The NFL season is back for another round of action, and fantasy football managers are ready for a full slate of games to flood their TVs this weekend. As not all matchups or roles are equal, we’re breaking down our top fantasy football start/sit Week 7 plays.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Start ’ems
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t feel as confident as usual about Dak Prescott, who has not played a game since Week 1 against Tampa Bay when he suffered a thumb injury that left him sidelined until now. But unless you have a top-tier alternative, I don’t know how you can sit him against the 32nd-ranked DVOA passing defense.
Props to Cooper Rush for holding things together, but Prescott takes this offense to another level. The Detroit Lions have allowed the second most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and with Prescott making his return, fire him into your starting lineups in Week 7. He comes into the week as a top-10 quarterback in our Week 7 QB fantasy rankings.
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QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
This has been a disappointing year for the back-to-back MVP. It’s almost as if Aaron Rodgers misses Davante Adams. Who could’ve seen that coming? He’s yet to score 17 fantasy points in a single game and is coming off a disappointing showing last week when the New York Jets came into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers by 17.
MORE: RB Injury Report Week 7
With that said, this feels like a get-right game for Rodgers. He had multiple passing touchdowns in every game between Weeks 2-5 and is facing a Washington Commanders defense that sits 24th in points allowed per game and just watched Justin Fields have his best day against their defense.
In a week where 30% of the top-10 quarterbacks are inactive due to byes, Rodgers is the top-10 play who you should start in Week 7.
RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
This feels like a smash spot for Ezekiel Elliott, who has now put together back-to-back solid outings. Despite scoring less than 10 PPR in four of his first five games, Elliott rushed for a season-high 81 yards and scored a touchdown on 13 carries in a tough matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles last week.
He will be on the more touchdown-dependent side of things, but after averaging 18 rushes in his last two games, he could be more efficient this week than his 69.3-yard average would suggest. The Lions can’t stop anyone this year.
Detroit is bottom three in EPA/rush, yards allowed, and explosive rate. They sit 30th in points allowed (28.9 PPR) and have already allowed ten rushing touchdowns, which is second most. Oh yeah, and they’ve already had their bye but are still that bad. For a guy who needs to find the end zone for max value, Zeke is a top-20 RB in our Week 7 RB fantasy rankings.
RB Kenyan Drake, Baltimore Ravens
Not only did the Ravens rule J.K. Dobbins out for Week 7, but clearly, his surgically repaired knee did more than “tighten” up, as he’s set to miss 4-6 weeks as he undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery.
That makes Kenyan Drake a must-start against the Cleveland Browns. Last week, Drake led the way with 119 yards and a score on ten carries and will be asked to carry the load again. For as good as Cleveland is at rushing the ball, they’re equally as poor at stopping it.
No one has allowed more fantasy PPG to RBs over the past two weeks. Cleveland has allowed the fourth-most fantasy PPG to the position this season (28.3) and sits dead last in rushing touchdowns allowed. I’m not calling for another 19.7 PPR performance in Week 7, but Drake is someone to start if you’re in need of a streaming option.
WR Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
At this rate, my talking about Alec Pierce is becoming evergreen content. I don’t get why fantasy managers are still down on the guy. Pierce has seen five or more targets in every game since Week 2 and sits second on the team in target share over that time (16.5%) but doubles Michael Pittman Jr. in air yard share at 36.4%.
When Indianapolis needs a big play, they’re going to Pierce. Although he didn’t crack 50 yards in Week 6, he had three straight games of 60+ yards, including back-to-back 80-yard outings, in the weeks prior. Although Pittman just barely took the lead in target share, Pierce is 11th in the NFL in YPRR since Week 3.
If you want to beat the Titans, you do it through the air. They sit dead last in yards per target allowed at 15.23 PPR and 31st in fantasy points allowed to the position (44.37). Additionally, Tennessee is 29th in passing DVOA and 31st in DVOA against an opponent’s No. 2 receiver. Pierce is a mid-to-low WR3 in PFN’s Week 7 WR fantasy rankings.
