Running back was a disaster last week prior to kickoff. Not only did fantasy football owners deal with the customary byes, but we also had to deal with a slew of injuries and "questionable" backs. This week, we have just two byes (Rams, Broncos), but with several RBs back or expected to return this week -- plus new injury and matchup concerns -- our Week 11 fantasy RB rankings are some of the toughest we've had to put together all season.
As usual, matchups are all over the board this week. Studs like Jonathan Taylor (vs. Bills), Austin Ekeler (vs. Steelers), Cordarrelle Patterson (vs. Patriots), James Robinson (vs. 49ers), D'Andre Swift (vs. Browns), and Saquon Barkley (vs. Buccaneers) are in tough spots on paper, but they'll be in all fantasy lineups as long as they're healthy. The tougher calls are guys like Alex Collins/Chris Carson (vs. Cardinals), Jordan Howard/Boston Scott (vs. Saints), Zack Moss/Devin Singletary (@ Colts), and Antonio Gibson (vs. Panthers), who are also in interesting spots but will likely be in a lot of lineups. However, things are more complicated in Buffalo with Matt Breida stealing touches, and Philadelphia could see the return of Miles Sanders (ankle), so stay tuned there.
WEEK 11 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay (@ Titans) likely aren't in consideration for a lot of fantasy owners, but we wanted to point out that after this week, their matchups will soon get better. Houston is set to face the Jets in Week 12, Seahawks in Week 14, Jaguars in Week 15, and the Chargers in Week 16 -- all of which are poor run defenses. You can probably get Johnson and Lindsay for cheap (possibly for free), so it's not a terrible idea to grab one now to prepare for the stretch run.
WEEK 11 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
In terms of favorable matchups, AJ Dillon (@ Vikings), Darrel Williams/Clyde Edwards-Helaire (vs. Cowboys), Michael Carter (vs. Dolphins), Myles Gaskin (@ Jets), and D'Onta Foreman/Adrian Peterson (vs. Texans) look good this week. The latter three have top-seven matchups, so it will be hard to keep them out of lineups. Even backups Ty Johnson (vs. Dolphins), Eno Benjamin (@ Seahawks), and Jeremy McNichols (vs. Texans) have some flex upside, especially in PPR leagues. Tony Pollard (@ Chiefs) is another backup in a decent spot.
WEEK 11 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel | Yahoo
Overall, health will go a long way toward determining starts and sits. Whether it's someone like Devonta Freeman (@ Bears) or Mark Ingram (@ Eagles) getting more or fewer carries due to the health of Latavius Murray (ankle) or Alvin Kamara (knee), respectively, or simply whether Nick Chubb (COVID), Damien Harris (concussion), Kareem Hunt (calf) and Aaron Jones (knee) return and go into lineups, fantasy owners will have a lot of tough decisions this week. We'll be here to help with all of your difficult choices.
WEEK 11 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Note: We'll be updating these RB rankings throughout the week, so check back for analysis and the latest player movement.
Fantasy RB Rankings Week 11: Who to start at running back
Rankings are based on standard, non-PPR scoring
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Najee Harris, PIT @ LAC |
| 2 | Nick Chubb, CLE vs. DET |
| 3 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL @ KC |
| 4 | Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs. WAS |
| 5 | Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. GB |
| 6 | James Conner, ARI @ SEA |
| 7 | Leonard Fournette, TB vs. NYG |
| 8 | AJ Dillon, GB @ MIN. Dillon produced in a workhorse role after Aaron Jones (knee) exited last week. There's a good chance Jones will be out again, so Dillon should produce big stats in this top-five matchup. |
| 9 | Josh Jacobs, LV vs. CIN |
| 10 | Jonathan Taylor, IND @ BUF |
| 11 | Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. PIT |
| 12 | David Montgomery, CHI vs. BAL |
| 13 | Damien Harris, NE @ ATL. |
| 14 | James Robinson, JAX vs. SF |
| 15 | Mark Ingram, NO @ PHI |
| 16 | D'Andre Swift, DET @ CLE |
| 17 | Joe Mixon, CIN @ LV |
| 18 | Saquon Barkley, NYG @ TB. If Barkley (knee) returns, he's in a tough spot against the league's No. 2 run defense. Still, Barkley is talented enough to produce, especially as a receiver against a Bucs defense allowing over seven RB receptions/game. Antonio Gibson managed to post 78 total yards and two TDs last week against Tampa, so if Barkley gets volume and a couple goal-line chances he should pay off as an RB2. |
| 19 | Michael Carter, NYJ vs. MIA. Carter took advantage of garbage time to post his fourth TD in his past six games and caught at least four passes for the third time in the past four games. He's clearly the Jets lead back, and against the Dolphins, who have been top 10 in fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs virtually all year. This is a good spot for Carter to produce again. Ty Johnson, who's scored in three of the past five games and had at least five catches in three of the past four, is also a worthwhile flex. |
