Week 7 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Darren Sproles, Ryan Torain and 3 RBs You Must Start

Week 7 of the 2011 NFL season brings a major fantasy football conundrum. 

LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, Cedric Benson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Fred Jackson and BenJarvus Green-Ellis are all on bye weeks. 

Keep your cool, fantasy owners. 

Outside of the likes of Darren McFadden, Arian Foster, Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson, here are the three running backs that you must start this week. This is especially important if one of your top backs has the weekend off... 

Darren Sproles

Sproles has become one of my favorite running backs (in PPR leagues). The amount of catches he reels in each week are vital, as is what he does whenever he touches the ball. 

He is used as a gadget player, just as he was in San Diego. However, the Saints rely on him a bit more, what with Mark Ingram still transitioning to the pro ranks. 

This season, Sproles averages 7.4 yards per carry and 7.9 per catch and has two touchdowns. 

Last week, against the Buccaneers, he only received one carry.

What do you know? The Saints lost.

Okay—so the lack of touches for Sproles wasn't the only reason New Orleans couldn't pick up a win in Tampa Bay. However, you better believe Sean Payton gets his dynamic running back the ball more this week.

For example, Sproles had 16 touches in a three-point win over Carolina in Week 5. 

Ryan Torain

Mike Shanahan will always frustrate fantasy owners with the way he shuffles his running backs for no apparent reason. 

This week, make a bold move and start Ryan Torain. 

Having only rushed for 22 yards against the Eagles last week, he doesn't have a ton of momentum entering this matchup.

However, you needn't worry about that. 

The Redskins are on the road, with a new starting quarterback, against a Panthers team who allow the most fantasy points to running backs.

Ryan Mathews 

Mathews began the year on fire, rewarding owners who drafted him with double digits every week. 

His production has dropped each game since a 26-point outburst against the Chiefs in the Chargers' third game of the season. 

Seeing his matchup with the Jets, you would normally ponder sitting him. 

However, no running back should sit against Rex Ryan's team this season, based on what we've seen from his defense so far. 

They're surrendering 132 yards per game. 

Huge day for Mathews in a crucial AFC showdown.