Fantasy Football Week 7 Sleepers: Eli Manning, Frank Gore ready to turn back the clock

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Most of the decisions we make as Fantasy owners are about trust. It's about relying on a player to be successful without knowing what the outcome could be ahead of time.

It's easy to put your trust in star players. For the most part, they deliver. But the non-stars is where your level of trust is tested, especially with players who fall in the sleeper category.

For example, can you trust Eli Manning, who has a great matchup at Atlanta, but he just struggled against Philadelphia in Week 6? Is this the first time Baker Mayfield will perform like an elite Fantasy quarterback in a great spot at Tampa Bay? Can guys like Frank Gore and Taylor Gabriel stay productive, or is their recent strong production just a fluke?

We're about to find out about those players and many more this week. And with four teams on a bye (Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Seattle and Oakland), there are many stars missing. So you need many of these sleepers to perform well — if you want to win.

And these are players you can trust in Week 7.

Quarterbacks

19.6 projected points	Eli Manning New York Giants QB
Manning was clearly terrible in Week 6 against Philadelphia when he managed just nine Fantasy points, but this is good rebound spot against the Falcons. The past five opposing quarterbacks against Atlanta all scored at least 27 Fantasy points, and the Falcons allow an average of 30.0 Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks for the season. Hopefully, Manning can take advantage of this defense on the road.
18.6 projected points	Joe Flacco Baltimore Ravens QB
Flacco comes home after three consecutive games on the road, and he could be in a potential shootout with Drew Brees. In two road games for New Orleans, Matt Ryan and Manning combined for 629 passing yards and six touchdowns, and Flacco has 44 Fantasy points in his two lone games in Baltimore this season against Buffalo and Denver. In his past five home games going back to last year, he's averaging 244 passing yards with 10 total touchdowns and one interception.
16.2 projected points	Baker Mayfield Cleveland Browns QB
We'll see if firing defensive coordinator Mike Smith does anything for Tampa Bay's defense this week, but Mayfield should have the chance for his best game so far in his rookie campaign. The Buccaneers have allowed 12 passing touchdowns in their past three games against Ben Roethlisberger, Mitchell Trubisky and Ryan, and every opposing quarterback against Tampa Bay has passed for at least 334 yards. Mayfield, who is expected to be fine with his ankle injury from last week, is a great streaming option given the matchup.

Running backs

12.2 projected points	Corey Clement Philadelphia Eagles RB
In the first game without Jay Ajayi (ACL) in Week 6 at the Giants, Clement showed he's the best running back for the Eagles now ahead of Wendell Smallwood with 11 carries for 43 yards and a touchdown, as well as three catches for 26 yards. He was on a snap count in that game coming off two missed outings with a quad injury, but he should be ready for more work this week against the Panthers. And Carolina has allowed a running back to score or gain at least 90 total yards in every game this season.
8.9 projected points	Marlon Mack Indianapolis Colts RB
Mack played in Week 6 at the Jets after missing the three previous games with a hamstring injury, and he looked explosive with 12 carries for 89 yards, as well as one catch for 4 yards. He will continue to share playing time, especially with Nyheim Hines on passing downs, but the Colts should lean on Mack for at least 15 touches this week against the Bills. It's not an easy matchup against Buffalo, but the Bills have allowed four rushing touchdowns in four road games this year.
9.0 projected points	Frank Gore Miami Dolphins RB
Gore has led the Dolphins in carries in each of the past four games, and he's gotten more carries each week, culminating with 15 for 101 yards in Week 6 against Chicago. He's scored at least 12 PPR points in two of his past three games, and he gets a great matchup in Week 7 against Detroit. The Lions have allowed four running backs to score five total touchdowns in just five games, and Gore, as well as Kenyan Drake, are worth using as flex options this week.
6.9 projected points	Peyton Barber Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB
Coming off their bye in Week 6 at Atlanta, the Buccaneers leaned on Barber — not rookie Ronald Jones — and he responded with his best game of the season. Barber had 13 carries for 82 yards, as well as four catches for 24 yards and a touchdown, and hopefully he can build on that performance this week. He's facing a Browns defense down linebacker Joe Schobert (hamstring), and Cleveland has already allowed five running backs to either score or gain at least 90 total yards this season. Barber is a flex option in Week 7.
8.5 projected points	Duke Johnson Cleveland Browns RB
Johnson has started to come alive of late in the passing game, and he could be needed with Cleveland's receiving corps falling apart. He has four catches in two of his past four games, and he scored 13 PPR points in Week 4 at Oakland, as well as 14 PPR points in Week 6 against the Chargers. He also gets a favorable matchup this week at Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers already have allowed four running backs in five games to catch at least five passes. Johnson is a solid flex option in PPR in Week 7.