| 20 | Jeff Wilson Jr., SF @ JAX |
| 21 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC vs. DAL. In the two games prior to suffering a knee injury, CEH was hitting his stride, posting 100 rushing yards and TDs in both contests. He's expected back this week against a Cowboys defense that has allowed five RB TDs and two 100-yard rushers in the past five games. This game could see a lot of points, so even if Edwards-Helaire is eased back into action, he'll be in good position to produce fantasy points. Darrel Williams has a shot to produce flex-worthy stats this week, too. |
| 22 | Myles Gaskin, MIA @ NYJ. Even when Gaskin gets touches, he's not always productive, so it can be tough to trust him. But the Jets allow the most FPPG to RBs by a wide margin, so if Gaskin gets around the 18.8 touches he's averaged over the past four games, he should easily be worth a starting spot in both standard and PPR leagues. |
| 23 | Antonio Gibson, WAS @ CAR. Gibson wasn't efficient last week, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry, but he still totaled 78 yards and scored twice. If nothing else, Gibson showed his shin injury isn't quite as much of a worry going forward. His two best games this year came against the league's top two run defenses, so don't be scared off too much by Carolina's solid run defense. Gibson is somewhat boom-or-bust, but we know he has plenty of upside. J.D. McKissic could always get a bunch of receptions if Washington falls behind, so he still has boom-or-bust flex upside. |
| 24 | Alex Collins, SEA vs. ARI |
| 25 | Devonta Freeman, BAL @ CHI. We'll have to see if Latavius Murray (ankle) returns, but even if he does, Freeman could very well lead this backfield. He's averaged 14 touches and 70.5 total yards the past two games and scored in three of the past four contests. The Bears are an above-average defense against fantasy RBs, so if Murray is back, we'll drop Freeman in these rankings, but if he's the Ravens' main guy, he has flex value. |
| 26 | D'Onta Foreman, TEN vs. HOU. Foreman led the Titans' backfield last week, carrying the ball 11 times and gaining 30 yards. He also had 48 receiving yards on two catches -- one more catch than "receiving back" Jeremy McNichols. Adrian Peterson still might get some goal-line carries, but Foreman looked like the best most explosive RB in this backfield. Houston has been a top-12 defense in terms of most FPPG allowed to RBs all season, so Foreman is in a good spot to produce flex-worthy stats. Peterson has some TD-or-bust flex upside in standard leagues. |
| 27 | Ty Johnson, NYJ vs. MIA. See Michael Carter. |
| 28 | Kenyan Drake, LV vs. CIN |
| 29 | Darrel Williams, KC vs. DAL. See Clyde Edwards-Helaire. |
| 30 | Tony Pollard, DAL @ KC. Pollard has had at least 10 touches in all but three games this year. If he hits that mark this week, he should be a borderline flex against Kansas City's below-average run defense. |
| 31 | Miles Sanders, PHI vs. NO |
| 32 | Mike Davis, ATL vs. NE |
| 33 | JD McKissic, WAS @ CAR. See Antonio Gibson. |
| 34 | Zack Moss, BUF vs. IND. Moss hasn't received more than eight carries in a game since Week 5. He managed a short TD in Week 10, which he's always capable of, but given the sudden emergence of Matt Breida along with Devin Singletary, it's tough to trust any of these backs in a brutal matchup against a top run defense. |
| 35 | Adrian Peterson, TEN vs. HOU. See D'Onta Foreman. |
| 36 | Tony Jones Jr., NO @ PHI |
| 37 | Jamaal Williams, DET @ CLE |
| 38 | Devin Singletary, BUF vs. IND. See Zack Moss. |
| 39 | D'Ernest Johnson, CLE vs. DET |
| 40 | David Johnson, HOU @ TEN |
| 41 | Rhamondre Stevenson, NE @ ATL |
| 42 | Phillip Lindsay, HOU @ TEN |
| 43 | Jordan Howard, PHI vs. NO |
| 44 | Salvon Ahmed, MIA @ NYJ |
| 45 | Nyheim Hines, IND @ BUF |
| 46 | Brandon Bolden, NE @ ATL |
| 47 | Samaje Perine, CIN @ LV |
| 48 | Latavius Murray, BAL @ CHI |
| 49 | Ronald Jones II, TB vs. NYG |
| 50 | Khalil Herbert, CHI @ BAL |
| 51 | Eno Benjamin, ARI @ SEA |
| 52 | Devontae Booker, NYG @ TB |
| 53 | Rashaad Penny, SEA vs. ARI |
| 54 | Matt Breida, BUF vs. IND |
| 55 | Derrick Gore, KC vs. DAL |
| 56 | Trey Sermon, SF @ JAX |
| 57 | Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. GB |
| 58 | Carlos Hyde, JAX vs. SF |
| 59 | Chuba Hubbard, CAR vs. WAS |
| 60 | Giovani Bernard, TB vs. NYG |
| 61 | Jaret Patterson, WAS @ CAR |
| 62 | Boston Scott, PHI vs. NO |
| 63 | Damien Williams, CHI vs. BAL |
| 64 | Jerick McKinnon, KC vs. DAL |
| 65 | Ty'Son Williams, BAL @ CHI |
| 66 | Larry Rountree III, LAC vs. PIT |