Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. Here are some of my picks for Week 7 in the latest edition of Studs, Duds & Sleepers.
STUDS
QB: Brock Purdy (SF vs. KC): With 16 or fewer fantasy points in four of his six starts, Purdy is off to a slow beginning in 2024. However, he threw for three TD’s last week and should be in line for a solid game this week as the Chiefs come to town. With a total of 47 points I am expecting the game flow to lead to Purdy having another big day.
RB J.K. Dobbins (LAC at ARI): Dobbins cracks my top 10 this week at RB and continues to look to be one of the best value picks of the fantasy season. He had a league-high 25 carries last week in his first outing with Gus Edwards on IR and faces a Cardinals’ D that has only watched 10 running backs hit double digits in fantasy points (0.5 PPR) this season.
WR: Zay Flowers (BAL at TB): With 21 targets over the past two games, Flowers is putting up some elite numbers. He still only has found the end zone once all season which has prevented monster numbers, but that might change in Week 7 with the Bucs on tap. Tampa Bay is allowing the eighth most fantasy points to wideouts and has allowed six WR touchdowns over their last three contests.
TE: Brock Bowers (LV at LAR): Bowers is having one of the best rookie seasons in history for tight ends and not everyone realizes it. The rookie should continue to see a heavy target volume with Davante Adams no longer with the team and this week’s matchup vs. the Rams is intriguing. They are allowing second most fantasy points to tight ends (11.6 ppg).
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Get ready for kickoff to Week 7’s action w/James Adams & Skeeter Robinson on the Fantistics Insider Football Podcast…
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DUDS
QB: Aaron Rodgers (NYJ at PIT): There is a ton of buzz in New York after the Jets landed Davante Adams to reunite with Rodgers. That definitely should provide an uptick to the passing game. However, fantasy managers should temper their expectations out of the gate as the Jets travel to Pittsburgh. Only teams have ceded fewer fantasy points per game (14.7) to fantasy signal callers this season.
RB: Rachaad White (TB vs. BAL): White is hoping to return to action this week after missing last week with a foot injury, but even if he does the Bucs’ backfield is getting even more crowded with Sean Tucker now making a case to join the mix with White and rookie Bucky Iriving. With Todd Bowles talking about “playing the hot hand” at RB, fantasy managers need to tread carefully with White no matter his injury status.
WR: Michael Pittlman Jr (IND at MIA): It looks like Anthony Richardson (oblique) is going to return under center for Indy. That doesn’t leave me feeling optimistic about any Colts’ wideout. With Joe Flacco in the mix the last three weeks, the veteran turned in his best three performances of the year. In three starts with Richardson he has yet to reach 8 PPR points in a single contest.
TE: Tucker Kraft (GB vs. HOU): Kraft has been one of the feel good stories early this season at tight end, but this week’s matchup vs. the Texans is a bad one. Houston is allowing the fourth fewest fantasy points (5.5 ppg) to the position on the season and have yet to allow a TD the position in 2024.
SLEEPERS
QB: Drake Maye (NE vs. JCK): I like what I saw during Maye’s debut last week. He offers a decent rushing floor and I am projecting this matchup to go over the 42 point total. He’s a fringe top 20 QB in Week 7 on my board and definitely in the starting conversation in superflex/2 QB formats.
RB: D’Ernest Johnson (JCK vs. NE): Johnson will be more viable if Travis Etienne (hamstring) sits. He’s definitely the passing game option over Tank Bigsby in that scenario and that should put him in the flex conversation as the Jags play their second straight game in London.
WR: Jerry Jeudy (CLE vs. CIN): With Amari Cooper traded to Buffalo, Jeudy is now the top dawg in the Browns’ receiving corps. He still has DeShaun Watson throwing him the football so the floor is low, but the target volume and the matchup vs. a struggling Bengals’ D does offer some appeal.
TE: Zach Ertz (WAS vs. CAR): Ertz continues to make for a nice streamer option with Jayden Daniels building chemistry with him. With 13 targets over the last two weeks he’s a fringe TE1 vs. the Panthers, who are giving up the eighth most fantasy points to tight ends.
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