Fantasy Football RB Rankings Week 7: Who should start, best sleepers, waiver of wire picks at running back

Between rest weeks and injuries, Week 6 was a mess when it came to the running back position. We already knew that Aaron Jones, De’Von Achane and Kyren Williams would be unavailable due to byes (Achane and Jones are also dealing with injuries), as well as Devin Singletary, Rachaad White, Jonathan Taylor, Brian Robinson and Rhamondre Stevenson all were inactive due to injuries. Additionally, Travis Etienne was ruled out of the Jag’s loss to the Bears with a shoulder injury, and Jordan Mason was ruled out of his team’s win over the Seahawks on Thursday night with a shoulder injury.

For this reason, roster management in fantasy football is a week-long process. Of course, all the “fun” happens during the games, but to put together the best possible team you have to be on top of things all week long. For players on a bye, there is little excuse not to have a backup plan. But it is much more difficult when a player is only out on Saturday or Sunday, such as Jonathan Taylor or Brian Robinson. But with these two players, they were DNPs all week. Even with Robinson out last week, there was a good chance both players would be inactive. The more you can stay ahead of these situations, the better options you’ll have for free agent pickup on the waiver wire.

Other prominent storylines at the RB position in Week 6 include Kenneth Walker’s rise to elite RB status as his pass work increases and rookie Kimani Vidal getting a chance to step into a backup role for JK Dobbins prove while Gus Edwards fills in on IR, and Joe Mixon ran for over 100 yards in his comeback from an ankle injury. What will happen next in week 7?

WEEK 7 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
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Fantasy RB Rankings Week 7: Whoever starts is at running back

Rankings based on PPR rating. These rankings will be updated throughout the week. So check back regularly.

Who are the best fantasy RBs for Week 7?

Saquon Barkley faces one of the biggest revenge games of the season this week at his old stomping grounds against the Giants. While he struggled to get things going against the Browns, gaining just 47 yards on 18 carries, it could be a monster game if he gets a similar or greater workload against the Giants.

The Seahawks have been talking about Kenneth Walker all season, but now they’re backing that statement up with how they use him on the field. Not only does Walker handle the lion’s share of the rushing work, but he’s also now being used heavily in the passing game. In fact, he scored all eight of his goals on Thursday night against the 49ers. In PPR leagues, this effort is massive, and we expect it to remain that way against the Falcons.

And Alvin Kamara has a tough game against the Broncos, but their biggest strength is defending the pass. Not only do the Saints want to go all-in with Kamara, but with rookie Spencer Rattler expected to be in the starting lineup again, he could look to use Kamara as a safety valve more often.

Who are the QBs in Week 7 free agency?

Dallas Cowboys: It’s hard to gauge much about the Week 6 game against the Lions because of how strong Detroit faces the run. Before this matchup, Rico Dowdle appeared to be taking control of the backfield. Ezekiel Elliott had been used sparingly but was a bit nervous before the Detroit game as he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t getting more touches, particularly at the goal line. Hunter Leubke has also entered the equation, further confusing matters. Right now, Dowdle can typically be used as a flex play, but that’s all that’s possible with this backfield right now.

Chicago Bears: It seemed like D’Andre Swift was in witness protection for the first few weeks of the season, but the dynamic back has really turned things around with 404 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the last three weeks. Roschon Johnson appears to have usurped the No. 2 role from Khalil Herbert, who no longer appears relevant to fantasy.

Who are the best fantasy RB waiver pickups for Week 7?

The Vikings will get a bye, but we don’t yet know the status of their lead back Aaron Jones. Jones suffered an injury early in Week 5 and did not return. The team said that it appears they have avoided a long-term injury, but that his injury has been week-to-week rather than day-to-day. Even if he returns, Ty Johnson should see an uptick in usage as they will likely ease him back into work. But there’s still a good chance he sits out completely, which could make Johnson a steal on the waiver list for at least a week.

This is another injury waiver suggestion. Rhamondre Stevenson was out Week 6 with a foot injury. As with Jones, the Patriots have said it doesn’t appear to be a long-term injury, but we don’t have an estimated return yet. In his absence, Gibson managed just 19 yards on 13 carries, but he also had three catches for 24 yards. Next up is the Jags, and while Jacksonville’s defense hasn’t been good this year, they’ve been strong against the run. But Gibson could also do some damage in the passing game if he gets the starting role again.

Week 7: Check out our full waiver wire guide article

Who are the best fantasy RB sleepers for Week 7?

Tank Bigsby appeared to have made a statement in Week 5 by significantly outplaying Travis Etienne, but in London the Jags ran a three-pronged RB attack with both Etienne and Bigsby, as well as D’Ernest Johnson, further muddying the waters. Etienne left early due to a shoulder injury and his status is currently unknown. Even if Etienne comes back, we expect a boost for Bigsby. After another disappointing performance, the Jags should look back and realize that Bigsby deserves a larger role in this offense. Bigsby isn’t a slam dunk, but if Jacksonville lets him cook in a plus matchup against the Patriots, your fantasy team can celebrate.

With Gus Edwards landing on IR with an ankle injury, rookie Kimani Vidal was active and had a good run as the RB2 against the Broncos. Vidal made an early impact, using a wheel route to collect a dime from Justin Herbert and bring it home for a 30-yard TD. Next up for the Chargers is the struggling Cardinals, who could be without Marvin Harrison. The Chargers love the ground and the throb. So if they can take an early lead it could mean additional chances for Vidal.

What are the biggest RB injuries in Week 7?

We have already discussed the injuries to Rhamondre Stevenson, Aaron Jones and Travis Etienne above. We haven’t ranked them all for now, but there’s still a chance they can play, so we’ll be monitoring these situations closely.

Brian Robinson sat with a knee injury. He managed to hold out in Week 5, so most fantasy managers assumed he would be fine all week despite DNPs, but he was inactive. Since we don’t have much clarity about the extent of the injury, we’re leaving it out of consideration for now. If he sits, expect Austin Ekeler to feature heavily again, with Jeremy McNichols using him if needed.

Fantasy managers everywhere rejoiced when Rachaad White was cut because it meant Bucky Irving would finally get his chance to become Tampa’s RB1. While Irving eventually made it through with some poor time stats, Sean Tucker somehow stole the show, turning 14 carries into 136 rushing yards and a score. He also added three catches for 56 yards and another TD. While we don’t expect this to continue, if White sits, Tucker could be valuable to teams in need of flex.

Devin Singletary was ruled out for Sunday night’s game against the Bengals as he sits out for the second straight game with a groin injury. It seemed like he had a good chance of suiting up for SNF, so we ranked him for Week 7. If we hear news to the contrary, we will retire him, and that would mean another lucrative opportunity for Tyrone Tracy against an Eagles defense that has struggled against the run at times.

Jonathan Taylor also appears to be making good progress from his ankle injury. He sat in Week 6 for the second time in a row, but since he seemed to be making significant progress, we decided to place him in Week 7 initially. If he has to sit again, Trey Sermon got the bulk of the work, but Tyler Goodson was more explosive. He converted eight carries for 51 yards against the Titans. However, if Taylor returns, Goodson won’t have much value.