With no teams on bye this week, our Week 12 fantasy RB rankings are about as loaded as they can be at this point in the season. That said, there will still be questions about the statuses of Christian McCaffrey, Chris Carson, Raheem Mostert, Myles Gaskin, and D'Andre Swift as they deal with injuries that have kept them out in recent weeks.
Swift will command a lot of attention early in the week. He is dealing with a concussion, and with the Lions set to play the early game on Thanksgiving, he'll have a short turnaround. If he's out, it would be unfortunate given the sweet matchup against Houston's league-worst run defense, but handcuffs Kerryon Johnson and Adrian Peterson will get another crack at landing in the RB2/flex range.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
While Swift represents the first big question of the week, there is some hope that McCaffrey (@ Vikings) and Carson (@ Eagles) will return. Even Austin Ekeler (@ Bills) and Mostert (@ Rams) may be back in Week 12 if all goes well. For now, Carson and Mostert are included in these rankings while Ekeler and Gaskin (@ Jets) are absent. McCaffrey was initially included but with reports indicating that he isn't likely to play until after the Panthers' Week 13 bye, we have removed him and moved Mike Davis up.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Further helping the rankings is that some RBs who have been questionable in recent weeks, namely Devonta Freeman (ankle) and Joe Mixon (foot), have both been placed on IR and will for sure be out. As a result of their absences, Wayne Gallman (@ Bengals) and Giovani Bernard (vs. Giants) both rise into the RB2 ranks and should continue to get a high volume of carries. David Johnson (concussion) and Justin Jackson (knee) also remain on the IR.
WEEK 12 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
The RB2 tier is deep this week, so that's positive news for fantasy owners. No longer will they be forced to rely on the committee-type backfields of the 49ers (@ Rams), Broncos (vs. Saints), Bills (vs. Chargers), Rams (vs. 49ers), and Jets (vs. Dolphins). Some of the backs from these teams will have good games, but it's almost impossible to predict who will get the majority of the carries or touchdown chances on a weekly basis. If you can avoid them, that's the right move, especially with some other formerly muddled backfield seeing individual breakouts in recent weeks (JK Dobbins with the Ravens*, Kalen Ballage with the Chargers, Jonathan Taylor with the Colts, and Salvon Ahmed with the Dolphins). (UPDATE: Dobbins and Mark Ingram have landed on the COVID list ahead of Week 12, so Gus Edwards will be the lead back in Baltimore. But once Dobbins is back, he'll go back to being the new backfield leader. Both Taylor and Ahmed have been ruled out for Week 12, as well.)
WEEK 12 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Reminder: As always, we expect to make plenty of changes to these RB rankings throughout the week, so check back for updates.
MORE WEEK 12 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 12 Fantasy RB Rankings (Standard)
These rankings are for non-PPR leagues.
WEEK 12 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. CAR |
| 2 | Alvin Kamara, NO @ DEN |
| 3 | Antonio Gibson, WAS @ DAL. Gibson has been one of the best rookie backs in the NFL this year. He has scored in four straight games and now has eight rushing TDs on the season. The Cowboys have allowed the second-most rushing yards in the league (1,260) and Gibson went off for 128 yards and a TD against them the last time these teams played. Start him confidently as an RB1. |
| 4 | James Robinson, JAX vs. CLE |
| 5 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. WAS |
| 6 | Josh Jacobs, LV @ ATL |
| 7 | Aaron Jones, GB vs. CHI |
| 8 | Derrick Henry, TEN @ IND |
| 9 | David Montgomery, CHI @ GB. Montgomery should return from a concussion after his Week 11 bye. Green Bay has allowed 25.1 fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs this season, good for the third most in the NFL. Their 15 TDs allowed to the position ranks second most in the NFL, so while Montgomery doesn't rack up a ton of yardage, he will have a chance to find the end zone in this matchup. |
| 10 | Nick Chubb, CLE @ JAX |
| 11 | Miles Sanders, PHI vs. SEA |
| 12 | Damien Harris, NE vs. ARZ |
| 13 | Kenyan Drake, ARZ @ NE |
| 14 | Mike Davis, CAR @ MIN. It sounds like Christian McCaffrey will be out another week, so fantasy owners won't have his services until after the Panthers' Week 13 bye. In the meantime, Davis will continue to carry the load for the Panthers. He had 79 yards and a score on 21 touches against the Lions and he should have a chance to find the end-zone against vs. the Vikings, one of 10 teams in the league to allow over 1,000 rushing yards to RBs. |
