Welcome to the fantasy football Week 7 running back rankings hub!

Bucs’ RB Leonard Fournette has relegated Gio Bernard and Ronald Jones to pure backup roles and he’s got a fantastic matchup against a undermanned Bears front-seven this week. Rams’ lead back Darrell Henderson Jr. is an elite RB1 against the hapless Lions. Falcons’ do-it-all man Cordarrelle Patterson should run wild against a run-funnel Miami defense. Patriots’ rotational back Rhamondre Stevenson has quietly entered the RB3 conversation with six NFL teams on bye.

Below you will find my top-60 running backs for Week 7. These rankings are geared toward .5PPR scoring formats for Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season but should aid those who play in both non-PPR and full-point PPR formats. I’ve also included my top RB streaming option this week and DFS play of the week (cost via FanDuel).

Check back throughout the week to see how expectations have changed as news continues to roll in, enhancing our prognostication abilities. Feel free to hit me up on twitter @Ginger__Nic for any fantasy related advice.

Stream of the Week: D’Ernest Johnson vs. Denver Broncos

Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is one of the game’s premier defensive minds but the Men of Mile High have a tough week ahead. Already missing standout edge rusher Bradley Chubb (IR) and starting ILB Josey Jewell (IR), the team was forced to place fellow starting ILB Alexander Johnson (chest) and rotational edge rusher Andre Mintz (hamstring) on IR as well. Backup LBs Baron Browning (concussion) and Aaron Patrick (ankle) also kicked the week of with back-to-back DNP practice designations, making them long shots to play.

Of all the recent losses suffered by Denver’s front-seven, none are as big of a factor as inside linebacker Alexander Johnson. Johnson’s 90.4 PFF run defense grade ranked first among all NFL ILBs, leading all but Colts’ Darius Leonard (90.1) by a margin of 6 or more points. With both Nick Chubb (calf) and Kareem Hunt (calf) out this week, north/south banger back D’Ernest Johnson is set to make his first career start. Both Browns’ tackles, Jedrick Wills Jr. (ankle) and Jack Conklin (knee), are at risk of sitting this week but the dearth of defensive injuries to Denver’s D keeps Cleveland’s lead back firmly in the high-end RB2 conversation.

DFS Play of the Week: James Conner ($6,500) vs. Houston Texans

Modestly priced on FanDuel, Cards’ back James Conner makes for a smart DFS option in Week 7 after a quiet Week 6 outing against the Browns. Arizona boasts the NFL’s 4th-highest points scored sum (194) and they’ve got a chance to take that ranking even higher against a Texans squad that’s allowed 172 points on the year (T-5th most).

With no pass rush to speak of—Houston’s 40 QB pressures are T-3rd fewest in the NFL—the Texans have little chance of slowing Kyler and Co.’s march to the red zone. Once there, Conner has been a machine in scoring position this year—his five touchdowns scored on carries inside the opponent’s five-yard line are tops in the league.  The veteran RB is a high-end RB2 with a clear-cut path to a multi-touchdown outing.

Week 7 Running Back Rankings