Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances from Week 13

Running back rankings for half-PPR fantasy points scored in Week 13. Kyle reacts to the best fantasy football RB performances and projects them moving forward.

Here we are now into December with just four weeks to go in the fantasy football season! Hopefully, you are in the mix for your league's playoffs, which will likely begin in Week 15. Coming up in Week 14 we have a bit of a complicated situation regarding bye weeks. Currently, the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders are on a bye coming up. Seriously, NFL you couldn't have thought of something that made more sense than giving teams a week off with only five weeks left in the regular season? But, I digress.

Despite what has been some lackluster performances on the ground, Christian McCaffrey continues to shine for fantasy and finished as the RB1 on the week. Samaje Perine found his way back into the Top 10 for the second-straight week filling in for the injured Joe Mixon. Could there be an RB controversy or shared backfield situation looming now in the Queen City once Mixon returns? Josh Jacobs continues his torrid pace in a contract year and the usual suspects: Saquon Barkley and Dalvin Cook found themselves back in the Top 10.

Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 13 (excluding MNF) based on fantasy points scored in half-PPR formats. Make sure to bookmark our live fantasy football scoreboard so you can see all the live scoring and top fantasy football performances each week, during the games, and afterward as well.

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Top 10 Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 13

Here are the top 10 running back from Week 13 of the NFL season in half-PPR scoring:

1. Christian McCaffrey

Still the G.O.A.T. for fantasy purposes, CMC finished as the RB1 on the week despite just 17 carries and not even finding the end zone on the ground. McCaffrey is such a dynamic receiver out of the backfield that he has become a relative sort of cheat code for fantasy much like Austin Ekeler. On Sunday against the Dolphins, McCaffrey rushed 17 times for 66 yards while catching 8 passes for 80 yards and a TD. Unfortunately in the contest 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garappolo broke his foot and will be done for the rest of the year, a huge blow to a team that many felt could win it all this year.

Rookie Brock Purdy took over and played well enough in the 33-17 victory in Garappolo's absence and the team signed veteran Josh Johnson off of the Denver Broncos practice squad after the game. There has been a lot of debate as to whether the 49ers would bring in another veteran QB as they have won five straight and currently sit atop the NFC West at 8-4. What does a QB change mean for CMC going forward?

The fact of the matter is the 49ers' offense is loaded with stars, particularly at the skill position and they will still be a difficult offense to stop even with a downgrade at QB. If Purdy remains the starter McCaffrey will inevitably be relied upon heavily down the stretch but it shouldn't affect his fantasy value too much. George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk on the other hand will probably be negatively affected. If you are rostering CMC he is in your lineup every week regardless of who is playing quarterback in the Bay Area. His upside is just simply too great.

2. Tony Pollard

The Dallas Cowboys poured it on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football winning 54-19. Dallas lead 21-19 early in the fourth quarter before pulling away and scoring 33 unanswered while running back Tony Pollard delivered another fantastic fantasy finish for your lineups. Pollard rushed 12 times for 91 yards and 2 TDs while catching 2 passes for 15 yards. Counterparts Ezekiel Elliot and Malik Davis also found the end zone and we could make a reasonable argument that the Cowboys have the best RB room in the entire NFL right now.

In the last five games, Pollard has finished as the RB4, RB7, RB1, RB39, and RB2 for fantasy purposes. The only game he disappointed in was on a short week against a stout New York Giants defense on Thanksgiving. Pollard has a ton of fantasy upside in a Cowboys offense that is rolling right now. In their last six games, the Cowboys have scored 24, 49, 28, 40, 28, and 54 points! Even with Elliott alongside Pollard in the Cowboys backfield both are simply too good to ignore and should be in your fantasy lineups regardless.

In the next two weeks the Cowboys get the Texans and the Jaguars, both of whom are in the bottom 10 in fantasy points allowed to running backs on the season. What's even more incredible about Pollard's fantasy finishes over the last several weeks is that he has only topped 59 percent of the team's offensive snaps just once in the last five games. While in a perfect world Pollard would play more than he does, the Cowboys remain committed to Elliott, and as we have seen with the Browns: having two stud running backs who stay fresh during the game by spelling each other can be quite difficult to stop. Pollard is a must-start from here on out, don't overthink it.

3. Josh Jacobs

What is going on in Las Vegas right now with Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams has become the absolute perfect storm for fantasy purposes. Tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow are on Injured Reserve, embattled head coach Josh McDaniels is fighting to prove that he deserves another year, and the Raiders declined Josh Jacobs's fifth-year option for 2023 which means they don't care how much wear and tear they put on him, there is little depth behind the two stars, and they are supported by a competent QB in Derek Carr. Did I also mention that their defense also stinks?

After not practicing for much of the week with a leg injury, Jacobs was questionable for Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers but it came out on Sunday morning that he would play anyway. On Sunday, Jacobs rushed 26 times for 144 yards and 1 TD while catching 2 passes for 6 yards. It was also the third time this season he has finished as the RB3 or better on the week! In the last four games what Jacobs has done has been incredible for fantasy finishing as the RB9, RB8, RB1, and RB3 over the last month.

