Week 14 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings & Tiers: Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts (Ep. 1877)

Summary

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FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Week 14 RB Rankings & Tiers: Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts

Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Chris Welsh
Analysts: Pat Fitzmorris, Andrew Erickson
Main Focus: Week 14 running back rankings and key strategy decisions for the most crucial week of the fantasy regular season.

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Overview

This episode offers in-depth analysis of the top 36 running backs for Week 14, providing managers with essential insights for a jam-packed week that features critical byes and shifting player value. With several key players off due to late-season bye weeks, the trio discusses replacement options, must-starts, and dicey flex plays for managers fighting for playoff contention or a first-round bye.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Week 14 Bye Week Dilemma (00:35–03:05)

• Major RBs on Bye: Christian McCaffrey tops a list of key backs unavailable this week.
• Chris Welsh: Laments, “The coolest thing on the planet that can be done is having the number one running back in fantasy have a bye week in week 14.”
• Strategic Impact: Running back takes more of a fantasy hit than other positions, forcing deeper decisions for managers—especially those not yet locked into the playoffs.

Who’s the New No. 1 RB? (03:05–04:40)

• Devon Achane rises to RB1 status due to CMC's bye and favorable matchup. First time holding the weekly top spot this season.
• Top Tier Rankings: Achane, Jameer Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Bijan Robinson, Chase Brown lead the pack.

Breece Hall: RB9, High Usage Debate (04:40–06:33)

• Pat Fitzmorris: Advocates for Hall’s volume: “He’s had 20 or more touches in four of his last five games... Jets are just letting Breece Hall eat.”
• Andrew Erickson: Treads cautiously: “He’ll be an RB1 if he scores, he’ll probably be an RB2 if he doesn’t... Dolphins have allowed zero RB1 finishes since week seven.”
• Memorable Quote — Erickson (05:27): “That always has to be kind of the caveat with anything Breece Hall upside related. Because look... he has not scored a lot of touchdowns this year.”

Derrick Henry: Polarizing RB1 Debate (06:36–10:38)

• Erickson: Boldly ranks Henry at RB6, touting a soft Steelers run defense and the volume of carries: “I think the ceiling is immensely high against this Steelers defense that might look lifeless at times against the run.” (07:15)
• Pat Fitzmorris: Voices concern about Baltimore’s offensive struggles: “The potential downside here is that they stay in a funk and just can't get it going.” (10:26)

The RB2 Landscape: Volume vs. Production (14:01–18:27)

Saquon Barkley Falls to RB14

• Pat Fitzmorris: “There’s only so far I can drop a guy who’s averaging 19.4 touches a game... But Saquon is just—he’s not an RB1 anymore. I just can’t rank him as one.” (15:04)
• Erickson: Slightly more optimistic, but realistic—calls Saquon a “stinky click” that must be made for lack of better options (16:11).

RJ Harvey vs. Saquon

• Debate: Both analysts lean toward moving Harvey ahead due to more consistent scoring opportunities and recent form (17:49–18:10).

Bears RBs: Swift vs. Monangai (Kyle) (18:27–22:25)

• Back-to-Back Ranks: Erickson and Fitzmorris both have these Bears RBs ranked together, acknowledging their hot-hand approach.
• Erickson: “I’m just going to stop betting against the Bears running backs... they can just run the ball on anybody.” (19:01)
• Fitzmorris: Notes rookie Monangai’s rare dual 100-yard games and the team’s second-in-league rushing yardage (21:44).

Tread Carefully: Fading Woody Marks (22:25–25:44)

• Bad Matchup: Week 14 at the Chiefs is one of the worst situations for any RB.
• Fitzmorris: “Woody Marks is averaging 3.6 yards per carry this season. So going up against the Chiefs, I can’t get excited about that.” (23:46)
• Erickson: “You’ve gotta bench Woody Marks this week... He’s RB13 in expected points but RB38 in real points per game over the last month.” (23:52)

Kareem Hunt vs. Marks

• Both Analysts: Prefer nearly any other viable RB over these two; Hunt is a pure TD-dependent play, and Marks lacks efficiency and volume upside.

The Deep Flex Throw: RB3s and Desperation Plays (29:15–36:32)

