Week 17 NFL DFS RB Breakdown: Top Cash Game and Tournament Picks

Nailing the running back spots is essential for constructing a solid DFS lineup. It’s a bit easier to project than the receivers, where touchdowns and big plays are going to result in weekly variance. The workloads for the top running backs are much more stable, so they’re typically more consistent fantasy producers.

However, that also results in some of the heaviest chalk you’ll see across the industry. How do you handle those players each week?

In this piece, I highlight running backs who stand out in our large suite of analytical fantasy tools, most specifically, our FantasyLabs Player Models. While the models are built for DFS contests, this is an all-purpose fantasy article with actionable information for all formats.

As news breaks throughout the week and we adjust our projections (powered by Sean Koerner), player ratings in our Player Models will change as the projections change. For updates, visit the models directly.

And don’t forget about the tools that FantasyLabs has to offer, like our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.

Or you can just use our NFL DFS sims to effortlessly create advanced lineups.

Finally, make sure to check out all the projections available for purchase (Chris Raybon’s come included with a FantasyLabs subscription) within the FantasyLabs Models. Subscribers now have the option to purchase Derek Carty’s THE BLITZ from our Marketplace. Projections from One Week Season and Establish the Run are available if you’re a subscriber to those specific sites (our optimizer is a separate add-on feature).

You can also combine them to create your own aggregate projections:

Top NFL DFS Cash Game Options

Ashton Jeanty ($6,100 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel)

Jeanty is a premium talent stuck in an awful situation. Putting an elite RB prospect in a dreadful offense is kind of like ordering prime rib from a one-star chef. Sure, it’s still prime rib, but it could be used much more effectively by someone who knew what they were doing.

Jeanty has struggled for most of the year, but he will occasionally remind us of just how good he actually is. He did exactly that last week, despite facing one of the best defenses in football. He smashed the Texans for 128 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and he added one reception for 60 yards and a touchdown through the air. Jeanty ultimately finished with 34.3 DraftKings points, making him the third-highest-scoring RB for the week.

The Raiders are currently fighting for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they’ve already ruled out Maxx Crosby for this contest. However, they’ve yet to show any signs of backing off Jeanty. He played on all but four of their offensive snaps last week, and he handled 89% of their designed rushing attempts. Jeanty has also been used far more frequently as a receiver in recent weeks, posting a 20% target share from Week 10 on. Christian McCaffrey leads all RBs with a 23% target share for the year, so Jeanty has had pretty elite utilization over the second half of the season.

Jeanty should be able to make the most of his opportunities in Week 17. He’s taking on the Giants, who have been arguably the best possible matchup for RBs this season. They rank dead last in rush defense EPA, and they’ve allowed the third-most PPR points per game to the position. As long as the Raiders don’t start limiting Jeanty as a tanking measure, he should smash in this spot.

Tyrone Tracy ($5,400 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel)

Tracy also stands out in that matchup. He’s taken over as the Giants’ No. 1 running back following the injury to Cam Skattebo. While he hasn’t been as clear a workhorse as Jeanty, he’s carved out a nice role for himself in recent weeks. He had a 65% carry share two weeks ago, and he followed that up with a 55% carry share and 18% target share last week vs. the Vikings. Overall, he’s averaged 14.5 PPR points per game since Week 11, which ranks 13th at the position.

Tracy has racked up at least 70 rushing yards in back-to-back games, and there’s no reason he can’t do it again vs. the Raiders. Las Vegas has been decent against the run this season, but that’s with Crosby in the lineup. They’ve still allowed the ninth-most PPR points per game to opposing RBs, making this a well-above-average matchup.

Tracy is particularly appealing on FanDuel, where he is underpriced at $6,200. He ranks second in projected Plus/Minus on that site, while he’s still inside the top five on DraftKings. Grabbing two RBs from the same game isn’t always the best idea for fantasy purposes, but Jeanty and Tracy are clearly two of the best values at the position in Week 17.

