Steven Jackson Cracks The Top 5 In Week 7 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings

Entering Week 7, the fantasy football landscape is coming in to clear focus and you need to adjust your vision regarding some players, in particular running backs.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew is on many fantasy owner's minds this morning after another sub-par effort on Monday Night Football, accounting for only 57 yards and zero touchdowns.  Jones-Drew is averaging 3.9 yards per carry for the season, which falls far below his career average of 4.6 per carry.

But Jones-Drew's running is only part of the problem.  The offensive line stinks, the quarterback play leaves something to be desired, and Trent Edwards is clearly not the solution.

Another player that owners need clear focus on is RB Peyton Hillis.  Hillis, should he remain healthy, can finish as a top 12 running back in standard scoring leagues, and is nearly a lock for top 12 status in points per reception leagues.

Owners may still view Hillis as an iffy start, and view him below his true value as he was a waiver wire pickup in most leagues.  You can take advantage of that blurry vision, especially coming off an average performance in Week 6, and add a top 10 running back to your roster for pennies on the dollar.

Enough chatter, let's get down to the running back rankings for Week 7.

Must Read: 10 Week 7 Waiver Wire Pick Ups

Please note that the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions, New York Jets and Houston Texans are all on a bye in Week 7.

Also note that RB Pierre Thomas and RB Darren McFadden are not ranked due to injury.

Rank	Player Name	Opponent	Comments
1.	Ray Rice	v. BUF	BUF giving up 182 yards on the ground every week, along with 21 fantasy points to RBs.
2.	Chris Johnson	v. PHI	Eagles giving up 11th-most fantasy points to RBs at 18 per contest.
3.	Frank Gore	@ CAR	CAR 26th in the league in rush defense, giving up 134 rushing yards per week.
4.	Adrian Peterson	@ GB	Packers defense gouged by MIA RBs in Week 6 for 142 yards.
5.	Steven Jackson	@ TB	Buccaneers giving up 21 fantasy points per game to RBs, and Jackson fully healthy.
6.	Rashard Mendenhall	@ MIA	The return of Roethlisberger tremendously helps the Steelers run game.
7.	Michael Turner	v. CIN	Tough to trust, but Falcons much better at home in the dome.
8.	Peyton Hillis	@ NO	Saints giving up ninth-most fantasy points to RBs, 18.  Only concern is early deficit for Browns.
9.	Cedric Benson	@ ATL	Getting it done every week, but needs to find the end zone.
10.	Jamaal Charles	v. JAX	Chiefs running game is for real, and JAX defense not looking great.
11.	LeSean McCoy	@ TEN	TEN run defense is tough, but Kolb's big plays should open up running room.
12.	Ahmad Bradshaw	@ DAL	Big game under the lights on Monday Night Football, but Jacobs vulturing TDs is a concern.
13.	DeAngelo Williams	v. SF	Very disappointing thus far, but a bye week to game plan should help, and always explosive.
14.	Matt Forte	v. WAS	A real stinker in Week 6, but has potential for big plays every week.
15.	Maurice Jones-Drew	@ KC	He looks okay, but the offense is bad and can't drive the ball. Impossible to trust right now.
16.	Knowshon Moreno	v. OAK	OAK conceding 25 fantasy points to RBs every week, but Moreno still recovering from injury.
17.	Thomas Jones	v. JAX	Has topped 80 yards in three of five games.
18.	Ryan Mathews	v. NE	Tolbert's role decreasing, and looking good averaging 5.1 yards per carry.
19.	Marshawn Lynch	v. ARI	Cardinals giving up third-most fantasy points to RBs at 22 per game, and Lynch getting chances.
20.	Felix Jones	v. NYG	If the DAL offensive line can't hold up, expect a lot of dumpoffs to Jones in the flats.
21.	Ryan Torain	@ CHI	Bears giving up 14 fantasy points per week, and gave up two TDs in Week 6.
22.	Michael Bush	@ DEN	Didn't look spectacular in Week 6, but DEN giving up over one TD per week to RBs.
23.	Chris Ivory	v. CLE	Big game in Week 6 with 158 yards, and CLE giving up yards but only one total TD to RBs.
24.	Brandon Jacobs	@ DAL	Jacobs doesn't do anything but score touchdowns.  But they still count.
25.	Ronnie Brown	v. PIT	Steelers giving up little on the ground, so a risky play but better than nothing.
26.	BenJarvus Green-Ellis	@ SD	Patriots look committed to running the ball, and Woodhead won't get 11 carries every week.
27.	Justin Forsett	v. ARI	Looked great in his third-down role in Week 6, but won't find the end zone every week either.
28.	Tim Hightower	@ SEA	Crapshoot between Hightower and Wells, but Hightower has been producing.
29.	Fred Jackson	@ BAL	Don't expect much, but Jackson is the lead back and BAL can be susceptible on the ground.
30.	Cadillac Williams	v. STL	Losing touches, but Rams giving up 15 fantasy points to RBs.

As the week progresses and teams have practice, the rankings will be updated if needed.  

Tuesday night is a big night for waiver wire adds, so if you need some thoughts on players to consider, here is my Week 7 Waiver Wire column.

I also have some thoughts about the New Orleans Saints offense, Peyton Hillis, Matt Forte, the Kansas City Chiefs rushing attack and Sam Bradford, and how all of those situations impact fantasy football.

Best of luck to you this weekend.  May your domination continue, or your comeback begin.

For an all you can eat buffet of fantasy football chatter, you can follow Nathan on Twitter @NathanWaddell.