Welcome to Week 7 of the NFL season. Today we’re going to look over the running back rankings. But first, let’s quickly recap Week 6, which was led by none other than the Buccaneers’ third string running back Sean Tucker. Running back No. 5 on the week was Giants rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr., while two through four were guys you know well in Joe Mixon, Bijan Robinson, and Derrick Henry.
Overall, Alvin Kamara still leads all running backs in PPR scoring, but the loss of Derek Carr for a few weeks could be detrimental, especially with a tough Broncos defense coming up on a short week.
This week Saquon Barkley gets to take on his old team the Giants, who are pretty good against the run, but I’m riding the revenge narrative and ranking him as RB1.
Week 7 running back bye weeks
D’Andre Swift, Rico Dowdle
Week 7 running back injuries
Devin Singletary, Giants
Singletary missed his second game in a row with a groin injury last week, but there is a decent chance he returns this week. Tyrone Tracy has played well in relief, but there’s no indication that Singletary is in line to lose his starting job to the rookie. Maybe Tracy sees more work than he was earlier in the season, but Singletary has been playing well enough to believe he’ll keep the starting role when healthy.
Travis Etienne, Jaguars
Etienne injured his hamstring in Week 6 against the Bears and is considered “week-to-week,” per Adam Schefter. With him missing most of the Week 6 game, D’Ernest Johnson led the way in the backfield due to the Jaguars trailing by a large margin for much of the game. If the game were closer, Tank Bigsby would have been the lead and will likely start out that way against the Patriots this week as long as Etienne doesn’t make a miraculous recovery.
Jordan Mason, 49ers
Mason suffered a shoulder injury and had to leave last week’s game, but all indications are that it wasn’t a significant injury. It’s worth keeping tabs on his practice reports this week though, and if he can’t go, Isaac Guerendo would take over while Christian McCaffrey remains out. Guerendo is a strong stash in most leagues even if Mason can play.
Aaron Jones, Vikings
Jones has a hip injury, but did get extra time to heal with last week’s bye. He was seen working out on the field Monday, which is a good sign to start the week, but the team also just traded for Cam Akers. The trade is worrisome to say the least. If he can’t go, Ty Chandler is the back to roster in his place, with Akers behind him. They take on the high-scoring Lions this week. .
Brian Robinson, Commanders
Robinson is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of Week 7’s matchup with the Ravens. Austin Ekeler took over as the lead back and would be in line for another start if Robinson is sidelined again. Whoever gets the start is in line for a much better matchup than the Ravens, as they take on the Panthers this week.
Rachaad White, Buccaneers
White injured his foot in practice last week and was unable to play, which led to both Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker putting up big fantasy numbers as they dominated the Saints. This week they take on a great Baltimore run defense, which means whoever gets the start will have a much tougher time putting up big numbers. If White can play, I’m staying completely away from this running back group. If he can’t play, Irving has flex appeal despite the matchup.
James Cook, Bills
Cook told reporters he was on track to play last week, but instead he ended up sitting with a toe injury. Ray Davis took over and put up good numbers in relief. If Cook can’t go again, Davis would be the lead back again, this time against the Titans.
Tyjae Spears, Titans
Spears suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6 and is considered “week-to-week” by his head coach. So it sure looks like Tony Pollard will get the bulk of the work this week against a weak Bills run defense.
Jerome Ford, Browns
Ford was forced from the Browns Week 6 game with a hamstring injury. He like many running back this week is considered “week-to-week.” Nick Chubb’s status is still very unclear, which means we likely will see a committee between D’Onta Foreman and Pierre Strong. If Chubb were to play, he would likely be on a snap count of some sort.
Week 7 running back sleepers
Chase Brown, Bengals at Browns
The Browns don’t have much offense to speak of and now are without Amari Cooper. Cincinnati should be able to get a lea in this one and Mr. Brown has taken over the lead back role from Zack Moss. The Browns vaunted defense ranks 19th in EPA against the run and pass this season. I expect plenty of touches from Brown this week.
Austin Ekeler, Commanders vs. Panthers
Brian Robinson could return this week and would hurt Ekeler’s upside, but if he’s still out, Ekeler becomes a great value against the worst run defense in the league.
Javonte Williams, Broncos at Saints
The Saints run defense is nowhere near what it has been in recent seasons. They currently rank 28th in run defense EPA and 24th in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Williams has remained the starting back in Denver and this game should be low scoring, allowing Williams to see a good amount of work in a good matchup. He’s not likely to bust out, but has flex play standing this week.
