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Mike Fanelli gives his fantasy football bold predictions for Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season. Should you start or sit Jordan Love, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley?
Week 7 is here, and I’m back with another edition of fantasy football bold predictions. This week’s list of bold predictions will include Jordan Love, Tony Pollard, Saquon Barkley, Diontae Johnson, and Brock Bowers.
Every week, I will provide some fun and bold fantasy football predictions. While these bold predictions aren’t the most likely outcomes, they are things I believe could happen this week.
Let’s look at my five bold predictions for Week 7 of the 2024 NFL season.
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Jordan Love…
Throws at least four touchdowns
Love is the QB18, averaging 21.5 fantasy points per game. However, the star quarterback missed two games because of a knee injury. He is the QB4 on a points-per-game basis, averaging more fantasy points than Josh Allen (19.7) and Jalen Hurts (17.9). More importantly, Love has been a touchdown machine.
The former Utah State star has 12 passing touchdowns this year, the second-most in the NFL, only one fewer than Baker Mayfield. He has been outstanding, averaging three touchdowns per game, totaling at least two in every contest.
More importantly, Love has had two four-touchdown performances this season, including last week against the Arizona Cardinals. The star quarterback had a 12.5% touchdown rate, throwing four scores on 32 pass attempts in a 21-point blowout win. Meanwhile, his matchup in Week 7 shouldn’t be a blowout win for the Green Bay Packers.
10 to 11. Jordan to Jayden!
📺: #AZvsGB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/R7NVeRAQuV— NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024
Last week, the Houston Texans surrendered three passing touchdowns to Drake Maye on 33 attempts. Furthermore, Houston has given up two passing touchdowns per game this year. Sam Darnold had four passing touchdowns on only 28 attempts in Week 3 against the Texans. Don’t be surprised if Love and C.J. Stroud get into a shootout on Sunday.
Tony Pollard…
Has 120 or more rushing yards
Unfortunately, Tyjae Spears likely won’t play in Week 7 because of a hamstring injury. Therefore, Pollard will have a featured role outside of a few touches for Julius Chestnut. The former Memphis star has been productive in his first season with the Tennessee Titans, averaging 67.8 rushing yards per game.
Last week, Pollard had a season-high 93 rushing yards against a struggling Indianapolis Colts run defense. It was the second consecutive game where he had over 80 rushing yards. More importantly, the veteran running back has been outstanding when the Titans can stay in a neutral game script.
Pollard had only 14 rushing yards in Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers. However, Tennessee had to abandon the run, limiting the veteran to only six rushing attempts. By comparison, the former Memphis star has averaged 18 rushing attempts for 81.3 yards in the other four contests this year, totaling 16 or more rushes in every matchup.
Fantasy players should expect Pollard to have more rushing attempts with Spears out of the lineup. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills have surrendered the ninth-most rushing yards to running backs in 2024, giving up 110.7 per game. They have given up 121 or more in two of their past three contests. Pollard will make it third of the past four this week.
Saquon Barkley…
Struggles against his former team
Everyone expects Barkley to have a massive fantasy performance against his former team in Week 7. Some believe the New York Giants treated Barkley wrong in the offseason, while others think the superstar running back turned his back on his former team. Either way, fantasy players should temper their expectations for him against the Giants.
Barkley is the RB3, averaging 19.7 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. However, he has been outstanding in two games and mediocre in the other three. The superstar running back had three touchdowns in his Philadelphia Eagles debut against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil, scoring 32.2 fantasy points in the win.
While he had 15.6 fantasy points the following week, Barkley didn’t find the end zone. However, the superstar bounced back in Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, totaling two more touchdowns. More importantly, Barkley has scored 31.6 or more fantasy points in both games where he found the end zone.
SAQUON BARKLEY 65-YARD TOUCHDOWN.
📺: #PHIvsNO on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/830L0j9R8o— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
By comparison, the superstar has averaged 11.5 fantasy points per game in the other three contests. Meanwhile, the Giants run defense has played well lately. After giving up over 100 rushing yards in back-to-back games to start the season, New York has held running backs to 52.8 rushing yards and 14.2 fantasy points per game over the past four weeks.
Diontae Johnson…
Ends the week as the overall WR1
Johnson was awful in the two games with Bryce Young, averaging six targets and three half-point PPR fantasy points per game. While many dropped him after the rough start, the veteran wide receiver has bounced back with Andy Dalton under center, scoring a touchdown in three of four games with the former TCU star quarterback.
More importantly, Johnson is the WR5 over the past four weeks, averaging 15.3 half-point PPR fantasy points per game. The veteran has scored at least 16 fantasy points in all but the one matchup against the Chicago Bears. He had only 4.4 fantasy points against the Bears but was a few plays away from another strong fantasy performance.
By comparison, Johnson averaged seven receptions on 12.3 targets for 94.3 receiving yards, a touchdown, and 18.9 fantasy points per game in the other three contests with Dalton, totaling double-digit targets, 78 yards, and 16.8 fantasy points in every matchup. Meanwhile, the star wide receiver has an outstanding matchup against the Washington Commanders this week.
The Commanders have had no answer for opposing No. 1 wide receivers, surrendering 6.5 receptions on 9.3 targets for 90.5 receiving yards, a touchdown, and 18.3 fantasy points per game despite facing some subpar passing attacks. Mike Evans, Malik Nabers, and Ja'Marr Chase each scored 20 or more fantasy points against Washington. Johnson will become the fourth receiver to reach that feat.
Brock Bowers…
Outscores every other tight end by at least five half-point PPR fantasy points
Unfortunately, the tight end position has struggled to produce for fantasy players. Bowers (10.7) joins George Kittle (14.5) and Cole Kmet (10) as the only tight ends averaging double-digit fantasy points per game in 2024. While Kittle has been the far-and-away TE1 this year, Bowers is about to take that title away from the veteran.
The Las Vegas Raiders traded Davante Adams to the New York Jets earlier this week, leaving the rookie tight end as the clear-cut No. 1 option on offense for the team. Furthermore, Jakobi Meyers could get traded over the next few weeks, potentially opening up more targets for Bowers.
Fantasy players should have high expectations for the rookie tight end in Week 7. He only has one receiving touchdown, totaling fewer than Foster Moreau and Elijah Higgins. Yet, Bowers has averaged 8.5 receptions on 11 targets for 84 receiving yards and 15.7 fantasy points per game over the past two weeks with Adams on the sideline because of a hamstring injury.
Brock Bowers 57 yarder!! 🙌
📺: #LVvsDEN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/owAbIim8o7— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams have been a fantasy goldmine for opposing tight ends. They have surrendered 12.8 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season, the second-most in the NFL. The Rams have given up at least 85 receiving yards, a touchdown, and 22.8 fantasy points to tight ends in the two matchups against Trey McBride and Tucker Kraft. Bowers will put up similar numbers on Sunday.
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