The running back position was a bit of a dud in the first week of the fantasy playoffs, with Saquon Barkley, Joe Mixon, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Isiah Pacheco, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard and Chuba Hubbard all failing to live up to expectations.
While I wouldn’t overreact on most of them, there could be better starting options on the waiver wire in Week 16. Certainly, I’d be considering replacements for Pacheco, Pollard and Hubbard. Montgomery hurt his MCL and is out for the year, so you need a backup plan there too.
Here are three running backs still available on the waiver wire in most leagues who could play a big role for you down the stretch. All availability data comes from ESPN. All three players are mentioned in Michael Fabiano's waiver wire column this week.
Fantasy Football Running Backs Streaming Options in Week 16
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns, 67% Available
Ford has been a mainstay in this column throughout the last few weeks, as I noted Nick Chubb didn’t look recovered from the knee injury he suffered last year and Ford was getting more work. Now Chubb is done for the year with a broken bone in his foot, leaving Ford as the unquestioned starting back in Cleveland.
That’s good news for anyone needing a starting RB as Ford rushed seven times for 84 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 15 with two catches for 20 yards thrown in. Ford flashed his big-play potential against the Chiefs on a 62-yard touchdown run and has also proven valuable catching passes, averaging 2.6 catches and 15.5 yards per game this year.
Next up for the Browns is the hapless Bengals defense, which is giving up 27.6 points per game (30th in the NFL) and 126.9 rushing yards per game (20th). This game has a massive 49.5 point OVER/UNDER at FanDuel, the highest of any game this week.
Given an expected high volume of touches in what should be a high-scoring affair, Ford profiles as a high-quality RB2 this week.
Kendre Miller, New Orleans Saints, 92% Available
Alvin Kamara injured his groin in Week 15 and, with the Saints out of the playoff race, it makes sense for them to shut Kamara down. There was speculation before the injury Miller would eat into Kamara’s touches anyway as the Saints looked to lighten Kamara’s load with next year in mind. Now it appears Miller is ready to take the full-time role.
Miller was on the field for 26 snaps against the Commanders and had nine rushes for 46 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per rush. The Saints' third back, Jamaal Williams, only saw six snaps and no rushing attempts. In the season, Miller has the second-highest rate of missed tackles forced per carry in the NFL.
Miller was a third-round pick out of TCU in 2023 and figures to be a bigger part of the Saints backfield moving forward than Williams. I expect him to be the Saints' lead back if Karama is out.
The biggest issue for Miller is the Saints face a stout Packers defense in Week 16 that just held the Seahawks to 80 rushing yards, though they did give up a rushing TD. The Saints have a more favorable matchup in Week 17 against the Raiders. But based on the fact the Saints have no plan at QB and limited talent at WR, Miller will be the primary option and volume alone makes him worthy of a pickup and potential start depending on who you have on your roster.
Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans, 56% Available
With Tony Pollard nursing an injured ankle and mostly ineffective in Week 15, Spears exploded, scoring one rushing TD and making six catches for 87 yards and another TD through the air.
Pollard still has a stranglehold on the rushing attempts (17-4 in his favor in Week 15), but Spears is the more explosive player and was on the field for 39 snaps to 31 for Pollard in Week 15. At a minimum, this is a split-share backfield moving forward. With Pollard hurt, Spears could be the primary back.
The Jaguars face the Colts in Week 16 and they’re giving up the ninth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs in the NFL. After that, they face the Jaguars, who are giving up the second-points fantasy points to opposing running backs. That puts Spears squarely in flex starting territory.
The Titans are 4.5-point underdogs against the Colts at FanDuel, suggesting they’ll face a negative gamescript. If that’s the case, as it was last week, expect Spears to feature more prominently in the offense.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fantasy Football Streaming Running Backs to Add on Waiver Wire in Week 16.