• Devin Neal (RB25): Only a consideration if Alvin Kamara remains out; volume alone gives him RB3/flex appeal in PPR.
• Chris Rodriguez Jr.: The “mayor of Maybeville” due to his strict TD-dependence. Not a recommended play unless desperate. (32:09–33:52)
• Blake Corum: Preferred among deep desperation flexes due to his role in a potent Rams offense and potential for increased usage. (35:02–36:09)
  • Welsh: “Would you rather bet on the Rams offense with Blake Corum and 10 to 12 touches or the Commanders offense and 10 touches with Chris Rodriguez? I’d rather go with Corum at this point.” (37:05)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Chris Welsh (00:35): “Isn’t it the coolest thing ever that we have four teams on a bye and maybe one of the best fantasy players out there will not be playing in the regular season fantasy game?”
• Pat Fitzmorris (04:40): “We are excited about the usage with Breece Hall. You have to be. He’s had 20 or more touches in four of his last five games...”
• Andrew Erickson (07:15): “I think the Steelers are done, right?... I think that this is a potential—does the Steelers defense kind of roll over here against the Baltimore Ravens?”
• Pat Fitzmorris (15:04): “There’s only so far I can drop a guy who’s averaging 19.4 touches a game... But Saquon is just—he’s not an RB1 anymore.”
• Andrew Erickson (16:11): “He’s seeing nearly 20 touches per game—you’re going to just sit him down on the bench? Like, that’s going to be some type of production.”
• Andrew Erickson (19:01): “I’m just going to stop betting against the Bears running backs. I don’t care who they’re playing... they can just run the ball on anybody.”
• Pat Fitzmorris (21:44): “It’s interesting that this highly regarded rookie running back class only has one guy who has had two 100-yard rushing games, and it’s Kyle Monangai, a seventh-round pick.”
• Andrew Erickson (23:52): “I think you’ve got to bench Woody Marks this week. He’s had every opportunity to smash over the last month... RB13 expected points per game, RB38 in real points per game.”
• Chris Welsh (37:05): “Would you rather bet on the Rams offense with Blake Corum and 10 to 12 touches or the Commanders offense and 10 touches with Chris Rodriguez? I’d rather go with Corum at this point.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:35–03:05: The impact of Week 14 bye weeks on RBs
• 03:05–04:40: New RB1 in weekly rankings—Devon Achane’s rise
• 04:40–06:33: Debate on Breece Hall’s RB1/2 status for the week
• 06:36–10:38: Derrick Henry’s outlook against the Steelers; analyst rankings split
• 14:01–18:27: RB2 zone—Saquon Barkley’s fall, RJ Harvey debate
• 18:27–22:25: The Bears RB split—Monangai vs. Swift
• 22:25–25:44: Woody Marks vs. Cream Hunt—two fades in tough matchups
• 29:15–33:52: The “Maybeville” RBs: Devin Neal, Chris Rodriguez, and deep flex plays
• 35:02–36:32: Rapid-fire: picking a desperation deep RB flex
• 37:05: Final thoughts on deep league RB decisions

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Takeaways & Actionable Advice

• Stash & Stream: With so many pivotal RBs on bye, don’t be afraid to stream more obscure options—just temper expectations for consistency or big-play upside.
• Volume Is King: Even struggling workhorses like Saquon Barkley and Breece Hall are tough to bench when touches are guaranteed, but prioritize those with positive matchups or role-expansion potential.
• Desperation Flexes: Among near-the-bottom options, Blake Corum stands out for his tie to a healthy offense and potential uptick in touches thanks to team philosophy and opponent.
• Fade the Floor: Avoid relying on RBs like Woody Marks and Kareem Hunt unless you’re out of alternatives; both are unlikely to deliver ceiling games in tough matchups.

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For the full rankings and the latest updates, visit fantasypros.com/rankings, and tune in for Thursday’s live start/sit stream on YouTube to get your last-minute questions answered. Good luck in Week 14—playoffs are on the line!

Transcript

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[Chris Welsh]

Hello friends and welcome into Fantasy Pros, the Fantasy Football Podcast. This is the Week 14 running back ranks episode. I'm Chris Welsh, we've got Pat Fitz Morris and Andrew Erickson. We are going to be going through the top 36 running backs according to ECR, talking about some of the biggest names, maybe the biggest adjustments that are going on in the ranks, and hopefully answering some of the biggest questions for you in the final regular season game of fantasy football. You know what's awesome guys? The coolest thing on the planet that can be done is having the number one running back in fantasy have a bye week in week 14. Fits. I don't know how you feel about that, but isn't it the coolest thing ever that we have four teams on a buy and maybe one of the best fantasy players out there will not be playing in the regular season fantasy game?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

It's pretty terrible. I do have Christian McCaffrey in two leagues, but in those two leagues my playoff spot is already secured and couldn't change and one of those is a buy. So that's a good thing. But I know other people who have Christian McCaffrey are not feeling as good about it because they need this game.

[Chris Welsh]

Well, also ironically to this episode, if you look at the teams that are on a buy, running back is the most impacted. From a fantasy perspective. Quarterback, it's pretty much like Drake May on by wide receiver. There's really no 49er wide receivers you care about. You know, maybe Ted Arola you can talk about. It's running back, it's Trayvon, it's Christian McCaffrey, it's Rico or Chuba. I mean it is a, it's a bad list. Erickson of running backs are going to be out due to a buy. Obviously you won't have to deal with it. With your bye weeks you're getting in fantasy. But you know, some, probably some bigger decisions have to be made at running back than have to be made at wide receiver. Contrary to previous weeks due to this?

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, I think so. Although if you are facing the CMC manager this week and you're trying to get into the playoffs, you could you love the week 14 bye weeks.

[Chris Welsh]

That dude thinks this is the coolest thing ever. He's like, I wish you would.

[Andrew Erickson]

Because chances are again at this point like you're hoping that if you are this team that's been hit by you don't have Drake May, you don't have McCaffrey, that you already locked up your playoff spot at this point because you've had Those guys all 13 weeks of the season. So hopefully you already have a good record. It doesn't matter for you. And hopefully it does benefit those that are facing those teams that, hey, I can get a free W because this team doesn't have a roster that they can put out there for week 14. So chalk up the W, get that depth.