Jonathan Taylor ($7,800 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel)

Taylor feels like a bit of a wild card at the position. We know what he’s capable of. No one has ripped off more huge games at the position this season, with Taylor going for three touchdowns on five separate occasions. He has four weekly finishes as the RB1, and he has two other top-three marks at the position.

However, Taylor’s production has dipped in recent weeks. That stems primarily from the Colts’ offense taking a clear step backward. It started with the injury to Daniel Jones, and while Philip Rivers has done an admirable job since taking over, he still represents a clear step down. The Colts have averaged just 270.6 yards per game following their Week 11 bye, and opposing defenses have loaded up to slow down the run game.

That’s caused Taylor’s price tag to dip to $7,800 on DraftKings, and it’s hard not to be intrigued at that figure. He was routinely priced at $10,000 or above for much of the season, so $7,800 represents a tremendous discount. Taylor has historically averaged a Plus/Minus of +5.75 with a comparable price tag (per the Trends tool), so it’s a nice potential buy-low opportunity.

Taylor will have to navigate a tough matchup vs. the Jaguars in Week 17, and there’s a chance that they’re already eliminated from playoff contention by the time they take the field on Sunday. That gives Taylor a pretty wide range of outcomes. I prefer him as a tournament option, but he ranks second in optimal lineup rate and projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings. He’s also expected to be the second-highest-owned player at the position, so he should be pretty popular for cash games as well.

Now available: our NFL DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.

Top NFL DFS Tournament Options

Travis Etienne ($7,100 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel)

On the other side of that matchup, Etienne stands out for the Jaguars. Jacksonville has the third-highest implied team total on the main slate, and the Colts’ defense was shredded for 48 points and 440 yards by the 49ers last week. The Jaguars also hung 36 points on the Colts three weeks ago, with Etienne getting in the end zone twice in that contest. He wasn’t particularly efficient as a runner – he logged 20 carries for 74 yards – but he still tallied 21.2 DraftKings points.

Etienne has now posted a positive Plus/Minus in seven of his past eight games, and he saw an uptick in opportunities with Bhayshul Tuten out of the lineup last week. Etienne had a 69% snap share and 63% carry share, both of which exceeded his regular-season averages. Tuten practiced this week on a limited basis and is officially questionable for Week 17, but even if he plays, there’s no guarantee he’ll handle his usual workload.

It makes Etienne a potential bell cow back in a fantastic situation. Etienne is particularly appealing on FanDuel, where he’s massively underpriced at $7,600. He ranks second at the position in projected Plus/Minus, and he has the fourth-best optimal lineup rate in Sim Labs.

Saquon Barkley ($7,600 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel)

Is Barkley officially back? The reigning Offensive Player of the Year has had a pretty disastrous season, but he’s started to turn things around in recent weeks. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in three straight games, and he had 132 rushing yards and a touchdown last week vs. the Commanders.

The Bills are a much better team than the Commanders, and the Eagles are listed as slight underdogs in Buffalo. However, the Bills’ biggest weakness has been stopping the run this season. They’re 31st in rush defense EPA, and Barkley’s +3.3 Opponent Plus/Minus is tied for the best mark at the position.

Barkley also remains a bit cheaper than usual at $7,600 on DraftKings, resulting in an 87% Bargain Rating. His ceiling isn’t quite as high as some of the other top backs in our NFL Models, but his 12.5% ownership projection is very reasonable. His optimal lineup rate is closer to 14% in Sim Labs, suggesting he is being undervalued.

Bucky Irving ($6,200 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel)

It’s hard to get excited about the Buccaneers at the moment. Their offense has been nothing short of a disaster recently, and they’ve dropped six of their past seven games. While Baker Mayfield has received most of the scrutiny, Irving has also struggled since returning to the lineup. He’s averaged just 3.7 yards per carry in his four games back, which is significantly lower than his career average. Irving has also been used far less frequently in the pass game. He has just eight targets in his last four contests after averaging closer to five per game pre-injury.

Irving clearly carries plenty of risk at the moment, but he also has solid upside at just $6,200 vs. the Dolphins. Miami stands out as an elite matchup, with the Buccaneers currently implied for the fourth-highest total on the main slate (25.25 points). This is also essentially a must-win game for Tampa Bay. If they lose and the Panthers upset the Seahawks, they would be eliminated from playoff contention.

