Fantasy Football: Running Back (RB) Rankings for Week 7

This morning we updated our fantasy football rankings for Week 7. Here are some notes regarding running backs and run defenses heading into this week:

- Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall is averaging a league-high 23.2 rushing attempts per game. He has 22-plus carries in four of five games. The exception was 19 carries against Tampa Bay.

- Meanwhile, the Steelers haven't allowed more than 66 rushing yards to running backs in any game this season. This week, they face the Dolphins.

- Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has returned to fantasy relevance, scoring in three consecutive weeks, with a total of four touchdowns during that span.

- In their past two games, the Eagles have held the 49ers and Falcons to a combined 120 rushing yards and no touchdowns on 37 carries (3.2 yards per carry). This week, the Eagles will try to stop (or slow down) Tennessee's Chris Johnson, last year's rushing champion.

- Rams running back Steven Jackson has rushed for 100-plus yards in two consecutive games, and he faces a Bucs' rush defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

- Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams has not rushed for more than 86 yards in any game this season.

- Despite ranking third in the NFL in rushing attempts (119), Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew only ranks tenth in rushing (463 yards). Last year, he had 15 rushing touchdowns in 16 games; this year, he has one (plus one receiving touchdown) in six games.

- After working his way back against the Jets last week, Denver's Knowshon Moreno gets a very favorable matchup against Oakland, who has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

Here are my top ten running backs for Week 7:

1. Ray Rice, Ravens (vs Bills)
2. Chris Johnson, Titans (vs Eagles)
3. Adrian Peterson, Vikings (at Packers)
4. Rashard Mendenhall, Steelers (at Dolphins)
5. Steven Jackson, Rams (at Bucs)
6. Frank Gore, 49ers (at Panthers)
7. Michael Turner, Falcons (vs Bengals)
8. Jamaal Charles, Chiefs (vs Jaguars)
9. Ahmad Bradshaw, Giants (at Cowboys)
10. Knowshon Moreno, Broncos (vs Raiders)

See our full top 40 running back rankings for Week 7.

More rankings for Week 7: Top 25 QBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

Feel free to send start/sit questions to me via Twitter @EDSFootball or post your questions in our free Fantasy Football forum.

Good luck in your Week 7 matchup(s) and in our Week 7 contest.