Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances from Week 12

Running back rankings for half-PPR fantasy points scored in Week 12. Kyle reacts to the best fantasy football RB performances and projects them moving forward.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend with your families and loved ones. It was a full slate of football as there were no teams on a bye in Week 12. Josh Jacobs went nuclear on Sunday evening and won a lot of fantasy managers their week based on his incredible performance alone. Austin Ekeler finds himself in the Top 10 every week it seems even though he has been much better as a receiver than a runner this year.

The Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers will be on a bye in Week 13 with the final round of bye weeks coming in Week 14. Nick Chubb shined again on Sunday against a very solid Tampa Bay Bucs run defense. We are just a few weeks from the start of your league's playoffs! While 2022 has been a more Zero RB-friendly season than years past if you drafted some of the above running backs in the 1st Round of your league's fantasy draft you are still quite happy with the results.

Here are the Top 10 running back from Week 12 (including 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 12

Here are the top 10 running back from Week 12 of the NFL season in half-PPR scoring:

1. Josh Jacobs

What more can be said about Josh Jacobs this season outside of the fact he has been one of the best pure values in all of fantasy? On Sunday, Jacobs carried the Raiders to victory in overtime on an 86-yard run he took to the house. Jacobs rushed 33 times for 229 yards and 2 TDs on top of catching 6 passes for 74 yards. With Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow still sidelined for at least 2 more weeks the Raiders have no choice but to rely heavily on Jacobs and Davante Adams as head coach Josh McDaniels may be coaching for his job even in Year One.

After McDaniels played Jacobs in the first half of the Hall of Fame Game, it was not the mixed signal that many of us were expecting on top of the Raiders declining Jacobs' fifth-year option making him an unrestricted free agent in 2023. The Raiders also drafted Zamir White in the 2022 NFL Draft, but he hasn't been a factor at all. Looking back it's easy to see that Jacobs was one of the best fantasy values of the entire summer and has many in first place in their home league because of it.

Jacobs has a lingering calf injury and likely won't practice much this week. Nonetheless, he is an absolute must-start for fantasy purposes as the Raiders have another solid fantasy matchup against the Chargers in Week 13. Jacobs will likely receive the largest free-agent contract of all running backs in the 2023 offseason and it will be a very much deserved one. The 24-year-old star RB is a solid RB for fantasy every week, but the only concern is the Raiders' fantasy playoff schedule that includes the Patriots in Week 15 and the 49ers in Week 17.

2. Miles Sanders

Another week another solid performance from Sanders who has helped to spearhead one of the league's best rushing attacks along with quarterback Jalen Hurts. Like Jacobs above Sanders is an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 offseason and will be looking to get paid. On Sunday Night Football against the Packers, Sanders rushed 21 times for 143 yards and 2 TDs while catching 3 passes for 17 yards.

Sanders has been another solid value for fantasy this season, but he also hasn't been consistent as he finished as the RB36 and RB37 in the two games before this one. Sanders hasn't been anywhere near as much of a factor in the receiving game which limits his fantasy upside. The good news is the Eagles are currently 10-1 and have had many positive game scripts to continue running the rock at their opponents. Nonetheless, Sanders has gone over 20+ rushing attempts just twice this season.

It is best to view Sanders as a solid RB2 for the rest of the season although he does have some upside due to the Eagles being able to put up plenty of points. The Eagles tend to build early leads against their opponents and slow down the pace of play for the rest of the game. Coming up the Eagles play the Titans and Giants. Neither of these matchups is great for fantasy purposes for Sanders, but with the Eagles continuing to win games there should be enough rushing attempts for Sanders to keep producing for your lineups.

3. Nick Chubb

After underwhelming for fantasy purposes in Week 11 against the Bills, Nick Chubb found himself back near the top of the RB rankings after a solid performance against the Tampa Bay Bucs on Sunday. In 10 of his 11 games this season, Chubb has been an RB2 or better in every one. He has also been an RB1 in 6 of those 11 games, including three Top-4 finishes.

