2024 NFL Running Back Rankings Week 9

Rank	Running Back	Opponent	Blurb
1	Saquon Barkley	Jaguars	The Jaguars have the 9^th overall run defense so far this year, but they are near the bottom of the league in 3^rd down and red zone defense. Barkley simply cannot be stopped and his dual threat ability makes him a must start.
2	Derrick Henry	Broncos	The Broncos defense is tough in all facets of the game, but Henry is the leading-rusher and on pace to win Offensive Player of the Year.
3	Kyren Williams	Seahawks	Williams has 8 total TDs this year and is facing a Seattle D that is ranked 29^th against the run. He should have a big day in a healthier Rams offense.
4	Bijan Robinson	Cowboys	Dallas’s run defense is tied for last in the league in yards allowed and is second in rushing TDs allowed. Robinson has been one of the best dual threat RBs in football this year, so he should have a great game this week.
5	Jahmyr Gibbs	Packers	The Packers allow an average of 111 rushing yards per game and Gibbs has had two straight weeks of over 116 rushing yards to go along with 3 rushing TDs. He’s worth a start even against a division rival.
6	Joe Mixon	Jets	New York’s run defense is in the middle of the pack and Mixon has been red-hot when healthy this year. Four of his five games have seen him rush for 102+ yards and he has scored in each of them. He can also receive out of the backfield if needed.
7	Alvin Kamara	Panthers	Carolina has the worst run defense in the league and Kamara has been one of the best dual threat RBs for a long time. His production has slowed down in recent weeks, but this matchup is very favorable and he may be getting his starting QB back to help him out.
8	D’Andre Swift	Cardinals	Arizona’s run D is ranked 26^th so far. Swift is not only a dual-threat back, but he has scored a rushing TD each of his last four games.
9	De’Von Achane	Bills	Buffalo’s run D is near the middle of the pack and Achane is looking to build off a big fantasy performance last week. Having QB Tua Tagovailoa back is going to help the dual-threat RB excel.
10	Josh Jacobs	Lions	Jacobs is a top-five rusher this season and has put together back-to-back 20+ point fantasy performances. The only issue is that he faces a top-five run D this week in a division rivalry.
11	James Cook	Dolphins	Miami’s run D is in the middle of the pack. Cook’s uneven performances place him outside the top-10 this week, but he looks to follow up on a great outing last week where he rushed for 111 yards, 2 TDs, and had 22 receiving yards.
12	Aaron Jones	Colts	This Colts run D is bad, they are ranked 30^th. Even after a disappointing performance from Jones last week, he should be able to run all over Indy this week.
13	David Montgomery	Packers	Montgomery has slowly taken a back seat to Gibbs over the last few weeks, but his potential to break out as part of that one-two punch makes him a possible starting option this week.
14	Kareem Hunt	Buccaneers	All four of Hunt’s games have seen him top double-digit fantasy points this year and he has at least one rushing TD in the last three games. Tampa Bay’s run D is 20^th in the league, so Hunt could have another big day this week.
15	Breece Hall	Texans	Hall has seen a huge boost in his fantasy performance in two of the last three weeks with big performances in the passing game. The only thing keeping him out of the top-10 this week is the fact that the Texans have the overall 2^nd best defense in football currently.
16	Jonathan Taylor	Vikings	Three of Taylor’s last four games have seen him rush for 103+ yards and at least one TD. The only thing keeping him from being a must-start is that he is facing the league’s 3^rd best run D this week.
17	Kenneth Walker III	Rams	Walker III’s high volume of targets in the passing game make up for some lulls in the run game. He has recorded a TD in two of his last three games and with the high usage in the passing game, he is essentially guaranteed to crack double-digit fantasy points every week. He faces the 23^rd run D this week, which should help him further.
18	Brian Robinson Jr.	Giants	Robinson Jr. faces the 27^th ranked run D this week. He has recorded at least a TD and double-digit fantasy points in four of the last five games.
19	Chuba Hubbard	Saints	Hubbard is top-five in rushing yards right now and faces a bottom-five run D this week. He has struggled a little bit the last two weeks, but has had double-digit fantasy performances four of the last five weeks and can get back on track this week.
