The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 7
What a week, huh? We already have a record-breaking low-scoring year, and now some of the best-scoring teams are on bye. The Bills, Eagles, Rams, and Vikings are all on bye. So, if one of your teams is missing a consistent starter, you should check out The Fantasy Footballers Thursday episode. To hear the entire episode on youtube, check here.
Of course, if you are looking for a like-minded community of fantasy football fanatics, join the #FootClan at jointhefoot.com. Keep reading for a breakdown of The Ballers week, seven Starts of the Week.
Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB- Justin Herbert vs. SEA
This is the get-right game for Justin Herbert. You hope for a big boom, and it should come against Seattle. Before the Cardinals game, the Seahawks were the worst in allowing the most yards per play and points per drive. Herbert is finally off the injury report from his rib injury. It should be a fun game in terms of points and Herbert should put up plenty to get you feeling good about the amount you spent on your QB.
RB- Aaron Jones vs. WSH
The Hot Potato. You throw the hot potato around and don’t know when it will explode, but eventually, it does. In this version, you want the potato to explode. Because Aaron Jones can win you a week when he goes off, this could be his second explosion game of the season. It seems he scores a bunch of them when he scores one touchdown. The recipe is no Randall Cobb against the Washington defense which is 24th in rushing yards allowed. The Commanders gave up a huge game to James Robinson, Derrick Henry, and the Montgomery/Herbert tandem. Jones still looks good. He needs good opportunities in good games. This is a game where the explosion can come.
WR- Mike Williams vs. SEA
Big Mike Williams! This game should be a spectacular point-scoring affair. Andy has Herbert and Williams stacked together. Williams isn’t facing Patrick Surtain this week, which should help. Seattle is 30th in total yards allowed per game and 28th in expected points per pass attempt. It’s the highest over-under of the week, and you should want a piece of it. Williams has been hot and cold this season while Keenan Allen has been out. Allen could be back, which would help, but the Chargers will need to score points even if he isn’t. The over-under is factoring into the Keenan Allen situation.
TE- Robert Tonyan vs. WSH
Andy is chasing the 12 targets and ten receptions from last week. Tonyan saw targets on 32% of his 37 routes run. He is a trusted player on this offense, which is saying something. The rookies have been inconsistent, and Randall Cobb is hurt. Rodgers is trying to get the offense going with the guys he trusts the most. Tonyan has slowly been acclimating. Each week is a little better. He should be a good play against Washington with the opportunity and the need.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB- Tom Brady vs. CAR
The Buccaneers are 11-point road favorites. Since joining Tampa Bay, Brady has been a 10-point favorite eight times. In those games, he averaged 311 yards and 2.9 touchdowns. This game should be a get-right game for Brady as well. The Panthers’ defense is stout sometimes, but Brady should be able to distribute the ball between his weapons and let them make plays for him.
RB- Ezekiel Elliott vs. DET
Mike has been laying out the battle plan for Zeke for a month. It was to survive the bad matchups or trade for him during that time and know that this game was coming. The Lions are dead last in schedule-adjusted points allowed to running backs. They have only played five games and have given up ten rushing touchdowns and the fourth-most rushing yards in the league. The Cowboys are a seven-point home favorite with Dak in tow. If Zeke doesn’t perform this week, he might just be done.
WR- Amari Cooper vs. BAL
Jason has been a Cooper stan for a long time. Cooper has not been given much respect this season, despite being the WR11 in 1/2 PPR scoring formats. He is averaging a 28% target share, which is better than Stefon Diggs. Cooper already has three weeks inside the top-12, the same as Justin Jefferson. He is playing against the Ravens this week, so they will need to score. The good news is the Ravens are allowing the 5th most passing yards per game and are 31st in RedZone touchdown allowed rate. Amari Cooper should have a great game this week.
TE- Gerald Everett vs. SEA
The get-right game for Herbert should bring good things to many. Everett was a tremendous late-round tight end in drafts and has become a weekly start in most leagues. He has run the 6th most routes and seen the 5th most targets among all tight ends. He is being lined up in the slot consistently, proving that he is a big part of the passing game plan for the Chargers. The matchup is juicy! The Seahawks are averaging giving up 23 fantasy points per game to the TE. That is the worst in the NFL, by 10 points. There is some worry that Everett missed practice with some sickness, but he will hopefully be back and should get it done this week.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
QB- Dak Prescott vs. DET
The hesitancy is natural with Prescott returning from his injury, but he took the maximum amount of time to be ready before returning. Detroit is one of the worst defensive teams in the league, ranking 31st in schedule-adjusted points to the quarterback position. The Lions have allowed seven more points than every team in the NFL this season, and they have already been on bye. Dallas has the second-highest implied point total for Week 7. The matchup is ripe, and Dak should be able to take advantage.
RB- Kenneth Walker vs. LAC
Last week he had 23 touches and ran 15 routes, which is excellent news for him moving forward. He finished as the RB8 on the week. He ran those routes because DeeJay Dallas couldn’t cut into his work. This week, Walker, the clear bell cow for the team, faces a run funnel defense. Before last week there had been three straight weeks of 100-yard rushers against the Chargers for Nick Chubb, Dameon Pierce, and James Robinson. Walker is a good player and should be in line for good things.
WR- Brandin Cooks vs. LV
We have only had one top-24 performance from Cooks so far. However, Cooks has been averaging a 26% target share, with a juicy matchup this week. The Raiders are terrible against QBs and WRs. They are 28th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points to the wide receiver and 31st in expected points per pass attempt. This game should be one where the Texans can do some real cooking.
TE- Evan Engram vs. NYG
A revenge game. Engram has had a 24% target share in the last two weeks. He has gone five catches for 40 yards and six for 69 yards. Not too shabby at the tight end position. He has the eleven most yards at the position, and with guys like Goedert or Higbee on bye, you need a fill-in. Engram is not the worst option. The matchup also isn’t terrible regarding schedule-adjusted output against tight ends.