As is customary this time of year, the war of attrition is claiming starting running backs every week. First, it was Dameon Pierce (ankle), then it was Jonathan Taylor (ankle). With backfield depth already depleted, fantasy football owners can ill afford to be without any key RBs. Heading into Saturday, Rhamondre Stevenson, Kenneth Walker III, Damien Harris, and Khalil Herbert are the most notable "questionable" backs, and all will affect Week 17 start 'em, sit 'em decisions regardless of whether they're active or inactive.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these running backs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 16 fantasy landscape.
WEEK 16 INJURY UPDATES:
Sat. WRs | Diontae | Sun. RBs | Sun. WRs
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WEEK 16 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Rhamondre Stevenson injury update, Week 16 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday morning that Stevenson is expected to play against the Bengals.
UPDATE 2: Stevenson is officially ATIVE.
Stevenson (ankle) practiced in a limited fashion all week, and after handling 21 touches in Week 15, seems like a sure thing to suit up on Saturday against Cincinnati despite his "questionable" tag.
Even with Damien Harris (thigh) also "questionable" and trending toward playing, Stevenson is a must-start. He had already taken over as New England's lead back before Harris' injury, and that should continue in a tough matchup against a Cincinnati defense allowing the 10th-fewest fantasy points to RBs. There's a slight worry that Harris will steal goal-line touches, but Stevenson does enough as a pass-catcher to overcome that and still rank as at least an RB2.
WEEK 16 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Kenneth Walker III injury update, Week 16 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: Walker is officially ACTIVE.
Walker (ankle) handled 16 touches and looked no worse for the wear in his return from an ankle injury last Thursday, but after missing practice all week, he's officially listed as "questionable" for Saturday's game against Kansas City. Fortunately, Seahawks' coach Pete Carroll said Thursday that he expects Walker to play.
The Seahawks released backup Tony Jones Jr. earlier this week, which seemingly indicated that Walker and backup DeeJay Dallas (ankle) would be good to go, so we'll take Carroll at his word. If Walker is active, he's a must-start against a Kansas City defense that limits rushing yards but allows a lot of production to RBs through the air. If he's out, Dallas and Travis Homer would likely split RB reps, with Dallas garnering low-end flex value as the expected "lead" back.
WEEK 16 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Khalil Herbert injury update, Week 16 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: Herbert is officially ACTIVE.
Herbert (hip) has been out since Week 10, but after being activated from IR on Tuesday and practicing all week, he's all but assured to play on Saturday against the Bills.
Herbert will return to a backup role behind David Montgomery, but in the last four games in which both were healthy, Herbert averaged 10.8 touches and 70.8 total yards while scoring two total TDs. Given the high winds and frigid temps predicted for Chicago this weekend, the Bears will likely be running early and often, giving Herbert plenty of opportunities. However, the Bills rank sixth against the run, so Herbert's appeal is limited to that of a TD-dependent flex in standard leagues. Montgomery loses some value with Herbert's return, but he should still see around 15-plus touches and work as a low-end RB2.
WEEK 16 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Damien Harris injury update, Week 16 fantasy outlook
UPDATE: Harris is officially OUT.
For the second-straight week, Harris (thigh) got in a full complement of "limited" practice sessions, and he's once again "questionable" on the initial injury report. Last week, he was downgraded to "out" on Saturday, so we can't say for certain whether he'll play on Saturday against the Bengals, but his arrow is pointing up.
WEEK 16 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
Assuming Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) is active, Harris will likely see around 11 touches, as he did in his last two full games (23 total), but against Cincinnati's eighth-ranked run defense, he's little more than a TD-or-bust flex in standard leagues. If Harris is out, Stevenson will once again handle virtually all of New England's RB touches.
