A new slate of injuries brings a new slate of start/sit debates and we're here to answer them all for every single matchup on the slate. There are glaring Week 7 examples of players you should start and sit. There are also examples of sleepers who could provide unexpected production and big names who could flop based on these Week 7 matchups. Every week we'll break down every game on the slate and pinpoint the players you need to know in every matchup.
The best part is that you get to have a say in who makes this story every week! Follow me on Twitter and look for my weekly #SSSB polls to help me choose who I analyze.
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All lines from Caesars Sportsbook.
Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Bust Candidate
Projections powered by
Sportsline
While the Ravens are tied for the most 20-plus-yard touchdowns allowed through the air this year (six), they're still in the top-10 in red-zone drives allowed and red-zone touchdowns allowed. No wide receiver has caught a red-zone touchdown on Baltimore yet, nor has one posted over 90 yards. Cincinnati's snail-paced and balanced offense figures to be forced into throwing in the neighborhood of 35 times, which is a lot for Joe Burrow. It might mean as many as eight targets for Higgins, but only one out of seven receivers with SIX or more targets against Baltimore has achieved 15-plus PPR/10-plus non-PPR points (Michael Pittman). Higgins should only get the nod if you're thin on receiver or flex help this week.
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Sit Him
Projections powered by
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Sneaky Sleeper
Projections powered by
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Boyd's two highest-volume games have come when the Bengals have trailed in the second half and needed to run the hurry-up offense (at Chicago, versus Jacksonville). Uzomah, meanwhile, has been a touchdown-reliant tight end who's facing a Ravens defense that's allowed three red-zone touchdowns to tight ends, which is three more than any receiver has scored against them. And in a somewhat surprising turn of events, Uzomah has run just three or fewer routes than Boyd in their past three games together. Consider Uzomah a touchdown-or-bust streaming tight end worth taking the chance on while Boyd's a significant risk since any other game script besides the Bengals trailing in the second half could put his stats in the gutter.
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Sneaky Sleeper
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The Ravens gave more playing time to Bell than Freeman last week after Latavius Murray's injury. I would be shocked if they did that again -- Freeman looked really spry and ran hard last week, following his blockers and using a combination of patience and burst to pick up chunks of yardage. He didn't make any mistakes it seems. Bell didn't have quite the same burst and power. This isn't to say the Ravens will only use Freeman -- they're a multi-back team and they seem interested in giving Ty'Son Williams some work. But if I had to use one Ravens runner against the Bengals' so-so run defense, it's Freeman based solely on their film.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Bust Candidate
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Two limited practices this week, only 23 snaps played last week and under 60% of the snaps played in each of his last four games has soured many on Gibson's prospects. In fact, he'd be a consensus Fantasy bust if he didn't score many touchdowns lately as he had. The hope this week, provided that he is active come Sunday, is that Gibson lands a first-half touchdown and helps Washington stay close on the scoreboard with the Packers. The Packers already have three 10-point victories this year and are at least 7.5-point favorites against Washington. If they build a big lead early on Washington, Gibson's stat line will be ugly. That's why I can't register him any higher than a low-end No. 2 runner this week, one I'd start ahead of Chase Edmonds and Mike Davis in non-PPR but not in full PPR.
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Start Him
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We could sit here all day and argue over whether or not Ricky Seals-Jones is a good football player. But the truth is that in Fantasy Football, opportunity matters most. That's why Seals-Jones matters -- he's been an every-down player who has seen 15 targets in his past two games, catching nine for 99 yards and a touchdown. One-fifth of those targets have come within six yards of the end zone, too (and none last week). The Packers have held three straight tight ends to under 9.0 half-PPR points, but they've all been low-volume tight ends with modest athleticism. Seals-Jones seems to have the eye of quarterback Taylor Heinicke and Washington figures to be playing from behind, which should lead to a nice amount of targets. He's worthy of starting right away.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The Dolphins gave Gaskin as their lead running back last week, but a brutal first quarter (6 yards on three carries) led to just 11 more snaps over the rest of the game. He had two terrible drops (one in the red zone), he stopped running on another red-zone route that led to an incompletion and he bobbled a third pass that led to a zero-yard gain. Combine that with his awful rushing inefficiency (under 2.0 yards per carry in two of his last three games) and there shouldn't be any surprise if Gaskin is a role player for this week's game. Even if he does end up starting for Miami, he's unlikely to be trusted in passing downs like he was last week, nor is he a cinch for red-zone work. It's too bad -- the Falcons have allowed five touchdowns to running backs in their last three games. Maybe that'll work out for Malcolm Brown, who has already been used as a high-leverage situation running back for Miami this season.
