{"id":251263,"date":"2025-10-16T09:15:45","date_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=251263"},"modified":"2025-11-27T18:33:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T23:33:25","slug":"fantasy-football-rankings-top-10-running-backs-week-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/10\/16\/fantasy-football-rankings-top-10-running-backs-week-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Fantasy Football Rankings: Top 10 Running Backs For Week 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Week 7 of the fantasy football season. Week 6 gave us a couple of hot new names at the running back position. Well, one hot new name and one hot old name. Kimani Vidal slid in as the Chargers’ top rusher in place of the injured Omarion Hampton, and he looked great, totaling 138 combined yards and a score in the Chargers<\/a>‘ win over Miami<\/a>. Meanwhile, Rico Dowdle doubled down on his Week 5 breakout game against those same Dolphins, by shredding his former team, the Cowboys<\/a>, to the tune of 183 rushing yards with an additional 56 receiving yards and a score. Do either of these backs appear in our Top 10 Running Back Rankings for Week 7? Read on to find out.<\/p>\n

It just so happens that the Cowboys and Dolphins rank in the bottom three of the league against the run, so we will be sure to take note when ranking our running backs for this week. We will have to make do without Derrick Henry and James Cook as they enjoy their bye weeks, but there are plenty of other options available. Let’s take a look at our top ten for this week.<\/p>\n

Week 7 Running Back Rankings<\/h2>\n

1) Jonathan Taylor @ The Chargers<\/h3>\n

\"Jonathan<\/p>\n

He’s the top back in the league, period. He ranks first in total points as well as rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and has been the focal point in the offense of a Colts team that currently sits atop the AFC with a 5-1 record. The Chargers defense can be run on as they have allowed consecutive 100+ yard days to Bill Croskey-Merritt and De’Von Achane, and currently ranks 21st in the league against the run. Taylor has gotten no less than 20 touches in every game so far this season, and that volume will continue as long as he stays healthy. Play him as your RB1 and continue to enjoy his success.<\/p>\n

2) Bijan Robinson @ The 49ers<\/h3>\n

\"rookie<\/p>\n

This game should be fun to watch as we will see two of the most exciting backs in the league lock horns. Bijan was drafted as the top back in many fantasy drafts, and last week, he showed us all why. He exploded for a career-high 238 combined yards en route to his best fantasy day of the season with a total of 38.8 PPR points against the Bills<\/a>. While that partly may have been due to a soft matchup against Buffalo’s bottom 3 run defenses, it also says a lot about this kid’s ability.<\/p>\n

The 49ers<\/a> have allowed backs like Travis Etienne and Alvin Kamara to have big days against them so far this year, and they will have their hands full trying to stop Robinson. The beauty of Bijan is that he’s matchup-proof. If they manage to stop him on the ground, he will get you fantasy points with his receiving ability. Even if you’re in a two-team league, you’re starting Bijan.<\/p>\n

3) Christian McCaffrey vs. the Falcons<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Speaking of backs who can beat you with their receiving ability, here is this year’s king. CMC has actually been a mediocre running back when you look at his rushing stats. Through six games, he has a total of 336 rushing yards on 108 attempts with just 1 touchdown, for a total of 39.6 fantasy points, or about 6.6 per game. Luckily, the story doesn’t end there, as he has also tacked on 46 receptions on 60 targets for 444 receiving yards and an additional three scores.<\/p>\n

Those receiving numbers alone total 108.4 PPR fantasy points, which would rank him as a top 10 WR ahead of somebody like Drake London, who has a total of 34 catches for 427 yards and 2 scores so far. The bottom line here is that McCaffrey is doing it all for San Francisco as well as his fantasy owners. If you have him, you don’t need me to tell you to put him in.<\/p>\n

Click below for more of our Week 7 Running Back Rankings<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4) Josh Jacobs @ The Cardinals<\/h3>\n

\"Stephon<\/p>\n

Jacobs broke out in Week 4 with 150+ combined yards and two scores right before the Packers<\/a> took Week 5 off for their bye. Many of his fantasy owners may have worried that he would lose that momentum with the week off, but he quickly laid those worries to rest as he did basically the same exact thing in Week 6 against the Bengals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This week, he gets an Arizona<\/a> defense that is more vulnerable to the pass than the run so far this season, but the game script should allow Jacobs plenty of volume to put up big numbers. Keep him in your lineup and expect another TD or two as well as enough touches to total north of 80 yards.<\/p>\n

5) Saquon Barkley @ The Vikings<\/h3>\n

\"eagles<\/p>\n

Saquon has been a disappointment for anybody who drafted him as a top 5 pick this year. The warnings were out there that he was due for regression after the immense workload he enjoyed while piling up north of 2,000 scrimmage yards last season. Through six games, we’ve noticed the regression, but it doesn’t seem like it’s completely Saquon’s fault. The massive holes he had to run through last year have tightened, and the Philly defense has allowed opponents to control the ball much more than they did last year.<\/p>\n

Last year, the Eagles<\/a> ranked #1 in the league in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of over 32 minutes per game. This year, they rank #19 in the league, and while the blame can be shared by both the offense and defense, Saquon is the one paying the price either way. This week, they get a Vikings<\/a> defense that ranks 24th in the league against the run, and I expect the Eagles to lean on Saquon all game long. Hopefully, you’ve stayed patient with your first-round pick, as good things are coming.<\/p>\n

