Heading into Week 7, a good chunk of fantasy owners have to be ecstatic that they're getting some of their top running backs back from byes. Alvin Kamara, Josh Jacobs, Chris Carson, Joshua Kelley, Justin Jackson, and Latavius Murray were all off last week, but they're back in our Week 7 fantasy RB rankings, adding strength to the top tier. The middle tier takes a bit of a hit, though, as the Week 7 byes take away several key backs, and increased competition for touches causes a few more RBs to drop.
The Colts, Ravens, Dolphins, and Vikings are all off this week. That means no Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, Jonathan Taylor, Mark Ingram, JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards, and Myles Gaskin. Cook and Taylor have been must-starts when healthy, and Ingram and Gaskin have been key RB2s/flex backs. Edwards, Dobbins, and even Mattison have been able to fill in at flex in a pinch, too.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
It also doesn't help that more RB committees are emerging across the league. Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay are sharing work for the Broncos, and with Zack Moss back, he and Devin Singletary are splitting time for the Bills. In Kansas City, Le'Veon Bell will now be taking some touches away from rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Perhaps even more unexpectedly, J.D. McKissic has been stealing touches from Antonio Gibson the past two weeks in Washington. This makes it more difficult to find true RB2s, so fantasy owners may have to gamble on some high-upside flexes this week who they may not otherwise go for.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
For that reason, it could behoove fantasy owners to trust the Lions' backs in Week 7. Adrian Peterson and D'Andre Swift should both be RB2/flex plays against a weak Falcons defense. Additionally, Chargers backs Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley can be utilized in lineups against the Jaguars. The Chargers may ride the hot hand, but both should get plenty of touches and be flex plays, at the very least.
WEEK 7 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Per usual, we're not liking the Jets' backfield much this week. Frank Gore could be a volume-based flex in standard leagues against the Bills because of the byes, but he hasn't posted a big game yet this year. It's only a matter of time before rookie La'Mical Perine takes over for him, but you can't trust the young guy yet either. If you can avoid starting either player, do it. The upside just isn't great enough with Gore and the floor is too low for Perine right now.
WEEK 7 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Reminder: As always, we expect to make plenty of changes to these RB rankings throughout the week, so check back for updates and analysis.
MORE WEEK 7 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 7 Fantasy RB Rankings (Standard)
These rankings are for non-PPR leagues.
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Alvin Kamara, NO vs. CAR. Alvin Kamara is back in action and he's taking on one of two teams to allow eight rushing TDs to opposing RBs. Fire him up as a the top play in standard and PPR formats. |
| 2 | Aaron Jones, GB @ HOU. The other team to allow eight rushing TDs is the Texans. They've allowed a whopping 969 yards on the ground, 151 more than the next closest team, and will now get to face Aaron Jones and the Packers. Jones should easily rebound from his 10-carry, 15-yard outing against the Buccaneers. |
| 3 | Ezekiel Elliott, DAL @ WAS |
| 4 | Derrick Henry, TEN vs. PIT |
| 5 | Todd Gurley, ATL vs. DET. In his last four outings, Gurley has averaged 16 carries, 76.3 yards, and a TD per game for the Falcons. Now, he gets to take on a Lions defense that has allowed 25.4 fantasy points per game (FPPG) to RBs, good for fourth-most in the league. Gurley should get the ball early and often in this contest, especially considering that the Lions have been surprisingly good against the pass this year (234 yards passing yards allowed per game). |
| 6 | Ronald Jones II, TB @ LV. Jones has averaged 20 carries and 110 yards in his last three outings and has surpassed the 100-yard mark in each of those contests. He's running well behind the Tampa Bay offensive line and now will get a chance to feast on a Raiders defense that has allowed 26.6 FPPG to RBs, good for the third most in the NFL. |
| 7 | David Johnson, HOU vs. GB. The Packers were just gashed by Ronald Jones for over 100 yards and two TDs. This year, they are giving up 28 FPPG to RBs, the most in the NFL, and are one of only a few teams that have allowed nine total TDs to RBs. Johnson hasn't been consistent with the Texans, but they should look to get him involved early against Green Bay and try to extend his TD streak to two games. |
| 8 | Chris Carson, SEA @ ARZ |
| 9 | James Conner, PIT @ TEN. Conner has run for over 100 yards in three of his last four games and has a TD in four consecutive games. He is as consistent as they come and gets to take on a defense that is surrendering 137 rushing yards per game, good for the seventh-most in the league. |
