ClutchPoints
Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season arrives with the fantasy football playoffs looming. Running back has once again become the position where championships are won or lost. Week 11 delivered fireworks, led by Sean Tucker’s stunning eruption. That flipped matchups and waiver wires across the fantasy landscape. As always, though, the challenge now is separating true rest-of-season assets from one-week illusions.
This week brings a lighter bye slate, with the Colts and Saints returning and only the Commanders, Dolphins, Broncos, and Chargers idle in Week 12. That keeps most of the top-tier fantasy football backs available. In fact, several matchups offering huge upside. As such, there’s plenty of potential for managers to swing their playoff push in the right direction.
Let’s break down this week’s top Running Back plays and a few under-the-radar sleepers who could swing your matchup.
Few backs in the league offer the dual-threat explosiveness that Jahmyr Gibbs brings each week. Even in Detroit’s ugly 16–9 loss to the Eagles, Gibbs was the lone bright spot. He tallied 12 carries for 39 yards and added five catches on eight targets for a team-high 107 receiving yards. Gibbs’ elite usage in the passing game continues to elevate his floor. With a soft matchup ahead against the Giants, Gibbs enters Week 12 locked in as a top-three fantasy RB.
After a bye week, Jonathan Taylor returns as one of the hottest running backs in the NFL. Before the break, Taylor delivered a jaw-dropping 32 carries for 244 yards and three touchdowns. That’s in addition to three catches for 42 yards in an overtime win over Atlanta in Berlin. His 83-yard dash late in the fourth quarter was vintage Taylor. It showed vision, burst, and power all on display.
Taylor now has four three-touchdown performances this season. He continues to build his MVP-caliber résumé. With a massive workload and elite goal-line usage, he remains a top-tier RB1 even against a disciplined Chiefs defense.
Kyren Williams remains the engine of the Rams’ ground game. He put together another efficient outing in Week 11 with 12 carries for 91 yards and a score. Despite sharing touches with Blake Corum, Williams remains the clear lead back, especially in scoring situations. Recall that he punched in a red-zone TD after Corum was stuffed three times. The matchup with Tampa Bay isn’t the easiest. Still, Williams’ blend of usage, consistency, and scoring upside keeps him firmly in the RB1 conversation.
Age is nothing but a number for Derrick Henry. He continues to churn out big performances. In Week 11 against Cleveland, he rumbled for 103 rushing yards and a touchdown. Henry also added 19 receiving yards. His 59-yard breakaway was a reminder he still has home-run speed in his mid-30s....