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Bust Candidate
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Coach Arthur Smith spoke this week about how the Falcons spent the bye week analyzing how they've been "trending offensively" and considered their personnel usage. It's conjecture on my part, but I wonder what he thought of Davis' work through five games. Even if you took out his absolute worst game against Washington (a game he caught a touchdown in), he's averaged 3.9 yards per carry this year. Among his worst numbers: he's had six runs of 10-plus yards (9.7% of his carries, 48th-best among running backs) and 12 runs of zero or negative yards (19.4% of his carries, tied for 10th highest among qualifiers). There's not only a chance for Cordarrelle Patterson to get more work at running back, but also for a backup like Wayne Gallman to pitch in like he did two games ago. Davis has managed 15 or 16 touches in each of his last four, failing to provide 13-plus PPR or 10-plus non-PPR points in any game. The allure of the matchup against Miami may make him tough to resist, so if you do start him, do so as a low-end No. 2 rusher.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Carter's played at least half of the Jets' snaps in each of his last two games, and in those games he handled 62% of the team's running back rushes (at least 10 carries per game). That's good. But he was terribly inefficient (under 4.0 yards per carry in those two games and in four of five) and somehow was at the bottom of the Jets' red-zone snaps played in Weeks 4 and 5 despite a pair of short-yardage scores. That's weird. Point being, there isn't enough evidence to expect Carter to play more snaps or get more touches coming out of the bye week. New England's allowed a lot of total yards to running backs over the past four weeks, but it's been against strong running squads like Dallas, Tampa Bay and New Orleans. The Pats have also let up just one rushing touchdown to a running back all year. Carter is a dicey Fantasy option since his workload doesn't figure to be plentiful nor are his touchdown chances good.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Despite logging 71% of the snaps and amassing 16 touches, Booker was good for just 10 PPR points last week. Luckily, his Week 7 matchup is much better as the Panthers run defense has been run over since losing linebacker Shaq Thompson (5.9 yards per carry). Even the Eagles averaged 4.7 yards per carry against this unit. With no reason to believe that Booker's workload is going to lighten, he should be considered a good starting option in Fantasy as a workload warrior with a floor of 12 PPR points.
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Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Shepard has not only seen nine-plus targets in each of the three games he's finished with Daniel Jones this year, but he's also had at least seven throws in nine of his last 11 games he's finished with Jones. This guy gets the football, and he should continue to do so against the Panthers, who got blasted by savvy route runners Adam Thielen, DeVonta Smith and Amari Cooper in each of their last three games (four total touchdowns to wideouts in those games). The decision is a bit harder if we're talking non-PPR formats since Shepard isn't a heavy touchdown scorer nor a reliable candidate for 100 yards. In those leagues, he's still worth starting not only because of his opportunities but because of the matchup.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Bust Candidate
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Touchdowns have been missing from Ryan Tannehill's 2021 season -- he's averaged one passing score per game. Many other data points, from passing yards per game to average throw depth to time to throw, are virtually the same from 2020. The Chiefs did a great job locking down Taylor "this is why you don't start bad quarterbacks in Fantasy" Heinicke last week, but it doesn't mean they're suddenly a tough matchup. Problem is, the Titans are thriving whilst being a bottom-5 passing team, running the ball 44.4% of the time (fifth-highest). The Chiefs aren't exactly world-beaters at stuffing the run (4.75 yards per carry allowed to running backs). This creates trust issues with Tannehill, who is already tough to call a reliable Fantasy passer even with Julio Jones expected to play. Consider him a low-upside starter who might land 22 Fantasy points but not necessarily carry the upside to be a top-10 option.