| 10 | Kareem Hunt, CLE @ CIN. So far this season, the Bengals have allowed 716 rushing yards to RBs, good for the second-most in the NFL. The Browns are at their best as a run-dominant team and Hunt is their lead back with Nick Chubb out. Hunt has only averaged 3.4 yards per carry in two games as the lead back, but the Bengals are his easiest matchup to date. That should give Hunt a chance to work his way into RB1 territory. |
| 11 | Josh Jacobs, LV vs. TB. So far this season, the Bucs have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game at a mark of 64.3, and they just shut down Aaron Jones and the Packers. That will make this a tough matchup for Jacobs, but Jacobs has five TDs on the year and the Bucs are susceptible to rushing TDs (five allowed to RBs this year). He'll remain an RB1 thanks to some top players being on bye, but Jacobs does carry with him some risk. |
| 12 | James Robinson, JAX @ LAC. Robinson has averaged fewer than 50 rushing yards his last four games, but he has made up for that by totaling 19 catches, 161 yards, and a receiving TD in that span. So long as Robinson catches passes out of the backfield, he'll have a high floor, even against a Chargers team that has yet to allow a rushing TD to a running back. |
| 13 | Mike Davis, CAR @ NO. Davis' stretch of 90-yard games was broken last week, but he did manage to find the end zone against a solid Bears defense. Davis has a middling matchup against the Saints in Week 7, so he'll be in the RB2 category against a defense that allows 17.8 FPPG to RBs. |
| 14 | Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC @ DEN. Edwards-Helaire will probably continue to be the lead back in Kansas City despite the addition of Le'Veon Bell. That said, Bell could take some touches from him to keep the rookie fresh and to help him avoid hitting the proverbial rookie wall. Either way, Edwards-Helaire's ceiling is only in the RB2 range this week, as Denver has allowed only one total TD to RBs this season and is allowing a league-low 12.1 FPPG. |
| 15 | David Montgomery, CHI @ LAR. Montgomery can be frustrating at times due to his inability to consistently generate yardage on the ground, but he is averaging about 79 scrimmage yards per game in his last five outings. He'll continue to work as the top pass-catcher out of the Chicago backfield with Tarik Cohen sidelined, so he can be trusted against a Rams team that has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards to RBs this season (305). |
| 16 | Giovani Bernard, CIN vs. CLE. Bernard can be trusted as an RB2 in place of Joe Mixon (foot), especially against a Browns team that has is tied for the third-most rushing TDs allowed to RBs this season (7). |
| 17 | Phillip Lindsay, DEN vs. KC. In Week 6, Lindsay returned from a toe injury that had sidelined him since the halfway point of the first game of the season. Against the Patriots, he totaled 101 yards on 23 carries and looked like a solid starter. He will be splitting carries with Melvin Gordon with Gordon likely set to return from illness this week, but Lindsay still deserves to be a top-20 play and he may be the better back the rest of the way for Denver. |
| 18 | Justin Jackson, LAC vs. JAX. Jackon out-touched his backfield mate Joshua Kelley 20-12 in Week 5, the first full game that the Chargers spent without Austin Ekeler, and so he should be considered the lead option for L.A. at least for the moment. The Jaguars have surrendered 24.7 FPPG to RBs this year, good for the fifth-most in the league, so Jackson could take advantage of that. He can be plugged in as an RB2, but just be wary of his potential downside if the Chargers elect to ride the hot hand and it ends up being Kelley. |
| 19 | Kenyan Drake, ARZ vs. SEA. The Seahawks have only allowed 3.7 yards per carry so far this year but Drake is coming off his best game of the season against the Cowboys, in which he totaled 164 yards and two TDs on the ground. However, it's worth noting that Drake had a 69-yard TD run in garbage time, so it's fair to expect his production to dip a bit in a more difficult matchup. |
| 20 | Darrell Henderson, LAR vs. CHI. Henderson now appears to officially be the lead back for the Rams after handling 14 carries and turning them into 88 yards against the 49ers on Sunday night while Malcolm Brown got two carries and Cam Akers didn't see the field. Henderson will be taking on a Bears team that has allowed the 11th-most rushing yards to RBs so far this season (578) and if he gets a similar carry split in Week 7, he should be a rock-solid RB2. |
| 21 | Melvin Gordon, DEN vs. KC. See Phillip Lindsay. |
| 22 | Boston Scott, PHI vs. NYG. Miles Sanders (knee) seems unlikely to play on Thursday night against the Giants. That will thrust Scott into the top role in the Eagles' backfield. Scott had 11 touches for 54 yards in his Week 1 start in place of an injured Sanders (hamstring) and he will have a chance to carry a larger workload against the Giants. New York has allowed the sixth-most receiving yards to RBs this year (303), so Scott gets a bit of a bump as a potential PPR receiving option, especially with the Eagles' receiving corps still banged-up. |