Wide receivers

8.6 projected points	Taylor Gabriel Chicago Bears WR
Gabriel has been awesome the past two games with 12 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets, and he should have the chance for another quality outing this week against the Patriots. He's worth using as at least a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in what should be a high-scoring affair, with the Bears potentially chasing points, even at home. To add to Gabriel's case, Allen Robinson missed practice Thursday with a groin injury.
11.0 projected points	Willie Snead Baltimore Ravens WR
I don't like Snead as much as Michael Crabtree or John Brown this week, who can both be considered starting Fantasy options against the Saints. But Snead can be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in PPR with the revenge-game factor of facing his former team. He also had at least 10 PPR points in five of six games, and he has 24 targets in his past three outings.
10.2 projected points	Jermaine Kearse New York Jets WR
With Quincy Enunwa (ankle) and Terrelle Pryor (groin) banged up, we could see the Jets have to rely on Kearse and Robby Anderson. And I like Kearse better for this week against the Vikings. He's coming off a big game in Week 6 against the Colts with nine catches for 94 yards on 10 targets, and he should be heavily involved again this week. Anderson will likely see more of Xavier Rhodes than Kearse, and he's worth trusting as a No. 3 receiver in PPR if Enunwa and Pryor are out as expected.
8.2 projected points	Antonio Callaway Cleveland Browns WR
Callaway is due for a big game, and he'll get it this week if he continues to see a significant amount of targets. He has at least nine targets in three of his past five games, but he's scored eight or fewer PPR points in each game over that span. This week, he gets a great matchup against the Buccaneers, and it's worth trusting Callaway again as at least a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in most formats.
9.2 projected points	Keke Coutee Houston Texans WR
Coutee was great in his first two NFL games against Indianapolis and Dallas, racking up 17 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown on 22 targets, combining for 38 PPR points over that span. This week, he faces a tough Jaguars defense, but he has the chance to be successful since he spends most of his time in the slot. The Jaguars have struggled against slot receivers this year, allowing Chris Hogan (19 PPR points) and Cole Beasley (31 PPR points) to play at a high level, and we'll see if Coutee can follow suit. Deshaun Watson also wants to get the ball out of his hands quickly, which should mean some extra targets for Coutee. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in Week 7.

Tight ends

10.4 projected points	Evan Engram New York Giants TE
Engram isn't really a sleeper, but I wanted some place to write about him since he's coming back from the knee injury he sustained in Week 3. He should be considered a top-10 Fantasy tight end in Week 7 given the matchup. The Falcons have allowed three touchdowns to tight ends in their past three games, and this is a homecoming game for Engram, who is from just outside of Atlanta. His return will be a slight downgrade for Sterling Shepard because of the target share for the Giants, but Fantasy owners will welcome Engram back with open arms if he plays like a standout tight end for the rest of the year.
7.6 projected points	C.J. Uzomah Cincinnati Bengals TE
Uzomah is coming off a solid game in Week 6 against Pittsburgh with six catches for 54 yards on seven targets, and he should play well again this week at Kansas City. The Chiefs have allowed at least 12 PPR points to four tight ends this season, and Uzomah has staying power as a low-end starter until Tyler Kroft (foot) returns.
3.7 projected points	Gerald Everett Los Angeles Rams TE
With Cooper Kupp (knee) out this week, we could see Everett take on a bigger role in the passing game. He has seven targets in his past two games for five catches and 48 yards, and he has a good matchup against the 49ers in Week 7. San Francisco has allowed a tight end to score or gain 100 receiving yards in five of six games, and Everett is worth a flier in deeper leagues. Josh Reynolds is also a sleeper at receiver for the Rams because of Kupp being out.

Who should you sit and start? And what shocking QB could win you Week 7? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy football rankings for every single position, and see which shocking QB finishes in the top 5 this week, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.