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Tony Pollard RB | TEN
Cowboys' Tony Pollard: Another quiet performance
Pollard carried the ball eight times for 28 yards in Sunday's win over the Eagles.
The eight touches represented his biggest workload since his Week 3 explosion against the Dolphins, but they still didn't lead to much production. Pollard can be explosive, but unless Ezekiel Elliott gets hurt his minimal usage doesn't offer much fantasy value.
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Zach Zenner RB | NO
Saints' Zach Zenner: Totals seven yards in Saints debut
Zenner rushed once for one yard, adding a six-yard reception in the Saints' 36-25 win over the Bears on Sunday.
The new addition was barely visible despite the absence of Alvin Kamara (ankle), as Latavius Murray was handed the ball 27 times and rumbled for 119 rushing yards and two touchdowns. With Kamara's return imminent, Zenner is little more than a depth player for New Orleans if he even keeps his roster spot, leaving him off the fantasy map in almost all formats.
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Ezekiel Elliott RB | LAC
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Scores, reaches century mark in win
Elliott ran the ball 22 times for 111 yards and a touchdown, adding 36 more yards on six receptions (seven targets) in Sunday's 37-10 win over the Eagles.
The Cowboys were in desperate need of a win after dropping three consecutive contests, so coach Jason Garrett turned to his star back early and often in a blowout victory. Elliott had plenty of lanes to plow through (5.0 yards per carry) with the healthy return of starting tackles Tyron Smith and La'el Collins. The 24-year-old has been putting up RB1 numbers through six games (602 yards and six touchdowns), but we could see an uptick in production after the team's Week 8 bye now that Dallas' offensive line is the healthiest it has been all year.
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Derrick Henry RB | BAL
Titans' Derrick Henry: Tops 100 total yards
Henry rushed the ball 22 times for 90 yards and a touchdown in Week 7 against the Chargers. He also added one reception for 18 yards.
Henry didn't break free from the Chargers defense regularly, with his longest run of the game picking up just 12 yards. However, he amassed 20 carries for the third time in his last four games, providing him with volume to cover up his lack of efficiency. His most impactful run came late in the fourth quarter, when he scored on an 11-yard run for what turned out to be the game-winning score. Henry will clearly remain an integral part of the Titans' offense with Ryan Tannehill under center, though his lack of involvement in the passing game will cap his potential upside. In addition, Henry will draw a tough matchup against the Buccaneers' stout run defense in Week 8.
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Austin Ekeler RB | WAS
Chargers' Austin Ekeler: Big involvement in passing game
Ekeler rushed the ball five times for seven yards but added seven receptions on eight targets for 118 yards and a touchdown against the Titans in Week 7.
Ekeler was out-touched by Melvin Gordon 19 to 12 but was much more explosive with his opportunities. While both were shut down in the run game, Ekeler hauled in six passes that went for more than 10 yards. His afternoon was highlighted by a 41-yard score, though he also just missed a second touchdown reception on a play ruled a touchdown on the field prior to being overturned and called down just shy of the end zone. While the Chargers are insistent on feeding the ball to Melvin Gordon, Ekeler has continuously shown the ability to break off big plays when given the opportunity.
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Melvin Gordon RB | BAL
Chargers' Melvin Gordon: Finds end zone but performs poorly
Gordon rushed the ball 16 times for 32 yards and logged a receiving touchdown in Week 7 against the Titans. He totaled minus-3 yards on his two catches.
The Chargers tried to get Gordon into a rhythm early on, forcing him 12 of his 16 carries in the first half. However, he managed just 28 rushing yards on those attempts, causing the team to move away from the run game after halftime. In addition to the poor efficiency, Gordon also lost a fumble at the goal line with 19 seconds remaining in the game to secure defeat for the Chargers. While he has clearly been the team's top back over Austin Ekeler since returning in Week 5 against Denver, Gordon has averaged just 2.25 yards per carry. Given his critical error in Week 7 and his inability to hit long runs, it wouldn't be particularly surprising to see the Chargers give Ekeler a few extra looks Week 8 against the Bears.
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Darrel Williams RB | NO
Chiefs' Darrel Williams: Minimal production again
Williams logged two carries for one yard and hauled in both of his targets for another five yards Thursday against the Broncos.
Williams has maintained a minor offensive role even after the return of Damien Williams, but it's not enough for him to warrant fantasy ownership as much more than a handcuff at this point. Still, the fact that he's basically matching Damien in snap counts indicates he could sport some fantasy value should one of the other two miss time.
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Damien Williams RB | ARI
Chiefs' Damien Williams: Ineffective versus Broncos
Williams rushed nine times for seven yards and caught two passes for a loss of a yard Thursday versus the Broncos.
Williams has seen his snap count dip on consecutive weeks and is falling behind LeSean McCoy in the category for a second straight week. His production didn't really warrant additional usage either. He failed to surpass even one yard per carry on the day. At this point, he looks to be headed for a timeshare, at best, in the backfield, lowering his fantasy value significantly from where he was being taken on draft day.
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Cordarrelle Patterson RB | PIT
Bears' Cordarrelle Patterson: Scores touchdown
Patterson caught two passes for 21 yards and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the Bears' 36-25 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
Patterson continues to see sporadic work in the offense, but his main contribution to the Bears was his touchdown on a kickoff return that gave Chicago a chance to compete before the game got entirely out of hand. He's averaging fewer than 14 yards per game, and his fantasy value lies typically in leagues that award points for return yardage.
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David Montgomery RB | HOU
Bears' David Montgomery: Disappointing performance
Montgomery carried twice for six yards and caught two passes for 13 yards in the Bears' 36-25 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
Montgomery saw little work, even when this game was close throughout the first half. When he was given his first carry in the third quarter, he fumbled the football away, which put the Bears in a hole out of which they couldn't climb. After having reached at least 67 combined yards in three straight games, he's failed to reach 40 yards in either of his last two contests, and unless the Bears figure out their offensive woes, Montgomery will have a low weekly scoring floor.