Welcome to week 7, which has the largest number of teams out due to their bye week to date this season. Six teams are off this week, meaning the running back position just got a little thinner. You’ll be missing studs like Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Breece Hall, and Dameon Pierce this week. However, this leaves opportunities for bench stashes and waiver wire pickups the chance to shine in your starting lineups. The running back rankings have a lot of turnover heading into week 7, but it’s really testing the depth at the position. These are the running backs you should prioritize this week.
Fantasy Football Week 7 Running Back Rankings
Tier 1: Elite RB1
- Christian McCaffrey*
- Austin Ekeler
- Bijan Robinson
Christian McCaffrey now has 15 consecutive touchdowns. Not many players have the same type of safe floor McCaffrey possesses. His health is in question, but if he’s active, you’re playing him. Austin Ekeler is back. After an early multi-game absence heading into the bye week, he returned last Monday night to put up 10.2 points against the Dallas Cowboys. When he’s healthy, Ekeler is a staple top 3 player among the running back rankings. Bijan Robinson’s stellar rookie season continues. His upside is a high-end RB1 every time he steps onto the football field. Keep starting him with confidence.
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Tier 2: High-End RB1
- Alvin Kamara
- Saquon Barkley
- Josh Jacobs
- D’Andre Swift
- Kenneth Walker
These players are high-volume backs who are heavily involved in their respective teams’ backfields. Alvin Kamara’s unique ability to lead the Saints in rushing and receiving yards any given week keeps him cemented in the RB1 conversation. Saquon Barkley returned from injury last week too. The New York Giants desperately needed his playmaking ability and will remain a focal point on offense.
The other three players may not get a lot of targets in the passing game, but they do most of their damage running the football. Josh Jacobs is dominating the backfield touches in Las Vegas and now faces a subpar Bears rush defense. Kenneth Walker also gets a favorable matchup against a divisional opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, who’s given up 133.3 rushing yards per game. D’Andre Swift is going to be in a track meet this week when the Eagles take on the Miami Dolphins. It should be the highest-scoring game of the week and all players involved should get a boost in the rankings.
Tier 3: Borderline RB1/RB2
- Aaron Jones
- Kyren Williams*
- Travis Etienne
- Jonathan Taylor
This part of the running back rankings is all players that can just take over a game any given week. Aaron Jones and the Packers have the luxury of going against the Denver Broncos and their bottom-ranked defense. Jones should look fresh coming back from an injury and his bye week. Travis Etienne has been on an absolute tear lately but gets a tough matchup against a Saints run defense that hasn’t allowed an RB1 finish all season. Jonathan Taylor’s usage ramped up last week on his way to 11.5 fantasy points. Positive sign to see as he gets back into the swing of things.
Kyren Williams is getting elite usage as the Rams top running back. He’s dealing with an injury and is at risk of missing the game. If he suits up, he’s got a good matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tier 4: High End RB2
- Isiah Pacheco
- Brian Robinson
- Raheem Mostert
- Rachaad White
- David Montgomery*
- James Cook
These players have safe floors as RB2s but have the upside to finish the week as RB1s. Isiah Pacheco has a firm grasp of the Kansas City backfield and is getting more involved in the passing game. He’s a great start in what should be a high-scoring game against the Chargers. Brian Robinson has been halted the last couple of games, but he should get back on track versus the Giants. Raheem Mostert is just a touchdown machine. Among all non-quarterback players, he leads the league with 11 touchdowns through six weeks and now will be in a likely shootout against the Eagles.
Rachaad White remains the only running back on the team to have any sort of role. He’ll continue being a safe weekly option as long as he keeps dominating the backfield touches. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell recently said David Montgomery can handle “25-30 carries” a game. With that type of workload, Montgomery has a safe weekly floor. If he’s active, you’re playing him. However, he is dealing with a rib injury that could sideline him, so keep tabs on the injury report leading up to the game.
Tier 5: Borderline RB2/RB3
- Jerome Ford
- Javonte Williams
- Rhamondre Williams
- Roschon Johnson*
- Jaylen Warren
- Najee Harris
- Jahmyr Gibbs*
The Browns went with a double-headed running back attack last week with PJ Walker under center. Jerome Ford out-touched Kareem Hunt 19 to 15, but Hunt got the touchdown. It’s something to monitor moving forward, but as long as Deshaun Watson remains out or limited, the Browns will likely be a run-heavy offense. Javonte Williams barely has a hold of the starting gig right now. He out-touched Jaleel McLaughlin 10 to 7 but played fewer snaps. Maybe Denver was easing him back after an injury, or the undrafted rookie made an impression on Sean Payton.
If Roschon Johnson clears the concussion protocol he’s a popular pick to lead the Bears’ backfield. The rookie has looked good when given the opportunity. Until Najee Harris shows life in the Steelers backfield, he’ll remain behind teammate Jaylen Warren in the running back rankings. Warren’s receiving upside gives him the edge between the two each week, and oddly enough, he’s second on the team in receptions (21). Jahmyr Gibbs has missed back-to-back games but could be in for a large role if David Montgomery is limited or forced to miss time.
Tier 6: RB3 With RB2 Upside
- Alexander Mattison
- Jaleel McLaughlin
- Keaontay Ingram
- D’Onta Foreman
Alexander Mattison is averaging 16.7 touches per game but isn’t doing much with them at 11.73 PPG. Next up is a date with an angry San Francisco 49ers team. Jaleel McLaughlin might be here to stay. He led all Denver running backs in snap share (40%) last Thursday night. As long as McLaughlin stays involved, he’ll be in RB3 territory within the running back rankings. Keontay Ingram was the top back in Arizona last week. He paced the backfield with 12 touches. With James Conner out, Ingram is the top back until proven otherwise. D’Onta Foreman was in control of the Chicago Bears backfield last week with all the injuries. Foreman carried the ball 15 times for 65 yards. Depending on the health of Justin Fields, it could be a heavy dose of Foreman and Roschon Johnson next week.
Tier 7: Flex Play Desperation
- AJ Dillon
- Tyler Allgeier
- Justice Hill
- Gus Edwards
- Zack Moss
- Kareem Hunt
- Jordan Mason / Elijah Mitchell*
- Zach Evans*
Chances are you have one of the running backs on a bye this week and need someone to fill a starting spot. These are some of the best players if you’re in need of a weekly spot start. AJ Dillon and Tyler Allgeier are both getting double-digit carries a game and could fall into the endzone any given week. Justice Hill and Gus Edwards keep splitting the rushing load in Baltimore, but Hill still has the receiving upside for that extra boost. Zack Moss has gone back-to-back weeks outscoring teammate Jonathan Taylor. Look for him to stay involved.
The Cleveland Browns got Kareem Hunt more touches coming out of the bye and even found the endzone. The duo has a good matchup against the Indianapolis Colts that just allowed two rushing touchdowns. It appears Jordan Mason has surpassed Elijah Mitchell on the depth chart. However, their relevance depends solely on the health of Christian McCaffrey. Monitor the practice statuses and injury reports leading up to the game. If McCaffrey is out, they’re both worth a flier in the flex. Zach Evans is another running back who could be boosted up the depth chart with both Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers dealing with injuries. If Evans is the starter look for him to get the bulk of the touches in a favorable matchup and instantly have RB2 upside.
Main Photo: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
