As the NFL Playoffs kick off this weekend with a six-game Wild Card slate, the lights have never been brighter. Which running backs will step up and shine?
We kind of already know that superstars like Saquon Barkley ($8,500) and Derrick Henry ($8,200) will perform because their respective offenses operate around their strengths. But what about some cheaper options?
Below, I’ve outlined cheaper running backs to consider for DFS players during Wild Card Weekend.
Set your DraftKings DFS lineups here: NFL $444K Sat-Mon Special [$100K to 1st]
Jaleel McLaughlin ($4,900)
The Denver Broncos have operated a running back by committee approach this season, as five different players have led the team in rushing yards in individual games this season. Javonte Williams led the team with 139 carries, but McLaughlin was right behind with 113 and rookie Audric Estime had 73 of his own.
Of the three, I like McLaughlin the best. He has been the most efficient, averaging 4.4 yards per carry, the 21st-highest figure in football. Meanwhile, Williams has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, the sixth-worst efficiency in the NFL. Williams also goes down easily, breaking tackles at the fourth-lowest rate in football, while McLaughlin has been more resilient than an average back. Williams has seen his snap share decrease over the last two weeks of the season, recording zero carries and only two targets during the Week 17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Overall, there isn’t much that separates the two backs, but McLaughlin’s price tag is $200 lower, a difference that could allow you to choose, say, Justin Jefferson ($8,100) instead of Mike Evans ($7,900).
McLaughlin should have plenty of success against a Buffalo Bills defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. Opposing running backs have gained 1,629 yards on 4.4 yards per carry while scoring 10 touchdowns and also caught 92 passes for 750 yards and six scores. While Williams has generally been used more in the passing game than McLaughlin, the latter has still earned at least two targets in each of his past four games and has an 88.9% catch percentage, the fifth-highest rate in football.
Rachaad White ($5,000)
White has been one of the league’s best backups to rookie sensation Bucky Irving ($7,000) this season after spending his first two seasons as Tampa Bay’s running back of choice. Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen has run a lot of two running back sets to get both Irving and White on the field simultaneously, and both have repaid his faith with tremendous seasons. Irving has taken 207 carries for 1,122 yards and eight scores, while White has added 144 carries, 613 yards, and three scores of his own. White is Pro Football Focus’ 21st-best running back, while Irving grades fourth.
Tampa Bay has especially turned to White on first downs and in medium-yardage situations; he’s racked up 81 carries and 390 yards on first down alone. He also tends to play when the Buccaneers are leading, trailing Irving in carries only 85-73 with Tampa Bay ahead on the scoreboard. As the Buccaneers have the best first-quarter offense in football, Tampa Bay might be playing from ahead for much of the game, allowing White to get more carries.
Regardless, I’d expect any Buccaneers running back to succeed against a penetrable Commanders defense that allowed 4.8 yards per carry, the third-worst efficiency in football. Overall, Washington has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to opposing running backs (1,935), as well as 16 touchdowns, more than any other playoff participant. The Commanders only rank 19th in FPTS allowed to the position because they’ve allowed the fewest receiving yards to opposing running backs, but White (11.5% target share) should still be able to make an impact through the air.
Cam Akers ($4,800)
As the Minnesota Vikings prepare for their Wild Card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, starting running back Aaron Jones ($6,000) has been limited all week in practice with a quad injury, which could open up an opportunity for Akers, a former Rams back, to make an impact. Since his last full season with Los Angeles in 2022, Akers has bounced around the league, with two separate stints in Minnesota and a five-game stretch with the Houston Texans earlier this season. He’s found his stride a little bit with the Vikings, putting up 64 carries for 297 yards and a score in his 10 games with the team.
Jones has struggled a little bit in his last three games, averaging just 53 rushing yards per game and 3.98 yards per carry with no scores. Meanwhile, Akers has started to find his role in Minnesota’s offense and had his best game of the season while Jones was limited with his quad injury in Week 18, taking his six carries for 65 yards and adding two catches and four receiving yards. He also knows the Rams’ defensive schemes and some of the players’ tendencies from his stint with the team, which could be an asset, even if he only played a single special teams snap in the teams’ first matchup.
Besides, Los Angeles has been relatively kind to opposing running backs, allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to the position among the 14 postseason participants. Opposing backs ran for 1,725 yards this season, the 12th-most in football, and added another 582 yards through the air. Opposing ball-carriers have also had the eighth-best efficiency against the Rams, gaining 4.6 yards per carry.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