| 23 | Devin Singletary, BUF @ NYJ. Singletary is averaging just 67 yards per game this season and has only reached the end zone once, but he will still be an RB2 this week because of bye weeks and a great matchup against the Jets. Singletary has played at least 63 percent of the offensive snaps in his past four games, and he should eventually have a big game if he can break some plays with his explosive speed. |
| 24 | Jerick McKinnon, SF @ NE. With Raheem Mostert (ankle) out, McKinnon is the healthiest RB on the San Francisco roster. Unfortunately, he gets a tough matchup against a Patriots defense that has been solid against the run and has allowed just two total TDs to RBs this year. McKinnon can still rack up some yards -- Phillip Lindsay did last week by generating 100 yards on the ground -- so he's still startable, especially in PPR formats and if Jeff Wilson Jr. (calf) is out. |
| 25 | Antonio Gibson, WAS vs. DAL. The bad news: Gibson is splitting touches with J.D. McKissic and is doesn't seem that either will be given more than 11-13 carries in a game. The good news: Gibson is playing a Dallas team that has allowed 631 rushing yards to RBs this season, good for sixth most in the NFL. Gibson may have RB2 upside this week if he can get enough touches, but we'll have to see if that happens. |
| 26 | D'Andre Swift, DET @ ATL. Swift had his breakout game in Week 6 against the Jaguars, as he received 17 touches and turned them into 123 yards and two TDs. Swift now gets to take on an Atlanta defense that has allowed the second-most receiving yards (328) and most receiving TDs (4) to RBs this year. He could boom as a high-end RB2, but Matt Patricia's desire to mix up his RBs could put a cap on Swift after he played just 38 percent of the snaps last week. |
| 27 | Adrian Peterson, DET @ ATL. If Swift doesn't get a higher snap count, it could be Peterson that exposes the Falcons' defense. Peterson is averaging 16 carries per game his last three outings and has two TDs during that span. He has less upside than Swift considering his 3.2 yards per carry (ypc) average during that time, but if Matt Patricia leans on him, he could do damage. |
| 28 | Devonta Freeman, NYG @ PHI. Freeman is getting volume in New York, but not much else. He's averaging only 3.2 ypc and has yet to total more than 61 yards on the ground. The Eagles should be a tough matchup for Freeman, as Philly is allowing on 3.3 ypc to RBs. |
| 29 | Latavius Murray, NO vs. CAR. The Panthers are bad enough against the run that multiple backs can do damage against them. Murray has been averaging 11.3 carries per game in his last three outings and has logged two TDs during that span. He may not have as much upside as his teammate Kamara, but if the Saints continue to let Murray carry the ball, he may have a chance to score or at least rip off a long run. |
| 30 | Zack Moss, BUF @ NYJ. Moss (toe) returned to action in Week 5, played a career-low 25 percent of the Bills' snaps, and carried the ball five times for 10 yards. Moss has a good matchup in Week 7 and could still be a goal-line threat. However, if he doesn't produce in this matchup or sees a low snap count again, he will no longer garner flex consideration moving forward. |
| 31 | Damien Harris, NE vs. SF. With the Patriots playing from behind on Sunday, they didn't get to run the ball much and when they did, they split it evenly between Harris, Rex Burkhead, and James White. Harris still led the team's RBs in carries (6), but he only had 19 yards on the ground and one catch for 14 yards. As long as Cam Newton is there to vulture carries and rushing TDs with James White serving as the primary receiving back, Harris' upside will be limited to that of a flex play. |
| 32 | Joshua Kelley, LAC vs. JAX. Kelley could be an RB2 if he gets the hot hand, but for now, it appears that Justin Jackson is the top option. As such, Kelley will be a flex play. |
| 33 | Frank Gore, NYJ vs. BUF. The fact that Frank Gore is still playing at age 37 is amazing. The fact that he's on the Jets isn't. Gore is coming off a season-high 70 total yards against the Dolphins, but without much of a scoring punch, a banged-up offensive line, and a bottom-barrel offense surrounding him, Gore isn't anything more than a volume-based flex. |
| 34 | Jamaal Williams, GB @ HOU. We highlighted the Texans' struggles against the run earlier, and while that will primarily benefit Aaron Jones, it is worth noting that Williams has played in greater than 50 percent of the snaps in back-to-back games for the Packers and he is averaging 4.3 yards per carry. Williams is also a great receiver, so he can be trusted as a flex play in all formats though his ceiling in higher in PPR. |
