Fantasy Football Week 7 Projections: Daniel Thomas and the 3 Riskiest RB Plays

Now that Fred Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore and Cedric Benson are on their bye, choosing the right fantasy running back gets a bit more risky. 

There are bound to be some big days on the ground, but some of the "sure things" won't be contributing this weekend. 

Who are the runners that represent the greatest risk/reward in Week 7?

Daniel Thomas 

The Dolphins offense has been rather pedestrian this season and it doesn't look like Matt Moore is going to morph it into a top-10 unit anytime soon. 

However, rookie running back Daniel Thomas has provided a nice spark when Reggie Bush has fizzled. 

Thomas has been banged up and has only carried the ball in three games. He averages 4.4 yards per rush and has only found the end zone on a screen pass against the Browns. 

Thomas is risky because if Miami falls behind they totally commit to passing the football. Bush missed practice on Wednesday due to his nagging groin injury (not the neck injury he suffered against the Jets) so if he doesn't go on or is limited, Thomas could receive nearly all of the carries against the Broncos. 

It's hard to tell what kind of day the former Kansas State standout will have.

Darren Sproles

Here's another former Kansas State star that is a risky play in Week 7. Against the Panthers in Week 5, Sproles received the most touches he did all year (16) and had 91 yards from scrimmage. Against the Buccaneers last week, he carried the ball one time for 11 yards, but had eight catches for 46 yards. 

It's just tough to figure out how the Saints will use Sproles each week. If they get a big lead against a bad Colts team, will he still be utilized in the screen game?

James Starks

I fully expect the Packers to jump ahead of the Vikings early in this one, but can you rely on Starks who splits carries with Ryan Grant against the league's fifth-ranked rush defense that's allowing a shade over 83 yards on the ground per game?

If the Vikings hang around in this one, the Packers will pass their way to a bigger margin in the second half so Starks could be the victim of Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay's tremendous passing game.

If Starks does get the ball, he's shown consistency, as he is averaging 4.3 yards a rush and has caught 15 passes at a 7.5 yards-per-catch clip.