[Chris Welsh]

We actually got a I believe this is the first time this running back, it's a brand new number one overall running back in a week. I don't think we've ever had this guy the entire season. It's pretty much been a collection of like three or four players the entire year. So due to that buy and the matchups, we get a nice new name that's going to be at the top of the list. So we are going to jump into it. If you guys would like to follow along, go to fantasypros.com rankings. They will change throughout the week as more of our rankers out into the world start submitting their ranks. So you're going to see ebbs and flows of it. So this is a time capsule of, you know, what is this Wednesday that we end up doing this. But you just know this and follow along and don't freak out when players go through. And just like Devon Achan, when we look at the big board who comes in at number one, maybe this will slightly adjust. I doubt it will, but he's the first time he has jumped up on this list. Going up against the Jets, Jameer Gibbs comes in at two, followed by Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, Bijan Robinson and Chase Brown. That's the top half. The bottom half, Chase, Josh Jacobs, Bucky Irving, Breece Hall, Derrick Henry, Kyron Williams and Quinshon Judkins. Yes to your question. Bucky Irving we do feel confident with, so we don't even need to talk about it. He proved it in limited snaps, but maybe you've got some others. Let's start with Breece Hall. Breeze hall comes in at ECR9 on this list Erickson, you've got him slightly lower. Fitzyou've got him a little bit higher. This is a top 10 spot. I'm not sure we've seen Breece hall in this in this range much this season at all. But Fitzy, what's your take on Breeze hall vs. Miami this week which is on paper a pretty good matchup.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

We are excited about the usage with Breeze Hall. You have to be. He's had 20 or more touches in four of his last five games and in the one game where he didn't get to 20 touches he had 16 in a loss to the Patriots. Not bad at all. His snap shares have been north of 70% in each of his last four games. Jets are just letting Breeze hall eat and he goes up against the Dolphins this week. Miami's run defense has been a lot better than it was early in the season when it was a complete sieve. But this is still not really a matchup to be feared. So just keep rolling with the guy who's, who's getting all the touches.

[Chris Welsh]

Erickson, you've got him at 11. Are you buying into the volume? There's not really too big crazy question and what's the gap between Breeze hall and Bucky Irving for you as well? Throwing that in as an aside, I.

[Andrew Erickson]

Think that Bucky Irving has more upside because he's plays on the Buccaneers off. Like the thing is I just want to keep within the confines of Bruce Hall's getting the best usage in the jets offense. Right. That always has to be kind of the caveat with anything Breeze hall upside related. Because look they he scored a touchdown last week. He has not scored many touchdowns and it was because there was a pass interference at the one yard line and then he got the next goal line carry to score a touchdown. So he has not scored a lot of touchdowns this year which is why he's kind of been more on that mid RB2 range, low end RB1 range rather than oh, he's a locked in top five running back this week and to the point that Fitz made since week seven the Dolphins have allowed zero RB1 finishes. Zero. None have finished inside the top 12. And Breece hall, when he faced the Dolphins earlier this year when they were significantly worse against the run, he was RB19 and he had 21 or he had 19 touches in that game including five catches. So it's a matter of he'll be an RB1 if he scores, he'll probably be an RB2 if he doesn't. So that's why I have him what? At RB11, kind of like threading the needle where he's either a top 10.

[Chris Welsh]

Guy or more like 15.

And a really interesting one. And there's a little bit of a debate you guys will have here is Derek Henry. Derek Henry going up against Pittsburgh Steelers Ravens offense has just been blah right now. It's been a big question and how Lamar Jackson can move this offense. But the Steelers defense hasn't been great and Derek Henry kind of slides in here at the ten spot. Fitzy, you agree, but Erickson, you are quite a bit higher. You've actually got Derek Henry at 6 this week. So we are swimming in the pools of, like, running backs that no one's probably making really big, divisive decisions about. But, you know, you've made a pretty big stance on Derek Henry. So what's the positive take for you, Erickson, on On the King?

[Andrew Erickson]

I think the Steelers are done, right? They want to fire Mike Tomlin. The fans are fed up. The players are just. It's such a bad look TJ Watt was talking about. The Bills ran the same two plays against them the entire game. Run plays. And they couldn't stop it. James Cook had how many 32 carries in the game. The Bills didn't even try to throw the ball and they just said no, like, you can't stop us. So I think that this is a potential. Does the Steelers defense kind of roll over here against the Baltimore Ravens, Right? Ravens office does not look good. Someone has to bounce back here, right? Whether the Steelers bounce back, they rise up as underdogs, as they tend to do, as with Mike Tomlin. But the Ravens, they need to bounce back, too, if they want to lock up the AFC north. They need to win this game. And how do they do that? How do they get Lamar going again? Maybe you just make life way easier with play action. And you just establish the run with Derek Henry and give him 30 carries. And then if he gets that tight type of volume, well, it's off to the races for him. You look at the Steelers defense, Patrick Queen got hurt last week. Derek Harmon has already been ruled out of this game. One of their defensive tackles. I mean, if the Ravens are going to watch the Steelers game from last week, what do you think their game plan is going to be? I don't think they need to overthink it. It's like, let's feed the King as much as humanly possible. So I think that he has top five upside this week. I know that last week didn't work out for him. Just kind of the game script got out of hand, but Derek Henry was ripping off big plays both as a rusher and receiver, and it's been kind of underreported. But since Justice Hill has kind of missed the last couple of games, Derek Henry has kind of been used a little bit more as a receiver out of the backfield. And every time you see it, you're just like, dude, why don't they just give this guy screen targets just once or twice a game? Like it's. He's a freight train in open space. Nobody can tackle this guy. So maybe if he catches a couple more balls too, that can help pad his stats. I just think his ceiling is immensely high against this team. Steelers defense that could. It might look lifeless at times against the run.

