Super Bowl Running Back Rankings: Who Will Lead the Way?

To be honest, as fun as it is, the Super Bowl isn't great for fantasy football. At the end of the day, it's just one game, featuring just two teams. That means traditional fantasy formats are essentially impossible, and most of the action is in Showdown DFS formats. 

Still, regardless of your format, it's always helpful to consider how all the available players at each position stack up. With this in mind, here are my running back rankings for this year's big game. 

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1. Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks

This one is pretty straightforward. With Zach Charbonnet out, Walker is a legit bell cow for the Seahawks' offense. Although he played just 62% of Seattle's snaps in the Conference Championship, he saw 19 carries for an 86% RB rush share and added four targets for good measure. 

Meanwhile, the Seahawks are 4.5-point favorites against a Patriots team that hasn't exactly looked dominant so far this postseason. This should allow Klint Kubiak to continue leaning into the run as he has all season, which means plenty of touches for Walker. The soon-to-be free agent is easily the best RB on the slate, and he's even right up there with teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba to potentially be the top FLEX option. 

2. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

Although Walker is still the better option, Stevenson is a very solid play in his own right. The veteran has played surprisingly well to end the season and into the playoffs for New England. And he has been rewarded with an elite role, including a pristine 94% snap share two weeks ago against the Broncos. He racked up 25 carries and two targets in that snowy affair. 

Like Walker, Stevenson could be the engine that powers his offense on Sunday. After maintaining a positive pass rate vs. expectation during the regular season, the Patriots have fallen to 3% below expectation so far in the playoffs. 

This trend likely has something to do with the elite defenses they have faced, but that isn't changing this week. The Seahawks' defense is both excellent and nickel-heavy, so a run-heavy approach might be the Patriots' best hope of pulling an upset this week. With that in mind and combined with his recent usage and efficiency, Stevenson isn't just the RB2 by default — he's a genuinely good option. 

3. TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

This was actually the toughest decision of the entire article for me. Based just on recent usage, this spot rightfully belongs to Seattle's RB2, George Holani. Holani saw three carries and four targets on a 35% snaps share behind Walker in the Conference Championship. Henderson, meanwhile, played just four snaps (three carries) against Denver.

But Holani is a 26-year-old former UDFA, while Henderson is an exciting (at least theoretically) 23-year-old second-round rookie. Although his role has left a lot to be desired in the playoffs, the former Buckeye was the Patriots' starter for a chunk of the season, and he had multiple big fantasy finishes thanks to his explosive ability. 

Holani's floor is probably safer, but I have to believe that Henderson brings more upside. On a slate this small (and given that we're talking about backup running backs anyway), that is enough to give him the edge.

4. George Holani, Seattle Seahawks

With all that said, I don't hate Holani either. As mentioned, he wasn't just an afterthought in the Seahawks' last game, seeing real usage as a two-minute drill and passing-down back.

His 43% route participation rate was well clear of Walker's 28%. I'm giving Henderson the nod due to upside, but Holani is also worth considering as an under-the-radar option, depending on your format. 

5. Jack Westover, New England Patriots

Let me set the stage here: in standard fantasy leagues, you and I had exactly as many fantasy points as Westover did this season. On the other hand, the fullback crushed us in half-PPR, with one catch for zero yards ... aka 0.5 points. He actually gained positive yardage in the Patriots' first playoff game, catching his only target for eight receiving yards.

Obviously, Westover isn't some smash play with eight yards all season. But what he does have going for him is that he has played at least 23 snaps in each of New England's playoff games. That's far more than we can expect from any player not already mentioned in this article. 

Will Westover fall into the end zone and be a week-winner in large-field DFS contests? Probably not. But stranger things have happened, and he's a better bet than hoping an injury opens up work for Cam Akers or D'Ernest Johnson (I think).