Coming up the Raiders have some tougher matchups against the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, but Jacobs is in your lineup every week as a Top 5 start regardless. On the season Jacobs has rushed 242 times for 1,303 yards with 10 TDs on top of catching 42 passes for 331 yards. He is in line for a large payday in the offseason either from the Raiders or someone else. Due to his sheer volume alone playing nearly 80 percent of the Raiders' offensive snaps over the last month, Jacobs is a must-start with the current hot streak he is on.

4. AJ Dillon

A player who has largely been a disappointment for fantasy purposes, Dillon finally got going on Sunday after starter Aaron Jones was injured and left the game. In a 28-19 victory over the Bears, Dillon rushed 18 times for 93 yards and a TD on top of catching all 3 of his targets for 26 yards. The Bears have one of the worst defenses in the NFL this season and Dillon was only able to contribute due to an injury to Jones.

The Packers' offense has disappointed this season at moving the ball and sustaining drives. The team heads to a bye in Week 14 and there has been some chatter of the team potentially shutting down Aaron Rodgers if they are out of contention to see what they have in the youngster Jordan Love. Dillon is nothing more than a priority handcuff for Jones' owners at this point in the season and doesn't have much standalone fantasy value. While it was good to see him contributing on Sunday, Dillon is not startable for fantasy purposes unless an injury would cause Aaron Jones to miss time.

5. D'Andre Swift

No doubt one of the most frustrating players for fantasy this season, Swift got it going on Sunday after being off the Lions' injury report for the first time in months. The talented but oft-injured back rushed 14 times for 62 yards and a TD while catching 4 passes for 49 yards as the Lions rolled over the Jaguars 40-14. The Detroit offense has largely been a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde type of situation this season, especially in road games where they have struggled. In Week 4 against the Seahawks, Detroit scored 45 points at home and in the next week at New England they were shutout 29-0. Make it make sense.

Swift is a very talented player who can run between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield. At 5-7 the Lions have battled back from a slow start at 1-6 where many were calling for head coach Dan Campbell's job to win 4 of their last 5 games. With rookie Jameson Williams now back on the field for the Lions, they have a very talented array of skill players including Amon-Ra St. Brown. While Jamaal Williams is having a great season of his own and has been the go-to RB for the Lions this season in the red zone, Swift's talent is too good to ignore when healthy and both should be viewed as startable running backs for fantasy going forward.

The good news for the Lions is they are at home versus the Minnesota Vikings this week. While it has been tough to trust Swift for fantasy purposes over the last two months, he had as many carries (14) since Week 1 where he rushed 15 times against the Eagles' defense. As long as he isn't on the injury report for Week 14 then Swift is startable for fantasy as a solid RB2 or Flex play with upside as the Vikings defense has allowed the tenth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season at 21.3 per game!

T-6. Samaje Perine

Is there an RB controversy brewing now in Cincinnati? After starting running back Joe Mixon missed his second-straight game with a concussion, Perine filled in nicely at the Bengals beat the Chiefs 27-24. Bengals QB Joe Burrow is now 3-0 in his career against Patrick Mahomes but is 0-4 against the Cleveland Browns. Someone make it make sense. Perine rushed 21 times in the contest for 106 yards while catching 6 passes for 49 yards. Had he found the end zone he likely would have been the overall RB1 on the week!

Perine should be rostered in all leagues and is one of the better handcuffs in all of fantasy, but the question is if Perine is still just a handcuff. The Bengals played a Cleveland defense in Week 14 that has been giving up the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs on the season at 25.4 points per game. If Mixon is a scratch again then Perine is an absolute must-start. The question that remains is what will Mixon's injury status for Sunday be?

Even if Mixon is back there is a chance that Perine is still a flex-worthy option in most leagues just to how juicy of a matchup this game is for the Bengals RB room. It's no secret that Mixon has largely struggled this season outside of one big game where he had 5 total TDs. On the season, Mixon is averaging just 3.8 yards per carry and has had his fair share of injuries. Could we see a split backfield going forward? I wouldn't rule it out. Hold Perine for now everywhere you have him to see what happens.

T-6. Cam Akers

After a disappointing three months of the fantasy season where the Rams had even tried to trade him, Akers had his best game of the season on Sunday rushing 17 times for 60 yards and 2 TDs in a 27-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. It's been a disappointing season for the defending Super Bowl champs who now sit at 3-9 and have lost six straight games including several heartbreakers in the final minute. What's that old saying though: banners fly forever?

Akers was held behind Darrell Henderson on the depth chart for much of the season and the team hasn't been able to get anyone going at the RB position. Their offensive line has been one of the worst in football and they have been missing stars Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Akers leads the team with just 334 rushing yards and Henderson (who is now a Jaguar) sits behind him at 283. Rookie Kyren Williams has been involved in the mix as well, but it's become difficult to start anyone on the Rams right now for fantasy purposes.

If Akers should keep the lions' share of the carries going forward he could be a viable option for fantasy down the stretch. On Sunday, Akers played 72 percent of the team's offensive snaps and if that continues it would put him into low-end RB2/ high-end RB3 and possible Flex territory for the final month of the fantasy season. Coming up the Rams play the Raiders and the Packers. Akers should be picked up in all formats to see how the rest of the season unfolds and could be a solid start this week against the Raiders. Keep an eye on what head coach Sean McVay and the Rams have to say about who will play on Sunday.