WR Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Since making his debut after tearing his ACL last year, Michael Gallup’s targets have increased in every game so far (three, five, seven), and he racked up a team-high in air yards last week. Dak Prescott’s return under center for the Cowboys should bring not only stability but an increased upside compared to Cooper Rush.
Dallas extended Gallup because they believe he can be their No. 2, and now it’s time to prove it against a Lions defense that sits dead last in pass DVOA. Detroit has also allowed the highest EPA/pass and the fifth-most points allowed to outside receivers over the last month.
CeeDee Lamb was a full participant towards the end of the week, and his presence will only help to spread out the defense. I’m trusting Prescott to get back in the saddle and feel comfortable starting Gallup as a WR3 in Week 7.
TE Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Revenge game! If we don’t mention it, did it really happen? Anyway, Evan Engram has been busy over the last two games, recording 16 targets, albeit for an inefficient 11 receptions and 109 yards.
He sits as the TE19 in points per game despite ranking 11th in target share and routes run, sixth in deep targets, and 13th in overall route participation. As Trevor Lawrence has been asked to be more of a game manager, Engram has turned into one of his more reliable targets.
It’s a middle-of-the-road matchup against the 18th-ranked New York Giants’ defense in points per game, but New York is 27th in DVOA against the TE position. Engram is due for some positive touchdown regression after hauling in zero scores on 32 targets, and perhaps, Week 7 is when it finally happens.
TE David Njoku, Cleveland Browns
I certainly miss my fair share, but David Njoku wasn’t a bad call this year. He sits as the TE7 on the season with a 17.8% target share and a 22.7% target/route rate. He’s also been on the field a ton, coming in at 12th in route participation and fourth in red-zone targets.
His athleticism also shows up, as Njoku is fourth in YPRR and 11th in YAC/reception. You would think a defense who matches up against Mark Andrews every day in practice would know how to stop the position, but Baltimore doesn’t.
They’ve allowed the eighth-highest catch rate, third-most receiving touchdowns, sixth-most yards after the catch, and sit 21st in DVOA against the position. Njoku is a top-six tight end in Week 7 TE Fantasy Rankings.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Sit ’ems
QB Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons
You have to tip your cap to Marcus Mariota and, really, this entire Atlanta Falcons offense, as it’s better than any of us expected. Heading into Week 7, Mariota sits as the QB12 overall and 15th in per game scoring at 16.5 PPR.
He’s coming off his best game, where he scored over 24 fantasy points thanks to 129 yards and two touchdowns through the air and another 50 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
With that said, playing him in Week 7 feels like chasing points. Over the past three weeks, Mariota has averaged just 19 passing attempts per game and has thrown for under 150 yards in each.
Plus, the Cincinnati Bengals present a tough matchup for quarterbacks, allowing the fifth-fewest points per game at 11.4 PPR. I would sit Mariota in Week 7, as there are better streaming options available.
QB Justin Fields, Chicago Bears
Last week was unquestionably a step in the right direction for Justin Fields. His 19.4 PPR represented a new season-high and showed why Konami Code QBs are so valuable. His 88 rushing yards and rushing score accounted for 76.2% of his fantasy output, and through six weeks, he sits third in rushing yards and red-zone carries.
While Fields has put together QB13 and QB8 performances, Bill Belichick has a history of making life miserable for young QBs, especially those who have clear strengths and weaknesses. Watch for the New England Patriots to sell out on stopping Fields on the ground and make him beat them through the air.
Sure, N’Keal Harry is supposed to make his season debut, but is that really moving the needle for you? I’ll sit this one out and bench Fields, who comes in as the QB20 in our Week 7 QB Fantasy Rankings.
RB Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons
It was positive to see Tyler Allgeier lead the backfield with 57% of the snaps and 15 carries last week, but walking away with 51 yards just felt disappointing.
