• Ben Johnson has started to create his next great RB duo: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combined for 205 yards and two touchdowns on the ground for the Chicago Bears in Week 7. Their success should continue because their upcoming schedule is extremely favorable. 
• Fantasy managers might need to admit defeat on TreVeyon Henderson: Over the two games without Antonio Gibson, TreVeyon Henderson has played a total of 28 snaps, finishing with just 12 touches for 41 yards and no touchdowns. With the New England Patriots winning games, there is little hope for his usage to change anytime soon. 
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Below are the top running back takeaways from Week 7 that could have a significant impact on fantasy points in Week 8 and beyond.

Alvin Kamara’s playtime was trending down, as he was on the field for just 59% of offensive plays from Weeks 5 and 6, but that number jumped way up to 84% in Week 7 due to his backfield teammate, Kendre Miller, going down due to a torn ACL in the game. Kamara’s snap rate should continue to be extremely high the rest of the season without any significant competition in the Saints’ backfield. Unfortunately, it might not make a massive difference in fantasy points moving forward, as Kamara has been highly inefficient this season, and his next two matchups are not favorable for running backs. 

Kamara is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on the ground, a career-low 17.6 receiving yards per game, and has scored just one touchdown this season. His next two matchups are against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have allowed fewer than four yards a pop to running backs this season, and the Los Angeles Rams, who are allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs in 2025.

Upcoming matchups: vs. Buccaneers, at Rams, at Panthers

New England Patriots Rookie TreVeyon Henderson isn’t earning playing time 

Even in a blowout game where the Patriots dominated the Tennessee Titans in a 31-13 win, TreVeyon Henderson was relegated to the sidelines for the majority of the game. Henderson played a career-low 14% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 7. With Antonio Gibson suffering a torn ACL in Week 5, there was hope that Henderson’s usage would increase, but that has not been the case at all. Over the last two weeks combined, Henderson has played a total of 28 snaps, finishing with just 12 touches for 41 yards and no touchdowns. 

For whatever reason, Rhamondre Stevenson, despite his fumbling issues and inefficiencies, has earned all the trust from the Patriots coaches. The worst part for Henderson’s fantasy managers is that there really is no incentive for the Patriots to change their game plan, as they are winning football games. The Patriots have won four straight games, and without an injury to Stevenson, it’s difficult to imagine them making changes to their backfield usage. 

At this point, Henderson should be rostered as an insurance policy for Rhamondre Stevenson, but he cannot be trusted to go anywhere near your starting fantasy lineups. 

Upcoming matchups: vs. Browns, vs. Falcons, at Buccaneers

Chicago Bears Rookie Kyle Monangai plays on a career-high 46% of the offensive snaps in Week 7

Ben Johnson is slowly starting to create his new version of “Sonic and Knuckles” in Chicago. As the Detroit Lions‘ offensive coordinator, Johnson tired out defenses while leaning on both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery to run over their opponents. Now, as the Bears’ head coach, he is finding success utilizing both D’Andre Swift and rookie running back Kyle Monangai to tire out defenses. In Week 7, Monangai notched career-highs in playing time (46% of the offensive snaps), touches (15) and scrimmage yards (94), while also scoring his first touchdown in the NFL. Swift and Monangai combined for 205 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints. 

This duo’s success should continue as they have an advantageous upcoming schedule. Over the next two weeks, they will face the worst two fantasy defenses against running backs this season (Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals). After that, they get the New York Giants, who have allowed the second-most yards per carry to running backs in 2025.

Upcoming matchups: at Ravens, at Bengals, vs. Giants

Woody Marks struggles in his biggest opportunity 

Woody Marks was on the field for 63% of the Houston Texans’ offensive snaps last week – his highest rate yet in his rookie season. However, he was only able to manage just 15 rushing yards on 10 carries and 20 receiving yards on five targets. He was given two opportunities inside the opponent’s three-yard line in Week 7 and couldn’t get into the end zone on either play. He also failed to convert a first down on all three of his third- and fourth-down opportunities in last week’s game; he actually lost three yards over those attempts. No running back earned a worse run grade by PFF than Marks in Week 7 (48.1). 

Last week was his chance to fully take over as the Houston Texans‘ lead back over Nick Chubb, but after that uninspiring performance, it’s reasonable to expect the team to give Chubb more work moving forward. Neither Chubb or Marks should be trusted in fantasy lineups moving forward unless they are facing a very weak run defense, but that won’t be the case over the next few weeks as they face the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Jacksonville Jaguars, who are all above-average defenses against the run. 

Upcoming matchups: vs. 49ers, vs. Broncos, vs. Jaguars

Is Jacory Croskey-Merritt a one-hit wonder? 

After his Week 5 breakout performance with 150 scrimmage yards, two touchdowns and 27 fantasy points, Jacory Croskey-Merritt has just 100 yards, zero touchdowns and 10 total fantasy points over the last two weeks combined. He has now scored fewer than eight fantasy points in three of the last four weeks. Last weekend, against the weak Dallas Cowboys defense, Croskey-Merritt was only able to gain 33 yards on 13 carries for a career-low game of 2.5 yards per carry. 

The good news is that Croskey-Merritt has been utilized as the Washington Commanders‘ clear lead back in each of the last three games, even though outside of the Week 5 game, it has turned into very little production. Unfortunately, it is tough to foresee his efficiency increasing anytime soon, as his next three matchups are very tough. He will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, who have allowed the seventh fewest fantasy points per game to running backs this season, the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, who have allowed the fewest yards per carry to running backs this year, and then the Detroit Lions in Week 10, who have allowed the third fewest fantasy points per game to running backs in 2025.

Upcoming matchups: at Chiefs, vs. Seahawks, vs Lions