Is Craig Reynolds A Good Fantasy Football Pickup for Week 7? Waiver Wire Outlook

In the airing of Hard Knocks during training camp in 2022, the Lions' coaching staff, on multiple occasions, raved about running back Craig Reynolds. Despite his athletic shortcomings, the undrafted 27-year-old has continued to beat the roster bubble and carve out a spot on this roster.

"Put his picture on that sign of 'grit' down there, that's what we should do."

"He's everything we represent."

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2024:

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

"You get rid of Craig if you want to, now, you might have some lineman come knock on the door just to talk."

With injuries to starter David Montgomery (ribs), change-of-pace back Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring), and third-stringer Zonovan Knight (shoulder), Reynolds suddenly found himself as the bell cow on a good offense. That's liquid gold for fantasy managers navigating injuries and bye weeks.

Does that make Craid Reynolds worth adding to rosters this week? There are some potential hurdles that may need to be cleared first.

What Did Craig Reynolds Do In Week 6? 

Reynolds rushed 10 times for 15 yards and caught two passes for 28 yards in relief duty. The rushing efficiency was far below average. His highlight came when he didn't have the football in his hands. Rather, he sprung a block that allowed Amon-Ra St. Brown to gallop into the end zone.

Unfortunately, highlight blocks don't reward fantasy managers with points.

In the week prior, Reynolds played mop-up duty in a blowout win over Carolina. He averaged over 7.5 yards per carry on seven attempts and scored. In 2021, Reynolds had back-to-back games with over 80 rushing yards. Don't let the most recent poor performance cloud your judgment of Reynolds.

Is Craig Reynolds A Good Fantasy Football Pickup For Week 7?

Reynolds is no Montgomery or Gibbs but if he's getting the work that Montgomery usually gets (or even 80% of it) he's worthy of a roster spot. The amount of touches would put him in the RB2 range even in a tough matchup against Baltimore.

However, Gibbs is nearing his return from his hamstring injury and will siphon a majority of the work. In Week 3, when Montgomery sat with a different ailment, Gibbs garnered 18 touches compared to just four for Reynolds (Knight received three carries).

If Gibbs is active, it's hard to trust Reynolds. He'll get a handful of touches as the power back but the rookie will be the leader of the backfield. If you have an extra roster spot and want to add Reynolds and wait and see if Gibbs is playing, then go for it. The 49ers duo (Elijah Mitchell and Jordan Mason) offer similar wait-and-see value, depending on how long Christian McCaffrey (oblique) is out with his injury.

More Fantasy Football Analysis