6) Jahmyr Gibbs vs The Bucs<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He’s a first-round stud who’s coming off his quietest performance of the season. Don’t be a donkey and panic because this is usually the week when the sharks in your league will hit you up to see if you might be willing to trade him away. Last week is behind us, and while we expect more than 7 fantasy points, we don’t mind the fact that he got 80% of their backfield touches.<\/p>\n

This week, the Lions<\/a> might be in for a bit of a shootout with Baker and his Bucs<\/a>, and that means plenty of fantasy points for everybody. When these two teams combined for over 50 points in the 2023 season’s playoffs, Gibbs was right in the middle of the scoring with 114 total yards and 21.4 PPR fantasy points. No matter how we cut this, you aren’t going to bench this guy, and you shouldn’t consider trading him unless the other owner is giving you two top performers like Drake London and a top 12 running back. The best is yet to come for Gibbs.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

7) Quinshon Judkins vs The Dolphins<\/h3>\n

\"Quinshon<\/p>\n

The Dolphins are to opposing running backs what the Cowboys have been to opposing quarterbacks. This is as sweet as matchups get, as Miami ranks dead last against the run after being shredded yet again last week. This time, it was the mighty Kimani Vidal running behind an offensive line that’s playing without their two top tackles. The Browns<\/a> offense has been a bit lackluster, to say the least, but Judkins has been one of the few bright spots.<\/p>\n

He struggled last week against the Steelers<\/a> in a game where Dillon Gabriel and company were held to just 9 points and under 240 total yards. The Browns will be home this week, hosting Miami in a battle of 1-5 teams that certainly will have more of an impact on next year’s draft than it will on the playoff race. The Browns are going to feed Judkins as much as he can handle, and I expect that he can handle a lot.<\/p>\n

8) De’Von Achane @ The Browns<\/h3>\n

\"De'Von<\/p>\n

The Browns have a top-10 run defense and sit at #3 in the league overall. Ordinarily, this isn’t a team we target running backs against, but Achane isn’t your typical running back. He ripped through the Chargers last week for his first 100+ rushing day of 2025, but he’s been a top 10 scoring back all season thanks to his pass-catching prowess.<\/p>\n

Only Christian McCaffrey has more targets out of the backfield, as Achane has amassed 195 yards along with 3 touchdowns on 29 catches so far through 6 games. The Dolphins will need Achane to contribute as this game figures to be a back-and-forth affair between two floundering teams. His floor scoring has been over 15 points every week in PPR formats; he’s a must-start.<\/p>\n

9) Breece Hall vs. The Panthers<\/h3>\n

\"Star<\/p>\n

To say the Panthers<\/a> aren’t the pushover against the run that they were last year is quite the understatement. They ranked dead last against the run last year, and after Trevor Etienne’s monster week one, we all figured “here we go again”. Since then, they have shut down the likes of James Conner, Bijan Robinson, De’Von Achane, and Javonte Williams, who was held to a mere 29 yards last week.<\/p>\n

Why would I think Breece Hall is going to find success where these other backs couldn’t? Volume and game script. The Jets<\/a> are desperate for their first win, and I like them to get it this week at home against a Carolina team that’s winless away from home. If that’s going to happen, it will have to come via a large contribution from Hall and Fields on the ground. It would be nice if the Jets remember that he can also contribute as a pass catcher, as he was shut out last week through the air after averaging 4+ catches for 34 yards in his previous 3 games. I expect Hall to get near 30 combined touches this week and to get his first score of the season.<\/p>\n

\n

For more help with your next fantasy football matchups, check out our Week 7 Waiver Wire Recommendations<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

10) Ashton Jeanty @ The Chiefs<\/h3>\n

\"Ashton<\/p>\n

Since the rookie broke out with his monster Week 4 game against the Bears<\/a>, Jeanty has been solid but not spectacular. What we really like here is how Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly have figured out that he can contribute as a pass catcher. In the Raiders<\/a>‘ first three games, Jeanty was only targeted a total of 6 times, resulting in 5 catches for a whopping 3 yards and no scores. Since Week 4, he’s totaled 8 catches on 13 targets for a more impressive 70 yards as well as 2 scores.<\/p>\n

While that may pale in comparison to backs like McCaffrey and Achane, it’s more than enough to give the rookie a solid week-in and week-out scoring floor in PPR leagues. The Raiders will have their hands full with the Chiefs<\/a> defense, but they can be run on. The sledding won’t be easy for Jeanty, who will have to work without top blocker Kolton Miller for most of the season after he was put on IR this past week, but he will get the volume to be a top 10-12 fantasy performer.<\/p>\n

There are some others, like Rico Dowdle and Cam Skattebo, who had huge games last week, who just missed this list. While I would be happy to play either of them, I feel like both are going to come back to earth this week as they face stiffer competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Week 7 of the fantasy football season. Week 6 gave us a couple of hot new names at the running back position. Well, one hot new name and one hot old name. Kimani Vidal slid in as the Chargers’ top rusher in place of the injured Omarion Hampton, and he looked great, totaling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5634,"featured_media":251268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,33912],"tags":[349,2320,33805],"class_list":["post-251263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fantasy","category-fantasy-rankings","tag-fantasy-football-rankings","tag-nfl-schedule","tag-running-back-rankings"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=251263"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":251269,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/251263\/revisions\/251269"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/251268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=251263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=251263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=251263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}