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Sneaky Sleeper
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Sportsline
Trusting Hardman is always dangerous territory, but at least we've seen him playing a majority of snaps this year. Recently, Hardman has posted at least 60 yards in two straight and come up with at least 10 PPR points in three of his last four. That part is good, but what's great is the matchup: Tennessee has given up over 200 yards just to wide receivers in four of six games including 296 yards to the Bills' wideouts on Monday night. No doubt, Hardman's a risky receiver to start, but his upside is undeniable and the matchup is as good as it gets. He's a perfect pivot if you find yourself down by a lot of points after the Thursday night game.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Flex Starter in PPR
Projections powered by
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Given how tough the Rams defense is, no one would be surprised to see Jared Goff focus on getting the ball out quick, just as he did two games ago against Minnesota. That worked out just fine for St. Brown, who posted 13.5 PPR points. St. Brown has become a regular staple in the Lions offense, not only playing at least 69% of the snaps over his last three games but seeing at least seven targets in each. He also doesn't figure to be the guy the Rams defense primarily focuses on taking away from Goff (that figures to be T.J. Hockenson).
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Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The Rams tried to get Tyler Higbee in the end zone last week, feeding him three targets inside of 12 yards but he was downed at the 6, 3, and 2-yard lines. They can try again this week in a pretty easy spot. Good tight ends like George Kittle and Mark Andrews, along with not-as-good tight ends like Robert Tonyan and C.J. Uzomah, have succeeded against the Lions. Those guys found at least 10 PPR points, which would be an acceptable result from Higbee. It only helps that he's evolved into a full-time player for the Rams who's not pass blocking as much as he used to.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen told the media this week that when it comes to Sanders, "we've got to get him going." He's been their lead running back over the past two weeks but getting him going isn't something they've really tried hard to do. They need to try this week against a Raiders run defense that's given up a touchdown to a running back in five of their six games this year and at least 81 total yards to four running backs. Philadelphia's thrown the ball at the second-highest rate this season and rank second-worst in time of possession -- a change of offensive gameplan is in order, especially with their starting O-line coming back together. The hunch is they'll do it and give Sanders a great shot to post his best numbers of the year.
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Start Him
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Last week's 15% target share for Smith has got to be considered an aberration -- he was north of 20% in the two weeks prior. And even though there's a growing sense the Eagles will try to run more this week, Smith should still see an uptick in work. The Raiders are fourth-best in Fantasy points allowed to receivers but got skunked by the Broncos' come-from-behind effort last week to the tune of 173 yards and two scores. Las Vegas plays a ton of zone defense, which has limited Jalen Hurts to a degree, but Smith has thrived against it. Compared to man coverage, Smith has had more yards per catch, a higher average target depth, a higher route depth, more yards after catch per reception and more explosive plays. If you start Smith, you're hoping for his catches to rise and his production to land him as a low-end No. 2 receiver.
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Bust Candidate
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The stats say Carr had an excellent Week 6, but the Raiders pass catchers deserve a lot of credit for adjusting to many of his deep throws, making yards after the catch and especially beating up on a suspect defense. This week Carr will take on an Eagles pass defense that's only allowed five passes of 20-plus yards this year (tied for third fewest) and also lines up in zone coverage more than anyone else in the NFL. Against zone coverage this year, Carr has completed a cool 72% of his throws (54.7% versus man) but has averaged nearly 3.0 fewer yards per attempt and nearly 6.0 fewer yards on his throws downfield. That means the Eagles could keep Carr from having another big game like he had last week. Carr is good enough to start but not without knowing his upside feels unsafe. I'd rather start Ryan Tannehill.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Bust Candidate
Projections powered by
Sportsline
The hunch is that the Cardinals acquired Ertz to work the middle of the field, much like Maxx Williams had done. Of Williams' 17 targets in five games, only four were outside the numbers. Meanwhile, most of the damage DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green have done have come outside the numbers, not inside. While this will help spread defenses thin, it doesn't guarantee as many targets as he had in Philadelphia. Maybe he gets to four or five per game with some red-zone consideration, but figure it takes him at least a game or two to get in sync with Kyler Murray. At least the matchup isn't bad -- the Texans have yielded at least 8.5 half-PPR points to a tight end in four straight games. I would trust Tyler Higbee, Ricky Seals-Jones and Hunter Henry before Ertz.
