Top 10 Running Back Studs - Best Fantasy Football RB Performances Including Jahmyr Gibbs, Saquon Barkley, Joe Mixon And More

Alex breaks down the top 10 running backs from Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season, offering insight and analysis into the athlete's outlook. Which tremendous RB performance helped win you your week?

Week 7 gave us a near-full slate of games with just the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears on bye. There were a few blowouts, two nail-biters, and a stunning divisional showdown that was a lot of fun to watch (more on that later). It wasn't all good, though, as injuries continue to pile up across the league in what seems to be a never-ending news feed of questionable and out designations. This season has been a war of attrition more than anything, and that doesn't just apply to fantasy.

Several NFL rosters have been bitten hard by the injury bug, severely depleting their starting lineups. Miami's quarterback woes continue while San Francisco is losing wide receivers left and right. The Saints, in particular, are reeling due to injuries as of late -- down many critical offensive pieces, including a litany of linemen, their starting quarterback, and two top wideouts. Alas, this is not an injury column, so I digress. Fortunately for us, running back scoring was up again this week.

Scoring is the keyword, as there were touchdowns aplenty in Week 7, and many of the top-flight options came through with their performances. As we've been blessed with another Monday Night Football doubleheader, a few RBs that won't qualify for this list are the Ravens' Derrick Henry, the Cardinals' James Connor, J.K. Dobbins of the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Bucs' backs. Let's jump into the top ten running backs of Week 7.

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Top 10 Running Backs of the Week (Including SNF)

Here are the top 10 running backs from Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season in PPR scoring:

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Jahmyr Gibbs had a monster game in what was easily the best matchup of this weekend thus far. In a divisional clash, the Lions took down the undefeated Minnesota Vikings 31-29 on the road with a clutch late field goal. Gibbs led the backfield in this one, amassing 116 yards and two touchdowns on his 15 carries, adding 44 yards on 4-of-4 receiving. His highlight of the day was a 45-yard score.

.@Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs produces his fifth-career game with multiple TD rushes.

He joins @BarrySanders (1995, 1991) as the only Lions players since 1960 to rush for at least 80 yards and two TDs in the first half of a game.#OnePride pic.twitter.com/E2K3kDQ4TI

— Detroit Lions PR (@LionsPR) October 20, 2024

Gibbs gashed one of the league's better rushing defenses all afternoon and was efficient every time he touched the ball -- averaging 8.42 yards per touch in the victory. His running mate David Montgomery (knee) was injured in the contest and returned despite it, but suffered a costly fumble that turned into a scoop and score late in the second half. He did not see a touch for the remainder of the contest.

Conversely, Gibbs saw five of the next seven Detroit touches and helped lead the team to a game-winning field goal. Montgomery's return to the contest suggests he's in no danger of missing time. However, if he does, Gibbs would be an elite RB1 play in Week 8 despite facing off against another tough run D in the Tennessee Titans.

2. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Barkley put his Week 6 dud behind him in a revenge game against his former team as Philadelphia demolished their rival New York Giants 28-3. It was another excellent performance from the Penn State product who totaled 176 yards and a touchdown on his 17 carries. He added 11 yards through the air, catching 2-of-3 targets.

While the touchdowns haven't been too consistent for him, Sunday marked the fifth time he's eclipsed 100 total yards in six outings, and it was the third time he'd done so on the ground alone. There was some worry this offseason about his TD upside, with quarterback Jalen Hurts accounting for his fair share on the ground, but Barkley has been the centerpiece of the Eagles' offense and one of the best backs in the league.

With a home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on tap for Week 8, the 27-year-old will again be in store for a productive day. Cincinnati had allowed the fifth-most rushing yards in the league heading into Week 7.

3. Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans ultimately fell 24-22 on the road to the Green Bay Packers, but Joe Mixon was again an excellent play. He racked up 115 yards on his 25 carries -- scoring twice -- while gaining another nine through the air on 2-of-3 receiving. He's been stellar in his first year in a Texans uniform.

