Week 7 Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em is here to highlight a few players at each position that we would like to sit or start (where possible).
This series will avoid the “obvious” answers. So, just because I don’t tell you to start the RB1 in the week doesn’t mean you should sit him. It means I just felt it was a no-brainer and didn’t need to be discussed. Also, take these suggestions into context with your lineup. When I say to sit a player, there are obviously going to be situations where you have no choice but to play them. Bye weeks and injuries can cause us to start players we are uncomfortable with. Examine your squad’s situation before blindly following this column.
Week 7 Quarterback Starts Of The Week:
Drake Maye, NE @ TEN
It might be Mike Vrabel’s return to Tennessee, but it’ll be quarterback Drake Maye who spearheads Vrabel’s revenge mission. Drake Maye has quietly been the QB6 on the year in fantasy and is averaging over 20 points per game. In the one week that he had under 15 points, he passed for 273 yards, but did not throw any touchdowns or turnovers. This was a very solid performance in a road upset over Buffalo. Drake Maye is entering into weekly-start territory regardless of the matchup. Thankfully, this week’s matchup is against a Tennessee Titans defense that continues to get tormented, and Maye will successfully redeem Mike Vrabel.
CJ Stroud, HOU @ SEA
After a slow start to the season, CJ Stroud has been solid in the last two games he’s played. He’s thrown 200+ yards and multiple touchdowns in each of those games. It should be another strong showing for CJ Stroud in week 7 as he plays a Seattle Seahawks defense that has been battered by injuries to their secondary. Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Julian Love are all hurt, and even if any of them play, it’ll be in a limited fashion. The Texans will take advantage of this, and it’ll be another 200+ and multi-touchdown day for Stroud. He’s worth streaming this week if you don’t have a top guy like Jayden Daniels or Patrick Mahomes on your team.
Week 7 Quarterback Sits Of The Week:
Jaxson Dart, NYG @ DEN
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is coming off his best game as a pro with a big win over the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. Dart had his best completion percentage on almost 200 yards passing and the most yards on the ground with 58. Dart’s performance was good enough to yield a nearly 24-point improvement. Even though that was against the Philadelphia Eagles, this Eagles defense is pretty banged up right now. A defense that is not banged up is the Denver Broncos, who the Giants face next. The Broncos just held Justin Fields to 45 total passing yards, yes, 45. The Broncos sacked Fields 9 times, and the Giants should fare better than their fellow New York team, but it’s going to be a long day for Dart as he moves to 2-2 as a starter.
Sam Darnold, SEA vs. HOU
Despite putting up back-to-back performances of over 20 points, I’m fading Sam Darnold this week. The Houston Texans are giving up an unheard-of 9.39 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. No matter who is playing them, I don’t want to put anyone up against this defense.
Week 7 Running Backs Starts Of The Week
Quinshon Judkins, CLE vs. MIA
After 3 straight games of 10+ fantasy points, Quinshon Judkins had his worst performance of the season with only 3.6 points. This dud was influenced by 3 factors: Dillon Gabriel getting his 2nd ever start, the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, and the game script. The Browns were playing from behind the majority of the game. This week, they will be facing the Miami Dolphins, who are also 1-5. The Dolphins are also giving up the most rushing yards to opponents. The last two weeks, they’ve let backup running backs Rico Dowdle & Kimani Vidal each have monster performances. With how bad this Dolphins defense is, Judkins is a must-start, even with Gabriel at quarterback.
Rico Dowdle, CAR vs. NYJ
It’s been all Rico Dowdle for the last two weeks as he’s been putting up Hall of Fame-type numbers. Dowdle has over 400 combined yards, the best in the NFL during this span. The road ahead is going to get tougher, but not this week, as the Carolina Panthers get another friendly matchup against another bottom-tier defense in the New York Jets. Even if Chuba Hubbard plays, they are going to feed Dowdle, and that man is going to eat. Dowdle is a must-start for another week.
Week 7 Running Back Sits Of The Week
Tony Pollard, TEN vs. NE
Going against the Las Vegas Raiders, Tony Pollard had his worst game of the season with only 34 rushing yards on 10 carries. The Raiders aren’t a particularly good team either, which makes this even worse for Pollard owners. In week 5, Tyjae Spears returned from the IR and had a 22% carry share. In week 6, that improved to 33% carry share. The Titans are working Tyjae Spears back into the offense, and this is going to eat at Pollard’s load, especially if Pollard has games like last week, where he only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. The Titans play the New England Patriots this week, who are giving up the 4th fewest yards to opposing teams. This does not sound promising for Pollard, who is already losing some of his workload. I have Pollard finishing outside the top-20 backs for another week.
