NFL Week 17: Starting Running Backs

Kenneth Walker III is out for Thursday night’s game in Chicago and Charbonnet is expected to start. We’ve seen the benefits of the second-year Seahawks RB as a starter this season. He finished Week 14 as the No. 1 RB in fantasy football with 38.3 points. He also accounted for half of eight touchdowns in the three-game span from Weeks 13-15.

Charbonnet is the type of RB who often thrives when he gets into a rhythm with regular contact, and his versatility as a runner and receiver increases the potential statistical ceiling. He’s among the top 12 fantasy RBs in Week 17, ahead of other quality options like Chuba Hubbard, Aaron Jones, Brian Robinson Jr. and Breece Hall. The Bears are ranked 29th^Th in fantasy points per game allowed to RBs.

The Panthers were the RBs’ best fantasy football matchup all season and allowed the RBs the most FFPG all year. Both Tampa Bay RBs are ready to start this week. White and Bucky Irving work in an effective timeshare situation. Irving is a must-have as a back-end fantasy RB1, while White is rated as a mid-range fantasy RB2. He has nine touchdowns from scrimmage and caught seven passes on eight targets last week. The Buccaneers’ offense is a good fantasy resource, scoring more than 26 points in four of the last five games.

If you are looking for a flex option or RB streamer for fantasy football championship week, the Jacksonville RB is a recommended lineup option. He’s among the top 30 fantasy RBs in Week 17 and has a good matchup for rushing TD potential. Tennessee has allowed RBs an NFL-high seven rushing TDs in the last four weeks. Bigbsy is the Jaguars’ preferred goal-line runner. He leads the team with six rushing TDs this season. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound fighter fights hard for his mileage.

This is a deeper lineup pick for those who need to fill an RB spot or find a quality flex play. Abdullah has been a top-16 fantasy RB in three of his last five games. In the last two, he caught 12 passes on 13 targets and scored a touchdown in Week 16. New Orleans is ranked 27th^Th allowed in FFPG for RBs.