Irving is still receiving the lion’s share of the opportunities in the Buccaneers’ backfield, which could pay dividends vs. the Dolphins: they’ve allowed the 10th-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs. This is also one of the few games that stand out as ideal from a weather perspective in Week 17, and weather becomes increasingly important as conditions continue to worsen for winter.

Contrarian NFL DFS Tournament Options With Upside

Chase Brown ($7,400 DraftKings, $8,000 FanDuel)

Brown was one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy to start the year, but he has been on a major heater over the second half of the season. He’s posted a positive Plus/Minus in nine straight games, and he has five top-10 finishes at the position in his past eight outings. He saved his best performance for last week, finishing as the highest-scoring PPR back in all of fantasy vs. the Dolphins. Brown racked up 66 yards and a touchdown on the ground and added four catches, 43 yards, and two scores as a receiver.

Brown isn’t going to score three touchdowns every week, and Samaje Perine continues to siphon off more touches than ideal for a top running back. Still, it’s impossible to knock what Brown has been doing for fantasy players. He’ll take the field in another elite spot in Week 17, with the Bengals currently implied for a slate-best 30.5 points. The Cardinals have allowed 40+ points in four of their past seven games, so Brown feels like one of the most likely touchdown scorers on Sunday’s slate.

Kenneth Gainwell ($5,600 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel)

Gainwell has been one of the sneakiest pass-catching RBs in football this season. He’s technically the No. 2 running back on his own team, but that hasn’t stopped him from posting a 16% target share for the Steelers. That’s the fifth-best mark at the running back position, trailing only studs in McCaffrey, De’Von Achane, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs.

Gainwell’s involvement as a receiver should only increase in Week 17. The Steelers are going to have to play the final two games of the regular season without DK Metcalf. He’s the only receiver on the team who has been a consistent factor this season, leading the team with a 23% target share. With him out of the lineup, Gainwell and the team’s tight end trio could be extremely busy.

The matchup vs. the Browns is also better than you might think. While Cleveland was historically good against the run to start the year, they’ve shown major slippage in recent weeks. It gives Gainwell an Opponent Plus/Minus of +3.2, while the Steelers are listed as road favorites.

Gainwell ultimately ranks third at the position in projected Plus/Minus on DraftKings, and he’s projected for less than 10% ownership. He doesn’t bring the biggest ceiling to the table, but he’s a good bet to return value.

Tony Pollard ($5,500 DraftKings, $6,100 FanDuel)

It has not been a particularly promising season for the Titans. Cam Ward has predictably struggled as a rookie, and the offense ranks in the bottom three in both yards and points per game. You can change your fate quickly in the NFL, but this team feels a long way from contending.

However, the Titans did put together one of their best games of the season last week vs. the Chiefs, and Pollard has had three straight strong showings. He’s gone for 100+ rushing yards in each contest, and he’s added three rushing touchdowns over that stretch.

The Titans have another potentially winnable game in Week 17. They’re listed as just 2.5-point home underdogs vs. the Saints, so it’s a solid game script for Pollard to stay involved for four quarters. He stands out as undervalued in Sim Labs across the industry, and he’s a particularly strong option at just $6,100 on FanDuel.

Dylan Sampson ($5,100 DraftKings, $5,800 FanDuel)

Sampson shone for the Browns at the beginning of the season, and he could have the backfield to himself in Week 17. The team will be without Quinshon Judkins and Jerome Ford, leaving Sampson as a potential bell-cow back vs. the Steelers.

Unfortunately, Sampson is also currently listed on the injury report. He’s officially listed as questionable, but he did get in three limited practices this week. That would seemingly put him on track to suit up, but make sure to monitor the inactives before kickoff. As long as he’s in the lineup, he stands out as one of my favorite dart throws of the week. He’s projected for roughly 1% ownership on DraftKings and 3% on FanDuel, and his optimal lineup rate exceeds both figures.

Pictured: Jonathan Taylor
Photo Credit: Imagn