We have made it to Week 7 somehow, but not without a ton of injuries and a killer bye week darkening the fantasy football forecast. This week, The League Winners contributors offer up some insight to those pesky start and sit conundrums you could be facing.
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 7 – Start
Jerome Ford, RB – Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts (Sheldon Hand)
Jerome Ford put up a decent performance last week against a tough 49ers defense. This week he gets the Colts who are allowing the 8th-most points to the RB position. Sadly, Kareem Hunt was more involved last week than Ford managers would have liked. Hunt had all three red zone rushing touches and a TD. However, Ford had 19 touches total and was more productive, averaging 4.9 yards per carry – compared to 3.9 for Hunt. Don’t shy away from starting Ford this week because of Hunt’s usage. I expect the Browns defense to dominate the Colts, which will create a lot of opportunities for Ford to milk the clock.
Jordan Love, QB – Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos (Harry Prskalo)
After a disappointing Week 5, Jordan Love looks for a bounce-back game against the Denver Broncos coming off the Packers’ Bye. At this point, who hasn’t done good against the Broncos? So far into Love’s career, he has destroyed easy matchups. The first two weeks he went against the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons. He had 30.45 and 27.85 fantasy points respectively, in both of those matchups. The Broncos allow the 2nd-most passing yards this season. With a healthy Packers offense, there’s a chance Love finishes Top-5 this week.
Rashee Rice, WR – Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Mikey Cannavo)
Rashee Rice has been the most consistent target, outside of Travis Kelce, on the Kansas City Chiefs offense. He’s a threat for the end zone and after the catch as well. With no other pass catchers filling a role big enough, I expect Rice to have a good game against the Chiefs divisional rival Chargers.
Christian Watson, WR – Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos (Erika Brown)
Sometimes it is just too easy to put up an offensive weapon against the drowning Denver Broncos this year. But the defense makes the matchup a juicy one. In Week 5, Christian Watson led the team in receiving yards with 91. With Jordan Love looking to bounce back (as Harry mentioned above), Watson has the potential to have a breakout game and see more targets go his way.
Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 7 – Sit
Michael Pittman, WR – Indianapolis at Cleveland Browns (Sheldon Hand)
It is tough to sit Michael Pittman after last week’s performance, but it will be a battle for him to produce this week. With the exception of George Pickens‘ Week 2 performance of 20.7 fantasy points, the Browns have shutdown opposing WR1’s. That list includes Ja’Marr Chase (6.6), DeAndre Hopkins (8.3), Zay Flowers (9.8) and Brandon Aiyuk (9.6). The whole unit is only allowing an average of 14.3 points to the WR position, the best in the NFL. Josh Palmer, Rashee Rice, and JSN are all pivot options.
Rachaad White, RB –Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons (Harry Prskalo)
This is not the matchup you want to start Rachaad White. While he does receive most of the work in the Buccaneers’ backfield, the Atlanta Falcons have shut down the run this season. The Falcons have allowed the 4th-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. This is simply just not a week I would put White into fantasy football lineups. The next two weeks are brighter for the Buccaneer, but keep him on your bench this week.
Zach Evans, RB – Los Angeles Rams vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Mikey Cannavo)
I’m staying away from Zach Evans due to the uncertainty around the Rams running back room. With several players signed to the roster and practice squad, it’s hard to tell who gets the majority of touches. Darrell Henderson is a familiar face who was recently brought back. He also received praised from Coach McVay about his pass-blocking skills. Myles Gaskin is another name to watch, as he is familiar with the offense that runs in the Shanahan coaching tree. Be wary of a backfield that is split between 2-4 players.
Courtland Sutton, WR – Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers (Erika Brown)
While we liked the offensive starts for the Green Bay Packers, the Broncos are another story. It’s not that the talent isn’t there, it’s the offense that is the problem. Courtland Sutton currently sits at WR29 in PPR leagues , with his quarterback inconsistent, at QB11 on the year. I don’t trust the Broncos to figure it out against the defense that is ranked 6th against wide receivers this year. Pivot away from Sutton, and probably most of the Broncos wide receivers.
Erika Brown
Erika Brown is a fantasy football writer for The League Winners. A journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University, she enjoys watching OkState football games and writing about college football.