Week 7 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings: Quinshon Judkins Moves Up

In 2025, the NFL has gone full throttle into the passing era, yet running backs still reign supreme in fantasy football. The elite workhorses—guys like Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jonathan Taylor—remain the ultimate cheat codes, piling up receptions and touchdowns while leaving defenders in the dust.
However, with injuries hitting the position hard and both the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens on bye, fantasy managers will need to get creative this week when setting their lineups. There are absolutely some bye-week replacement streaming options who could fill in admirably for Derrick Henry or James Cook. Plus, if you have an injured running back on your roster such as Omarion Hamtpon or James Conner, you may have to add a sneaky back off the waiver wire.
The Best Running Backs In 2025 Fantasy Football
After six weeks of the season, here are the top five running backs in PPR formats:
- Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
- Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
- Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
- De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins
- Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys
With Week 7 underway, let’s take a look at where all the running backs in the league stack up in our Week 7 rankings.
Quinshon Judkins Poised For Career Game
Quinshon Judkins checks in as the RB7 in our Week 7 PPR rankings, and the setup couldn’t be better for him. With brutal winds expected to limit the passing game, the Browns should lean heavily on the ground attack—potentially running the ball on nearly 70% of their plays. That kind of volume spells fantasy gold, even if defenses start stacking the box. Against a vulnerable Dolphins front that’s struggled to contain explosive runs, Judkins’ blend of patience and burst makes him a strong bet to deliver RB1 numbers in what should be an old-school, field-position slugfest.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt Is In RB1 Territory
Monday Night Football was rough for Jacory Croskey-Merritt managers. Despite drawing 17 carries in a favorable matchup, he managed just 61 rushing yards and lost a fumble — not exactly the outing fantasy owners hoped for from one of the league’s most efficient backs. However, his workload remained strong, and that’s a trend we expect to continue.
Heading into Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys, who boast one of the worst defenses in the NFL and have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, JCM is primed for a bounce-back. The rookie currently ranks as the RB25 on the season, but Washington should feed him early and often in this crucial NFC East clash. If Rico Dowdle’s huge performance against Dallas taught us anything, it’s that Croskey-Merritt has top-10 upside written all over him this week.
Kimani Vidal Enters RB2 Discussion

After Omarion Hampton landed on IR, fantasy managers were left wondering whether Hassan Haskins or Kimani Vidal would take over as the Chargers’ lead back. Vidal answered that question loud and clear in Week 6, racking up 21 touches for 138 total yards and a receiving touchdown — good for 22.8 fantasy points.
Meanwhile, Haskins managed just seven touches for a mere 23 yards. With Hampton sidelined for the foreseeable future, Vidal is the back to roster in Los Angeles. Still available in over half of Yahoo leagues, he’s a must-add for fantasy managers dealing with bye weeks from stars like Derrick Henry or James Cook. Vidal slots in as the RB22 in our Week 7 rankings as he takes on a tough but beatable Indianapolis Colts defense.
Rachaad White Last Man Standing In Buccaneers’ Offense
With Bucky Irving already ruled out for Week 7 — and Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka also expected to miss time — the Buccaneers will be short on offensive weapons. Mike Evans’ status remains uncertain as well, leaving Rachaad White in line for a massive workload on Monday Night Football.
Bucky Irving and Chris Godwin will miss MNF against Detroit in Week 7, per HC Todd Bowles. pic.twitter.com/DaIslD2wiV
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) October 13, 2025
Even though Detroit has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs, volume will be White’s best friend in what’s expected to be a high-scoring matchup. Keep in mind, in the last two games without Irving, White has averaged over 20 PPR points per contest and found the end zone three times — making him a must-start in Week 7. White is a fringe RB1 against the Lions.
Let’s take a look at where the rest of the running backs across the NFL stack up in our Week 7 rankings.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings
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Matt Brandon has worked in the Fantasy Sports / Sports Media industry for over a decade including stints at Scout Media, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, DrRoto.com, Fantasy SP, FullTime Fantasy, and more. Brandon produced Top-10 rankings in FantasyPros’ nationwide contest three years in a row. He has taken down a few big DFS tournaments on FanDuel and DraftKings but his bread and butter is season-long fantasy football, fantasy basketball, and sports betting. Brandon bleeds blue for his New York sports teams: the New York Giants, New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and New York Mets.
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