Who Should You Draft With the 7th Pick in Fantasy Football?

Having the seventh pick in a fantasy football draft leads to an interesting decision, especially if a controversial running back falls to the spot. There are also some other running backs to consider building around, as well as a wide receiver that might be best for certain formats. Let’s break down the options and discuss who to take with the seventh pick in fantasy football for various formats. ADP data comes from 4for4’s Multi-Site ADP.

The Candidates

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers (ADP 6)

Christian McCaffrey appeared in all 17 games last season after playing only four games the year prior. For the first time in his career, he finished a season with at least 300 rushing attempts and 100 receptions. Among non-quarterbacks, he finished second in fantasy points per game in standard scoring leagues (18.5), per 4for4’s Fantasy Points Browser. In half-PPR (21.5) and PPR leagues (24.5), he finished first.

As good as McCaffrey was last year, he comes with risk. Health has been an issue with him playing fewer than eight games in four of the last seven seasons. Including last year, he has three seasons in his career with at least 270 rushing attempts. The first two times he reached that threshold, he appeared in three and four games the next two seasons, respectively. He is also 30 years old now, which could make last season’s heavy workload even more troublesome. While his ADP is six, injury concerns could make him fall to the seventh spot in some leagues. If he does, it makes for a tricky decision that comes with high risk, high reward.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions (ADP 7)

Amon-Ra St. Brown brings a high floor to the table for fantasy managers. In each of the last three seasons, he had at least 115 receptions, 1,263 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns. In each of the last four seasons, he had a target share of at least 26.4%. Last year, that number increased to 31.0%, thanks to his 172 targets. St. Brown has also played at least 16 games in all five seasons of his career.

The Lions allowed 24.3 points per game last season, which required their offense to throw a lot to try and keep pace. They finished eighth in pass attempts, scoring 28.3 points per game along the way. With Jameson Williams and Sam LaPorta alongside him, opposing defenses have plenty to worry about in the passing game outside of St. Brown. Then there is Jahmyr Gibbs, who is one of the most dynamic running backs in the league. As a member of one of the best offenses in the NFL, St. Brown is an extremely appealing option at the seventh pick.

Jonathan Taylor, Colts (ADP 8)

For just the second time in his career, Jonathan Taylor played 17 games last season. He dominated, rushing 323 times for 1,585 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also had career highs in targets (55), receptions (46), and receiving yards (378). Teams had a difficult time bringing him down in both facets of the offense. He averaged 3.4 yards after contact, as well as 9.5 yards after the catch. In standard scoring leagues, he led all running backs by averaging 18.6 fantasy points per game. He finished second in half-PPR (20.0) and fourth in full PPR (21.3).

Daniel Jones will be back under center for the Colts after tearing his Achilles in Week 14 last year. He won’t have Michael Pittman Jr., though, who is now on the Steelers. Alec Pierce and Josh Downs are the top wide receivers for the Colts, and Pierce isn’t even healthy as he continues to recover from ankle surgery. Pierce’s injury may have contributed to the Colts recently signing Keenan Allen to a one-year contract. Tyler Warren is one of the best tight ends in the league and should lead their passing attack, but it’s still clear that Taylor will be the driving force behind the Colts’ offense.

James Cook, Bills (ADP 9)

James Cook finished with four total rushing touchdowns during his first two seasons in the NFL. He then found the end zone 16 times during his breakout fantasy campaign in 2024. It seemed unlikely that he would duplicate that total last year, but he didn’t exactly disappoint with 12 touchdowns on the ground. In the last two years, he combined for 104 rushing attempts inside the red zone. That included 31 attempts from inside the five-yard line. Oh yeah, and he also rushed 309 times for 1,621 yards last season.

With Cook and Josh Allen leading the way, the Bills had the most rushing attempts in the NFL last season. That was partially necessitated by their lack of talent at wide receiver. They tried to improve the position this offseason with the addition of D.J. Moore, but it’s still not exactly a stellar group. With plenty of rushing attempts and touchdown opportunities likely coming his way again, Cook is someone to feel confident building around in fantasy.

Ashton Jeanty, Raiders (ADP 10)

There wasn’t a lack of opportunities for Ashton Jeanty during his rookie season, as he finished with 266 carries. However, that only translated to 975 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. His average yards per carry was 3.7, despite him averaging 2.9 yards after contact. Helping his underwhelming production on the ground was him hauling in 55 of 73 targets for 346 yards and five additional touchdowns.

The Raiders were terrible on offense last year, averaging an NFL-worst 14.2 points per game. That prompted a change at quarterback. They selected Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the draft and brought in veteran Kirk Cousins, who could begin the season as the starter. Brock Bowers is back at tight end, but their wide receiver group leaves a lot to be desired, with Tre Tucker and Jalen Nailor leading the way. If the Raiders offense is going to significantly improve, they will need their new quarterback to be the difference-maker. Touchdown opportunities might remain limited for Jeanty.

Who Should You Pick?

If Christian McCaffrey falls to the seventh spot, he is worth the risk in all formats. When healthy, he can still be the best player in fantasy football. However, if he sticks to his current ADP and is gone by the time you are on the clock with the seventh pick, then league format should shape your decision. In standard scoring leagues, Jonathan Taylor is the best option because of his heavy workload and ability to rack up touchdowns. In half-PPR and PPR formats, I’d go with Amon-Ra St. Brown. He has been the picture of health during his career while having a massive target share for the Lions. The Lions should have a suspect defense again, which means plenty of targets heading St. Brown’s way in high-scoring games.