[Chris Welsh]

If it's you, do you think that maybe Henry should be a little bit higher? I think there's a ca. Everything that Erickson said is a really good case for it. Defense is struggling with Pittsburgh. I think a case against it maybe you can make is just the lifelessness of Baltimore's offense, which can just kind of, you know, stagnate. And maybe that's where Henry can't get going. But you tell us, do you think Henry should be a little bit higher? You're right at ecr, so you're the perfect person to tell us what direction we should go.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

You just said what the main counterpoint is. Walsh, the sort of struggling, stagnant Ravens offense. And that's it. It's just been sort of an overall letdown for, I mean, Lamar. Lamar Jackson not playing well at all. Henry last year he had nine 100 yard rushing games and 18 touchdowns. This year, four 100 yard rushing games, 10 touchdowns. There has been a little bit of an uptick in the passing game usage. As Erickson mentioned, five catches for 87 yards over his last three. But I'm not really sure that you can really hang your hat on passing game productivity for Derek Henry. So yeah, it, it was interesting to see the Bills running the same simple inside runs over and over again at the Steelers and Pittsburgh just being completely unable to stop it. And maybe that's what happens this week with Derrick Henry.

Maybe. And. And maybe that's what gets this Ravens offense out of a funk. But the potential downside here is that they stay in a funk and just can't get it going.

[Chris Welsh]

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[Andrew Erickson]

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hey, what's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks. If you love breaking down football from every angle, you're in the right place. Every week on Move the Six, Bucky Brooks and I dive deep into the game. From the X's and O's to the front office moves shaping the league. We kick things off with Brian Baldinger breaking down what really went down on Sunday.

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[Chris Welsh]

All right, let's talk about our wide our running back, not wide receivers. Our running back twos. These are ranked 13 through 24. Quite a few interesting names. Coming in at 13 is RJ Harvey. And coming in, it has to be his lowest of the season because I don't recall saying saquon Barkley at 14, but that's where he's at. Javante Williams at 15, Ashton Genti, Ken Walker, Travis Etienne. And the bottom half of this is Jalen Warren, DeAndre Swift, Kyle Menangai, Woody Marks, Cream Hunt and Jordan Mason. Let's talk about Saquon. Saquon comes in at 14. Fitzy, you are a spot lower. And Saquon's overall production has just been a massive question to the point he kind of gets a little bit of the same. We did this in the wide receiver episode, the Justin Jefferson conversation. You know, is he a titanic player? You go down with the ship. Is he a player that is Trojan horse, Get him out. Is he a player that you have to question to not start at this point? What is your take on Saquon Barkley against the Chargers this week?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Man, I was really hoping Saquon was going to have a big Black Friday game against a Bears defense that was missing a couple of its starting linebackers. But as it turned out, both of the Bears running backs, Deandre Swift and Kyle Menangai, more than doubled up Saquon Barkley's rushing yardage Menangai had 130 rushing yards. Swift 125 Saquon Barkley 56 rushing yards in that game. There's just. There's only so far I can drop a guy who's averaging 19.4 touches a game and is going up against the Chargers run defense that ranks 25th in DVOA. But man, Saquon is just. He's been held at 83 or fewer rushing yards in four straight games, hasn't scored a touchdown since October 26th. Like, he's not an RB1 anymore. I just can't rank him as one.

[Chris Welsh]

In a storyline that I did not expect, Erickson is actually higher than ECR on Saquon Barkley, but also not an RB one. You've got him at 13. Erickson, what is your take? There is volume, but there's just not production. What are you doing with Saquon Barkley this week?

[Andrew Erickson]

I think it summed it up pretty well. I don't if I have much else to add. He's seeing nearly 20 touches per game. You're going to just sit down on the bench like that's going to be some type of production. And the matchup's pretty good, so I don't know if I have the stones to just bench them outright for a flex player. Again, with four teams on by, do you really have a better RB2 option than Saquon Barkley on your team? Like, you probably just don't. So it's just one of those where you got to click them, put them in and just hope that he finds the end zone or scores or that the Eagles can play bully ball because after every press conference they just talk about we got to get Saquon going, we got to get Saquon going, we got to get Saquon going. So I don't think his volume is going any away because they didn't. I know that Eagles Twitter was like, we really want Tank Bigsby to get the ball more and then he just does it. So they're committed to Saquon, and whether he's struggling or not, it doesn't seem to really matter. So yes, his fantasy points have gone down in four straight games, but he has a floor just because of how much volume he's seeing. So yeah, I think it's just kind of one of those stinky clicks that you just got to make.

