Still Keeping It Real With Fantasy – Week 7

Same people, same great advice

Welcome back to Week 7 of Fantasy Football! We are nearing the halfway point of our season. There was plenty going on throughout the league this past week: the Super Bowl Chiefs added two time All Pro running back Le’veon Bell, the hometown Giants garnered their first win of the season, and the Titans have solidified themselves as a serious threat in the NFL. 

 

Injuries: 

Miles Sanders (Eagles, RB) – Sanders is expected to miss Thursday Night’s match against the Giants. The rising running back suffered a knee injury against the Ravens last week. Although Sanders’ injury isn’t considered to be serious, he will be sidelined for 2 weeks. 

Zach Ertz (Eagles, TE) – Ertz suffered a high ankle sprain during the game against the Ravens. As of right now, Ertz is set to return in about a month. The three time ProBowler is considered one of the great tight ends in this game, so his injury will definitely set the Eagles back. 

 

Starts: 

Christian Kirk (Cardinals, WR) – With some quality production over the past few games, it’s time to trust him in your lineups as a low-end starter. He’s averaging 14.7 PPR points in his past three games, and he has had three touchdowns over that span. It helps that he’s facing Seattle this week – the Seahawks allow the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers this season, you can expect Kirk to show out. 

Ben Rothlisbeger (Steelers, QB)- Roethlisberger only scored 12 Fantasy points in Week 6 against Cleveland, but before that he had at least 22 points in each of his first four games. He should get back on track this week against the Titans, who have struggled with quarterbacks all season, including Gardner Minshew, Kirk Cousins, and Deshaun Watson each scoring at least three touchdowns. Roethlisberger should have plenty of success taking apart Tennessee’s defense. 

James White (Patriots, RB)- White has been great the past two games against Kansas City and Denver with 15 catches for 103 yards on 17 targets, and he should continue to be a valuable weapon for quarterback  Cam Newton this week. While he doesn’t have a touchdown yet this year, White is worth starting in all PPR leagues as at least a flex given his involvement in the passing game.

 

Sits: 

Philip Lindsay (Broncos, RB) – Lindsay did great filling in for Melvin Gordon (illness) last week at New England with 23 carries for 101 yards, but Gordon is expected to return against the Chiefs. That should mean a shared workload for both running backs. We would expect Gordon to get the majority of touches and work in the passing game, but Lindsay can still be used as a flex option.

Micheal Gallup (Cowboys, WR) – Gallup will be hard to trust given the way Andy Dalton looked in Week 6 against Arizona, as well as the offensive line woes for the Cowboys. Gallup also comes into Week 7 with six targets or less in three games in a row, and he’s scored just once during the season. Gallup has also been under 30 receiving yards twice in the past three games.

Gardner Minshew (Jaguars, QB)– Jaguars coach Doug Marrone hinted that he could consider benching Minshew if the team continues to struggle and this may seem extremely likely this coming week. Minshew threw several interceptions in four of his past five games coming into Week 7, and the Jaguars probably wouldn’t want to risk any more. With the potential of that happening, along with the Chargers getting standout pass rusher Melvin Ingram back, it should make fantasy owners concerned about starting Minshew in most fantasy leagues this week.

 

Waiver Wire:

Henry Ruggs (Raiders, WR) – The rookie from Alabama has been impressing fans with his jaw-dropping speed and great hands. With QB Derek Carr at the helm throwing him the ball, we should expect him to flourish this year. The Raiders play the Buccaneers defense this week. The team has proved worthy among the best in the league. This is an excellent test for Ruggs. He could make an excellent flex receiver for your team during the wave of bye weeks. 

Eagles D/ST – Thursday Night Football gives a primetime matchup of the “NFL Least” The four teams in this division combine for five wins and 18 losses. The Giants (1-5) and the Eagles (1-4) Play this Thursday. Although their records may be subpar, it will be interesting to see how two bad teams fare against each other under the big lights. The Giant’s offensive woes have been no surprise to anyone. Ranking 26th in the league (with sophomore quarterback Daniel Jones turning the ball over like it’s a hobby) the Giants offense shouldn’t expect many results. This doesn’t help with the fact that the Eagles defense has been able to consistently sack quarterbacks. Fantasy owners should expect this Philly defense to thrive this week.