Kenneth Walker III, SEA vs. HOU
The Houston Texans are giving up the 3rd fewest points to opposing running backs. This is not good news for Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. KW3 is coming off his 2nd-worst performance of the season, managing only 34 yards on the ground & one reception for 3 yards. That was against a Jacksonville team and had a more favorable game script. This is going to be a tough game for the Seahawks’ running game as they have to rely on the Sam Darnold & Jaxon Smith-Njigba connection for yet another week. I’m staying away from both Seahawks running backs, but especially KW3; he’s a low-flex option at best.
Week 7 Wide Receiver Starts Of The Week
Chris Olave, NO @ CHI
He might only have 342 yards on the season, but Chris Olave has been the 2nd highest targeted player in the NFL. The only player with more targets is Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua. In standard formats, you haven’t been able to reap the benefits, but in PPR, Olave has racked up the receptions. He’s a must-start against the Chicago Bears, who are giving up the 7th most points to opposing receivers.
Rashee Rice, KC vs. LV
It’ll be Rashee Rice’s first game of the season after serving a six-game suspension. The question at hand is, do we trust he’ll put up starting numbers from the get-go? The answer is yes. Rice has been out because of a suspension and not an injury, meaning he’s been fully healthy and ready to go. This Chiefs offense needs a boost, and I expect Rice to make an instant impact. When healthy, he was dropping 16-point games last year. Normally, I would want to ease someone back before making a decision, but this Chiefs offense hasn’t been dominant, and his first game back is against the Raiders. For those of you who have been patient with Rice idling on your bench, it’s going to pay off big time.
Week 7 Wide Receiver Sits Of The Week
Jakobi Meyers, LV @ KC
It’s been quiet for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, after he had 2 bigger games to start the season. In the first two games, Meyers had 165 yards receiving; in the next four games, he only had 164 yards receiving. This is surprising that he hasn’t been able to perform in the last four, as Brock Bowers has been out for most of it. The road ahead does not get easier, especially against the Kansas City Chiefs, who just limited Amon-Ra St. Brown to single digits.
A.J. Brown, PHI @ MIN
After being drafted in the 2nd / 3rd round of most fantasy drafts, A.J. Brown has been a bust for many fantasy managers. He’s currently WR37 on the year in PPR formats and WR43 in Standard formats. The passing game has not been a priority as Jalen Hurts is currently ranked 19th in passing yards. The Eagles have been running the ball, which doesn’t help Brown. The Eagles now face the Vikings defense, who give up the 2nd fewest receiving yards to opponents and the fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Regardless of whether you drafted Brown early or not, this week is a point where you need to cut your losses and bench him for someone like Michael Pittman Jr, Stefon Diggs, or Kendrick Bourne instead.
Week 7 Tight End Starts Of The Week:
Harold Fannin Jr, CLE vs. MIA
In the two weeks since Dillon Gabriel took over as the starter, Harold Fannin Jr has produced back-to-back double-digit performances. Last week, against a tougher Steelers defense, he had his highest point total of his career with 15.1 fantasy points. This had him as TE6 for the week. During the Steelers game, fellow tight end David Njoku was in & out with a knee injury. With the likelihood of Njoku missing time, Fannin Jr gets elevated even further. Fannin Jr should command a 25-30% target share and rack up the receptions in PPR formats.
Jonnu Smith, PIT @ CIN
He might only be TE28 on the year, but Jonnu Smith is someone I’m streaming this week and have him pegged for a top-12 finish. He’s playing the Cincinnati Bengals, who have given up the most points to opposing tight ends. The Bengals’ pass defense is awful, and Aaron Rodgers is going to light them up. Jonnu Smith should bounce back with his best performance of the season.
Week 7 Tight End Sits Of The Week
Travis Kelce, KC vs. LV
With Rashee Rice back in the picture for the Kansas City Chiefs, someone is going to lose targets, and that’s going to be Travis Kelce & Hollywood Brown. Kelce is pretty much always a start, but I’m fading him with Rice’s return. Kelce has done well the last couple of weeks, but I don’t love the matchup, and I don’t like the return of Rice. He’s someone I’m not touching in DFS leagues.
T.J. Hockenson, KC vs. MIN
In 5 games, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has only finished as a top-12 tight end in one week. He’s been a bust besides that, averaging 8.1 fantasy points per game on the year. This has him outside the top-20 tight ends in the league. With being still rostered in almost 90% of fantasy leagues, many managers are still starting him, and I’m not one of them. Hockenson is not trustworthy, and it doesn’t matter who the Vikings are up against, either. I’d rather stream someone week to week over having Hockenson.
For your final lineup decisions, check out the FSAN Rankings Page or check out our Sit & Start live show every Sunday before kickoff on Spilled Coffee.