[Chris Welsh]

Yay or nay? I don't know, a stinky click. Just like that's a. This is a good. We should use that term, yay or nay. If you had to decide RJ Harvey or Saquon Barkley. Would you start Harvey over him? He is ECR one spot higher.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, I didn't have it in that and like that in my rankings, but I don't have a good reason for saying that ECR is incorrect here with RJ Harvey, who, I mean, at least he scored touchdowns last week. He catches passes. He's the bell cow for the Denver Broncos and theoretically. But you're a nay to start Harvey over Sequoia Barkley. Yeah, not really.

[Chris Welsh]

You're starting Barkley over Harvey?

[Andrew Erickson]

No, I'm saying that my rankings are probably incorrect, that I need to update them and change. Oh, so. Because I don't have a reason to come on here and say, well, no, you got to start Saquon Barkley over. I mean, it's. Do you have a better alternative? Start that guy instead of Saquon Barkley.

[Chris Welsh]

Well, that might be it.

[Andrew Erickson]

So, yeah, I guess I move Harvey ahead.

[Chris Welsh]

Harvey or Barkley?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

It's kind of funny. Same thing on a smaller scale because he hasn't played as many games. But RJ Harvey, like, really good usage hasn't been that efficient. But right now, I think I do have to go with RJ Harvey.

[Chris Welsh]

That is where we are at. All right. The 20 range of running backs are pretty fascinating. All these names. I think they're going to elicit lots of questions. Let's start with common on guy who is 21. More interesting is DeAndre Swift. Is one spot higher than him at 20. Definitely feels like a placeholder where people are like, hands up and you just pick a guy. You guys can tell me if you feel differently. You guys are both lower on the non guy and you have the exact same rank. Ericsson, let's just do a quick hit with you. Are you Manangai over Swift and how good are you feeling about Monongai?

[Andrew Erickson]

I move Manangai up significantly. After I first did my initial rankings, I was much lower on him. I had him like an RB27. And then I just looked in the mirror and said, I'm just going to stop betting against the Bears running backs. I don't care who they're playing. Right. Ben Johnson, what he's been able to do with this team with this offensive line, I feel like they can just run the ball on anybody. You know, I was afraid of the matchup last week at the Philadelphia Eagles. Tough spot, didn't matter. Both guys rushed for over 100 yards. It just so. It just doesn't matter to me. So, yeah, going to Lambeau. Yeah. Probably not the best matchup you could ask for but you know, you look at the packers defensive line, it's kind of banged up. Kyle Brooks has been injured, Devonte Wyatt just got injured and the splits with him off and on the field are kind of stark where you're seeing teams when he's off the field are running away from him are averaging north of five yards per carry. That's per next gen stats. So Ben Johnson's no dummy. Like he's going to know exactly how to attack this packers defensive line. He knows he needs to protect his second year quarterback. And how do you do that? How have they been winning games this year is by running the football on offense between their two running backs. So I, I think that you can. I don't have a definitive stance of you got to go Swift, you got to go Manung guy because I think that they're ranked back to back or right next to each other for a reason because it's a matter of well who has the hot hand. And although I think Manungai probably has more touchdown equity and I could see a case where like he should be ranked higher in half ppr, there is a real case that the Bears are trailing in this game and you see more of Swift because he catches passes out of the backfield. So I'm not going to pretend like I know exactly how this game is going to play out but I feel confident that both guys are going to get the touches, both guys are going to be efficient in some capacity and both guys are going to probably be top 24 running backs unless somebody gets hurt. So that's kind of my take on. I mean you look at the Bears, they're number one in terms of rushing outside EPA per attempt. The backers are fourth and outside rushes. So again it's kind of strength on strength but I've just seen so much positives with this Bears rushing attack that I want to continue to ride the wave.

[Chris Welsh]

Fitzy, do you believe that Swift and Manangai should be ranked near each other? And what's your week 14 take on Kyle Menangai?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

It does feel like a cop out but I do have them as rankings twins back to back and Erickson said it like the Bears are great at running the ball. They're going to go with the hot hand so we don't know who it's going to be. More touchdown equity from Anangai, more pass catching potential for Swift and.

I know this feels kind of point Chasey to go with Manangai off This big game. Although it's kind of interesting that this highly regarded rookie running back class only has one guy who has had two 100 yard rushing games. And it's common on guy, a seventh round pick.

