Best and Worst Running Back Performances - Week 13 Fantasy Football Booms and Busts

December 6, 2021

Running back rankings based on fantasy points scored in Week 13. Adam Koffler reacts to the best and worst RB performances and projects them moving forward.

Sundays games are always filled with action for fantasy football managers -- surprise performers who had big days, players who busted, or performances that make you just want to give a piece of your mind. Our reactions are some of the best moments. In this reaction article, we'll take a look at some of the best and worst performances at the running back position in Week 13. Who overperformed, who underperformed, and which players are exactly who we thought they were?

Below are the top 12 fantasy football running backs based on their fantasy points scored, and then some underachievers, along with some of my reactions to their performances. Let's dive right in!

Best Running Back Performers from Week 13

RB1 - Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos

I think Twitter would have exploded if Javonte Williams was anything BUT the overall RB1 in Week 13. With Melvin Gordon sidelined with hip and shoulder injuries, Williams was primed to step into a feature role on Sunday night. He didn't miss a beat. In fact, Williams put up video game-type numbers with Christian McCaffrey-type usage. He toted the rock 23 times for 102 yards on the ground and caught 6-of-9 targets for another 76 yards and a touchdown on 78% of the snaps. He received 32 opportunities compared to his previous season-high of just 18 playing alongside Gordon. This dude makes the most of his opportunities too, much like THE overall RB1 this season, Mr. Jonathan Taylor.

Even if Gordon returns in Week 14, Williams has definitely earned the lion's share of the work. Remember, he had a higher snap share than Gordon in Weeks 10 and 12 prior to the injury. Expect Javonte to continue finding success with upcoming matchups against Detroit, Cincinnati, Las Vegas, and the Los Angeles Chargers.

RB2 - Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

RB3 - David Montgomery, Chicago Bears 

Montgomery had a tough matchup against the Cardinals, but his usage ultimately won out. He garnered a season-high 29 touches, including seeing nine balls thrown his way. He almost had a second touchdown too, but that was taken away after a review ruled him down just short of the goal-line. Montgomery received a whopping 85.7% of the RB opportunities in Week 13. That seems high, but guess what? It was almost that high the previous week against the Lions when he handled 83.3% of the RB opportunities!

People were too quick to write this guy off after missing four games due to a knee injury. But the usage and post-Bye Week schedule were too good to not try to acquire this guy on the cheap. In fact, I know a guy who was very much so supportive of doing so.

RB4 - Sony Michel, Los Angeles Rams

Talk about a workhorse! With Darrell Henderson Jr. only active in case of an emergency (there wasn't one against the lowly Jaguars), Michel handled 93.3% of the RB opportunities on a 97% snap share. He touched the ball a career-high 27 times. His previous career-high of 25 touches came in 2018 as a rookie with the Patriots. If Henderson misses another game, and another game, and another game, as he very well could as hamstring injuries tend to linger, Michel could be a league-winner with that kind of usage! It's no wonder this guy was a first-round draft choice...

RB5 - Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings 

RB6 - Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team 

We knew Gibson was going to handle a larger workload in Week 13 with J.D. McKissic out with a concussion, but just how large of a workload would that be? Well, he's never crossed the 70% snap share threshold...that is until this week when he played on 82% of the snaps. After getting a career-high 36 touches in Week 12, he handled 28 touches in Week 13. He's finally healthy and being used as the workhorse people drafted him to be this season. Just realize that if McKissic does return soon and the Washington Football Team finds themselves playing from behind, Gibson will lose some of those high-value targets and some of the work in the two-minute drill to McKissic.

RB7 - Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders 

Kenyan Drake broke his ankle in Week 13 and took to Twitter after the game to air his thoughts on the style of tackling that ended his season.

It's unfortunate, and I hope Drake heals up and gets back out there in 2022 (he's under contract with the Raiders for another season), but this paves the way for Jacobs to see increased usage down the stretch. In Week 13, he played on a season-high 82% of the snaps and handled 84.6% of the RB opportunities. Garnering work in the passing game was never his strong suit, but in the last four games, he's averaging 6.3 targets per game. Expect this kind of usage moving forward with only Peyton Barber left behind him on the depth chart (Jalen Richard is on the reserve/COVID-19 list).

