Fantasy Football: Week 17 RB Rankings

Check out Kevin Hanson's top 60 running backs for Week 17 of the 2019 season.

Kevin Hanson joins SI for the 2019 season. His fantasy rankings have placed him in the Top 20 in each of the past two seasons among all the industry experts tracked by FantasyPros.com, and he has been in the Top 25 in six of the past eight years.

Check out more of Kevin’s rankings: QB, WR, TE, kicker, defense and flex.

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RB Start of the Week: Sony Michel, New England Patriots (vs. MIA)

It’s been a disappointing season for Michel, who scored as many touchdowns (six) during last year’s Super Bowl run as he has through 15 games this season. Perhaps due for some positive regression, Michel has not scored in eight consecutive games.

While the second-year back has yet to rush for 100 yards in a game this season, he’s coming off a season-high (96) last week against Buffalo. In fact, his workload and production over the past two weeks—40 carries for 185 yards (4.63 YPC)—gives his fantasy owners a glimmer of hope for a big regular-season finale.

As the Patriots play for a first-round bye, they are more than two-TD home favorites with the highest implied total of the week. Miami’s recent competitiveness could help keep the game close enough to keep Michel on the field deeper into the game.

Back in Week 2, Michel had 21 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. With multi-touchdown upside in a plus matchup, Michel will be one of my favorite DFS tournament plays this week.

[Note: Michel was added to the injury report (illness) and is listed as questionable. I expect him to play, but you should, of course, monitor his status up until kickoff.]

RB Sit of the Week: David Montgomery, Chicago Bears (at MIN)

It’s been a disappointing season for the Bears, Montgomery included, as the rookie has averaged just 3.5 yards per carry this season. Like Michel, Montgomery has been on a rushing touchdown drought—seven games—even though he has a receiving score in Week 13.

Over his past seven games, Montgomery has 107 carries for 370 yards (3.46 YPC) and seven receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. During that span, he has performed as fantasy’s RB34 (half-PPR scoring).

This week’s matchup is one of the more difficult for running backs, as the Vikings have allowed the eighth fewest fantasy points to the position this season. In his first matchup against his division rivals, the former Iowa State Cyclone had high usage (24 touches) but limited success (67 scoreless yards and 2.52 YPC).

Week 17 fantasy football running back rankings (half-PPR scoring):