| 15 | Duke Johnson, HOU @ DET. Johnson's two-game run as starter in place of David Johnson (concussion) has disappointed so far, as he has totaled just 89 yards on 27 touches in those contests. He'll get at least one more chance to start in Week 12 and should fare better against a Lions defense that has allowed a league-high 18 TDs to RBs and 29.1 FPPG to RBs. |
| 16 | Kareem Hunt, CLE @ JAX |
| 17 | Chris Carson, SEA @ PHI. Can Carson (foot) finally return from injury for the Seahawks? He seemed to be trending in the right direction ahead of Week 11, so he should have a chance to suit up in Week 12 on Monday night against an Eagles defense that has allowed 10 rushing TDs to RBs this season, tied for fifth most in the NFL. |
| 18 | Brian Hill, ATL vs. LV. |
| 19 | Wayne Gallman, NYG @ CIN. In his past four games, Gallman has scored five times on the ground. He should continue to average the 15.5 touches per game he has gotten during that span with Devonta Freeman (ankle) on IR. The Bengals have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to RBs this season (1,206) so Gallman could have his best game of the season, especially if the Giants can build and protect an early lead with Ryan Finley starting on the other side of the ball. |
| 20 | Jordan Wilkins, IND vs. TEN |
| 21 | Giovani Bernard, CIN vs. NYG. Joe Mixon (foot) was placed on IR before the Bengals' Week 11 game, so that means Bernard will be a starter for at least another couple of weeks. The Giants have allowed the eighth-most FPPG to RBs (19.7) this year. including 524 receiving yards to the position, good for second most in the league. Bernard is better as a receiver -- he has 147 rushing yards compared to 129 receiving yards in his past four games -- so this matchup should benefit him and keep him in the volume-based RB2 category. |
| 22 | Austin Ekeler, LAC @ BUF |
| 23 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC @ TB. Edwards-Helaire continues to work as the clear-cut top back for the Chiefs and doubled-up Le'Veon Bell in carries 14-7 against the Raiders and found the end zone twice. That will be a bit more difficult against a Buccaneers defense that has allowed a league-low 547 rushing yards to RBs this year. CEH could still find the end zone, but it's not a guarantee. |
| 24 | Ronald Jones II, TB vs. KC. Jones has four 100-plus-yard games on the ground this season, so he could threaten the Chiefs in this matchup. That said, the Chiefs did just limit Raiders RBs to 3.2 yards per carry, so Jones is just a fringe-RB2 for this one. |
| 25 | Adrian Peterson, DET vs. HOU. The Texans have allowed the most rushing yards to RBs this season at a mark of 1,458. With Matthew Stafford dealing with a thumb injury, the Lions should look to take advantage of Houston's weakness. That will be easier said than done with D'Andre Swift (concussion) likely set to miss the contest, but Peterson will split reps with Kerryon Johnson to replace him. Peterson has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry since Week 6, but he has out-touched Johnson 57-23 in that span. Johnson will continue to see work through the air, but Peterson should be viewed as the top scoring threat. |
| 26 | Melvin Gordon, DEN vs. NO |
| 27 | Matt Breida, MIA @NYJ. Salvon Ahmed out-touched Matt Breida 17-2 against the Broncos and managed to total 74 yards in that matchup, but he suffered a shoulder injury that will keep him out this week. Now, Breida will get a chance to take on a Jets defense that has allowed the 12th-most FPPG to RBs this year (19.3) and has allowed the most catches to RBs out of the backfield (69). This matchup bodes well for Breida and unless Myles Gaskin (knee) returns to action in this game, Breida will have RB2 upside. |
| 28 | Benny Snell, PIT vs. BAL |
| 29 | Gus Edwards, BAL @ PIT. Just when it looked like JK Dobbins was emerging as the Ravens' lead back, he landed on the COVID list along with Mark Ingram. Now, both are out for the Ravens' game against the Steelers, which has been moved to Sunday. As a result, Edwards will take over the lead back role for the Ravens again. Edwards will get volume, but he may have trouble putting up big numbers in a difficult matchup with the Steelers (14.2 FPPG to RBs, second fewest in the NFL). That said, he did rack up 87 yards and a TD the last time these two teams played, so perhaps he can repeat that performance and earn RB2 status again. |
| 30 | Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs. NO |
| 31 | Nyheim Hines, IND vs. TEN |
| 32 | Raheem Mostert, SF @ LAR. Mostert (ankle) could return after their Week 11 bye, and he would upgrade their run game immediately. That said, the Rams allow just 15 FPPG to RBs, and if the 49ers decide to ease Mostert back into action after he has dealt with knee and ankle injuries this year, he could be more of a frustrating flex play in a tough matchup. |