Against a solid Tampa defense, Chubb rushes 26 times for 116 yards and the game-winning TD in overtime. He also caught 1 pass for 16 yards. As the Browns have been without quarterback Deshaun Watson and currently sit at 4-7 in the AFC North they have had to rely on Chubb more than ever to stay in games. While Jacoby Brissett has performed admirably in relief this season the Browns' offense now shifts back to Watson.

Going forward the Browns' offense will be better in the long-term with Watson under center, but it's easy to forget that he hasn't played football in almost 2 years and it's likely there will be some early rust to shake off. The good news is for this Sunday that the Browns play the Houston Texans who have given up the most fantasy points to running backs so far this season at 27.6 points per game! In what will be a juicy matchup Chubb should be viewed as a Top 3 RB option for next Sunday.

T-4. Brian Robinson Jr.

One of the best feel-good stories of the season, Robinson has made a remarkable comeback after missing the first 4 games of the season after he was shot several times in a carjacking attempt. On Sunday against the Falcons, Robinson rushed 18 times for 105 yards while catching 2 passes for 20 yards and a TD. Surprisingly, the Washington Commanders' offense has become a potent one this season with an underrated array of skill players involving Robinson, Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, and the rookie Jahan Dotson.

After starting the season 1-4 the Commanders have roared back winning 6 of their last 7 games and are now in the thick of the NFC playoff race at 7-5. With pass-catching specialist J.D. McKissic now sidelined for the rest of the season what appeared to be a nightmarish 3-headed monster for fantasy purposes the Commanders' RB situation has become at least viable for fantasy between Robinson Jr. and Gibson.

The problem with Robinson for fantasy is that he isn't much of a pass catcher with only 6 receptions in just 8 games and he is going to be heavily game-script-dependent for the rest of the season. The Commanders face a tough New York Giants defense in Week 13 before heading to their bye in Week 14. Robinson should best be viewed as a high-end RB3 or Flex play, in most leagues as he is likely going to need to score a TD to justify playing him in your FF lineups.

T-4. James Conner

After missing a month in the middle of the season, Conner has bounced back over the last several weeks to be productive for fantasy purposes finishing as the RB4, RB13, and RB5 over the Cardinals' last 3 games. The unfortunate part is that Arizona heads to a bye in Week 13 and faces the likes of the Patriots, Broncos, and Buccaneers upon returning. Their Week 17 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons is a solid one though and could pay some dividends in your championship week.

The Cardinals' offense has started clicking on all cylinders since D'Andre Hopkins returned from suspension and now speedster Marquise Brown is healthy as well. Throw in Rondale Moore in the slot and quarterback Kyler Murray and the Cardinals' offense features an impressive array of skill players. In the last four weeks Conner has played 85 percent of the team's offensive snaps which is great for your fantasy lineup.

Conner is best viewed as an RB2 with upside once Arizona comes off the bye. While they are just about out of the NFC Wildcard race, embattled coach Kliff Kingsbury will likely continue playing the team's starters as he would prefer to finish the season strong and keep his job. Conner is a much better receiver out of the backfield than he gets credit for and should see more than his fair share of red zone touches as well. While the injuries are a concern Conner should be fresh coming off the team's bye.

T-4. Austin Ekeler

Is he a running back or is he a receiver? Ekeler has been lackluster as a runner this year with just 128 carries for 554 yards (4.3 avg) but he does have 7 TDs on the ground. Where he has shined is as a receiver where he has 80 receptions for 497 yards and 5 TDs. The Chargers' team has been decimated with injuries especially along the offensive line so the problems aren't all on Ekeler. With Mike Williams and Keenan Allen also sidelined for part of the season quarterback Justin Herbert has relied on his favorite check down more than ever.

Ekeler is on his way to being another fantasy MVP and is in your lineup every week. Wide receiver Mike Williams is expected back soon and second-year player Josh Palmer has shined filling in, but so far the most important player on the Chargers' offense outside of Herbert has been Ekeler. A hardcore fantasy player himself, Ekeler has become quite a darling of the fantasy community being that he is an avid fantasy player.

