Week 7 fantasy RB rankings: Evaluating the 20 best fantasy running backs this week

Jordan Mason drops in our fantasy RB rankings for two reasons. First, he’s very questionable to play in Week 7 due to a shoulder sprain. Even if he’s cleared to play, the San Francisco 49ers will likely limit his workload with Christian McCaffrey out. Second, the Kansas City Chiefs have held opponents to 64.3 rushing yards per game with a 3.0 yards per carry average over the last month.

We’ve been lower on De’Von Achane than the consensus because he’s so volatile and a major durability risk, but this is a matchup we can get on board with. The Miami Dolphins have no choice but to run the football and considering the Indianapolis Colts have allowed five of six opponents to rush for 120-plus yards and average over 4.1 yards per carry this season Aachane’s big-play ability could yield some massive numbers. He’s risk/reward because of Miami’s backfield committee, but we are willing to take a risk because of this matchup.

After letdown performances against the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, two of the worst run defenses in football, Najee Harris (106 yards and 7.6 ypc average) finally broke free this past Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. He draws another very favorable matchup against the New York Jets (124.2 rush ypg and 4.3 ypc allowed), but we have to be hesitant because of the larger sample size of disappointing performances.

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James Cook planned to play on Monday Night Football and was then a late scratch. He’s been the Buffalo Bills’ best offensive weapon this season, but Ray Davis just made this backfield very complicated with 152 scrimmage yards filling in for Cook. While we’d anticipate Buffalo pushes Cook back into the starter’s role, this could be more of a backfield committee moving forward and the Tennessee Titans allow the ninth-fewest rushing yards per game (101).

Brian Robinson Jr. missed Week 6 with a knee injury, though, he wasn’t ruled out until less than 24 hours before the game. If Robinson is cleared to start in Week 7, he offers strong touchdown upside and could tack on 50-plus yards against a Carolina Panthers defense that allows over 150 rushing yards per game and already surrendered a league-high 12 rushing touchdowns this season.

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Breece Hall finally broke out in Week 6, eclipsing the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time this season and averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Unfortunately, Hall draws a matchup against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that allows the fourth-fewest rush ypg (85.5) and the third-lowest yards per carry average (3.6). Plus, with Davante Adams now in town, those 4-8 targets a game Hall got each week from Aaron Rodgers, might also dip.

As we touch on with David Montgomery, who is higher up in our Week 7 fantasy RB rankings, the Minnesota Vikings have one of the best run defenses in the NFL this year. Further complicating Jahmyr Gibbs’ fantasy value, he’s drawn just 5 targets in the last three games and is averaging only 16 receiving yards per contest over that span. Once viewed as a high-end RB1, we feel more comfortable calling Gibbs an RB2 in Week 7 against Minnesota.

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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara draws a fairly appealing matchup on Thursday Night Football, with the Denver Broncos allowing 4.0 yards per carry and a modest 114.2 rushing yards per game. However, the former All-Pro offensive weapon has averaged just 3.3 yards per carry over the last month and scored just 2 total touchdowns in that span.

While Josh Jacobs does have the eighth-most scrimmage yards (565) in the NFL this season, he only has 1 touchdown on 119 touches this season. Positive regression is coming in that regard for fantasy football managers, but we must also keep in mind he’s averaged just 3.82 yards per carry over the last month and the Houston Texans have been fairly strong (113.8 rush ypg, 12th in NFL) against the run.

Related: Stats to Know for Houston Texans vs Green Bay Packers matchup

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne exited in Week 6 with a hamstring injury and is considered week-to-week, putting him in serious jeopardy for Sunday morning’s game against the New England Patriots. It’s time for the Tank Bigsby show. Bigsby leads the NFL in yards per carry (7.2) among players with 40-plus touches and he’s facing a New England Patriots defense that has allowed 166.5 rush ypg and 5.0 yards per carry in the last four games. Start Bigsby if you have him.

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We certainly didn’t anticipate calling Chuba Hubbard one of the best running backs in fantasy football this season, but NFL stats don’t lie six games into the year. As the Carolina Panthers featured running back, Hubbard is averaging 5.89 yards per carry and 94.2 rushing yards per game over the last five weeks. For those of you worried about the game script, if the Washington Commanders get a big lead, Hubbard has turned 24 targets into 22 receptions for 93 yards in that same five-game span. Plus, Washington has allowed 5.0 yards per carry and 137.7 rush ypg to its opponents in 2024.