The 28-year-old crossed the century mark on the ground for the third time this season and has done so in each of the three games he's been healthy. While many of his carries on Sunday went for four or fewer yards, he was able to break free for chunk gains of nine (twice), 10, 11, 12, 17, and 32 yards. No other Texans back received more than two carries.

Mixon gets an enticing Week 8 home matchup next Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, who he torched for 178 total yards and a touchdown back in Week 1.

T-4. Breece Hall, New York Jets

Despite the talk and the hype around quarterback Aaron Rodger's reunion with his long-time Packers teammate Davante Adams, the Jets were mostly flat in a marquee matchup on Sunday Night Football. Midway through the second quarter, New York held a 15-6 lead over Pittsburgh.

However, a George Pickens touchdown in the waning seconds of the first half appeared to change momentum as the Steelers ripped off 31 straight points, handing the Jets their fifth loss of the season 37-15.

While running back Breece Hall struggled to get going on the ground, he excelled in the passing game. The 23-year-old found little room to run on his 12 carries, totaling 38 yards and a touchdown. Through the air, though, is where he did his damage.

Hall reeled in 6-of-9 targets for 103 yards, including a sweet 57-yard scamper where he displayed his vision, patience, and agility. At one point, the second-year back had recorded 93 yards in the stat sheet but 98 yards after the catch -- a wonky statistic.

Breece Hall turns on the jets for 56-yards 🏎️pic.twitter.com/6eenA2mIB4

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 21, 2024

Aside from a two-week stretch in which he sunk fantasy managers with single-digit fantasy outputs, the former Iowa State Cyclone has registered at least 18 fantasy points in his other five outings despite only scoring four touchdowns thus far.

Fortunately, he'll get a far easier ask his next time out in a divisional matchup against the New England Patriots next Sunday. Look for the Jets to get back on track in that one. Hall will be an elite RB1.

T-4. Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos

The Broncos took it to a short-staffed Saints team on Thursday Night Football with a 33-10 victory on the road. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix played another clean game, but the real story on the day was Javonte Williams and Denver's ground attack.

The fourth-year back toted the rock 14 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns while gaining another 23 yards through the air, hauling in all three of his targets. The touchdown for Williams was his first since Week 18 of last season, and his yardage total was the highest mark since he rushed for 102 yards in Week 13 back in his rookie campaign (2021). It was the third-most efficient outing of his career.

Denver's offense hasn't been a source of many points in fantasy -- or on the football field for that matter -- but the 24-year-old has now totaled double-digit fantasy points in 4-of-6 games this season and has a nice role in the passing game.

He'll get an intriguing Week 8 matchup when the Broncos host the Carolina Panthers. Carolina allowed the third-most rushing yards to opponents heading into Week 7 and just got smoked for another 214 on the ground in a 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders, where mobile rookie QB Jayden Daniels (ribs) played just one series.

6. Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars

Tank Bigsby had a tough go across the pond last Sunday in Week 6, but he and the Jags turned it around in Week 7 against a hapless New England defense. They're now 1-1 at Wembley Stadium in 2024. Bigsby was a large part of their success, scoring twice and racking up 118 yards on his 26 carries. He was targeted once but could not convert the catch.

With running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) an inactive, the second-year back operated as the lead in Jacksonville's backfield, ceding just nine carries to D'Ernest Johnson. Johnson did out-receive Bigsby (three receptions, 32 yards), but the latter was the clear preferred option on the ground. His yardage total and carry-mark set new career highs.

The predictability of this backfield is becoming less and less apparent, with three different RBs leading this team in snaps over the last three weeks. However, the 22-year-old has been the most effective rusher of them.

It will be interesting to see how touches shake out when Etienne has recovered from his injury, but Bigsby has made a sound case for an increased share. The Jags will get a slightly more difficult matchup next week when they host the visiting Green Bay Packers back on U.S. soil.

