Fantasy Football Week 12 RB rankings: Kyren Williams, Jerome Ford, Zach Charbonnet, and more

Modified Nov 23, 2023 20:39 GMT

Week 12 of the 2023 fantasy football season offers a unique schedule unlike any other. For the first time ever, four games will be completed prior to the main slate kicking off on Sunday. This is due to having a triple-header on Thursday for Thanksgiving and a Black Friday afternoon game for the first time in NFL history.

This is significant for fantasy football because managers must finalize more of their lineup decisions much earlier than usual. One of the most important positions this change will affect is that of the running backs. Several lineup staples and common streamers will be playing before Sunday, so managers will have to solidify this position early.

Determining which running backs to target in fantasy football each week is based on a large number of variables. Some of these factors include recent individual performances, direct weekly matchups, expected offensive roles, injury situations to relevant players and potential game scripts, among many others.

Each of these aspects can help managers find potential targets in a given week. For example, Jerome Ford faces off against the worst rushing defense in the NFL in Week 12, making him more valuable than usual. Zach Charbonnet is a prime example of an expanded offensive role benefiting his outlook, as he will be taking over as a starter to replace the injured Kenneth Walker III.

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On the other end of the injury spectrum, Kyren Williams is expected to make his return from the injured reserve list this week. He was performing as a top-ten fantasy running back before his injury, so he instantly becomes an elite lineup option in his first game back.

These are just a few of the many different examples of situations that will directly impact fantasy value. All of them were carefully considered to produce the following running back rankings for Week 12 of the 2023 fantasy football season.