We at LBS enjoy providing fantasy football advice whenever we can, and with so many notable injuries during Week 6 of the NFL season, we figured it was a good time to give some recommendations on pickups for Week 7 of the season.
Felix Jones, RB, Cowboys – He saw by far his most extensive action of the season, leading the Cowboys with 18 carries for 92 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also caught one pass for 13 yards. Starting back DeMarco Murray has a foot injury and is unlikely to play in Week 7 at Carolina on Sunday. Jones has a reputation for getting injured frequently, but he should be able to last while Murray is out. The other back to watch is Phillip Tanner, who had 9 carries for 31 yards on Sunday.
Alex Green, RB, Packers – The second-year back from Hawaii is the Packers’ featured back now that Cedric Benson is on injured reserve with a foot injury. Their other backup running back, Brandon Saine, is out for the season with a torn ACL. Green rushed for 65 yards on 22 carries Sunday night at Houston, and added one catch for eight yards. James Starks is the other Packers back to keep your eye on.
Vick Ballard, RB, Colts – The rookie saw the bulk of the carries for the Colts, going for 25 yards on 8 carries on Sunday. He didn’t get too many carries because the team fell behind to the Jets, but he should be good for more work at home against the Browns in Week 7. He’s still available in many leagues.
William Powell, RB, Cardinals – The undrafted back from Kansas State led the Cardinals with 70 yards on 13 carries in a loss to Buffalo on Sunday. He split carries with LaRod Stephens-Howling, but he may get the bulk of the carries in Week 7 at Minnesota. With Ryan Williams out for the year and Beanie Wells out for at least another month, Powell could be a decent add.
Montario Hardesty, RB, Browns – He carried the ball 15 times for 56 yards and his first career touchdown in a win over the Bengals on Sunday. Hardesty also added 1 catch for 9 yards in what was his first action of the season. The third-year back from Tennessee appears to be ahead of Chris Ogbonnaya on the team’s depth chart. With starter Trent Richardson day-to-day with a rib injury, Hardesty could be in line for some work on Sunday at Indianapolis.
Daryl Richardson, RB, Rams – The rookie from Abiliene Christian continues to get plenty of looks for the Rams. He rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries, and added 2 catches for 23 yards Sunday. Steven Jackson still gets the bulk of the carries in St. Louis, but at least we know Richardson is capable when he does get his chances.
Brandon Gibson, WR, Rams – He had 7 catches for 91 yards in a loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. He’s not a spectacular player, but with Danny Amendola out, he should be a good bye-week fill-in receiver.
Josh Gordon, WR, Browns – The supplemental second-round pick saw action on Sunday thanks to many Browns receivers being hurt. He followed up his two catch, two touchdown effort in Week 5 with 3 catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. The Browns throw the ball a good amount, and will likely continue that with Trent Richardson’s health in question. He’s going to be inconsistent, but if you don’t mind waiting for the home run, he could pay off.
Randall Cobb, WR, Packers – Cobb set a career high with 7 catches and 102 receiving yards on Sunday. He was targeted the second-most on the Packers behind Jordy Nelson. He should be a strong option with Greg Jennings likely to miss Week 7 with a groin injury. Cobb remains available in many leagues.
Also note that Lions running back Jahvid Best is out for the season as he recovers from his concussions. Mikel Leshoure and Joique Bell will be the backs in Detroit.
Mike Goodson broke a couple of big plays for the Raiders on Sunday in a loss to the Falcons. He’s a good backup option for those who own Darren McFadden, or those who want to snatch a running back in case McFadden gets hurt.
