Wild Card Round Fantasy Football RB PPR Rankings: Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, TreVeyon Henderson and More
Morgan ranks running backs as fantasy football/DFS assets for the Wild Card Round of the NFL postseason.
Let's continue ranking the top fantasy football/DFS options for the Wild Card Round by going over running backs.
Here's the story we did for quarterbacks. Check back later for wide receiver and tight end rankings, and also be sure to check out our articles on fantasy matchups and projections.
The running back rankings will include 18 running backs, and be put together with PPR leagues in mind.
Check out Wild Card Round fantasy football projections for running backs on FantasySP!
McCaffrey pretty easily gets the No. 1 ranking among running backs for the Wild Card Round. He was the top fantasy PPR back by a longshot this season, so it makes sense.
He has a slightly above-average matchup coming against the Eagles, which is yet another reason to take CMC first. The teams did not meet in the regular season.
McCaffrey not only will lead the Niners' rushing attack, but he could finish as the team's top pass catcher too. Fire him up confidently every week.
This one might surprise some people, but I trust Barkley the most in the No. 2 slot.
He had a bit of a down fantasy season, but had a pretty nice finish to the regular season. His matchup against the Niners is above average as well, so he could push for the top fantasy RB spot if the Eagles' touchdowns go through him.
Philly leans on its running game in the postseason, and it should lead to a massive fantasy outing from Barkley this coming week.
Etienne had a pretty good fantasy season, and did some nice things during the Jaguars' late-season surge.
The Bills are a very good matchup for him, so I have Etienne ranked third for the coming week. The teams did not meet in the regular season.
Etienne has a pretty good shot to be the top Jacksonville flex player, and he too could push for the top fantasy RB spot if he's the one finding the end zone for the Jaguars.
4. James Cook
Let's take the other back in that game at No. 4.
Cook has a brutal matchup against Jacksonville, otherwise he had a great chance at ranking second for me. The Jaguars only allow 18 fantasy points per contest.
Cook can deliver against any defense, so I wouldn't be too worried about him in this test. As long as Josh Allen doesn't steal all his touchdown runs, Cook should be a good/great fantasy option this week.
Williams has the best fantasy matchup of the week against the Panthers. The only thing holding him back is that he's not the workhorse back in LA anymore.
Williams has still delivered good numbers while giving up some backfield work. Take the first game against Carolina in week 13 as an example - Williams had 72 rushing yards and a score on 13 carries, while failing to catch his lone target.
I see Williams doing more in this matchup, which I expect LA to control. I think Williams could surprise and push for one of the top fantasy back scores, but the No. 5 ranking feels safest.
6. Josh Jacobs
Jacobs struggled to cap his regular season, but I'm still giving him the No. 6 ranking for the first playoff round.
He has a slightly below-average test coming against the Bears. Jacobs had 86 rushing yards and a score, plus two catches for six yards in the first battle between the division opponents. He then had 36 rushing yards on 12 carries, plus two catches for 12 yards in the second clash.
Jacobs is a bit of a risky pick after struggling down the stretch, but I think he excels in a so-so matchup, so feel confident in trying him.
7. Rico Dowdle
Dowdle didn't even start the season as the Carolina top back, but he earned that role over time.
The Rams will be a bit tougher test for him, but nothing too daunting. Dowdle had 58 rushing yards on 18 carries, plus two catches for 21 yards, in the regular season battle against the Rams.
Dowdle is capable of more, but this ranking feels right for him. If he finds the end zone, he could finish higher.
8. Kenneth Gainwell
I like Gainwell the most out of the Pittsburgh backfield options.
He'd have ranked higher if he wasn't going into a tougher test against the Texans. The teams did not meet in the regular season.
I like Gainwell's work as a pass catcher, so he gets the nod over his teammate, who is next up in the rankings.
Warren has been the leader on the ground, while not helping as much as a pass catcher. He did have five grabs for 33 yards in week 18, so he's capable of helping out there too.
Even despite a tougher test, I could see Gainwell and Warren scoring a decent amount of fantasy points, so they get ranked above some team's starters.
Really, the best Pittsburgh fantasy back could be determined by who scores, as they otherwise should put up pretty similar stats.
A late-season injury slowed Henderson some, but he's still the leader in the Patriots' backfield.
He has a very tough test against the Chargers in the first round of the playoffs, which is why he ranks where he does. These teams didn't meet in the regular season either.
Henderson should get enough work to deliver a good fantasy mark, so be confident in him leading his backfield and being a decent fantasy asset.
11. D'Andre Swift
Swift continues to lead the Bears' backfield, but not working as the workhorse, I'm not super high on him going into the postseason.
He has a slightly below-average test against the Packers coming. Swift had 63 rushing yards on 13 carries and 19 receiving yards on three grabs and four targets in the first meeting between the teams. Swift had 58 rushing yards on 13 carries, plus 13 receiving yards on two grabs in the last matchup.
He could surprise if he finds the end zone, but I feel best ranking him 11th.
12. Woody Marks
Marks has been functioning as the top Houston back for several weeks now.
A tougher test against the Steelers is why he ranks 12th for me.
He too could surprise with a touchdown, but this feels like the best spot to rank him at.
13. Omarion Hampton
Hampton is dealing with an ankle injury as the postseason starts up. I believe he will play.
His rookie season was hampered by injuries, so hopefully this doesn't become a recurring theme for him.
Anyways, his test against the Patriots this week is very tough, which is more reason why he ranks where he does. The ankle injury complicates things further.
14. Blake Corum
Corum is the other half of the Rams' backfield.
He enjoyed a pretty strong finish to the season, but that was with Davante Adams missing time, meaning his role could change with Adams back.
The good matchup against the Panthers is a chance for Corum to deliver several fantasy points. He had 81 yards and a score on just seven carries in the first game against Carolina.
Stevenson lost his starting role to Henderson this year, but the injury to Henderson late helped Stevenson carve out an offensive role again.
If not for a tough test against the Chargers, I'd have highlighted Stevenson as a potential sleeper fantasy pick for the week.
Stevenson could deliver a few points, but I wouldn't love the idea of playing him.
16. Kyle Monangai
Monangai is the other half of the Bears' backfield. He had a stretch where he looked like he was going to take over the lead role, but he's seen his usage drop as the regular season closed.
The matchup against the Packers is good enough to have him also deliver a handful of points, but on limited touches, he's a risky option.
Monangai had 57 rushing yards on 14 carries, plus a catch for no yards across two targets, in the first clash against Green Bay. The rookie back had 50 rushing yards on nine carries and 43 receiving yards on three grabs and four targets in the second test.
17. Chuba Hubbard
Hubbard lost his starting role to Dowdle, but he still was somewhat involved down the stretch.
He just didn't get enough touches to warrant a higher ranking, especially with a below-average test against the Rams coming.
Only try Hubbard in really deep formats, or as a DFS throw-in pick.
18. Kimani Vidal
Vidal gets the last spot in my rankings. He was the top backup after the return of Hampton.
The tougher test against the Patriots means I'm not a fan of Vidal as a fantasy asset this week, although he could surprise if he splits the backfield with the injured Hampton.
If Hampton cannot go this week, Vidal would simply replace Hampton in the rankings. Jaret Patterson would then replace Vidal.