Scatter Boo didn't do it before he got hurt. Omarion Hampton didn't do it. Ashton Genti hasn't done it. Kyle Manon Guy 200 yard rushing days. But yeah, we're not chasing points because of how good the Bears running game has been. Second in the league in rushing yardage, just 22 yards behind the Buffalo Bills. And since The Bears Week 5 by they have averaged 179.6 rushing yards per game and they've run for at least 140 yards in all but two of those eight games. This offensive line is just incredible in the running game and yeah, I think they're going to go with a run heavy approach in Lambeau Field this week.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, let's talk about Woody Marks and what level of trust do we actually have in him? He just toes the line of an RV2 coming in at 22. You guys both have him outside of a top 24 RB because he's going up against Kansas City Chiefs, one of the worst matchups you could just have. In general, one of the worst matchups of this range of running back. Fitzy, why don't you kick it off? Woody Marks has got a bad matchup and it looks like you are attempting to fade if you can.

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yeah, that's why I'm below consensus on him. And it's funny, we kind of got swerved on Woody Marks and what he was going to be. We thought he'd be a good pass catching back, maybe more of a third down guy than an early down guy. But over his last five games, Woody Marks has five catches won a game and he's averaged 15.4 carries. So definitely more of an early down guy or at least sort of up pure running guy. A guy who gets all his value on the ground and not in the passing game at all. And that kind of makes me nervous against the Chiefs defense that's, you know, always tough against the run under Steve Spagniello. It's kind of like the Todd Bowles defense in Tampa Bay. The Chiefs stop the run. It's just what they do. And you know, Woody marks is averaging 3.6 yards per carry this season. So going up against the Chiefs, I can't get excited about that.

[Chris Welsh]

I'm going to guess you also Erickson cannot get too super excited about it. With your rank on Woody Marks versus.

[Andrew Erickson]

The Chiefs I think you got to bench Woody Marks this week. He has had every opportunity to smash over the last month. He's RB13 expected points per game. You know what his real points per game is? RB 38. Like I mean this guy at the Colts RB 41, Bills RB 27 Titans RB 42. Now he's facing the Chiefs on the road. This is one of the toughest matchup you could pull for a fantasy running back and the pass catching is not there. So it's kind of blind optimism as a phrase we like to throw out on here that oh well if they are trailing in this game they will involve Woody Marks more as a pass catcher. But that really has not been the case. Maybe that's been due to game script. It's not like they haven't involved him at all this season as a receiver out of the backfield. But I just, I get really concerned about a player that and just this team doesn't run the ball effectively. Woody Marks is third to last in rushing success rate this season. 31% just he has not been efficient rusher at all. I don't think that's all on him. I think the Texas offensive line has serious issues because holding hands with him in the bottom of success rate is definitely Nick Chubb. Like he's definitely down there too. So it's not all on Woody Marks. But where's the upside here with Woody Marks playing at the Chiefs? His biggest issue is he just can't punch in any touchdowns. And is it going to be this the matchup where okay, now he finally scores on all these red zone opportunities against the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the best run defenses in the NFL. I just don't think that's going to be the case here. So all the usage has been really good for him. That's been providing just a floor for Woody Marks and not that ceiling. And against in one of the toughest matchups that you could draw for a rookie running back. I think we could see things kind of bottom out here for this Texans offense in a game that I think is just going to be lower scoring. So Woody Marks to me is a floor play at best this week and someone that I think that you probably have more upside as a flex play.

[Chris Welsh]

On the other side of this game you've got Kareem Hunt who comes in as ECR23 and this is a tough matchup for him as well. You do have Pacheco back. Not that it matters but you know volume is always the big question. About like what side Cream Hunt's going to be on. So the same thing kind of applies here. I for Kareem Hunt to Woody Marks. But Erickson, you've got Kareem Hunt quite a bit lower than Woody Marks. I do wonder if hearing your sentiments on Woody Marks, he's going to move down a little bit further. But would you go Marks over Hunt or is a better way to approach this? Just everything you said about Woody Marks kind of also applies on the Kareem Hunt side of like you need to find a better option.

[Andrew Erickson]

I think you need to find a better option. It's Cream Hunt. We know it's he's got to score a touchdown, right? He doesn't score a touchdown, he's probably not going to be super useful for your fantasy lineup. I know he had that monster game with a ton of carries two weeks ago and even off a short week the Chiefs went right back to him as the RB one. But I think that Pacheco is going to be more involved again. Another 10 days off of coming back from his injury. I think that he's going to play a little bit more be more of a 5050 split. Although I don't think it really matters with Hunt because your bet is just does he find the end zone or not? And in a game that I just don't think is going to be high flying and scoring between two really strong defenses, I think you can do better than Kareem Hunt this week.

[Chris Welsh]

Fitzy, do you think you can do better than Cream Hunt this week?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yes, you can. But I'm still starting him over Woody Marks this week. And yep, Pacheco came back from the knee injury. I don't know if we get 5050 this week. Like Hunt was pretty clearly the lead guy last week. Out snap Pacheco 42, 20 out touched him 15 to 5. Poss that it was just a ramp up game for Pacheco. But Pacheco hasn't been effective this season and Kareem Hunt relative to Pacheco has. So he does have touchdown equity. Eight touchdowns this season, five in his last five games and there's a safe enough usage floor with him where if he doesn't get a touchdown yet, it's probably not going to be a good day for Kareem Hunt, but he's probably not going to completely brick.

