The Biggest Start/Sit Decisions for Week 7 (Fantasy Football)

“This is like Mel Gibson from the movie, ‘Maverick,’ where he starts playing cards with the cards UP and loses for the first hour so that he can learn people’s tells and get the party started and THEN he comes back and WINS at cards.

I loved that movie.”
— Jason Moore, on sandbagging trades

Aloha, Footclan! Welcome to Week 7 of the Start/Sit series, where we’ll identify and discuss your most commonly asked “Who should I start?” questions for the week.

The projections between any two players on your roster may appear similar, but this “simple” choice could be the difference between your team’s victory or defeat. Luckily, the Fantasy Footballers have created an amazing Start/Sit tool to easily compare any two (or more) players with insight from the Ballers themselves, and trust me — it’s an extremely valuable asset that will help you make these crucial lineup decisions that could ultimately lead you to your #FootClanTitle. Please note that the Footballers’ rankings are constantly being updated as news breaks, so make sure you check out the tool for yourself to catch any last-second changes.

So, without further ado, let’s kick things off with the most popular Start/Sit questions for Week 7:

Featured Matchup

WR:
Romeo Doubs (GB) or Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG)?

Romeo Doubs has been a disappointment since his Week 3 breakout game, failing to surpass five receptions or 47 yards in a game ever since. Meanwhile, his teammate Allen Lazard has thrived, scoring a TD or 100+ receiving yards in that same time span. But for those desperately needing a home run, this should be the right time for it. The matchup is enticing as the ‘Manders have gifted opposing receivers with the third MOST fantasy points and are dead last in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed. They even helped Darnell Mooney manage 68 receiving yards, which is more than Doubs has in his last two weeks combined.

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Wan’Dale Robinson was tied for 1st among Giants WRs in target share (16.1%) in his first game back

He was also last among Giants WRs in snap share (23%) 👀

Expect his snaps to improve – along with that target share – the healthier he gets#TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/rDGGJ8igzu

— Marvin Elequin (@FF_MarvinE) October 17, 2022

Fellow rookie Wan’Dale Robinson is in the midst of his own breakout after a flashy return to action against the Ravens. He led all Giants receivers in target share (16%) while having the LOWEST snap share (23%). His workload should naturally increase as he becomes a potential focal point of the Giants’ depleted offense. He should be able to expose a vulnerable Jaguars coverage that’s giving up the 10th most PPR points from the slot, which is where Robinson spent most of his time last week.

You can’t confidently start either guy, but Doubs has been seeing a decent number of targets (averaged 7.5 targets per game since Week 3), so we can feel safer knowing he’ll at least get the opportunity to produce. Doubs is also a majority “Ride” for double-digit fantasy points this week. We can’t say the same for Robinson until we see more from him, although he could be a potential league winner if Daniel Jones figures out how to utilize him properly.

The Verdict
Doubs is the smart choice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Robinson outscores him.

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QB:
Matt Ryan (IND) or Jimmy Garoppolo (SFO)?

Matt Ryan was spectacular last week against the Jaguars, finishing as fantasy’s QB2 after completing 42-of-58 passes for 389 yards and three TDs. In his 14-year, 238-game career, he’s surpassed that number of pass attempts just once (61). While that was nearly a decade ago (2013), Matty Ice continues to sling it, averaging 42.2 pass attempts as a Colt. He threw for 356 yards and two TDs when he faced the Titans just a few weeks ago, so he’s a safe bet to repeat similar numbers as Tennessee’s defense is bleeding points to opposing QBs.

Jimmy Garoppolo is also in the midst of his own little hot streak, coming off back-to-back finishes as the week’s QB9. He’s utilizing his dynamic wideouts and is finally getting George Kittle involved, plus he gets a Chiefs’ defense that is giving up the third MOST points to QBs. This should be a shootout on home turf, which is why he’s a popular streamer during this tough bye week and the Ballers’ unanimous favorite over Ryan. And now he gets a shiny new weapon in Christian McCaffrey to help boost an already star-studded offense.

Andy's QB Stream of the Week isn't likely to goose you… or is it gander you? pic.twitter.com/v866QvTBho

— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) October 19, 2022

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The Verdict
Jimmy Garoppolo.

