It never fails -- every year in the fantasy football playoffs, a few starting running backs get hurt and their handcuffs go from waiver-wire maintstays to league-winning sleepers. That appears to be happening again after Josh Jacobs, Alexander Mattison, and Jerome Ford all exited Sunday's games early, opening the door for their backups to be top pickups heading into Week 15.
Below, we'll give you the latest news on these key RBs and break down how their injuries could potentially affect the Week 15 fantasy landscape.
For updates on banged-up QBs Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud, click here. For the latest on injured WRs Justin Jefferson and Nico Collins, click here. For more on injured TEs Darren Waller, Taysom Hill, and Dalton Schultz, go here. For more on injured RBs Jonathan Taylor, Isiah Pacheco, Brian Robinson Jr., Rhamondre Stevenson, and Aaron Jones, click here. For updates on more banged-up WRs Christian Watson, Demario Douglas, and Marquise Brown, go here.
WEEK 15 FANTASY: Top waiver pickups | FAAB budget planner
Josh Jacobs injury update, Week 15 fantasy outlook
Jacobs (knee) limped gingerly to the locker room in the fourth quarter of Vegas' Week 14 loss, putting his status in serious doubt for Thursday night's matchup against the Chargers. We should know more about Jacobs' status when the Raiders release their estimated practice report on Monday, but we'd be surprised if he played in Week 15.
Zamir White and Ameer Abdullah would split RB duties if Jacobs is out, with White likely handling more carries and Abdullah playing more of a change-of-pace/receiving back role. Both have flex potential against a Chargers' defense that entered Week 14 allowing the 12th-most fantasy points per game to RBs, with White better suited for standard leagues and Abdullah appealing more to the PPR crowd. Both are worth grabbing in all formats, as Vegas has little reason to rush Jacobs back this year if he's not 100 percent.
WEEK 15 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Alexander Mattison injury update, Week 15 fantasy outlook
Mattison was on his way to his best game of the season (10 carries, 66 yards), but an ankle injury ended his day midway through the third quarter. There were no immediate updates on his status other than he had a "sprained ankle," but with Minnesota playing on Saturday in Week 15, he's likely trending toward a "questionable" designation (at best).
As he did when Mattison got hurt earlier this season, Ty Chandler took over primary RB duties, racking up 15 touches for 41 total yards. The numbers weren't impressive, but Chandler is just two games removed from 110 total yards against Denver. He's worth adding in all formats, and he'll be a solid RB2/flex against Cincinnati if Mattison is out.
WEEK 15 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Jerome Ford injury update, Week 15 fantasy outlook
Ford had another solid, if unspectacular, game against the Jaguars, leading the Browns in carries (12) and rushing yards (51) while adding 31 receiving yards on five catches. However, he left in the fourth quarter after taking a shot to his hand/wrist area. He went for X-rays, but there were no updates on his status immediately after the game.
Ford figures to be limited in practice throughout the week, but assuming there are no broken bones, he should be good to go for Week 15's matchup against the Bears. If he isn't, Kareem Hunt figures to assume the bulk of the RB snaps, but Pierre Strong Jr. will be heavily involved, too. Given the tough matchup against Chicago's No. 2 run defense, Strong isn't worth adding in most leagues, but deep leaguers can consider stashing him.