| 33 | J.D. McKissic, WAS @ DAL. In his past three games, McKissic has been targeted a whopping 33 times and has caught 19 passes for 134 yards. He also has added 66 yards and a score on the ground. While he'll play second fiddle to Antonio Gibson in the running game, McKissic should continue to see a lot of pass-catching opportunities and will get a massive boost in PPR formats. McKissic is a worthwhile flex in standard while he's getting this volume, so don't be afraid to trust him moving forward. |
| 34 | Frank Gore, NYJ vs. MIA. Gore will have the backfield mostly to himself with La'Mical Perine (ankle) out, and he can put up decent stats against a Miami defense that has allowed the eighth-most rushing yards to RBs this season (1,046) and just let Melvin Gordon score twice on them. |
| 35 | Leonard Fournette, TB vs. KC |
| 36 | Kerryon Johnson, DET vs. HOU. With Swift out last week, Johnson had just 17 yards on six carries, but he added 21 yards on two catches and five targets. His best chance of being a solid flex play in PPR leagues. He's probably preferable to Adrian Peterson in PPR formats because of his upside there, but he may have fewer opportunities to expose a weak Texans run defense on the ground. That's why he's below Peterson but still falls into the flex range. |
| 37 | Joshua Kelley, LAC @ BUF |
| 38 | Zack Moss, BUF vs. LAC. In three games before the Bills bye, Moss scored three rushing TDs and out-touched Devin Singletary 19-10 in their final two games. It looks like Moss is the preferred goal-line back for the Bills and he should continue to see more work than Singletary. In a matchup against a Chargers defense that has allowed 19.1 FPPG to RBs and just let two Jets RBs score on them, Moss could have a chance to find paydirt again, though his yardage ceiling is low (he averages just under 42 yards per game). |
| 39 | Darrell Henderson, LAR vs. SF. The Rams backfield is tough to figure out right now, as Sean McVay seems to be intent on splitting carries between Henderson, Cam Akers, and Malcolm Brown. Henderson has been the most consistent overall, Brown got the goal-line carries last time the Rams played, and Akers led the team in carries. It's tough to say which player will be the top option, so in a matchup against a 49ers defense that has been solid against the run, it may be best to sit them unless you're desperate for a flex play. |
| 40 | Cam Akers, LAR vs. SF. See Darrell Henderson. |
| 41 | Chase Edmonds, ARZ @ NE |
| 42 | Devin Singletary, BUF vs. LAC. Singletary has averaged just five touches and 22 yards in his past two games. It seems that the Bills are content to use Zack Moss instead of him, so unless something changes coming out of the bye week, Singletary merely has the ceiling of a flex. |
| 43 | Jerrick McKinnon, SF @ LAR |
| 44 | Ito Smith, ATL vs. LV |
| 45 | Malcolm Brown, LAR vs. SF. See Darrell Henderson. |
| 46 | DeAndre Washington, MIA @ NYJ |
| 47 | Anthony McFarland Jr., PIT vs. BAL |
| 48 | Le'Veon Bell, KC @ TB. Bell found the end zone against the Raiders and had some impressive, vintage-looking runs. He can be a flex play in weaker matchups, but the Buccaneers clamp down on the run well. Make sure to sit him this week. |
| 49 | Carlos Hyde, SEA @ PHI. If Carson comes back to action, Hyde will go back to being a handcuff. After a few weeks off, Carson should return, barring a setback. |
| 50 | Justice Hill, BAL @ PIT. With Mark Ingram and JK Dobbins on the COVID list, Hill will be the new top backup to Gus Edwards. Hill had 225 yards and two TDs on 58 carries as a rookie in 2019, but he has just one touch in 2020. He's probably a better receiver than Edwards, but he's nothing more than a low-level DFS dart throw. |
| 51 | Sony Michel, NE vs. ARZ. Rex Burkhead is believed to have suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. That opens up a spot as part of a one-two punch with Damien Harris. Michel can fill that role if healthy, so we'll see if his quad is good enough to let him see the field in Week 12. |
| 52 | James White, NE vs. ARZ. White is another candidate to take on more touches after Burkhead's injury. He tied a season-high with nine targets against the Texans, so with Burkhead out, there may be more receiving work available for him. |
| 53 | Royce Freeman, DEN vs. NO |
| 54 | Jamaal Williams, GB vs. CHI |
| 55 | Latavius Murray, NO @ DEN |
| 56 | Rodney Smith, CAR @ MIN. Smith worked as the primary backup to Mike Davis in Week 11 with Christian McCaffrey (shoulder) out. He'll do the same thing once again with McCaffrey looking unlikely to play until after the Panthers' Week 13 bye. |
| 57 | Tony Pollard, DAL vs. WAS |
| 58 | Devontae Booker, LV @ ATL |
| 59 | Ty Johnson, NYJ vs. MIA |
| 60 | Dion Lewis, NYG @ CIN |
| 61 | Samaje Perine, CIN vs. NYG |
| 62 | Boston Scott, PHI vs. SEA |
| 63 | Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. CAR |
| 64 | Troymaine Pope, LAC @ BUF |
| 65 | Jalen Richard, LV @ ATL |
| 66 | Darrel Williams, KC @ TB |
| 67 | Corey Clement, PHI vs. SEA |
| 68 | D'Onta Foreman, TEN @ IND |
| 69 | Jeremy McNichols, TEN @ IND |
