Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 7? Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jordan Mason, Bam Knight, Woody Marks, Isiah Pacheco, Cam Skattebo, Zach Charbonnet, TreVeyon Henderson, Chuba Hubbard

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had his worst performance of the season in Week 6 against the Bears, handling 17 carries for 61 yards with one reception for seven yards and losing a fumble for the second consecutive game.

It's concerning to see him put the ball on the ground this frequently, but the coaching staff showed faith in him and went right back to him. On a positive note, the rookie seventh-rounder posted his highest snap share of the season at 66.7%.

Croskey-Merritt should again handle the bulk of the touches in Week 7 against a Dallas defense that just allowed Rico Dowdle to rack up 239 total yards. They are allowing the fourth-most PPR points per game to opposing running backs, which sets up Croskey-Merritt for a nice bounce-back game. He is a must-start in Week 7.

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason should be considered an RB2/high-end Flex play when his team plays host to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Not only are the injury-riddled Vikings expected to have guard Donovan Jackson (wrist) back in the lineup, but the Eagles are among the bottom rung of defenses against fantasy running backs, ranking 24th in yards per attempt allowed and 30th in rushing first downs allowed. Only three NFL teams have surrendered more rushing touchdowns.

With backfield mate Aaron Jones (hamstring) still on injured reserve, Mason should receive lead-back work in the Minnesota backfield. Although the Vikings' offense has struggled at times this season, Mason should have enough opportunity to start in fantasy lineups in Week 7.

Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Las Vegas Raiders at home in Week 7. Pacheco turned 12 carries in 51 rushing yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 6. Despite the 30-17 victory last week, Pacheco was unable to turn in a productive fantasy performance, but there are reasons for optimism moving forward.

His 12 carries in Week 6 were a season-high and double the number of carries Kareem Hunt handled on Monday night. Pacheco's 51 rushing yards were also a season-high and hopefully a sign of things to come. The 26-year-old still has not collected a rushing touchdown this season, but that could change against the Raiders this week. Las Vegas has allowed the fifth-most rushing touchdowns this season.

Pacheco has been efficient on limited touches this season, and his usage could be trending up. Pacheco is ranked RB28 in our RotoBaller Half-PPR rankings, making him a flex-worthy player this week.

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo's incredible emergence makes him a must-start, albeit risky, low-end RB1/high-end RB2 for the tough road matchup in Denver. Skattebo, currently the 10th-ranked fantasy RB averaging 15.22 points per game, is coming off a massive 28 fantasy point performance where he rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns against the Eagles.

This week, his volume will be tested against the Broncos' elite defense, which ranks 4th against fantasy running backs, allowing only 17.47 fantasy points per game. Crucially, the Denver defense has been a red-zone wall, ranking 1st in the NFL by allowing a minuscule 28.6% touchdown rate and a league-low two rushing touchdowns all season, directly threatening Skattebo's primary source of his five touchdowns.

Skattebo's immense workload and role near the goal line, however, keep his ceiling high despite the difficult on-paper matchup against a run defense allowing just 89 rushing yards per game.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Friday that running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) will play on Sunday against the New York Jets in Week 7, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Hubbard will be making his return following a two-game absence due to a calf injury.

While the 26-year-old was out, Rico Dowdle dominated to the tune of over 400 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 60 total touches. Before Hubbard's injury, he was the clear leader of Carolina's backfield. But given how well Dowdle played the last two weeks, things are probably going to shake out differently moving forward in terms of a backfield plan for the Panthers.

The coaching staff hasn't given many hints about how the usage will be split between the two backs against the Jets this weekend. The most likely scenario is that Dowdle will take on a bigger role, with the backfield potentially split in half.