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Josh Jacobs is my No. 5 RB this week. Ezekiel Elliott is still top 12 for me. Maybe my rankings are just wildly off base this week, or maybe the running back position is just a total mess. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good options – there actually are plenty of really intriguing players out there. The problem is, it’s hard to know who you can trust, as of Wednesday afternoon, at least.
For instance, I could see ranking the likes of Justin Jackson or Jeff Wilson ahead of Elliott, but we don’t know what Jackson’s role is, and Wilson’s got a tough matchup on Thursday night that could trip him up.
It’s similarly hard to make that call with guys in split backfields, most notably Aaron Jones and Javonte Williams. There’s obviously big upside with both, but both seem to be stuck in near 50-50 splits in their own backfields. Cordarrelle Patterson has an incredible matchup against Detroit, but he’s also seen his role in the passing game decrease significantly of late, leaving him much more touchdown-dependent than he was earlier in the season for his value.
And then there’s Elliott, who just hasn’t been good for a long time – he’s averaging 3.3 yards per carry and 3.7 yards per target over his past six games. That’s brutal. But he’s also getting five targets per game and 12.2 carries, and the Cowboys are 10.5-point favorites against Washington. I’d expect he’s going to continue to have a healthy workload and a good chance for a touchdown. Maybe his upside isn’t as high as some other backs, but his role just remains too valuable for me to get away from.
One player I know for a fact will be ranked ahead of Elliott is Alexander Mattison. He’s going to be ranked ahead of pretty much everyone after Dalvin Cook was placed on the COVID list Thursday. Mattison is my No. 2 RB for Week 16, and with Cook reportedly unvaccinated, he may just be my No. 2 RB for Week 17, too.
You’re probably not going to be able to just set it and forget it this week. There are too many moving parts. Here are my RB rankings for Week 15. To see the rankings of Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings, make sure you head here.
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Week 16 RB Rankings
- Jonathan Taylor @ARI
- Alexander Mattison vs. LAR
- James Robinson @NYJ
- Joe Mixon vs. BAL
- Alvin Kamara vs. MIA
- Josh Jacobs vs. DEN
- David Montgomery @SEA
- Najee Harris @KC
- Nick Chubb @GB
- Ronald Jones @CAR
- Ezekiel Elliott vs. WAS
- Javonte Williams @LV
- Cordarrelle Patterson vs. DET
- Aaron Jones vs. CLE
- Justin Jackson @HOU
- Chase Edmonds vs. IND
- Saquon Barkley @PHI
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs. PIT
- Jeff Wilson @TEN
- Antonio Gibson @DAL
- Sony Michel @MIN
- Devin Singletary @NE
- Myles Gaskin @NO
- Miles Sanders vs. NYG
- AJ Dillon vs. CLE
- D’Onta Foreman vs. SF
- Michael Carter vs. JAX
- Melvin Gordon @LV
- Rhamondre Stevenson vs. BUF
- Ameer Abdullah vs. TB
- Chuba Hubbard vs. TB
- Rashaad Penny vs. CHI
- Craig Reynolds @ATL
- Devonta Freeman @CIN
- James Conner vs. IND
- DeeJay Dallas vs. CHI
- Darrell Henderson @MIN
- Godwin Igwebuike @ATL
- Darrel Williams vs. PIT
- Brandon Bolden vs. BUF
- Le’Veon Bell @CAR
- Mike Davis vs. DET
- Joshua Kelley @HOU
- David Johnson vs. LAC
- Nyheim Hines @ARI
- Corey Clement vs. WAS
- Jordan Howard vs. NYG
- Tevin Coleman vs. JAX
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