RB:
Latavius Murray (DEN) or Kenyan Drake (BAL)?

Times are tough when we have to ask about starting these two guys. It’s hard to trust Latavius Murray since he’ll be in a gross timeshare with a squeaky-wheel Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone, with Gordon allegedly starting unless their inept coach continues to big-brain his way into unemployment. The matchup against the Jets is tougher than it appears; last week they held both Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon for just 60 total rushing yards. Murray only saw one target against the Chargers so he’ll need to luck into a goal line opportunity, but that may not come easily as their whole offense has been a complete mess.

Kenyan Drake went HAM last Sunday at MetLife Stadium, running wild for 119 yards and a TD on just 10 carries. He took over the reins after J.K. Dobbins felt his knee tightening up in the second half. If Dobbins is inactive, Drake could see a large uptick in usage against a highly exploitable Browns defense, though expect Justice Hill and possibly Gus Edwards to get involved. Jason is the most bullish on Drake and would start him over Murray, though Mike has Murray ranked higher.

The Verdict
Monitor the injury reports, but it’s probably Kenyan Drake regardless.

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Travis Etienne Jr. (JAX) or Brian Robinson (WAS)?

I love Brian Robinson, love his story, love his usage last week (17 rush attempts, 70.8% of the team’s total rushes) in just his second NFL game after being shot twice in his right leg, and love his upcoming matchup against a porous Packers defensive front that’s coughed up an average 26.4 fantasy points to the RBs in their last three contests. But without any involvement in the passing game, he’ll be a game-script and TD-dependent RB that will struggle to find any scoring opportunities on a struggling Commanders’ offense that has this week’s second LOWEST implied total.

Travis Etienne Jr. has taken a slowly-but-surely trajectory toward our starting lineups after he seemingly took over the Jacksonville backfield from James Robinson. The matchup against the Giants is better than the ranking suggests as they are 28th in rush DVOA and just gave up 119 yards and a score to Kenyan Drake on only 10 carries. ETN is overdue for his first NFL TD, and he just might get it this week at home, although Robinson remains a thorn in his side.

The Verdict
Travis Etienne.

TE:
Hayden Hurst (CIN) or Dalton Schultz (DAL)?

	Hayden Hurst CIN TE vs ATL Sun, 10/23 1:00pm EST	We do the work. You dominate your draft. Get the 2023 UDK Dalton Schultz DAL TE vs DET Sun, 10/23 1:00pm EST Clips
	EXPERT PROJECTIONS
Proj. Points	7.8	6.5
Andy Rank	TE #9	TE #16
Mike Rank	TE #9	TE #17
Jason Rank	TE #11	TE #19
	MATCHUP DETAILS
Opp. Rank	28	26
Home/Away	Home	Home
Over/Under	47.5	49
Line	-6.5	-7

I haven’t been the biggest Hayden Hurst fan (for fantasy, not IRL), but anyone receiving passes from Joe Burrow is worthy of Start/Sit consideration. He’s been rather boom-bust, though the “booms” aren’t so high while the “busts” can sink your team. But Hurst has built a rapport with Burrow thanks to his elite 4.8 average yards of separation which currently leads all pass-catchers in the NFL. He’s averaging 5.2 targets per game — one being in the red zone — and the matchup is fantastic. It’s an interesting dart throw in DFS, not to mention a fun revenge game against his former team.

I’m not afraid to start Dalton Schultz if he’s cleared to play. I know it’s been tough sledding, but Dak Prescott under center essentially solidifies Schultz’s floor. The duo averaged over six targets and nearly five catches and 50 yards per game last season in 16 games played together, including a TD in every other match. This year, his only game where he didn’t score less than a single fantasy point was with Prescott in the opener. This matchup against the Lions is absolutely mouthwatering; the Cowboys have the 2nd highest team-implied total on the slate, so every piece of this rejuvenated offense is in play. The only concern is whether the Doc is truly healed from his knee injury.

The Verdict
All three Ballers unanimously favor Hurst, but I’m rolling the dice on Schultz assuming he’s fully healthy (which is no guarantee).