The NFL schedule is now into Week 7 after MNF finished up with the San Diego Chargers defeating the Indianapolis Colts and now fantasy owners are looking for options around the league to pick up as free agents and some of the best running back options for this week are Joseph Randle, Chris Ogbonnaya, Andre Ellington and Ryan Mathews, while Brandon Jacobs and Zac Stacy are players to watch going forward.
The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Washington Redskins on Sunday night football to improve to 3-3, but the team suffered a big loss in running back DeMarco Murray, as he could be out for a little while with a sprained MCL in his knee. Murray had been off to a very good start this season, ranking in the top 10 in the league in yards with over 400, but now he could miss some time. Murray has three touchdowns this season and 24 receptions out of the backfield and his injury opens the door for Joseph Randle as a very solid fantasy option for Murray owners as well as teams looking for deep options at the position.
Murray was averaging nearly five yards per carry this season and he has been very consistent for the Cowboys despite the team averaging just under 90 yards per game and now Randle will take over for the immediate future. Randle did not get a carry in two previous games and he had 11 for 17 yards on Sunday in relief and he also scored a touchdown while catching two balls for 17 yards out of the backfield. Randle could be a huge asset for the Cowboys if he continues to catch balls and he could be very good for fantasy owners looking for a new option after Murray. Randle looks as if he will be getting the start on Sunday when Dallas plays the Philadelphia Eagles and if he plays well, even if Murray comes back, he could establish himself as another back for the team to use.
Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington has been trending upwards throughout this season and he has consistently started to take away carries from starting back Rashard Mendenhall. Ellington has seven carries last week for 56 yards and one touchdown and that nearly matched his total from last week with seven carries for 52 yards. Over the past three weeks he has averaged over seven yards per carry and his explosiveness and skills in the open field will get him more touches. Ellington had five catches last week and he has 12 over the past three games, making him even more valuable in PPR leagues.
After trading away Trent Richardson, the Browns have found a solid back in Chris Ogbonnaya and he was good on Sunday, rushing for 24 yards and making seven catches on 12 targets for 61 yards and a touchdown. If the team continues to keep giving Ogbonnaya touches like that, he could be a very good fantasy option for the rest of the season.
