Fantasy Football Week 17 RB rankings: Tony Pollard continues to plummet

Modified Dec 28, 2023 21:10 GMT

Dallas Cowboys v Los Angeles Chargers — Fantasy Football Week 17 RB rankings

Week 17 of the 2023 fantasy football season will be the final time that many managers will set their lineups until next year. This is because the championship round of most fantasy playoffs is held this week. The goal is to keep some starters from sitting out next week on NFL teams that may not have anything to play for this season.

Managers who have made it this far into their postseason brackets are aware of how important running backs can be to overall roster construction. It's crucial to have this position solidified with favorable options, as many running backs can have polarizing results. Most of them are capable of massive production in the right matchups but also carry bust potential in the wrong ones.

Weekly positional rankings are one of the best ways to analyze the potential lineup options for fantasy football. Unlike season-like rankings that focus on a player's overall projections, weekly rankings put much more emphasis on recent trends and individual matchups. The best weekly lineups don't necessarily need the best overall players, but the ones in the most favorable situations.

Tony Pollard is an example of a fantasy football running back who will be ranked much lower in Week 17 than his overall ranking for the 2023 NFL season. His weekly finishes have regressed in each of his past four games for the Dallas Cowboys and he also has a brutal matchup against the Detroit Lions, who are allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to the RBs.

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On the other end of the spectrum is Kyren Williams, who has seen his fantasy football value climb as each week passes by. Despite his relatively limited playing time, he is ranked as the RB2 in fantasy points per game when he is the Los Angeles Rams' starter. Williams will face the New York Giants, who rank eighth in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs, making him one of the top overall choices in Week 17.

Considering these scenarios for each running back option in Week 17 aids in determining the weekly running back rankings. Here's how the top 40 stack up for this crucial matchup during the 2023 fantasy football playoffs.