October 17, 2017

Pierre's recommended Week 7 running back waiver wire pickups for 2017 fantasy football. Add these free agent running backs (RBs) for PPR and non-PPR teams.

If you're back here looking for more options off the waiver wire at RB, chances are you didn't bother to pickup Adrian Peterson last week. While I certainly can't claim knowing he would look that good in Arizona, he was the top mention in last week's article and was by far more valuable as a waiver add than anything else out there. The pickings are getting slimmer, but bye weeks present some opportunities for bench stashes of veteran players, as you'll see below.

This article will aim to highlight Week 7 waiver wire adds for running backs, players that you should consider targeting on your league's waiver wire if available. Running backs will be split up into three tiers - from most desirable, to most desperate.

I will also include RBs at the bottom of this list that you might consider cutting in order to make room for your new additions and a suggested percentage of your FAAB to spend on each player.

Frontrunners for Week 7 - Waiver Wire Running Backs

Darren McFadden, Dallas Cowboys - 50% owned (15% FAAB)

I'm actually shocked to see that Run DMC is only half-owned by now. We don't know what's happening with Ezekiel Elliott, as it seems to keep changing with no clear resolution in sight. For the time being, it's been stated that Zeke could begin serving his suspension in Week 7, which would make either McFadden or Alfred Morris the starting running back. Beat reporters have intimated that McFadden has the most confidence of the coaching staff and should be the first option, but that wasn't the case earlier this year, as he's yet to log a single carry and has been a regular inactive. Between the legal uncertainty and the lack of guaranteed playing time, paying up for McFadden is a risk, but one that could pay off big time over the next few weeks if the suspension stands and he can play like he did two years ago.

Alfred Morris, Dallas Cowboys - 54% owned (15% FAAB)

See above. Morris has managed to eke over the 50% mark, but just barely, so he still warrants a mention here. Morris was seemingly at risk of being cut this preseason, but now he could be the RB1 behind one of the top offensive lines in the game. Morris has been the primary backup behind Elliott this year, so there's a good chance he gets first crack at the job. He has eight carries for 87 yards, but nearly all of that came on a 70-yard jaunt in Week 4 so don't get too excited. He's a big risk-reward play for standard league owners looking for a high-upside RB.

Orleans Darkwa, New York Giants - 7% owned (12% FAAB)

Darkwa rushed for a career-high 118 yards on 21 carries against the Broncos and now has a solid grip on the RB1 job in New York. He's got a tremendous rushing average this season and may continue to be more of a focal point now that the Giants have basically no good wide receivers. If you trust this new identity of the Giants, put forth a little FAAB on Darkwa this week. Just be warned that he faces Seattle next week and then has a bye in Week 8.

In The Running - Week 7 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Dion Lewis, New England Patriots - 10% owned (5% FAAB)

Mike Gillislee, welcome to the doghouse. Dion Lewis is familiar with it, having been benched a couple seasons ago for a fumble as well. Now it's time for Lewis to temporarily take away those snaps as the new "lead back" in New England, for whatever that's worth. Oddly enough, Lewis didn't even see a target in the passing game, but he carried 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown. If Rex Burkhead is still out and Gillislee falls behind in the pecking order, Lewis could jump into flex consideration. Or he could see just 10 snaps and do absolutely nothing.

Matt Forte, New York Jets - 21% owned (5% FAAB)

Your New York Jets RB du jour is the one that we began last year touting. Matt Forte isn't in the lineup on a regular basis with various dents and dings getting the best of him, but when he plays he can still be effective. Forte ran for just 22 yards on nine carries and is limited as a runner these days, but he did catch eight passes for 59 yards. He'll be an option for PPR owners, but Bilal Powell's return could cloud things as this becomes a three-headed RBBC again.

Alex Collins, Baltimore Ravens - 33% owned (2-5% FAAB)

Collins has been remarkably consistent as a Raven, which is to say consistently mediocre from a fantasy standpoint. He still leads the league in yards per carry, but it's doubtful that your league counts that as a category. His 15 carries in Week 6 were a career high, but it's unlikely he sees more than that as he continues to split time with Javorius Allen. With no touchdowns, no receptions and no 100-yard games on his resume this season, he will give you 5-7 fantasy points, but with little hope for more.

Honorable Mentions: Matt Breida (21% owned), Eddie Lacy (28% owned)

Dark Horses - Week 7 Running Backs Waiver Wire

Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks - 23% owned (1-3% FAAB)

Will Rawls play the lead role in Seattle this week? Pete Carroll has done a magnificent job of confusing fantasy owners by giving a different running back the lead in carries each week, but Rawls still has the highest upside. He should be a week healthier after the bye and will get at least 10 attempts, if not more. If he can't hold off Eddie Lacy, then he doesn't belong on your roster, but he still can't be written off as he hasn't gotten the chance.

Rob Kelley, Washington Redskins - 44% owned (1-3% FAAB)

He should have been ready to go after the bye week, but wasn't. A bum ankle may keep Fat Rob out of Week 7 again, but if he does play it would be a brutal matchup against the Eagles. If you're looking for a bench stash that could pay off in a couple of weeks and there aren't better options on the waiver wire, then Kelley could be worth an add. Samaje Perine still hasn't impressed and there aren't any other young RB in Washington to take his job.

Chris Ivory, Jacksonville Jaguars - 3% owned (1% FAAB)

This was almost a high-priority add after Leonard Fournette went down with a scary-looking ankle injury, but it appears to be nothing serious. Even so, we already know what Ivory can do in this offense and it's not that great. Ivory ran for just 439 yards with a 3.8 Y/A last season after signing a big contract to be the team's RB1. He's done better in a change-of-pace role this year, but he's no Fournette. He is a handcuff, but not much else.

Honorable Mentions: Samaje Perine (36% owned), D'onta Foreman (12% owned), Jamaal Charles (33% owned)

Time To Say Goodbye

Elijah McGuire, New York Jets - 39% owned

He had his chance and he blew it. McGuire could only manage 22 yards on 10 carries as the starting RB in Week 6. It's the second straight week he faced a soft defense, but both the Patriots and Browns held him to two yards per attempt. Bilal Powell should be back next week and even veteran Matt Forte looked better than the rookie. He doesn't need to on fantasy rosters any more.

Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers - 55% owned

It's hard not to overreact to such a terrible game, but it's not an overreaction when you look at the big picture. Stewart is averaging 2.9 Y/A - a number that has gone down for three straight seasons now. He was never going to be a factor in the passing game, so he needs to score touchdowns to bring value in standard leagues. He's not. Stewart hasn't run for a TD and only has one score on a short reception. It's hard to justify putting him in your lineup when he hasn't gone for as many as 70 total yards or a TD since Week 1. Just move on.

Jacquizz Rodgers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 23% owned

Rodgers is still owned in a quarter of Yahoo leagues, but I'm not sure why. He carried exactly three times for one yard while catching one pass in Week 6. If Doug Martin's healthy, then Rodgers is not worth a roster spot.

More Waiver Wire Pickups and Analysis