Down 1 |
61 | Travis Homer | CHI | at MIN | Down 1 |
62 | Blake Corum | LAR | at SF | Down 1 |
63 | Kyle Juszczyk | SF | vs LAR | Down 1 |
64 | Kenneth Gainwell | PHI | vs PIT | Down 1 |
65 | Ezekiel Elliott | DAL | at CAR | Down 1 |
66 | Ty Chandler | MIN | vs CHI | Down 1 |
67 | Khalil Herbert | CIN | at TEN | Down 1 |
68 | Trey Sermon | IND | at DEN | Down 1 |
69 | Dameon Pierce | HOU | vs MIA | Down 1 |
70 | Cordarrelle Patterson | PIT | at PHI | Down 1 |
71 | Hassan Haskins | LAC | vs TB | Down 1 |
Who are the best fantasy RBs for Week 15?
The last time we saw Derrick Henry, he took a backseat to Saquon Barkley in the Ravens’ loss to the Eagles. King Henry had an entire bye week with that bad taste left in his mouth, so he’ll surely be motivated to remind everyone of the great season he’s having as well. The Giants held the Saints to just 92 yards rushing, but the game was competitive throughout. The Ravens are heavy favorites over the Giants, and it would not be surprising in the least to see Baltimore jump out to an early lead and lean on Henry to salt away the rest of the game.
Joe Mixon is also returning from a bye week and gets the Dolphins this week. Mixon has been shouldering a massive workload all season, so the bye surely came at a good time for him to rest his legs. This is a promising matchup for him as well as Miami is more vulnerable against the run than it is against the pass. Mixon is just 113 yards away from 1,000 on the season, a milestone he could very well reach this week.
While the Eagles may have been caught looking ahead to the Steelers, Philly did still manage to defeat the Panthers. While the passing game looked out of sorts at times, Saquon Barkley just kept trucking. He ran for 124 yards on 20 carries for a 6.2 yards per carry average, but he was stopped short on a couple of TD attempts as well. But even so, he’s still on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s record for most rushing yards in a season. And he was able to break the Eagles’ team record for the same feat, surpassing LeSean McCoy in just 13 games. The Steelers pose a tough matchup this week, but after what Saquon did to the Ravens in Week 13, are you going to bet against him? We’re not.
Week 15 FANTASY FOOTBALL ROSTER MANAGEMENT
Lessons Learned | Stock Watch | Sleepers | Busts | Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em | Usage Report
Who are the best fantasy RB waiver pickups for Week 15?
While Travis Etienne did some damage in the passing game with 50 yards on four catchers, Tank Bigsby was the clear RB1 when it came to running the football. Bigsby, who is rostered in 46 percent of Yahoo! leagues, ran 18 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. While the yards per carry are ugly, Etienne only had four carries in this one. This could be the type of usage Jacksonville strives to achieve down the stretch, and if that’s the case, Bigsby could be useful in the fantasy playoffs.
The Raiders’ running back situation has been a big stay-away all season long for fantasy managers. But here we are, heading into Week 15, and that may not be the case anymore. For the first time all season, a Las Vegas RB showed some juice as Sincere McCormick (yes, he’s a real player) ran for 75 yards on 15 carries. Rostered in just 15 percent of Yahoo! leagues, McCormick is likely here to stay for the rest of the season.
Who are the best fantasy RB sleepers for Week 15?
Tyrone Tracy Jr. was surprisingly unable to get much going against the Saints, as he could only muster 45 yards on 16 carries. He did add 38 more yards on five catches, though, helping salvage his day in PPR leagues. The Saints clearly wanted to force Drew Lock to beat them, which he couldn’t. The Ravens boast one of the league’s better run defenses, but if Tracy continues to see this kind of usage (Devin Singletary had just two carries and no targets), he may still be able to get home for fantasy managers.
This one is contingent on Breece Hall sitting again with a knee injury, but Isaiah Davis could be a nice play against the Jaguars. Jacksonville gives up the 2nd-most points to running backs, and Davis already showed what he can do in an expanded role against the Dolphins in Week 14. Braelon Allen led the backs with 11 carries for 43 yards, but Davis was right behind him with 40 yards on 10 carries. Davis also secured 3-of-6 targets for 27 more yards.
What are the biggest RB injuries for Week 15?
Kenneth Walker was ruled out in Week 14 with ankle and calf injuries. Walker has missed some time earlier this season, but it always had to do with oblique injuries. Zach Charbonnet had a nice game in Walker’s absence in a huge win over the Cardinals in Arizona. We’ll be monitoring this situation closely to see if Walker can return to face the Packers.
Jonathon Brooks went down against the Eagles with a non-contact knee injury. Brooks was only seeing his third game of NFL action as he began the season on the IR recovering from a torn ACL he suffered at Texas, but he had to be carted off the field. The injury was also to the same leg in which he suffered the ACL injury. This is likely to be a season-ending injury, which means Chuba Hubbard should continue to see all the carries he can handle.
Bucky Irving was questionable with hip and back injuries heading into Week 14, but he ultimately was able to go against the Falcons. He left in the first half with the back injury, and while he was on the sidelines after halftime with a heating pad, he was unable to re-enter the game. Rachaad White saw the lion’s share of the work after his departure, but if Irving is to miss time, Sean Tucker should see added opportunities as well.
Despite coming back from a bye week, Breece Hall was unable to go with a new knee issue. Braelon Allen saw an expected increase in usage, and Isaiah Davis also saw a significant uptick in touches. If Hall can’t go, Davis could be a sneaky play against the Jaguars, as mentioned above.
Alexander Mattison and Zamir White both had to sit again for the Raiders. White was ruled out earlier in the week, but Mattison wasn’t ruled out until Sunday. Sincere McCormick was the lead ball carrier and performed admirably, running for 78 yards on 15 carries. Mattison looks on track for a return this week, but head coach Antonio Pierce has said that McCormick will remain as the lead back with Mattison being used more on passing downs.