Week 7 of the NFL Season is already here. It’s flying by, sadly, so make sure you sit back and enjoy it. Also, enjoy the chaos, as this fantasy football season is unlike anything we have ever experienced. It’s a scary sight. Look below at my running back start/sit for Week 7.
Week 6 is in the books, and it was a chaotic week again. We saw big-time performances from names like Rhamondre Stevenson, Leonard Fournette, Deon Jackson, Kenneth Walker, and others. At the same time, we saw injuries occur to JK Dobbins, Eno Benjamin, and others. Sigh. Now we are onto Week 7 in what will hopefully be a much better football week. I’ll be helping the Nerd Herd out this season with some running back Start/Sit for that week of fantasy football. Analysis and reasoning will be provided for every player that I mentioned. I’m here to help you win your fantasy football week and, ultimately, the championship. You might remember me from last year as I covered whom to start/sit at tight end. This year, I’m covering the running back start/sit.
Be sure to follow our other start/sit articles and authors; they contain great advice to help you each week.
Changing the Call (QB): Jayson Snyder
The Cutback (RB): Jake Oliver
Slant Pattern (WR): Tristan Cook
12 Formation (TE): Ethan Wyatt
Flex on ‘Em (FLEX): Evan Brown
IDP Start/Sit (IDP): Jon Glosser
There is one thing I want to note. For this article and every running back start/sit article I write, I won’t be including players like Jonathan Taylor or Austin Ekeler. These are apparent starts so long as they aren’t on bye or injured. If you don’t start them, well, you’re a Taco. I’ll be focusing on players that are a bit harder to decide whether to start or what to expect from them. All scoring in this article series will be PPR. All stats/RB# number finishes come from FantasyPros. So, let’s make this a great season as we get to watch over 200+ games of NFL football. It’s back! Good luck with this dynasty fantasy football season.
Week 6 Recap
This is my recap of my picks from Week 6. They qualify as a “win” if they finish above the consensus for the “start” and a “loss” if they finish below the consensus for the “sit” in PPR scoring. Hopefully, Week 7 running back Start/Sit fare better!
Melvin Gordon disappeared due to another one of the Broncos’ head coach Hackett’s weird decisions. Eno Benjamin started well but then got phased out as the Cardinals had to pass heavily in an attempt to catch up to the Seahawks in the second half. Singletary had another productive week with 14.7 PPR points and four more receptions. That’s what is keeping him afloat as a running back it seems. Zeke got you a touchdown which makes him a win. Walker was a big loss for me. He blew doors off my expectations. He just might be a start every week if he continues to get this usage.
Start: Ezekiel Elliott (RB18)/Tony Pollard (RB24), DAL
The Cowboys are getting Dak Prescott back this week which means that the running game now has a chance again to perform well. Teams won’t be able to stack the boxes as much. That’s even truer this week against the Detroit Lions defense at home. The Lions struggle mightily on the road. With a 31st rushing defense in terms of fantasy points allowed, imagine how bad they might be against the duo of Zeke and Pollard. I like the odds for both of these guys to get a touchdown. It would not surprise me to see at least one of them as a RB1 this week.
Start: Dameon Pierce (RB20), HOU
Pierce has been getting fed the rock a lot these past few games and it’s paying off. He is playing excellent football and winning many fantasy weeks for team owners this season. He’s scored a touchdown in three weeks in a row. Plus, he has at least 69 yards rushing over the last four weeks. The Raiders are 19th in fantasy points allowed to running backs, but I have a good feeling that Pierce will extend at least one of those streaks. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him finish as an RB1 this week.
Honorable Mentions: Jonathan Taylor (RB22), if he plays, Jeff Wilson Jr. (RB15), Najee Harris (RB16)
Sit: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB19), KC
Fantasy owners are freaking out across the fantasy world as they start to panic about not selling high on Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He’s been reliant on an absurd five receiving touchdowns prior to this past week against the Bills. That just was never going to be sustainable. He didn’t see any targets last week and only a meager 9 rushes. In fact, he has 18 total rushes over the last two weeks. That’s no where near enough touches. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him struggle against the strong 49ers defense. They are 31st in points allowed to running backs.
Sit: AJ Dillon (RB29), GB
I know it makes no sense but the Packers are just not utilizing AJ Dillon nearly enough for whatever reason. Dillon is a good running back that’s proven to be able to carry a rushing load for a whole game. With their receiving struggles, you’d think that the Packers would be using Jones and Dillon a ton, but they aren’t. Dillon’s passing work is growing, but the ADOT is not very deep. You’re praying for a touchdown. Against Washington might be a big ask. The one thing they do very well is defending the run. Manage your bets if you have to start Dillon.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Carter (RB30)
Good luck this week with your running back start/sit dilemmas!
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As always, May the Force be with You…
