Fantasy Football Week 7 RB rankings: Injuries to Christian McCaffery, David Montgomery, etc means new stars may emerge

Modified Oct 19, 2023 15:00 GMT

Week 7 of the 2023 fantasy football season presents more challenges than usual to the important running back position. Six teams are on their bye weeks and several major players are dealing with injuries that could keep them out this week. This makes it more important than ever for fantasy managers to pay close attention to positional updates and weekly matchups.

The bye weeks are an obstacle during each NFL season for fantasy football, but this particular week is noteworthy because the maximum of six teams will be off. This means that all of their running backs will be unavailable for fantasy lineups. Many managers are already scrambling to replace them, but multiple key injuries will make this process even more crucial.

The waiver wire and trade market present the only two places where managers can replace missing players on their rosters during a season. Popular running back targets this week will include many usual backups who are expected to get an opportunity to be starters this week, with their team's featured back dealing with injuries.

Some of the most important fantasy running backs that could be out with injuries this week include Christian McCaffrey, David Montgomery, and Kyren Williams.

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They will join other fantasy lineup staples like Tony Pollard, Joe Mixon, and Derrick Henry who will be on their bye weeks. Managers must navigate all of these obstacles and in Week 7 fantasy football.

Before replacing any of these star running backs in fantasy lineups, make sure to consult the Start/Sit Optimizer first.

When star players miss games due to injuries, it creates an opportunity for other players to emerge as relevant fantasy options. Some of these players to keep an eye on this week include Craig Reynolds, Zach Evans, and Jordan Mason. They all have an opportunity to serve as starters for the first time in their career, and if they do, they will hold significant fantasy value for the first time.

All of these factors and many others were considered when producing the following running back rankings for Week 7 of the 2023 fantasy football season. It's important to note that McCaffrey will be included due to his reportedly decent chance of being able to play, while Williams and Montgomery will be left out of the rankings due to their seemingly low chance of being available.

Managers looking to make a deal for a potential replacement should reference the fantasy football trade analyzer first.