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Start Him
Projections powered by
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Start Him In PPR
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The roles aren't really changing for the Cardinals: Conner is the heavy hitter at the goal line and the guy more likely to grind down the clock in the second half while Edmonds is still the primary runner save for short-yardage downs. Both have a chance to flourish against the Texans, whose run defense has given up at least 50 yards and a touchdown to a single back in four of its last five games. It actually stands to reason that Conner is more likely to put up that kind of stat line than Edmonds, mainly because he's the one working short-yardage situations and has notched at least 50 rush yards in two of the past three. Edmonds' touches have dipped in the past two weeks, potentially because the team doesn't want him to further injure his shoulder. His receiving prowess is the only reason to give him a nod in PPR.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Flex Starter
Projections powered by
Sportsline
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Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Don't look now but the Buccaneers haven't given up a touchdown or 100 yards to a receiver in three straight games. They did an excellent job last Thursday forcing Jalen Hurts into some tougher throws; cornerback Jamel Dean's return has helped the Bucs out a lot. Now they get to go after Justin Fields, who has shown flashes of great play and flashes of being a total rookie. Mooney remains the wideout who has performed better with Fields while Robinson is struggling to get to four receptions per game. Until that changes, you should not trust Robinson in Fantasy lineups and you should only flex Mooney, even in what's supposedly a good matchup ... but isn't.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Sit Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Wentz has gotten nice numbers over his last three games (over 220 pass yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions), but this game feels like a low-scoring duke-it-out type of matchup. Indy's red-zone woes evaporated last week (2 for 2 on scoring touchdowns inside the 20 against the Texans) but were not hot before then. The 49ers defense has the fifth-worst red-zone efficiency, so if the Colts can somehow manage to drive inside the 20, they should be okay. Wentz's upside got worse when T.Y. Hilton announced himself as 50-50 to play on Sunday. If he's there, then there's a glimmer of hope for Wentz .Without him, his receiving corps can't really stretch the field, making them easier to defend. He's behind guys like Matt Ryan, Tua Tagovailoa, Tannehill and Carr.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Geno Smith struggled in every possible way against the Steelers, especially when it came to dealing with pass rush pressures. That led to Lockett having a nightmare game, but there's a chance the script flips this week. New Orleans' pass rush is among the league-worst in pressure rate, sacks and dead-last in time to pressure the quarterback (2.73 seconds per play). This gives Smith a chance to find Lockett on intermediate and long throws. We can also assume the Saints will play a lot of man coverage, which is terrific for Lockett since he can speed away from defenders. There's a chance Lockett finally breaks his four-game skid with under 60 scoreless yards, even with Smith as his quarterback.
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Start 'em
10.0-7.00
6.99 - 5.01
5.00 - 0
Sit 'em
Start Him
Projections powered by
Sportsline
On a short week against a short-handed and tired defense playing in Cleveland, Johnson has the upside to be helpful. And that's the appeal of using him: he's the last man standing in the Browns backfield versus a run defense that bottomed out last week (three total touchdowns to running backs allowed) and will be without both starting inside linebackers. You should know: Johnson doesn't seem to be fast, does seem to shuffle his feet a lot, does lose momentum because he sometimes freezes before contact, and overall feels like a gets-what's-blocked runner rather than a creator. That blocking part has helped him look good in the passing game, so don't be surprised to see him catch a couple passes. If the matchup were tougher, or if this wasn't an upside-down week where every other running back is hurt or on bye, Johnson wouldn't be a good option. But you're starting him on the hope he gets modest total yardage against a tired, beat-up defense.
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Start Them
Projections powered by
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Sadly, the uncanny, near-perfectly even split between Williams and Gordon figures to continue. Williams has not only been the more explosive back, but he's also handled contact better than Gordon (a half-yard per carry after contact to be exact, with tackles avoided on 41.5% of his runs). Does this mean he'll take over and throttle the Browns? Definitely not! In fact, there's absolutely no one on the planet besides maybe Broncos playcaller Pat Shurmur who can pinpoint exactly when Williams will be the Broncos lead back, if at all. Favorable matchups are the only time you can confidently start one of these guys as anything more than non-PPR flexes or bye-week replacements. Gordon has been at least a smidge better than Williams in PPR formats over four of six weeks. Cleveland has allowed over 80 total yards to one running back all season, but the short week does the defense no favors against two good backs, much less one.
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