[Chris Welsh]

All right, we're going to talk about the running back threes if you will, 25 through 36. But first you can still dominate your fantasy league with Fantasy Pros Premium and you can do it for free for six months when you deposit and place your first wager on one of our partner sports books. It's the easiest way to get full access to our top fantasy tools all season long or all playoff long. I mean, it's a the six months. You can really look at this as a playoff run that you can do. Go to fantasypros.com premium if you have not already done to get started. All right, running back 25 is Devin Neal, followed by Kamani Vidal, Ken Gainwell, Kenny Gainwell, Chris Rodriguez, Dave Montgomery, Zach Charbonnet. The bottom half is Bam Knight, Blake Coram, Bashel Tutin, Tony Pollard, Tajie Spears and Tyler algier. Devin Neal, RB25 this is a weird spot because I do kind of feel like all of his production and all of his usage is just tied to Alvin Kamara. So Fitzy, let's start with you. Is this the rank where Alvin Camara is inactive or is this kind of a hedgey like I don't really know. We're going to see like how. How are you putting this together if Khmer Because I don't know if Camara is going to be active. I'm kind of leaning towards he's not. And I'm guessing maybe that's your rank as well because you're a little bit higher than consensus. So what's your take on Devin Neal?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yeah, I'm assuming that Camara is not active and Devin Neal is probably going to be well out of even running back 3 range if Camara is back for this one. It's just looking at my rankings. I've got the two bears at running back 22 and running back 23. After that there is no one who I trust, and that includes the guys we were just talking about. Kareem Hunt, Woody Marks. Devin Neal falls into that category. The usage was encouraging last week, 14 for 47 rushing, three catches for 22 yards on three targets. But the Buccaneers are always a tough matchup in the running game. Saints offensive line is kind of a mess because they've been hit so hard with injuries. I just can't feel good about Devon Neal, but the usage does provide a decent floor. I guess if Alvin Camara does remain.

[Chris Welsh]

Out Eric's I'm guessing same thing with you. Your rank is probably indicative of Alvin Camara not playing. You're a little bit more optimistic. You've got him as an RB2 at 22. So what's your take on Neil without camara?

[Andrew Erickson]

He played 81% of the snaps last week, so Seeing Bell cow type of usage, it's not exactly the greatest playing in the Saints offense, but he's involved on all three downs. He catches passes, he sees some type of goal line work if the Saints get within scoring distance. So kind of makes him game script proof. So whether the Saints are the plucky underdogs and they have a lead against the Buccaneers, okay, he's in the game. They're getting blown out by the Buccaneers. Okay, he's in the game. So there's a lot of outs with Devin Neal where I feel like, okay, he can be an RB2, especially in full PPR, but I don't think that he has a massive, massive ceiling, which isn't really, you know, groundbreaking analysis when you're on the Saints. Like, just like with Camara, right? Like, there was never, like, gauge, oh, Camara's going to smash this week. He's like, no, he's got to play him because he's going to score like 10 points. And that's kind of.

[Chris Welsh]

I was like, Camaro was like trash the whole year and then it was finally like, Fitz, we're sitting here talking. We're just like, we need to just get rid of him. And then he has his one big game and it holds us a little bit longer and then it just falls apart again like, he's a disaster. So we are leaving the train station of guys we're comfortable with. There's a small stop in Maybeville, and I think one of the conductors or at least one of the mayors of Maybeville is Chris Rodriguez Jr. Other town residents are David Montgomery, Zach Charbonnet, maybe Bam Knight if Trey Benson isn't there. But maybe Ville is kind of the central space where Chris Rodriguez is. I don't know if we feel super comfortable with it with him, but the one thing we do know is there's high touchdown equity. If they get into that spot, it goes to him. We know he's going to get 10 carries, but it's probably 10 for 40 and you got to hope for a touchdown. So that's why It's Maybeville. He's ECR 28. Ericsson, you're slightly higher. Fitcher, right, at ECR. Do you agree that he is at least out of the guys you feel really comfortable with? And this is a pure touchdown play. What's your take on Chris Rodriguez? Erickson?

[Andrew Erickson]

I mean, you definitely want him to score a touchdown or else you're going to regret probably playing Chris Rodriguez because he's not going to catch passes. So that's a Red flag with him in his profile. Commanders are playing on the road against Minnesota. A very volatile team, but overall a pretty strong defense. But it's also a defense that's faced the highest run rate this season. So to your point, it's like, all right, lock in 10 carries, 40 yards. Feels like a really good projection for Chris Rodriguez. He's kind of barreling his way in between the tackles and then does he score or not? Right. If he goes the 10 for 40 and a touchdown, you're like sick. He was a good flex play this week and RB2 when I was in a pinch. If he doesn't score, you're going to be disappointed. So I don't really think that the analysis needs to go like really farther from that. We've seen teams been able to run the ball on the Vikings at times. You know, the Commander's identity is to run the football. I think if Jane Daniels plays, maybe that gives a little bit of a boost to the run game here. But to your point, if you look at, he has eight plus fantasy points in four straight games. He scored in three of those last four games. But I don't think he's finished higher than RB 29. Right. So like, like the ceiling really isn't there because the Commanders, they refuse to commit to one guy like Corey Cross camera is still playing. He gets a handful of carries and snaps that use Jeremy McNichols on passing down. So there's a chance that Rodriguez could bottom out if the Commander's defense, the bad defense, shows up and JJ McCarthy nine comes to play or whatever it is. Nine, seven. I don't know what his alter ego is and he starts throwing touchdowns left and right and it's 14 nothing. Then you're kind of screwed if you played Chris Rodriguez this week. So probably more of a floor play than a ceiling play for me.

