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Matt's running back (RB) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 7 of 2025. His RB lineups advice for Week 7 fantasy football start/sit decisions.
As we enter Week 7 of the fantasy football season, the top 12 running backs in fantasy, for the most part, have made sense, with perhaps Cam Skattebo coming in as RB8 as the lone head-scratcher candidate.
The next group of 12 is a little more perplexing, with Rico Dowdle, Travis Etienne Jr., Rachaad White, and Derrick Henry. That second group certainly has afforded more conversation throughout the early part of the season.
The time for talking is over; the time for fantasy production is now. Here are RotoBallers' must-start and sit options for Week 7 at the running back position.
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Week 7 - Fantasy Football Booms
Rico Dowdle - RB, Carolina Panthers at New York Jets
With four teams playing on Monday night, two teams on a bye, and a deadline of Monday evening to get this article out, finding backs who aren't of the set-it-and-forget-it variety is difficult. I was going to insert Jonathan Taylor into this spot and move on, but that is the easy way out, so I'll put a running back who has been as effective as Taylor in his place instead.
Enter Rico Dowdle into the conversation. It doesn't matter if Chuba Hubbard (calf) returns this week; Dowdle is a flex option at worst. Since Hubbard has been out, Dowdle averages 33.2 fantasy points per game. Over the last two weeks, Taylor has only averaged 27.7 while Christian McCaffrey has produced 26.0 per contest.
On Dowdles' 53 rushing attempts (14 more than the next closest running back) last year's 1000-yard rusher is averaging 7.34 yards per carry and has forced 11 missed tackles.
Rico Sharod Dowdle pic.twitter.com/pQFBQGf6iv
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 12, 2025
Dowdle has been doing damage after contact. You heard the missed tackle numbers, but Dowdle has also produced 340 of his rushing yards after contact; that's 4.53 yards after contact per attempt and roughly 62% of his total rushing yards. For context, of running backs with at least 25 carries over the last two weeks, Javonte Williams ranks second in yards after contact per attempt at 4.07 yards.
In Dowdle's last nine starts, the bruising back has produced 1,066 rushing yards.
Quinshon Judkins - RB, Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins
Quinshon Judkins is coming off a somewhat disappointing Week 6 performance, where the Browns running back was held to 36 total yards after having at least 95 or more scrimmage yards in each of the previous three contests.
Over that three-week window, Judkins led the NFL with 62 rushing attempts and was second to only Williams in rushing yards with 286 (95.3 per game) and averaged 17.3 fantasy points per contest. While the Steelers' matchup on paper wasn't considered difficult, the game script quickly turned against Judkins, limiting his potential.
Judkins has a good matchup this week, as anyone facing a Dolphins defense that has allowed more rushing yards (1,011) than any other team this season. The 168.5 yards per game they allow is four more than the next closest team in that department. That yardage has led to fantasy production as Miami allows 26.93 fantasy points per game this season to opposing backs, the sixth-most, and a number that has climbed to 29.65 over the last four weeks.
Last week, Kimani Vidal, who had been the Chargers' third-string running back, ran for 124 yards on 18 attempts (6.9 yards per carry). Vidal also caught a Justin Herbert touchdown pass, which boosted his fantasy production over 22 fantasy points.
Judkins scores and it's tied in Cleveland!
GBvsCLE on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/J5veK1uZle
— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025
Jacory Croskey-Merritt - RB, Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys
If a running back is healthy and has a date with the Cowboys, they are in your starting lineup. It doesn't matter if it's Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Chris Rodriguez Jr., or Jeremy McNichols; this Dallas defense is a fantasy gold mine for running backs.
Entering Week 7's Monday Night Football Contest, Croskey-Merritt has been averaging 12.1 fantasy ponies per game and was coming off a breakout performance against the Chargers, where he churned out 111 yards on the ground on 14 carries and scored twice. Even with that game factoring into the season-long numbers, the Chargers' 20.95 fantasy points per game against is still nearly eight fewer fantasy points per game than the Cowboys have allowed.
Dallas has allowed 657 yards of rushing and a league-high 355 yards of receiving to opposing backs this season.
Last week, it was Dowdle exacting some revenge against his former team, running the ball 30 times for 183 yards while adding 56 yards receiving and a touchdown on four receptions. Only the Baltimore Ravens allow more points this season than the 30.7 per game Dallas has allowed, while the 142.2 rushing yards per game surrendered is the fourth-most.
Week 7 Sits - Fantasy Football Busts
Cam Skattebo - RB, New York Giants at Denver Broncos
I hate to do this, but the crayon-eating throwback running back is a sit this week. Despite averaging 16.6 fantasy points per game (31.0 last week), it's hard to trust Skattebo against a Denver Broncos defense that can flip a script quickly. Sometimes, you have to eliminate as much risk as possible, and while it's tempting to leave Skattebo in your lineups after four consecutive weeks of 13 or more fantasy points, you're playing with fire in this matchup.
Last week, Denver contained Breece Hall in London and limited him to 5.9 fantasy points. Hall would carry the ball in that contest 22 times for 59 yards rushing, an average of 2.7 yards per attempt. This is a week after averaging 8.1 yards per carry against the Cowboys. Like Hall, Skattebo is tempting.
However, it wasn't just Hall and the Jets who struggled against this Broncos front; Denver is allowing 89.0 yards rushing per contest, the sixth-fewest, and the 15.8 points per game they are allowing is the second-fewest this season.
This season, Denver is allowing just 17.47 fantasy points per game to the running back position, the fourth-fewest, and has allowed just one rushing score to the position through six weeks.
Travis Etienne Jr. - RB, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Rams (London)
I had to go back and do some boxscore scouting to see if Travis Etienne Jr. even played last week. Technically, he did, but he also only rushed for 27 more yards than I did, and I sat on the couch the entire afternoon.
Etienne has been a solid addition to fantasy lineups this season, averaging 14.2 fantasy points per game; however, after four straight double-digit fantasy performances to open the season, he has failed to top 10 fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. Has Etienne hit the wall, or was Seattle just that good?
After finishing with more than 50 yards rushing in every game, Etienne was held to 2.3 yards per attempt last week. To Seattle's credit, the Seahawks have not allowed a back to average more than 3.4 yards per attempt all season.
Whether Etienne has hit a wall or Seattle is just that good, this week's matchup isn't any better. The Rams' ability to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks could result in Jacksonville falling behind early and potentially abandoning the run.
Henry finally showed up last week, but before Henry popped off for 122 yards on 24 attempts (14 fantasy points), the Rams had held opposing backs to 282 rushing yards in the previous four weeks and limited fantasy production to 17.10 fantasy points per game, the third fewest.
De'Von Achane - RB, Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns
From the "I hope I am wrong file", may I present De'Von Achane as he faces the unforgiven task of facing the Cleveland Browns this week.
As good as Achane has been, producing 16 or more fantasy points in every game this season, the Browns have been just as good. Cleveland sits third in the NFL in rushing defense, holding teams to 478 rushing yards this season, an average of 79.7 per game. During the season, only the Atlanta Falcons have been better at restricting fantasy production in the running back position than the Browns (15.91 fantasy points per game).
Cleveland has allowed 404 yards rushing to backs, but more importantly, they have only allowed 25 receptions for 111 yards through six weeks, which makes Achanes' ath to fantasy relevance even more damning this week.
For Achane to succeed, he will need to be utilized the same amount as last week and be efficient; volume alone won't be enough to get Achane into RB1 territory this week. Never say never when it comes to Achane's fantasy prospects, but this matchup is one of the more difficult ones for running backs on this week's slate of games.
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