RB8 - Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

RB9 - Devonta Freeman, Baltimore Ravens 

Devonta Freeman's ascension into a legitimate low-end RB1 option on a weekly basis has to be one of the most confusing things about the 2021 season. For all intents and purposes, he hasn't been relevant since the 2017 season with the Atlanta Falcons. But here we are, in 2021, and Freeman continues to post back-end RB1 numbers on a regular basis. He played on 68% of the snaps in Week 13 while Latavius Murray saw his snap share decline to just 19%. Freeman has now gotten 22 opportunities in two of the last three games and it's starting to become very clear who the Ravens trust to not only handle the majority of the touches but to protect Lamar Jackson at all costs.

RB10 - James Conner, Arizona Cardinals 

RB11 - Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles 

Gainwell went from Nick Sirianni's doghouse to playing ahead of Boston Scott and being the RB11 in Week 13. He played on 38% of the snaps and got 17 touches (including five targets), totaling 87 yards with a touchdown. Miles Sanders was still the bell cow on the ground with 24 carries, but even with 27 total touches, managed to finish behind Gainwell this week.

Good luck trying to figure out what this backfield will look like come Week 15 when Sanders, Scott, Gainwell, and Jordan Howard are all healthy.

RB12 - Travis Homer, Seattle Seahawks 

What the heck is Travis Homer doing on this list? Oh, now I remember:

Worst Running Back Performers from Week 13

RB20 - Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Is anyone else getting tired of rolling Saquon out there in your starting lineup each and every week to just continue being disappointed? I can't be the only one. He's playing a lot, but he's doing absolutely nothing with his touches. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4 and is averaging just 61 total yards in his last three games. Saquon has salvaged his mediocre performances by catching 5.3 balls per game during that stretch, but this is far from what we all expected when drafting him at the back-end of the first round this season. The Giants have scored just two offensive touchdowns in the last two weeks, and are likely going to have to start Jake Fromm State Farm at quarterback in Week 14.

RB21 - Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs 

Talk about another frustrating running back. CEH, much like Saquon, has failed to live up to expectations thus far this season. He hasn't handled more than 19 touches in any one game this season and is averaging just 2.1 targets per contest. Here's a guy that made a living off of screen passes and dump-offs at LSU, but it just hasn't translated to the NFL. He's out-touching Darrel Williams in the last two games since coming back from injury, but not by very much. Consider him a mid-to-low end RB2 for the remainder of the season.

RB23 - Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals 

This finish was absolutely a blip on the radar for Mixon. Expect the Bengals' workhorse to get back on track in Week 14 at home vs. the 49ers.

RB25 - Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions 

With D'Andre Swift out for this game, Williams was set to handle the lion's share of the work -- but that didn't end up happening. In fact, he didn't even play half the snaps after handling 63% of the snaps in Week 12 when Swift went down. Godwin Igwebuike played on 39% of the snaps vs. the Vikings and ran 26 routes to Williams' nine and was utilized in the two-minute offense. This led to just one measly target for Williams when the fantasy community at large probably thought he'd get five or more. It's going to be awfully hard to trust Williams moving forward as long as he's not the workhorse back we all thought he'd be.

RB33 - Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins 

Gaskin didn't have over 10 fantasy points on an odd-numbered week for the first time all season, and he failed to do so against the Giants. Yikes! Thankfully, you won't have to worry about Gaskin in Week 14 as the Dolphins are on a Bye, but let's hope he can get back on track against the lowly Jets in Week 15 (another odd-numbered week)

RB34 - Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys 

After starting the season hot, Zeke hasn't lived up to expectations lately. Believe it or not, he's averaging just 55 total yards in his last four games. Good thing he scored a few touchdowns in those four games. He's still playing more than backfield mate Tony Pollard, but the results just haven't been there since the Cowboys' Bye week. Remember when Jerry Jones said Elliott was set to get a serious workload in Week 13 vs. the Saints? Yea, that didn't really come to fruition, as he got just five more opportunities than Pollard.

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