RB1: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs WAS

RB2: Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs NO

RB3: Saquon Barkley, NYG vs PHI

RB4: Aaron Jones, GB @ DET

RB5: Alvin Kamara, NO @ CAR

RB6: Derrick Henry, TEN @ HOU

RB7: Nick Chubb, CLE @ CIN

RB8: Marlon Mack, IND @ JAC

RB9: Joe Mixon, CIN vs CLE

RB10: Melvin Gordon, LAC @ KC

RB11: Austin Ekeler, LAC @ KC

RB12: Miles Sanders, PHI @ NYG

RB13: Kenyan Drake, ARI @ LAR

RB14: Sony Michel, NE vs MIA

RB15: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ BUF

RB16: Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs OAK

RB17: Raheem Mostert, SF @ SEA

RB18: Devonta Freeman, ATL @ TB

RB19: Todd Gurley, LAR vs ARI

RB20: DeAndre Washington, OAK @ DEN

RB21: Adrian Peterson, WAS @ DAL

RB22: Devin Singletary, BUF vs NYJ

RB23: Ryquell Armstead, JAC vs IND

RB24: Damien Williams, KC vs LAC

RB25: James White, NE vs MIA

RB26: Ronald Jones II, TB vs ATL

RB27: Kareem Hunt, CLE @ CIN

RB28: David Montgomery, CHI @ MIN

RB29: Mike Boone, MIN vs CHI

RB30: Gus Edwards, BAL vs PIT

RB31: Carlos Hyde, HOU vs TEN

RB32: Tarik Cohen, CHI @ MIN

RB33: Travis Homer, SEA vs SF

RB34: Patrick Laird, MIA @ NE

RB35: Latavius Murray, NO @ CAR

RB36: Benny Snell Jr., PIT @ BAL

RB37: Rex Burkhead, NE vs MIA

RB38: Jordan Howard, PHI @ NYG

RB39: Royce Freeman, DEN vs OAK

RB40: Duke Johnson, HOU vs TEN

RB41: Boston Scott, PHI @ NYG

RB42: Justice Hill, BAL vs PIT

RB43: Kerryon Johnson, DET vs GB

RB44: Marshawn Lynch, SEA vs SF

RB45: Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ BAL

RB46: Jalen Richard, OAK @ DEN

RB47: Peyton Barber, TB vs ATL

RB48: Tevin Coleman, SF @ SEA

RB49: Chris Thompson, WAS @ DAL

RB50: Ameer Abdullah, MIN vs CHI

RB51: Dion Lewis, TEN @ HOU

RB52: Malcolm Brown, LAR vs ARI

RB53: Nyheim Hines, IND @ JAC

RB54: Giovani Bernard, CIN vs CLE

RB55: David Johnson, ARI @ LAR

RB56: LeSean McCoy, KC vs LAC

RB57: Frank Gore, BUF vs NYJ

RB58: Tony Pollard, DAL vs WAS

RB59: Matt Breida, SF @ SEA

RB60: Darwin Thompson, KC vs LAC

Week 17 fantasy football running back rankings (non-PPR scoring):

RB1: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs WAS

RB2: Saquon Barkley, NYG vs PHI

RB3: Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs NO

RB4: Aaron Jones, GB @ DET

RB5: Derrick Henry, TEN @ HOU

RB6: Nick Chubb, CLE @ CIN

RB7: Alvin Kamara, NO @ CAR

RB8: Marlon Mack, IND @ JAC

RB9: Joe Mixon, CIN vs CLE

RB10: Melvin Gordon, LAC @ KC

RB11: Miles Sanders, PHI @ NYG

RB12: Austin Ekeler, LAC @ KC

RB13: Sony Michel, NE vs MIA

RB14: Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs OAK

RB15: Le'Veon Bell, NYJ @ BUF

RB16: Kenyan Drake, ARI @ LAR

RB17: Raheem Mostert, SF @ SEA

RB18: Todd Gurley, LAR vs ARI

RB19: Adrian Peterson, WAS @ DAL

RB20: Devonta Freeman, ATL @ TB

RB21: DeAndre Washington, OAK @ DEN

RB22: Devin Singletary, BUF vs NYJ

RB23: Damien Williams, KC vs LAC

RB24: Ryquell Armstead, JAC vs IND

RB25: Gus Edwards, BAL vs PIT

RB26: Ronald Jones II, TB vs ATL

RB27: Mike Boone, MIN vs CHI

RB28: David Montgomery, CHI @ MIN

RB29: Kareem Hunt, CLE @ CIN

RB30: James White, NE vs MIA

RB31: Carlos Hyde, HOU vs TEN

RB32: Travis Homer, SEA vs SF

RB33: Latavius Murray, NO @ CAR

RB34: Patrick Laird, MIA @ NE

RB35: Tarik Cohen, CHI @ MIN

RB36: Jordan Howard, PHI @ NYG

RB37: Benny Snell Jr., PIT @ BAL

RB38: Boston Scott, PHI @ NYG

RB39: Marshawn Lynch, SEA vs SF

RB40: Royce Freeman, DEN vs OAK

RB41: Rex Burkhead, NE vs MIA

RB42: Duke Johnson, HOU vs TEN

RB43: Justice Hill, BAL vs PIT

RB44: Kerryon Johnson, DET vs GB

RB45: Peyton Barber, TB vs ATL

RB46: Jaylen Samuels, PIT @ BAL

RB47: Tevin Coleman, SF @ SEA

RB48: Malcolm Brown, LAR vs ARI

RB49: Frank Gore, BUF vs NYJ

RB50: Jalen Richard, OAK @ DEN

RB51: David Johnson, ARI @ LAR

RB52: Ameer Abdullah, MIN vs CHI

RB53: Dion Lewis, TEN @ HOU

RB54: LeSean McCoy, KC vs LAC

RB55: Chris Thompson, WAS @ DAL

RB56: Bo Scarbrough, DET vs GB

RB57: Tony Pollard, DAL vs WAS

RB58: Giovani Bernard, CIN vs CLE

RB59: Nyheim Hines, IND @ JAC

RB60: Matt Breida, SF @ SEA