The Green Bay Packers will face the Houston Texans in Week 7. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding WR Christian Watson.
Is Christian Watson Playing in Week 7?
Christian Watson suffered a freak ankle injury in Week 4 that caused him to miss Week 5. However, head coach Matt LaFleur said Green Bay “dodged a bullet” with Watson’s injury, which was diagnosed as a medial sprain.
He was a limited practice participant ahead of Week 6 and played against the Cardinals, hauling in three catches for 68 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown.
Watson was limited on Wednesday and Thursday this week but is still on track to play in Week 7. He’s one of four receivers that the Packers trust. With Dontayvion Wicks (shoulder) potentially available on Sunday, Green Bay’s pass-catching situation could get murky again.
Watson, who’s always capable of generating an explosive play, is PFN’s WR36 this week.
We’ll continue to monitor the Packers’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.
Should You Start or Sit Christian Watson in Week 7?
Realistically, what did we learn from Watson’s 3-68-1 afternoon against the Cardinals last week?
In my opinion, all we learned was that he has recovered from the ankle injury that cost him a game. His ability to run by defenses is no secret, making his 44-yard touchdown catch that featured 40 air yards more confirmation of his ability than anything else.
I like that Jordan Love went his direction on a fourth-down play in the first half and sought him out on a single-coverage end-zone target later in that drive — that’s where there is value to be gained in the long term.
In the short term, the high-end top speed might be enough to warrant Flexing him. Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed were banged up at different points of last week’s victory, and even if neither misses time, any limitations on their part open up valuable looks for Watson.
DeMario Douglas (6-92-1) produced against this Houston defense last week, thanks in large part to a 35-yard touchdown. He’s not usually viewed as a big-play threat, but he was able to connect the dots on the long catch and run against a Texans unit that has largely been vulnerable to those receivers with big-play potential (in addition to Douglas, Alec Pierce, Brian Thomas Jr., and Justin Jefferson are the receivers with the best games against Houston through six weeks).
Watson isn’t a ”safe” play because Watson isn’t a “safe” player. Regardless of his health status and matchup, the floor is always going to be low, but you know that as you set your roster. With plenty of fantasy teams nearing desperation mode, this is the type of receiver to gamble on — a strong singular skill that can have success in this specific matchup as a part of an explosive offense.
He’s not for everyone, but if you’re considering firing up Watson this week, it means you’re willing to overlook some flaws.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 7 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Christian Watson’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 7
Watson is projected to score 12.4 fantasy points in PPR formats. This includes 3.2 receptions for 49.9 yards and 0.6 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
Christian Watson’s Week 7 Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 11:45 PM ET on Saturday, January 25.
Conference Championship WR PPR Rankings
1) A.J. Brown | PHI (vs. WAS)
2) Terry McLaurin | WAS (at PHI)
3) DeVonta Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
4) Khalil Shakir | BUF (at KC)
5) Xavier Worthy | KC (vs. BUF)
6) Hollywood Brown | KC (vs. BUF)
7) DeAndre Hopkins | KC (vs. BUF)
8) Keon Coleman | BUF (at KC)
9) Dyami Brown | WAS (at PHI)
10) Mack Hollins | BUF (at KC)
11) Amari Cooper | BUF (at KC)
12) Curtis Samuel | BUF (at KC)
13) Olamide Zaccheaus | WAS (at PHI)
14) JuJu Smith-Schuster | KC (vs. BUF)
15) Jahan Dotson | PHI (vs. WAS)
16) Jamison Crowder | WAS (at PHI)
17) Luke McCaffrey | WAS (at PHI)
18) Justin Watson | KC (vs. BUF)
19) Johnny Wilson | PHI (vs. WAS)
20) Parris Campbell | PHI (vs. WAS)
21) Nikko Remigio | KC (vs. BUF)
22) Ainias Smith | PHI (vs. WAS)
