Here’s our NFL running back rankings for Week 15. Some top contenders are being powered by dual-threats out of the backfield. Other teams are finding the exact right mix on offense as the remainder of the regular season plays out.
Christian McCaffrey has changed the San Francisco 49ers’ fortunes on offense in a big way. Further east, Miles Sanders is proving his worth for the league-best Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s in this that we provide you our NFL running back rankings heading into Week 15 of the 2022 season.
Related: Sportsnaut’s NFL wide receiver rankings for Week 15
10. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
- Dameon Pierce stats: 220 attempts, 909 rushing yards, 4.3 average, 30 receptions,165 yards, 1,104 total yards, 5 TD
After two consecutive down outings (16 total rushing yards), Pierce seems to have returned to form recently. Over his past two outings, the former Florida star has racked up 151 rushing yards and a touchdown on 30 attempts.
As one of the few building blocks in Houston, Pierce now finds himself on pace for nearly 1,500 total yards. He’s also averaging a solid 2.3 yards after contact. This has Pierce in our NFL running back rankings for the second time during his rookie campaign.
Related: Sportsnaut’s Week 15 NFL offense rankings
9. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
- Dalvin Cook stats: 213 attempts, 950 rushing yards, 4.5 average, 29 receptions, 170 yards, 1,120 total yards, 9 TD
Consistently good. That’s been the name of the game for Cook since Minnesota made him a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Florida State product has tallied north of 1,300 total yards in each of the past three seasons. He’s now on pace to do just that again in 2022 despite dealing with nagging injuries.
Unfortunately for Cook, he’s struggled to make a consistent impact over the course of the past three games. That includes the Pro Bowler recording 151 yards at a clip of 2.7 yards per rush. This drops him down some in our most-recent rankings.
8. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
- Tony Pollard stats: 158 attempts, 894 rushing yards, 5.7 average, 29 receptions, 279 yards, 1,173 total yards, 12 TD
What Tony Pollard has done for the high-flying Cowboys offensive attack this season can’t go unnoticed. The impending free agent is now on pace for nearly 1,500 total yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s also averaging a resounding 2.8 yards after contact.
Most recently, the former Memphis star has tallied 693 total yards and 10 touchdowns over his past six games alone. Forget about being RB1 in Dallas, Pollard has proven himself to be one of the best NFL running backs this season. It will help him get paid once March comes calling.
Related: Sportsnaut’s Week 15 NFL QB rankings
7. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
- Jonathan Taylor stats: 192 attempts, 861 rushing yards, 4.5 average, 27 receptions, 130 yards, 991 total yards, 4 TD
Despite missing three games to injury and being limited in another, Taylor continues to prove that he’s one of the top running backs in the league. That includes the 2021 rushing champion putting up 475 rushing yards and three touchdowns at a clip of 4.7 yards per rush over the past five games.
The interesting dynamic here is that Taylor is doing this without much of a passing game from quarterback Matt Ryan. A lack of balance would normally impact a running back. We’re just not seeing that with Taylor when he’s been healthy this season.
6. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
- Miles Sanders: 204 attempts, 1,068 rushing yards, 5.2 average, 18 receptions, 85 yards, 1,153 total yards, 11 TD
Sanders has been in and out of our NFL running back rankings pretty much all season. He rejoins the cast after a stellar 144-yard, two-touchdown outing in a blowout Week 14 win over the New York Giants.
The primary thing holding Sanders back is a lack of consistent touches in an offense led by likely NFL MVP Jalen Hurts. Sanders has attempted 15 or fewer rushes seven times through 13 games. He also adds very little value in the passing game, which impacts the Penn State product’s stock heading into free agency.
Related: Week 15 NFL power rankings
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5. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
- Saquon Barkley stats: 251 attempts, 1,083 rushing yards, 4.3 average, 42 receptions, 261 yards, 1,344 total yards, 8 TD
After some brilliant performances earlier in the season highlighted Barkley’s return to pre-injury form, the pending free agent has struggled recently. Barkley has put up a total of 152 rushing yards at a clip of 2.9 yards per rush over his past four outings.
A lot of this has to do with defenses stacking the box against the Penn State product and not fearing the Daniel Jones-led Giants passing attack. Even then, Barkley’s entire body of work this season can’t go unnoticed.
4. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
- Nick Chubb stats: 231 attempts, 1,153 rushing yards, 5.0 average, 20 receptions, 172 yards, 1,325 total yards, 12 TD
Speaking of our NFL running back rankings, Chubb could very well be higher if it weren’t for the others listed below. After all, we’re talking about a dude who has put up north of 100 rushing yards six times in 13 games this season. That’s no small thing.
After averaging nearly 1,400 total yards in each of his first four seasons, Chubb is in the midst of a career-best performance. He’s among the leaders in rushing touchdowns with 12 and is averaging 2.3 yards after contact. That’s some elite-level stuff.
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3. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
- Christian McCaffrey stats: 174 attempts, 819 rushing yards, 4.7 average, 68 receptions, 593 yards, 1,412 total yards, 9 TD
After playing in all of 10 games over the past two seasons, McCaffrey has returned to form as one of the top NFL running backs in the game. That’s now on the verge of being taken to a whole new level since he was acquired by San Francisco in a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers.
CMC made his initial impact with the 49ers in a Week 8 outing in which he threw a touchdown, ran for another score and caught a touchdown from Jimmy Garoppolo. In his most-recent outing, McCaffrey tallied 119 rushing yards en route to helping San Francisco win a sixth consecutive game. Yeah, this dude is back as one of the best all-around NFL running backs.
2. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
- Derrick Henry stats: 275 attempts, 1,199 rushing yards, 4.4 average, 26 receptions, 320 yards, 1,519 total yards, 11 TD
The NFL rushing champ in 2019 and 2020 before an injury-plagued 2021 campaign, Henry has more than returned to earlier-career form. He leads the league in rush attempts, rushing yards, rushing yards per game and total touches. That’s just insane.
After struggling to the tune of 68 rushing yards at a clip of 2.4 yards per in his previous two outings, King Henry returned to form against the Jaguars in Week 14. That included him putting up 121 rushing yards on just 17 attempts despite Tennessee dropping a third consecutive game.
1. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
- Josh Jacobs stats: 269 attempts, 1,402 rushing yards, 5.2 average, 44 receptions, 346 yards, 1,748 total yards, 11 TD
Yet another impending free agent, Jacobs also couldn’t have picked a better time to enjoy a career-best performance. He’s also one of the only feel-good stories for a disappointing Raiders team this season. That includes six 100-yard rushing performances through 13 games.
Jacobs, 24, is averaging a resounding 3.1 yards after contact, up from 2.0 a season ago. He’s also coming off an absolutely insane 303 total-yard outing in a Week 12 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks that included a walk-off touchdown. Over the course of his past five games, Jacobs has tallied an absurd 833 total yards and five touchdowns.