| 35 | J.D. McKissic, WAS vs. DAL. McKissic has averaged 6.3 catches and 43 receiving yards per game in his past three outings. He hasn't gotten consistent carries because of the presence of Antonio Gibson but if he continues to be a productive receiver out of the backfield, he will be a weekly flex play and a potential RB2 sleeper in PPR and DFS formats. |
| 36 | Chase Edmonds, ARZ vs. SEA. The Edmonds hype train has slowed down a bit after Kenyan Drake's outing against the Cowboys, but Edmonds is still the more trustworthy receiver of the two. He has been targeted at least four times in four of his six games despite playing limited snaps. He's mostly a top handcuff for now, but he's worth a fly as a flex play if you're in a bind. |
| 37 | Leonard Fournette, TB @ LV. Fournette (ankle) should be good to go against the Raiders, but after Ronald Jones' third-straight 100-yard game, Fournette will likely be more of a change-of-pace option to spell Jones. He could be a TD-dependent flex, but until Jones cools off, it's tough to see Fournette being anything more than that. |
| 38 | Le'Veon Bell, KC @ DEN. It will be interesting to see how Bell fits in with the Chiefs, who just ran for a whopping 245 yards against the Bills. Clyde Edwards-Helaire looked excellent and will still be the starter, but Bell could be in line for 10 or so touches. You may not want to start him in his first game with a new team against a Denver defense that has allowed the fewest FPPG to RBs, but this game should be a solid barometer for his role with the Chiefs moving forward. |
| 39 | James White, NE vs. SF. White was targeted nine times and caught eight passes for 65 yards against the Broncos. All were team-high numbers for the Patriots. White doesn't get a lot of carries, but he's a valuable PPR flex and if he continues to build a rapport with Cam Newton, he should emerge as a fine option to play in standard leagues, as well. |
| 40 | Jeff Wilson Jr., SF @ NE. Wilson (calf) was out on Sunday night but if he returns in Week 7 against the Patriots, he could have a big role as the complement to Jerick McKinnon with Raheem Mostert (ankle) out. For now, he's a low-end flex but depending on how Wilson and Tevin Coleman (knee) progress in their rehab, Wilson is a name to watch this week. |
| 41 | Corey Clement, PHI vs. NYG. With Miles Sanders out, Boston Scott is the Eagles' new top RB and Clement will be his top backup. Clement will probably be used more as a receiver than anything else, but he's worth keeping an eye on as a potential low-budget option in DFS showdowns on Thursday night. |
| 42 | Malcolm Brown, LAR vs. CHI. Brown saw a season-low six touches against the 49ers and seems to have been replaced by Darrell Henderson as the top RB with the Rams. He's worth owning as a potential handcuff, but he probably shouldn't be started. |
| 43 | Cam Akers, LAR vs. CHI. After totaling 61 yards on nine carries in a blowout against Washington, Akers saw a grand total of one snap against the 49ers and didn't touch the ball. He'll have a chance to overtake Malcolm Brown for the top bench role in Los Angeles, but for now, he can't be trusted. |
| 44 | La'Mical Perine, NYJ vs. BUF. Perine racked up 36 yards on nine touches in his first extended action on the offensive side of the ball. He has more upside than Frank Gore, and Adam Gase has spoken about wanting to get Perine more touches, but it's hard to trust that will happen given the presence of Gore and how poorly run the Jets offense is. |
| 45 | Dion Lewis, NYG @ PHI |
| 46 | Kerryon Johnson, DET @ ATL. Johnson has a great matchup against the Falcons, but he's the third RB behind Swift and Peterson at this point. Maybe he vultures a TD, but we wouldn't bet on it. |
| 47 | Carlos Hyde, SEA @ ARZ |
| 48 | Brian Hill, ATL vs. DET |
| 49 | Tony Pollard, DAL @ WAS. If Zeke Elliott fumbles twice again, Pollard may see more action after logging 31 yards on 10 carries against the Cardinals. That's unlikely though, so just treat him as a top handcuff. |
| 50 | Rex Burkhead, NE vs. SF |
| 51 | Benny Snell, PIT @ TEN. Snell had his first TD of the season last week, but he's averaging fewer than seven carries per game in his last three outings. He won't be trustworthy again unless James Conner misses some time. |
| 52 | D'Ernest Johnson, CLE @ CIN |
| 53 | Duke Johnson, HOU vs. GB |
| 54 | Darrel Williams, KC @ DEN. After logging a season-high 41 yards and a TD on seven touches, Williams will be replaced as the Chiefs' top backup RB by Le'Veon Bell. How unfair is that? |
| 55 | Chris Thompson, JAX @ LAC |
| 56 | Jeremy McNichols, TEN vs. PIT |
| 57 | Anthony McFarland, PIT @ TEN |
| 58 | Wayne Gallman, NYG @ PHI |
| 59 | Jalen Richard, LV vs. TB |
| 60 | JaMycal Hasty, SF @ NE. If Raheem Mostert, Tevin Coleman, and Jeff Wilson Jr. all can't play for the 49ers, Hasty could be the top backup in San Francisco and may have to handle some carries. He ran for 37 yards on nine carries against the Rams, but it would be tougher to trust the undrafted free agent against a tough opponent like hte Patriots. |
| 61 | Royce Freeman, DEN vs. KC |
| 62 | AJ Dillon, GB @ HOU |
| 63 | Trenton Cannon, CAR @ NO |