T-7. Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks

Atlanta was no match for the Seahawks as they felled the Falcons 34-14 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Seattle scored three touchdowns on offense, and Kenneth Walker III was responsible for two-thirds of them -- stealing the show on his birthday.

One score came on the ground as he rushed for 69 yards on his 14 carries. He found particular success rushing to the right side of his offensive line, rattling off 57 of his yards when the play went in that direction. He also converted both of his targets for 24 yards, including a sweet snag on a 17-yard touchdown in which he made an acrobatic grab at the one-yard line.

YES HE KEN. pic.twitter.com/BNhmOXCBec

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 20, 2024

He could have had an even bigger day, but a 13-yard TD was called back on the game's opening drive due to a holding penalty.

It was an overall solid outing for the Michigan State alum, who has now out-touched teammate Zach Charbonnet 66-to-22 since returning from injury in Week 4. Walker and the Seahawks host the Buffalo Bills next Sunday and can continue to be relied upon as a strong, weekly RB1 play.

T-7. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons

Despite his team losing, Bijan Robinson made his mark on the outing mentioned above. The former Texas Longhorn saw 21 carries in this one, amassing 103 yards and a touchdown while corralling 3-of-5 targets for 40 yards. Robinson ripped off chunks of yardage against Seattle, who seemingly had no answer for him.

His touchdown was a nifty five-yard rush where he showed off his vision, cutting back against the grain of the play and squeaking by a Seahawks defender. That's back-to-back weeks with a trip to the end zone for the second-year back, who had done such just once through the season's first five weeks. His 21 carries were just one shy of his career-high mark, and he has at least three grabs in all but one game in 2024.

The Dijon-dealing entrepreneur will take to the road next Sunday in a divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccos have allowed 4.7 yards per carry to opposing offenses through six weeks -- a bottom-ten figure in the league -- and Robinson stands a good chance to continue his recent string of success.

9. Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs

Kareem Hunt has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence over the last few weeks in his second stint as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. If you haven't noticed, this week's theme is multi-touchdown games, and Hunt got the memo -- punching in two scores of his own.

The 29-year-old toted the rock 22 times, churning out 78 yards while gaining an additional five through the air on 2-of-2 receiving in KC's 28-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Admittedly, he wasn't very efficient -- gaining three or fewer yards on 16 of his 24 touches. However, the touchdowns helped boost his overall line.

Since rejoining the Chiefs' roster ahead of their Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Hunt has racked up 63 carries and 249 rushing yards over three contests. He's the PPR RB15 since Week 5, and ten of the 14 players ahead of him during that stretch have played one more game.

With a second-straight road outing on deck against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Toledo product could again be in store for a productive day. The Raiders have let up 5.0 yards per clip and the ninth-most rushing yards in the league (842) to opposing offenses leading up to Week 7.

10. Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings

Aaron Jones was efficient again on Sunday in Minnesota's first loss of the season -- a 31-29 nail-biter that went down to the wire against the Detroit Lions. Oddly enough, the teams featured in this matchup were two of the top-five rush defenses heading into this one, but both ground games found success against their division rival.

Jones again led the backfield, tallying up a hyper-efficient 93 yards on his 14 carries (6.64 YPC) and his third touchdown of the campaign while contributing 23 yards through the air on 3-of-3 receiving. His score came on Minnesota's second play from scrimmage after Detroit turned it over on downs, failing to execute a fake punt. Strangely, all three of his touchdowns this season have been to the left side of the offense.

Aaron Jones has the Vikings up early!

📺: #DETvsMIN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/nadSyDNR5B

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024

The former fifth-round pick will get a softer matchup in the team's Week 8 outing when they line up against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football. LA is giving up 4.8 yards per carry this season to opponents -- one of the higher marks in the league.

Thanks for reading, and best of luck in all your matchups in Week 8!

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