The fantasy playoffs march on. For those of you who survived the first round, it's very possible you didn't make it out unscathed at the running back position. Let's run through the injuries with the potential to alter your Round 2 approach in case you need a recap. David Montgomery's knee injury leaves a Knuckles-sized void in the hearts of fantasy managers. The Alvin Kamara train was derailed by a groin injury. Nick Chubb can't seem to catch a break. Sincere McCormick, who commanded a hefty waiver investment, almost immediately hurt his ankle on Monday night. 

Brutal stuff across the board to start a title run. 

That was last week, though. If you're here, you likely survived the running back epidemic. Or, you're still really invested in staying out of last place. Either way, you have some options. 

Here's a look at some potential quarterfinal lifelines in Jerome Ford, Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne Jr., and Alexander Mattison. 

Week 16 Sit-Start Decisions

RB Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns

There's plenty of uncertainty surrounding Cleveland's skill players entering Week 16. Beyond the loss of Nick Chubb, Jameis Winston is set to be replaced by Dorian Thompson-Robinson after his three-interception performance against the Chiefs. (Side note: awful call by me starting Winston last week. He's truly fantasy's Pandora's Box.)

Now that's out of the way, Thompson-Robinson could boost Jerome Ford's prospects in Week 16. In 2023, the UCLA product started three games as a rookie. In those three games -- Week 4, Week 10, and Week 11 -- Thompson-Robinson targeted Ford an average of six times per game out of the backfield. He averaged 2.6 catches on 58.3 percent of Cleveland's running back snaps over that span. Regarding the rushing numbers, Ford took 12.6 attempts per game for 54.6 yards, which is good for a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. Jump back to this season. On 87 attempts this season, Ford's 5.2 yards per carry is the league's eighth-best mark.

Ford saw 58 percent of the Browns' Week 15 snaps. Pierre Strong Jr was the only other back outside of Chubb to see the field, logging six snaps. Chubb's piece of the pie will likely be split in some capacity among Strong Jr. and possibly D'Onta Foreman. Still, Ford's snap count and his 104 scrimmage yards on nine touches indicate he'll take the lion's share of the backfield reps moving forward. Over their last three games, the Bengals have given up 7.3 receptions and 83.3 receiving yards to running backs. If Ford is as involved in the passing games as he was in Thompson-Robinson's 2023 starts, there's big-time potential here. 

Recommendation: Start Ford 

RBs Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville backfield split between Tank Bigsby and Travis Etienne Jr. has officially become a headache. It's not so much the role. Both backs are producing with Mac Jones under center. Over Weeks 14 and 15, they've averaged 28 combined touches for 129.5 yards. The issue, however, lies in the disparity of touches over the last two weeks. 

In Week 14, Bigsby totaled 18 carries and one catch, to Etienne's four carries and four catches. Last week, Etienne outcarried Bigsby 14-to-11 and added four catches. At first glance, it looks like the shift could've resulted from Bigsby's inefficiency in Week 14. He averaged 3.1 yards per carry against Tennessee, which allowed 229 rushing yards to Washington's backs in Week 13. That didn't change in Week 15, as Bigsby turned 11 carries into 3.8 yards. It's possible the high-scoring nature of the Jaguars matchup with the Jets favored Etienne's skillset. He took 73 percent of the snaps out of the backfield. It's also possible the gradual shift to a more Etienne-centric approach could continue. 

If the split reverts to something closer to Week 14, in which Bigsby and Etienne handled 31 and 28 snaps, respectively, Las Vegas is an exploitable matchup. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for 168 yards on 34 carries against the Raiders in Week 15. Both guys could produce. Given Ettiene's productivity as the lead back, Doug Pederson might continue to ride the hot hand while Bigsby takes the secondary role.

Recommendation: Lean Etienne, Fade Bigsby 

RB Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders

While we're on the topic of backfield headaches, few have been as difficult to prognosticate as that of the Raiders. After Antonio Pierce anointed Sincere McCormick as the team's lead back, it looked like there might be a little clarity. McCormick saw 61 percent of the snaps in Week 14, with Ameer Abdullah mixing in for 39 percent. Then, McCormick hurt his ankle, an injury that looks like it'll keep him out for the remainder of the season, and Alexander Mattison re-entered the fold after missing three games. 

Mattison turned his 22 snaps into nine touches and 24 yards against the Falcons. Unspectacular. To make matters worse, Abdullah was on the field for 31 snaps in a game Las Vegas trailed from wire-to-wire. He caught seven passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. It's clear passing work will go to Abdullah. Given the state of the Raiders, there shouldn't be too many run-heavy scripts in the near future. 

Jacksonville's run defense just held the Jets backs to 59 yards on 16 carries in Week 15. Mattison's role looks too limited to warrant a spot in lineups. His 3.3 yards per carry also don't instill much confidence. 

Recommendation: Sit Mattison

If you're still not sold on any of the aforementioned options, our experts tackled Jerome Ford and the rest of the position in their Week 16 Running Back rankings. We can help you with any of your close calls.