[Chris Welsh]

Fitz, is it safe to say that you're only starting Rodriguez because you have to? At this point?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

Yes, or because I play in a standard league.

That's kind of it. He has one catch this season. One. So in ppr, I'm not even considering starting Chris Rodriguez. Like I would rather start. You have Rasheen Ali or someone like that than Chris Rodriguez. Maybe. Maybe not quite that far. But like I'd rather start a backup like Emmanuel Wilson. Maybe. I just.

It's just touchdown dependence here. Three touchdowns in his last four games, four touchdowns in his last six. But Chris Rodriguez has a single game high of 15 rushing attempts this season and hasn't had more than 12 in any other game. So it's not even like there's really volume here that you can count on. It's just playing for a touchdown and I think you have to be pretty desperate to trot them out in your lineup this week.

[Chris Welsh]

Okay, we'll play one quick game and then we'll get out of here. On the RVs starting at we're just start at Blake Coram, Blake Corum, Bashel Tutin, Tony Pollard, Spears and Algier. You are desperation and you have to play one. Erickson, let's start with you. Which of those five is your desperation play?

[Andrew Erickson]

Can you list the guys off again? Corum?

[Chris Welsh]

Absolutely I can. Blake Corum, who's 32, Bashel Tutin at 33, Tony Pollard, Taje Spears and Tyler Algier. Desperation play. Desperate times call for desperate home.

[Andrew Erickson]

Definitely it would be Corum for me. We've seen him get decent amount of run with Kyron Williams. I know we got a report today that the Rams are trying to keep Kyron fresh for the playoffs, which I think is smart for him because he's been way more efficient this year when he's actually seen like limited touches. Maybe he's still a little bit banged up. I know he hurt his ankle last week, so maybe they're just like. No, we're just gonna like let Corum run the last couple weeks of the season. They're facing the Cardinals, it's a layup matchup. So I think ceiling wise, if Corum does get more usage, he could have a multi touchdown game, 80 rushing yards, something along those lines. Or as we said with Rodriguez, it's like he's like maxed out at RB15, which is where he finished against the Seahawks back in week nine. I don't think that it's going to be much, much higher than that.

[Chris Welsh]

Fitchy, you're allowed to say the same name if you'd like. Corum, Algier, who do we have? Algier Tootin, who is your desperation play?

[Pat Fitzmorris]

It's Corum. 35% workload share in one of the best offenses in the league. And right now I've got Chris Rodriguez ranked ahead of Corum and I think I need to change that. I think I need to have Corum higher. Erickson, would you rather start Corum or Kenneth Gainwell? Corum.

Yeah, I'm close on those two. Right now I've got Gainwell ranked a little higher, but I'm not sure that's.

[Chris Welsh]

The right call and I would go Corum over Chris Rodriguez as well. So this actually because we didn't have Corum on the list. I did that assuming we were going to at least get one Corum in here. And those, the words that you got you were Talking about from McVeigh where they said they're obviously trying to save Kyron Williams. The other thing that they kind of mentioned is like, they're completely happy and committed to this every other series because he's saying he almost essentially doesn't see a difference between Kyron and Blake Corum at this point. Like, that's how much they like him.

[Andrew Erickson]

It's hard, I mean, watching Rams games, like, sometimes it's like hard to figure out which guy's on the field.

[Chris Welsh]

That's what he said. That's what he said. He's like, they're 22 and 23 three. And sometimes he can't tell the difference. And like, yeah, that's that, that it's, it's, it's, it's such a throwaway, stupid line. But it also shows the element of, like, what a good running back they feel Blake Corum is and their comfortability with it that, you know, like, you're not going to get volume. But would you rather bet on the Rams offense of Blake Corum and 10 to 12 touches or the commander's offense and 10 touches with Chris Rodriguez? I'd rather go with Corum at this point. You know, he is getting drives dedicated to himself. So this was a Blake Corm tweet. That's what that was. All right, there you go. Those are our RBs, the top 36. You guys want to check out more, go to fantasypros.com rankings. You can see how they adjust. Of course, you can go to fantasy pros on the website or the app as well and check out all the cool tools. But if it's just rankings you want, we got you covered right there. If you have questions that maybe we did not answer, we got the start and sit live stream on our YouTube on Thursday, 3pm Eastern. So lock in your questions. You can use super chats to get front of the line. If you're listening on the podcast, go to YouTube.com fantasypros subscribe, click notifications, be there. We'll answer those questions. That's going to do it for the week 14 running back ranks. I'm Chris Welsh, that's Pat Fitzmorris and Andrew Erickson. Good luck. Let's see you in the playoffs and we'll talk to you next time right here on fantasy pros.

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