Fantasy Football Week 16 running back rankings: Start Alexander Mattison with Dalvin Cook out

We’re dealing with a lot of absences or potential absences heading into Week 16 of the Fantasy Football season, and that means there are a ton of open questions about the rankings as we head into the weekend. But there’s one question with an easy answer: Yes, you are starting Alexander Mattison. 

Cook was placed on the COVID list Thursday, and since he is reportedly not vaccinated, he’ll have to sit out 10 days, as per the league’s COVID policy. That means he is out for Week 16’s matchup against the Rams (and possibly Week 17 against the Packers, though we’ll cross that bridge when we get there), and while that isn’t an ideal matchup, there’s no world in which you aren’t starting Mattison. He’s played five career games with Cook inactive, per the RotoViz Game Splits App, and he’s averaged 87.2 rushing yards on 21.6 attempts per game while adding 37.4 receiving yards on four catches per game; he’s averaging 21.26 PPR points per game in those five games with four touchdowns, a relatively low number given his usage!

That’s an easy question to answer. And, as of Thursday, starting Joe Mixon and Ronald Jones are pretty easy calls, with Mixon looking unaffected by his ankle injury while Leonard Fournette was added to injured reserve with his hamstring injury. There are plenty of others we’re still waiting for answers about, however. 

For instance, we still don’t know if Austin Ekeler will be activated from the COVID list. If he is, he’s a top-five RB against the Texans. If he isn’t Justin Jackson is a top-15 RB – and he’s probably top-30 even if Ekeler is back. Similar, we don’t know if Miles Sanders (quad) and Antonio Gibson (toe) are going to be cleared to play; their backups will be much lower end options, but you could use Jordan Howard and Jaret Patterson as RB2s in a pinch.

Maybe the biggest question surrounds James Conner, who plays Saturday and who missed all of this week’s practiced with a heel injury. If he’s out, Chase Edmonds faces a touch Colts defense, but he would be a top-12 RB if Conner doesn’t play, because he should be looking at 15 or so carries and five-plus targets. When there are so few sure things, you take Edmonds in that spot for the upside. 

By Sunday, hopefully we’ll have some of those answers. Here are my rankings as of Thursday afternoon, and to see the rankings of Jamey Eisenberg, Dave Richard, and Heath Cummings, make sure you head here. 

Week 16 RB Rankings

1. Jonathan Taylor @ARI
2. Alexander Mattison vs. LAR
3. James Robinson @NYJ
4. Joe Mixon vs. BAL
5. Alvin Kamara vs. MIA
6. Josh Jacobs vs. DEN
7. David Montgomery @SEA
8. Najee Harris @KC
9. Nick Chubb @GB
10. Ronald Jones @CAR
11. Ezekiel Elliott vs. WAS
12. Javonte Williams @LV
13. Cordarrelle Patterson vs. DET
14. Aaron Jones vs. CLE
15. Justin Jackson @HOU
16. Chase Edmonds vs. IND
17. Saquon Barkley @PHI
18. Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs. PIT
19. Jeff Wilson @TEN
20. Antonio Gibson @DAL
21. Sony Michel @MIN
22. Devin Singletary @NE
23. Myles Gaskin @NO
24. Miles Sanders vs. NYG
25. AJ Dillon vs. CLE
26. D’Onta Foreman vs. SF
27. Michael Carter vs. JAX
28. Melvin Gordon @LV
29. Rhamondre Stevenson vs. BUF
30. Ameer Abdullah vs. TB
31. Chuba Hubbard vs. TB
32. Rashaad Penny vs. CHI
33. Craig Reynolds @ATL
34. Devonta Freeman @CIN
35. James Conner vs. IND
36. DeeJay Dallas vs. CHI
37. Darrell Henderson @MIN
38. Godwin Igwebuike @ATL
39. Darrel Williams vs. PIT
40. Brandon Bolden vs. BUF
41. Le’Veon Bell @CAR
42. Mike Davis vs. DET
43. Joshua Kelley @HOU
44. David Johnson vs. LAC
45. Nyheim Hines @ARI
46. Corey Clement vs. WAS
47. Jordan Howard vs. NYG
48. Tevin Coleman vs. JAX

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