Fantasy football is the best game out there, so why wouldn’t we re-rack things and play in the NFL postseason? To help guide you as you enter into this next phase of fantasy, here are my rest-of-playoffs RB fantasy rankings.
Which RBs Should You Draft in Fantasy Football?
These fantasy RB rankings are designed to help you navigate your fantasy playoff league. The rules are simple: Build the roster that scores the most fantasy points throughout the entirety of the playoffs.
Of course, every league will offer tweaks (player limits per team, unique scoring bonuses, etc.), so use these as a guide more than anything. Or, hit me up on social media with your specific situation and I’ll advise as best I can!
MORE: Playoffs Positional Rankings — QB | WR | TE | K | DST
Before I get to the positional rankings, the first step of succeeding in a format like this is to predict how you see the playoffs going.
Who is one-and-done? What teams make it to the Super Bowl? By no means do you have to agree with how I see things playing out, but understand that my projected bracket very much influences my rankings.
AFC Playoff Bracket Projections
Wild Card
- No. 5 Cleveland Browns over No. 4 Houston Texans
- No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs over No. 6 Miami Dolphins
- No. 2 Buffalo Bills over No. 7 Pittsburgh Steelers
Divisional Round
- No. 1 Baltimore Ravens over No. 5 Cleveland Browns
- No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs over No. 2 Buffalo Bills
Conference Championship
- No. 1 Baltimore Ravens over No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs
NFC Playoff Bracket Projections
Wild Card
- No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles over No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- No. 3 Detroit Lions over No. 6 Los Angeles Rams
- No. 2 Dallas Cowboys over No. 7 Green Bay Packers
Divisional Round
- No. 1 San Francisco 49ers over No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles
- No. 3 Detroit Lions over No. 2 Dallas Cowboys
Conference Championship
- No. 1 San Francisco 49ers over No. 3 Detroit Lions
NFL Playoffs RB Rankings
1) Christian McCaffrey | SF (BYE)
2) Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs. MIA)
3) Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (vs. LAR)
4) David Montgomery | DET (vs. LAR)
5) Gus Edwards | BAL (BYE)
6) James Cook | BUF (vs. PIT)
7) Tony Pollard | DAL (vs. GB)
8) Kyren Williams | LAR (at DET)
9) D’Andre Swift | PHI (at TB)
10) Raheem Mostert | MIA (at KC)
11) Rachaad White | TB (vs. PHI)
12) Justice Hill | BAL (BYE)
13) Jerome Ford | CLE (at HOU)
14) De’Von Achane | MIA (at KC)
15) Devin Singletary | HOU (vs. CLE)
16) Aaron Jones | GB (at DAL)
17) Rico Dowdle | DAL (vs. GB)
18) Jaylen Warren | PIT (at BUF)
19) Najee Harris | PIT (at BUF)
20) AJ Dillon | GB (at DAL)
Top RBs To Start in the NFL Playoffs
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
We know that teams are going to want to grind out games with the high-flying Miami Dolphins, a strategy I very much expect we see in frigid Kansas City this weekend.
Pacheco’s catch count this season is more than triple his target count of his rookie campaign, giving him viable versatility to complement his stable role in the run game and scoring equity.
Outside of Christian McCaffrey, there isn’t a running back with that sort of role and this level of win equity.
David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
I expect David Montgomery to come at something of a discount in postseason drafts as the secondary back on a team that is possibly picked by more people to lose their Wild Card game than to win multiple games.
Buy the dip. The career year in terms of touchdowns wasn’t a mistake — this is the second season in a row in which the Lions devote the red-zone usage to a single player.
MORE: Soppe’s Way-Too-Early 2024 Fantasy Football Rankings
Based on how I have things playing out, the Lions will not be impacted by the weather, and that means we get the efficient version of Jared Goff.
Many will use that Lions optimism as an excuse to back their pass game, and I don’t have a problem with that. That said, if we’re telling the story of a successful offense, I have no issue investing in their battering ram.