T-8. Saquon Barkley

A league-winning RB in his own right, Barkley has been one of the best fantasy picks for all of the 2022 season. He has just one finish outside the Top 24 and just two finishes outside of the Top 17. Now finally healthy, Saquon has shown us all just how dynamic of an athlete and running back he is. In a Week 13 tie with the Commanders, Barkley rushed 18 times for 63 yards and a TD on top of 5 receptions for 18 yards. Barkley is averaging a career-low with just 6 yards per reception in 2022, likely due to the weak Giants WR corps being able to threaten opposing defenses downfield.

An unrestricted free agent in 2023, will he back in New York next season? Nonetheless, he is a Top 3 RB every week for the rest of the season. Saquon has played a heavy dose of snaps in 2022 and hasn't had any competition for snaps at all in the Giants' offense. So far on the year, Saquon has 242 carries for 1,055 yards and 8 TDs to go with 40 receptions for 241 yards. While injuries were an issue in 2020 and 2021, he seems to have put all of that behind him.

Barkley has shown us all how important it is to draft for upside in fantasy and that injuries can generally be hard to predict and the reality that most players aren't "injury prone." Head coach Brian Daboll has brought some new life to the Giants' offense and has them in the thick of the NFC Wildcard race. He is a special player who is likely to receive a big contract in the offseason whether from the Giants or someone else. Coming up Barkley fi, Barkley finishes the fantasy season against Philadelphia, Washington, and home for Indianapolis. Outside of Philadelphia, that's a solid schedule for his expected fantasy production.

T-8. Ezekiel Elliott

A player many wrote off before the 2022 season saying he was done, Zeke has surprised the critics this year and has been thriving in a solid Cowboys offense. On SNF Zeke had 17 carries for 77 yards and a TD on top of 3 receptions for 14 yards. His receiving numbers were a season high and he hasn't had anywhere near the receiving work that he's had in years past. Nonetheless, due to how red-hot the Cowboys' offense is a right now, Zeke is a must start as an RB2 every week. In the last five games, Elliott has 7 rushing TDs.

On the season Elliott has carried the ball 157 times for 654 yards (4.2 AVG) to go with 8 rushing TDs. As a receiver he has just 11 receptions for 54 yards as the ship appears to have sailed on that front. Elliott has never averaged under 4.0 yards per carry in a season during his career and while Tony Pollard does seem like a budding superstar, we know that the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones are committed to Zeke and want him to be the lead RB in Dallas.

It's no secret that after a solid career Elliott is slowing down. He has a long of just 27 yards on the season, which is also a career low. However, his numbers have been partially skewed this year to having received the bulk of the Cowboys' goal-line touches. In his last 5 fantasy starts Zeke has been the RB9, RB8, RB7, RB10, and RB8 and you can't ask for much more consistency. Elliott and Pollard are both in your starting lineup against the Texans in Week 14.

10. Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook is no secret to the Top 10 for fantasy running backs. While his numbers have tailored off a little bit this year, he has been productive for fantasy purposes and overall is the RB12 on the season for points scored. At 10-2, the Minnesota Vikings have been one of the surprises of the season, but their offense is as potent as ever and has been a solid unit for fantasy. In a 27-22 victory over the Jets in Week 13, Cook rushed 20 times for 86 yards and a TD. He also had 2 receptions for -3 yards.

In head coach Kevin O'Connell's new-look offense Minnesota has been moving the ball up and down the field and Cook has been heavily involved in their attack. On the season Cook has 198 carries for 927 yards and 7 TDs to go along with 28 receptions for 157 yards and a TD. While he has just one Top 5 weekly finish on the year, he has been consistent for fantasy purposes and the Vikings' offense has a solid matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 14.

Despite the lack of big performances from Cook this season he has been a good player for your fantasy lineups and should still be viewed as a low-end RB1 with upside for fantasy. Coming up the Vikings close out the fantasy season with the Lions, Colts, Giants, and Packers. His Week 17 one in championship week is a juicy one against a struggling Green Bay defense. You are playing Cook every week regardless of opponent.

Looking Forward

How did you do in Week 13? While we didn't see any RB's top 25 fantasy points on the week, many of the usual suspects found themselves back inside the Top 10. Good luck in the last week of the regular season coming up and make sure to hit me up on Twitter with any of your start/sit or pickup questions. Coming up in Week 14 the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Commanders are all on a bye.

While trade deadlines have passed, make sure to keep your eye on a player like Cam Akers as he could have some league-winning upside in your fantasy playoffs should he continue to receive the rushing work. It's also important to stay up to date on all team injury reports and news so that you can use your waivers and FAAB priority wisely. If you have been saving your FAAB now is the time to use it to make strategic pickups for your league's playoffs. Having running back depth can be crucial for your team over the full grind of a fantasy season and we should always be looking to find value at RB whenever possible.

Are there any running backs not on this list who you expect to bounce back in Week Fourteen? If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter.

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