Since Week 5, he’s averaged 14 carries per game but just 48 yards and has shared the rushing reps with Caleb Huntley by a split of 39.4% to 33.8%. What has gone unnoticed is Allgeier’s 67.3% route participation, but he has a whopping two targets on the season.
The Bengals have allowed over 5.5 yards per carry over the last three weeks, but they are still eighth in points allowed to RBs (18.57 PPR). Throw in the annoying rotation in the Atlanta backfield and the lack of targets, and Allgeier’s upside is significantly reduced, especially given the lack of red zone or goal-to-go opportunities.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Heaire might sit as the RB17 in PPR, but he feels so much more up and down than that. Touchdowns have sustained his value this season. He’s averaged 12.5 touches and 65.5 total yards this year, but over the last two games, he’s the RB52 while averaging 4.9 PPR and 2.7 YPC.
It’s not going to get any easier against the San Francisco 49ers, who get back Nick Bosa, have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game (16.8 PPR), and are No. 1 in rush DVOA and No. 3 in success rate. I’d sit Edwards-Helaire, if possible, in Week 7, as he is a risky low-end RB2.
WR Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos
I keep waiting for Jerry Jeudy to become the player we thought he could be coming out of Alabama, but it just hasn’t happened. He was the top receiver for the team last week, but he still finished with just three catches for 54 yards on seven targets.
The volume was nice, but it was his fourth time finishing with single-digit fantasy points in the past five weeks. In fact, if we just look at what he’s done since Week 2, Jeudy is the WR60 overall and is 77th in points per game at 7.6 PPR.
I was already on the fence about Jeudy this week, but with Russell Wilson out and Brett Rypien starting against the Jets, there’s no way I’m touching Jeudy in fantasy.
WR Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
Is it too much to ask for us to get Joe Flacco back? I was enjoying the offense a lot more when he was here, and so was Garrett Wilson. The offense is running through Breece Hall, not through the air anymore.
The combination of Wilson, Corey Davis, and the apparently benched Elijah Moore have combined for 21 targets over the last two games against the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers, and the trio accumulated a combined nine catches, 136 yards, and zero touchdowns.
Wilson has led the team in target share at 23.7% since Week 5, but that’s only amounted to 4.5 targets and 17.5 receiving yards in each game. He has a sub-six aDOT (5.8) over the last two weeks and has finished as the WR74 and WR84 in those two games.
I also want nothing to do with this Denver Broncos defense, especially their cornerbacks. I’m not trying to say something blasphemous here, but Pat Surtain II is doing one of the best Darrelle Revis impressions we’ve seen in a long time. Even if he was only going against K’Waun Williams, I’d sit Wilson this week in what could be an ugly game.
TE Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
It’s clear that all of the praise surrounding Greg Dulcich over the summer was justified. In the first opportunity that Denver had to play him, Albert Okwuegbunam was a healthy scratch.
In his first game, Dulcich played on 71% of the team’s offensive snaps and had a 79.4% route participation and a 12% target share. He also had the first touchdown of his career to go along with 44 yards on two of three receiving.
Although the Jets have allowed the seventh-highest yards per game and are 11th in yards per reception, I wouldn’t be chasing Dulcich this week. Wilson isn’t under center, and unless he scores a touchdown, something the Jets have yet to allow to the position, it’s more than likely Dulcich busts. I would sit him as a low-end TE2 this week.
TE Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins
Safe to say, Mike Gesicki had his best game of the season last week, securing six of his seven targets for 69 yards and two touchdowns. His 25 PPR points were not only a season-high, but they matched his total from Weeks 1 through 5. That’s both good and very alarming.
In the weeks where Gesicki hasn’t scored a touchdown, he’s had fewer than five points in every single game, and we have to remember that it was not Tua Tagovailoa who was under center when Gesicki had his best game. Tagovailoa is set to return this week.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a virtual no-fly zone against tight ends this year, sitting fourth in DVOA and 12th in points per game allowed and yielding the eighth-lowest catch rate. I would stay away from Gesicki in Week 7.