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Running backs have been the heroes of much of the fantasy football season, so it won't be a surprise if a few ball carriers steal the show during conference championship Sunday. We're here to assist if you need help with your lineup calls at RB. In the rankings below, you'll see where key ball carriers such as James Cook, Saquon Barkley, Brian Robinson Jr., Kareem Hunt, and more rank for the AFC and NFC Championship slate.
Lead-ranker Nick Mariano assembles our Updated Conference Championship fantasy football running back rankings. Many of you playing in playoff leagues are still competing for something, and we're here, as always, to help you win. Use our running back rankings to help set the most optimal lineup for Conference Championship weekend.
In addition to our Conference Championship Weekend rankings, below you will find a summary of this week's most crucial fantasy football injury news. There are always critical injuries to track, so check back until kickoff. Good luck, RotoBallers!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for the 2025 playoffs:- Quarterback fantasy football rankings
- Running back fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
- Tight end fantasy football rankings
- Kicker fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Superflex fantasy football rankings
- IDP fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Conference Championship Fantasy Football Running Back News and Injuries
- Isiah Pacheco Too Inconsistent To Be Trusted
- Kareem Hunt To Lead Backfield In AFC Championship
- Ty Johnson Tough To Trust As Backup Against Chiefs
- Ray Davis Has Low Floor Against Strong Run Defense
- James Cook Seeking Revenge Against Dominant Defense
- Saquon Barkley Set For Another Huge Game
- Austin Ekeler A High-End Option In NFC Championship
- Brian Robinson Jr. Viewed As An RB2 Against Philadelphia
Conference Championship Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football
Rankings are updated until kick-off. Be sure also to check out our Conference Championship NFL playoff league rankings for fantasy football
| RB Tier |
RB Rank |
Player Name |
Pos. | Overall Rank |
| 1 | 1 | Saquon Barkley | RB | 1 |
| 1 | 2 | James Cook | RB | 5 |
| 1 | 3 | Kareem Hunt | RB | 8 |
| 1 | 4 | Austin Ekeler | RB | 10 |
| 1 | 5 | Brian Robinson Jr. | RB | 12 |
| 1 | 6 | Isiah Pacheco | RB | 18 |
| 2 | 7 | Ty Johnson | RB | 21 |
| 2 | 8 | Ray Davis | RB | 23 |
| 2 | 9 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB | 28 |
| 3 | 10 | Samaje Perine | RB | 30 |
| 3 | 11 | Jeremy McNichols | RB | 34 |
| 3 | 12 | Carson Steele | RB | 37 |
| 3 | 13 | Reggie Gilliam | RB/TE | 42 |
| 3 | 14 | Frank Gore Jr. | RB | 47 |
| 3 | 15 | Chris Rodriguez Jr. | RB | 48 |
| 3 | 16 | Will Shipley | RB | 49 |
| 3 | 17 | Keaontay Ingram | RB | 50 |
Conference Championship Running Back Outlooks For Fantasy Football
James Cook, Buffalo Bills - Fantasy Football Outlook
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is seeking revenge against the Kansas City Chiefs after they bottled him up during the regular season. When Cook faced the Chiefs back in Week 11, he rushed just nine times for 20 yards. He did catch five passes in that contest, but they amounted to just seven total receiving yards. That was Cook's worst game of the season, so he'll certainly be looking for revenge when the Bills head to Kansas City for the AFC Championship on Sunday.
However, delivering a big game won't be easy. The Chiefs have been lethal against running backs this year, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards, fifth-fewest catches, and fourth-fewest receiving yards to the position during the 2024 regular season. Furthermore, they didn't surrender a single receiving touchdown to running backs.
The Chiefs' run defense did falter a little last week, allowing 88 yards on 18 carries to Joe Mixon, but that may have been an outlier. Cook remains this week's No. 2 fantasy running back behind Saquon Barkley, but his matchup against Kansas City drastically reduces his floor.
- Andersen Pickard, RotoBaller
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs - Fantasy Football Outlook
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt was the second back on the field for Kansas City, but he proved to be the more reliable option down the stretch. Hunt rushed eight times for 44 yards and a touchdown compared to five carries and 18 yards for Isiah Pacheco.
Given his steady performance and Pacheco's inconsistencies, it is likely that the Chiefs lean on him again in this week's contest. Kansas City will face off against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Given the high-powered nature of the Bills offense, Kansas City will try to limit the number of opportunities Josh Allen will have to beat them.
Hunt will be leaned on the grind out drives and kill the clock this week. If the veteran running back can remain efficient, he should be in for a heavy workload. Consider starting Hunt in DFS and playoff leagues this Sunday.
- Joshua Costello, RotoBaller
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