We understand why the consensus fantasy RB rankings for Week 7 are much higher on David Montgomery. In the last three weeks, he’s averaged over 90 scrimmage yards per game while averaging 4.79 yards per carry with 4 touchdowns. However, it’s worth keeping in mind that the Minnesota Vikings allow the second-fewest rush ypg (67.2), the second-lowest yards per carry average (3.6) and the third-lowest Rush Success rate (34.1 percent) to opponents. Just keep that in mind when setting expectations for Montgomery as your RB1 on Sunday.

Related: Stats to Know for Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings matchup

There’s an undeniable risk here in putting J.K. Dobbins this high in our Week 7 fantasy RB rankings. In his last three games, he has only averaged 3.19 yards per carry. However, we also see room for considerable upside when examining NFL stats. Entering Week 7, the Arizona Cardinals are allowing the sixth-highest Rush Success rate (45.2 percent) to opponents, which shows up in the team surrendering 153 rush ypg (fourth-most) and 4.7 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Dobbins received 25 carries in the first game with Gus Edwards on IR and the Chargers have a massive advantage over Arizona in the trenches.

In his first game back from injury following a three-week absence, Joe Mixon turned 13 carries into 102 rushing yards and tacked on 30 receiving yards on 2 receptions. In games he’s started and finished this season, Mixon is averaging 130.5 rush ypg and 6.1 yards per carry. The Green Bay Packers are giving up a 4.3 ypc average this year, including four games with 120-plus yards. Mixon is a high-end RB1 in this offense moving forward.

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As the Dallas Cowboys deal with having one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL, Tony Pollard is thriving with the Tennessee Titans. He’s averaging 4.35 yards per carry this season and has eclipsed 60-plus rushing yards four times. He’s been even busier in the last two games, turning 39 carries into 181 rushing yards (90.5 per game). With Tyjae Spears banged up, Pollard will have an RB1 workload against a Buffalo Bills defense that is allowing 5.3 yards per carry and 140.2 rush ypg.

We love Bijan Robinson’s matchup in Week 7. Through six games this season, the Seattle Seahawks are allowing the sixth-most rushing yards per game (144.7) and the fourth-highest yards per carry average (5.0). The run defense has been even worse as of late. However, Robinson drops to the fifth spot in our fantasy RB rankings for Week 7 because the Atlanta Falcons are committed to giving Tyler Allgeier 8-12 touches and that cuts into Robinson’s ceiling.

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Two of the best fantasy running backs in the same game, yes please. While Bijan Robinson is higher in consensus Week 7 fantasy RB rankings, Kenneth Walker III is the likelier bet to handle a large workload on Sunday. It’s a great matchup, with the Atlanta Falcons allowing the eighth-most rushing yards per game (142.7) and a 4.4 yards per carry average.

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Remember during the 2024 NFL Draft when the Los Angeles Rams picked Blake Corum and everyone worried about Kyren Williams losing his featured role? Entering Week 7, Williams is averaging 21 touches per game. On Sunday, he’ll take on a Las Vegas Raiders defense responsible for allowing the fifth-highest yards per carry (5.0) and the ninth-most rush ypg (140.3). Williams remains an elite fantasy football starter moving forward, especially with this matchup.

The ‘Revenge Game’ narrative can be overplayed, but it’s absolutely relevant for Saquon Barkley’s first game against his former team. Hard Knocks made it pretty clear that New York Giants GM Joe Schoen didn’t want Barkley back and that’s a tremendous source of motivation for an All-Pro talent. It will also fuel the Eagles offensive line and coaching staff to get revenge on Barkley’s behalf.

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Derrick Henry is the best running back in fantasy football right now. After getting bottled up in the season opener (46 yards and 3.54 ypc), the Baltimore Ravens star is now averaging 6.2 yards per carry, 8.2 yards per touch and over 140 scrimmage yards per game with 8 total touchdowns (Pro Football Reference). While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers surrender just 113.3 rush ypg, opponents average 4.7 yards per carry (12th-highest) against this defense.