20	James Conner	Bears	With back-to-back 14+ fantasy point performances and a matchup against an iffy Bears run D, Conner is a borderline start this week.
21	Rachaad White	Chiefs	Like his backfield teammate, White has big-time dual-threat ability and has three receiving TDs in the last two games. He has struggled to punch it in on the ground, but against this second-best run D he might get his points through the air again.
22	J.K. Dobbins	Browns	Dobbins has put up double-digit fantasy performances two of the last three weeks and faces the 18^th ranked run D this week. Could be another decent day for a RB who is currently 10^th in rushing yards this season.
23	Bucky Irving	Chiefs	Irving has scored a TD in two of the last three games and has seen an increase in passing targets, making him an interesting threat against the second-best run D in football.
24	Tony Pollard	Patriots	Pollard’s dual-threat ability against the 22^nd run D may come up huge in this battle of two unsuccessful teams. He has had double-digit fantasy performances two of the last three weeks.
25	Tank Bigsby	Eagles	Bigsby has had a couple big games this year, but with the health of Etienne uncertain and the Eagles being a stout run D lately, it may be best to exercise caution when starting him.
26	Raheem Mostert	Bills	Both RBs in Miami’s offense benefit from the return of Tua Tagovailoa. Mostert did score two rushing TDs last week and could follow that up with a good performance against this so-so run D.
27	Nick Chubb	Chargers	Chubb is still working back from his injury, but this could be a game where he finally starts regaining his old form against a run D that ranks outside the top 10.
28	Alexander Mattison	Bengals	Mattison’s higher usage in the pass game lately coupled with the small chance that he could get a TD against the 24^th ranked run D makes him an interesting play this week.
29	Chase Brown	Raiders	Brown had a TD against a good Eagles defense last week and could follow that up with a solid performance against the 19^th ranked run D this week.
30	Rico Dowdle	Falcons	Dowdle faces the 21^st ranked run D and can be a nice dual-threat RB and gain some fantasy points in a somewhat limited role.
31	Austin Ekeler	Giants	Ekeler used to be a household name for a couple years, but age and injuries have slowed him down. However, he is facing the 27^th ranked run D this week and can be used in a dual-threat capacity that may yield good results.
32	Justice Hill	Broncos	Hill is a receiving threat out of the backfield behind Henry. If this tough Denver run D focuses too much on Henry, Hill can leak out for some big gains in the pass game and break a couple runs.
33	Tyler Allgeier	Cowboys	With Dallas’s run D as bad as it is, any RBs that play against them have a chance to succeed. Allgeier may be behind Robinson in Atlanta, but Dallas may focus too heavily on the lead back and allow him to shine.
34	Javonte Williams	Ravens	The Ravens run D allows the fewest yards per game in the league, but Williams can make the most of his opportunities if given a chance and his dual-threat ability helps him stay on the fantasy radar.
35	Zack Moss	Raiders	Moss stays on the fringes of fantasy play every week due to his dual-threat nature. Despite being the second RB behind Brown, he has the chance to have a good game against a bottom-half run D in Las Vegas.
36	Tyrone Tracy Jr.	Commanders	Tracy Jr. may not play this week due to a concussion, but if he clears the protocol then the Giants might have found their diamond in the rough. Last week, he rushed for 145 yards and a TD.
37	Devin Singletary	Commanders	Singletary is in line to start if Tracy Jr. cannot go, but he still is not worth it since his numbers won’t be particularly high even with the increased volume.
38	Roschon Johnson	Cardinals	Johnson’s ability to find the end zone in a limited role is not enough to start him, but he can be useful if there are no great options left.
39	Zach Charbonnet	Rams	Charbonnet will never put up explosive numbers, but is a nice change of pace back that did manage to find the end zone last week. He could play a nice role behind Walker III this week.
40	Ray Davis	Dolphins	Davis could play a role if Cook gets most of the attention from Miami. Anything is possible and he did have a nice game a couple weeks ago against the Jets, where he racked up 18.2 fantasy points in PPR format.

October 31, 2024, 11:49 am