Ekeler is a must-start every week regardless of opponent and should be viewed as a Top-3 RB every week. Coming up the Chargers play the Raiders, Dolphins, and Titans. The Raiders' defense has been struggling to stop most opponents this season and has given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season at 24.7 points per game. Expect another big week from Ekeler.

7. JaMycal Hasty

Hasty filled in nicely for Travis Etienne on Sunday after the team's star running back was sidelined with an injury. Hasty didn't do much on the ground rushing just 12 times for 28 yards, but he shined in the passing game with 5 receptions for 67 yards and a TD. If Etienne is out for this Sunday's matchup against the Detroit Lions then Hasty would become a must-start for fantasy lineups but as of right now he doesn't have a ton of fantasy value.

Trevor Lawrence has been improving in his second season, but the Jaguars also claimed former Rams RB Darrell Henderson off of waivers last week. Unless an injury would occur to Etienne that would cause him to miss time there isn't a whole lot of fantasy value for Hasty right now outside of deeper leagues. You can keep an eye on him but he likely isn't a player worth rostering in leagues with shorter benches at this time.

8. Aaron Jones

Many of us were silly to think that before the season AJ Dillon was on the same level with Aaron Jones, but here we are. While Jones has continued to look great this season he has had his upside capped by how poor the Green Bay Packers offense has been overall. In a loss to the Eagles on SNF, Jones rushed 12 times for 43 yards but he had 4 receptions for 56 yards and a TD.

Jones has proven to be one of the best pass-catching running backs in the entire NFL and is a must-start as a high-end RB2 in all your fantasy lineups weekly. The touchdowns we have become accustomed to for Jones simply haven't been there as much this season and he has just 2 rushing TDs and 4 receiving TDs. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has struggled, but he is not solely to blame after Packers GM Brian Gutekunst traded away star receiver Davante Adams in the offseason. Nonetheless, Jones is in your lineup every week albeit with tempered expectations compared to years past.

T-9. Samaje Perine

After lead-running back Joe Mixon was ruled out with a concussion on Sunday, Perine made the most of it rushing 17 times for 58 yards and a TD on top of catching 4 passes for 35 yards. The Bengals' offense has continued to be one of the most potent units in the entire NFL as quarterback Joe Burrow has picked up right where he left off from the Bengals Super Bowl run in 2021 and looks as dominant as ever.

Perine is one of the better handcuffs for fantasy and should be rostered in just about all formats right now, but likely he does not have much fantasy value as a starter in your lineups with Joe Mixon expected to return for the Bengals' matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. Perine has been used as a situational pass catcher in seasons past, but we've seen Mixon shoulder more of the load this year. If Perine is available in any of your leagues he is worth picking up just in case Mixon should miss any more time.

T-9. Jonathan Taylor

It was nice to see some solid fantasy production from a familiar face on Monday Night Football as Jonathan Taylor had a solid performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In a 24-17 loss, Taylor rushed 20 times for 86 yards and a TD while catching 3 passes for 12 yards. The Colts have been playing hard under new coach Jeff Saturday, but their clock management at the end of the game was less than stellar. Nonetheless, if we are rostering Taylor in fantasy we should be happy with how hard the Colts are still playing despite a disappointing season.

The Colts have a tough matchup with the Dallas Cowboys in Week 13 followed with a bye in Week 14. There were some concerns that the Colts might shut Taylor down for the season after starting quarterback Matt Ryan was pulled in favor of Sam Ehlinger, however after Saturday took over many of the team's starters have been playing again. While Taylor has been a large disappointment for many fantasy owners who took him with their league's first overall pick, he should still be viewed as a solid RB1 for the rest of the way. Our only real fear would be if the Colts continue losing and shut him down for the season or if another injury should occur. Taylor has missed three games so far this season.

Looking Forward

How did you do in Week 12? Hopefully, you weren't going against Josh Jacobs in any of them. This week the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals will be on a bye in Week 13 and we are now on the home stretch of the fantasy season. Good luck to you if any of your teams are fighting for a playoff spot and may your teams remain healthy if you have already locked up first-round bye in your league.

A lot can change throughout the season, and it's 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 Thirteen? If you have any FAAB or waiver questions as well, feel free to get at me on Twitter.

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