We flip the page over to Week 7. The running back position has been kind of trash this season, but we are starting to see some of the high-end backs play very well and produce big games consistently. In a change of events from the past couple weeks; I really love some of the elite backs this week like Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, and Leonard Fournette. Why do I like them and who else do I like this week? Let’s dive into the top plays, values and fades for NFL DFS Week 7!

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NFL DFS RB Top Plays

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

Ekeler, as you can see below, has been going crazy over the past couple games, showing monster upside and a great floor. He has at least 4 receptions in every single game this season and at least seven targets in five of his past six (his 16 targets in Week 6 is just absurd). He has six touchdowns in the past three games and the Chargers have really been leaning on him ever since Justin Herbert’s injury occurred. I expect more of the same this week and he even has a great matchup on tap as the Seahawks rank as one of the best spots for running backs this season. 

 

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

Barkley has been both a strong and steady force this season as he has scored at least 18.5 dk points in all but one game this season (and even in that game he still notched double-digit points). He has at least two receptions in every game and at least three in all but one game. He also has topped 70 rushing yards in every single game this season. The Jags rank as a top-five matchup for running backs this season. There is no reason to believe that Barkley won’t continue to shine and he’s still cheaper than a few backs. 

 

Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Fournette hasn’t been anything special on the ground lately, but he has been going crazy in the passing game (as you can see in the image below) with at least six targets in four straight and at least five receptions in each of those games. These high reception totals give him a great floor (especially in full PPR formats like DraftKings), while the touchdowns give him the high upside. For as much as people love the shiny new toy in Rashaad White, Fournette is still THE guy in Tampa Bay and it really isn’t close. Brady has a ton of trust in Lenny and will continue to look his way for easy yards and chain-moving plays.

 

NFL DFS RB Mid-Tier Plays

Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

Pierce has completely taken over the Texans backfield (as you can see below) and is coming off a game in which he had 26 carries with five targets. It was his second straight game with at least five targets and he has surpassed 20 carries in two of his past three. The 20 carry mark is noteworthy as news broke today with Lovie Smith stating that Pierce “needs to get at least 20 carries a game.” We can expect the strong production for the rookie tailback to continue and this matchup with the Raiders isn’t a scary one as they rank very middle of the pack against backs. 

 

NFL DFS RB Value Plays

Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

Walker made his first career start last week and he looked great, rushing 21 times for 97 yards and a touchdown while catching two passes for seven yards. He now has 29 carries for 185 yards over the last two games. The Chargers rank as a top-three matchup for running backs this season, so it is a great spot for the rookie back to keep the momentum going. He is going to be the chalkiest value play of the week, but that is for a good reason and he makes for a great play in all formats (likely very high owned in cash games). 

 

Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

Etienne continues to trend up for the Jags and he had another nice game last week, rushing 10 times for 86 yards and catching both of his targets for 22 yards, surpassing 100 yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive week. It is very clear he is both the more efficient and more explosive back in Jacksonville and the team seems to be slowly going more in his favor (he has out-snapped J-Rob in three straight games now). He still hasn’t found the end zone, but the breakout game seems to be coming soon and he is still super cheap, making him a very nice value play.

 

NFL DFS RB Fades

Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

CMC as a fade? Yeah, you read that right. We can’t list Najee Harris again, since he’s not on the main slate, so we are going a different direction finally. CMC is the top priced back, but I don’t like him this week. First of all, he hasn’t flashed massive upside this season as he hasn’t reached 26+ points in any contest yet. He also has the toughest matchup in the league for running backs this season as the Bucs have been very tough on backs. There are just too many factors working against him this week and I would just rather go with someone like Ekeler for slightly cheaper. 

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