Flex Options for Week 7 (Fantasy Football)

Last week was one of the more nauseating weeks for fantasy this year, with many players getting injured early in their matchups (Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, Chris Olave, and Marvin Harrison Jr., to name a few) and some players not showing up at all (See: Dallas Cowboys). But perhaps none was more frustrating than the eight-target, zero-reception performance by Calvin “Didley” Ridley last week. Please join me in commemorating his retirement from this column for the rest of the season, or at least until Will Levis is benched. I can’t promise that all of these players below will perform this week, but I can promise you that you won’t have to worry about Will Levis throwing passes to any of them. Let’s get into some names.

Raheem Mostert – RB, Miami Dolphins

The last time the Miami Dolphins took the field was in Week 5 in New England. Raheem Mostert saw a heavy workload in that game after starting running back De’Von Achane exited with a concussion, turning 21 opportunities into 98 scrimmage yards. Achane practiced in full on Wednesday, suggesting he should return this week against the Indianapolis Colts, but I would expect the Dolphins to split the workload fairly evenly as they ease Achane back into action. It’s a sweet matchup with Indianapolis having allowed the most rushing yards (931) of any team in the NFL so far this season, an average of over 150 per game. With Tua Tagovailoa still sidelined, Miami should lean heavily on their running game this week, making both Mostert and Achane viable fantasy plays if active. 

Tyler Allgeier – RB, Atlanta Falcons

Allgeier saw a season-high 41% snap share against Carolina last week, as Atlanta leaned heavily on their running game en route to a 38-20 victory. I wouldn’t expect this kind of volume every week from Allgeier, who is still firmly behind starter Bijan Robinson in the pecking order for touches, but the matchup this week against Seattle presents another soft run defense against which both backs could succeed. Allgeier saw eight rushing attempts inside the 20 to Bijan’s four and now leads the team in red zone rushing attempts this season with 15 (13 for Robinson). Allgeier found the end zone last week for the first time this season, and with Atlanta’s implied point total of 27 in this matchup, there’s a decent chance he could find it again. You can start him this week as a flex or bye-week fill-in.

Romeo Doubs/Christian Watson – WR, Green Bay Packers

It’s another Green Bay Packers two-pack of flex options to help you fill out your lineups this week. Way back in Week 1, it was Jayden Reed and Christian Watson who I told you to start against Philadelphia in what I expected to be a high-scoring affair against a beatable secondary. You can take the same approach with Watson and Doubs this week, as I expect there to be enough points to go around in this game for at least one of them to return flex value, if not both. Both have fairly low floors in an offense that lacks target consolidation, but their upside makes them worth the risk. If nothing else, it should be a fun game to watch as Jordan Love and CJ Stroud square off with a 47.5-point O/U.

JuJu Smith-Schuster – WR, Kansas City Chiefs

In the Chiefs’ first full game without Rashee Rice, it was JuJu who benefitted the most in terms of playing time and target share. He played 67% of snaps in Week 5 against New Orleans, seeing eight targets and catching seven of them for 130 yards. It was a rather impressive performance for a player whose existence most fantasy players had forgotten, and with Rice out for the season, Smith-Schuster finds himself with a massive opportunity once again this week. It’s not a dream matchup against a fairly stingy 49ers defense, but the Chiefs are road favorites in a game with a 47.0-point total, so there should be some offense.

Demario Douglas – WR, New England Patriots

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his first career start last week and immediately showed a rapport with Douglas, who caught six of nine targets for 92 yards and a touchdown. It was an encouraging sign that this New England offense might have more upside with Maye than they did with Jacoby Brissett, and this week they see a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that just got sliced and diced by Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears a week ago. The Jaguars rank 31st in schedule-adjusted points allowed to wide receivers, so if you’re looking for some upside, you can flex Demario “Pop” Douglas this week and hope he continues to thrive with new starter Drake Maye.