Week 12 Waiver Wire Running Back Priority List | Selecting Between Ty Johnson, Latavius Murray, Samaje Perine, Salvon Ahmed, Roschon Johnson and Rico Dowdle

There were some interesting names atop the running back fantasy leaders in week 11. While many of those guys aren’t available in most leagues, it does show that just about anyone can turn in a big performance from time to time.

Maybe the next big-time performer is on your league’s waiver wire, and I’m here to help you figure out who that might be. We covered the quarterback position already, and will write about wide receivers and tight ends later, so check back for those.

As we have in the waiver wire priority list series, we will focus on players with an own percentage under 50. If there’s some better options out there, then by all means go after them. These stories are written to help those out in deeper leagues.

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The Top Running Backs Available

This week, we will discuss Buffalo Bills’ Ty Johnson and Latavius Murray, Denver Broncos’ Samaje Perine, Miami Dolphins’ Salvon Ahmed, Chicago Bears’ Roschon Johnson and Dallas Cowboys’ Rico Dowdle.

The Bills made a change at offensive coordinator prior to week 11, and immediately showed positive results, racking up 393 total yards of offense against a strong New York Jets’ defense. Running backs Ty Johnson and Murray each had solid showings in the contest.

Johnson, who had played just two offensive snaps coming into the week, played 16 snaps and got six touches. He rushed three times for 11 yards and caught all three of his targets for 47 yards and a touchdown. Johnson wasn’t just utilized in garbage time either, with a couple of touches in the first quarter.

It’s not a big sample size, but on an offense that had been struggling, adding another playmaker to the mix is never a bad thing. He’ll have to compete with Murray and James Cook for more snaps and touches though.

Murray wasn’t as impressive as he was in week 10, but he did play 24 snaps and get 10 touches in the Bills’ win. 

It marked the second straight game Murray got over 10 touches, and he’s totaled over 100 scrimmage yards in the two contests. A score like in week 10 would have boosted his fantasy numbers, but the touches and snaps are what I’m focused on here.

He might not ever be given more than 10-12 touches, but it’s never a bad idea to stash a No. 2 running back on your fantasy team, especially if you have Cook. And with how many touches Murray has gotten over the past two weeks, it’s worth stashing him to see if that trend continues.

Perine had been kind of an afterthought in the Broncos’ offense after the emergence of Jaleel McLaughlin. In week 11, Perine played 12 more snaps than McLaughlin and got two more touches. Perine only played seven less snaps and got five less touches than No. 1 back Javonte Williams.

Perine attempted one rush, gaining 7 yards. He caught all seven of his targets for 60 yards.

Perine has always been a pass-catching back, so anything he adds as a true ball carrier is a bonus. Perine holds some extra value in PPR formats, and again, is worth stashing in case Williams were to go down with another injury.

Ahmed appeared destined for a reserve role with the return of De’Von Achane in week 11. Achane was injured again and only played three snaps, which left plenty of work for Ahmed.

Ahmed was the No. 2 guy behind Raheem Mostert and got six touches across 20 offensive snaps played. He rushed three times for 6 yards and caught all three of his targets for 25 yards and a touchdown.

There’s plenty of touches and snaps to go around in the Dolphins’ high-powered offense, so as long as Ahmed can get a handful of touches a week, he’s got the chance to put forth a respectable fantasy outing, especially in PPR formats.

The Bears got Khalil Herbert back in week 11, but lost D’Onta Foreman to an injury. That could open things up for Roschon Johnson.

Johnson played 25 offensive snaps and got six touches. He rushed six times for 30 yards. Johnson wasn’t targeted in the passing game. 

The Bears’ season is a lost one, and at some point, you’d expect them to put a focus on their younger players to see what they have for the future. That should vault Johnson ahead of Foreman, and I’d expect the rookie back to eat into Herbert’s snaps and touches at some point as well. 

Johnson might not hold a lot of fantasy value right now, but he’s worth rostering in case of an injury or an eventual uptick in playing time and usage.

Dowdle was part of this list last week after getting 12 touches in week 10. He got another 10 touches in week 11, so he returns to the list.

Dowdle played 21 offensive snaps, but wasn’t really heavily used until the fourth quarter, when the Cowboys were up big. He rushed eight times for 23 yards and caught a pair of passes that lost 3 yards.

At quick glance, Dowdle looks to be trending up because of the extra touches and snaps, but I fear he’ll be no more than a handcuff to Tony Pollard when the Cowboys are in tight games.

The Priority List

When looking at the best streaming options for a week, the matchup plays a big, big role.

The Bills play the Philadelphia Eagles, who still have the best numbers against running backs despite the Kansas City Chiefs having a solid showing on Monday night. Perine and the Broncos take on the Cleveland Browns, which is another tough matchup.

Ahmed will be taking on the New York Jets’ defense that allows 24 fantasy points to opposing RBs. Roshcon Johnson and the Bears have the Minnesota Vikings and their above-average defense. Dowdle and the Cowboys have another potential blowout game ahead against the Washington Commanders.  

None of these backs should get all that many touches as backups, so it would make some sense to take the best situation possible. I’d think the Dolphins will play things safe with Achane, which means a bigger workload for Ahmed. I’d take him as my top streaming option of this group of RBs.

I’d take Roschon Johnson next, especially if Foreman misses the contest. In PPR formats, I’d take Perine here, otherwise I’d slot him behind Murray. I’d finally take Ty Johnson and then Dowdle.

For the long haul, I like Murray the most because of his workload to this point of the season. I think Roschon Johnson should see more playing time as the season rolls on, so I’d take him second.

I would like to take Ahmed here, but I think that’s only smart if Achane is out for an extended period of time, which I don’t think will happen, so I’d take Perine over Ahmed. I’d take Dowdle slightly ahead of Ty Johnson knowing what we know now.

These running backs don’t necessarily grab the headlines, but all were involved in their team’s gameplans in week 11 and have opportunities for expanded roles in the weeks to come. If you don’t have the room for them now, keep an eye on them for possibly adding later in the season. The landscape of a team’s backfield can change in a week, or with an injury, so always be mindful of these kinds of backs.