RADIO
Week 7 of the fantasy football season is underway and while we may have drafted certain players at a premium, it is okay to consider benching them despite their name value. We often hear the phrase "start your studs" and it is a tried and true method, especially earlier in the season. When injuries, tough matchups, and/or questionable team situations arise, we must adjust. Today, I'll be looking at Kirk Cousins, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Michael Pittman Jr.
This may be difficult to stomach benching a player drafted within the top 100 for a possible free-agent acquisition, but sometimes such measures must be taken to ensure victory throughout the fantasy football season.
Here is a look at some fantasy football players who have shown warning signals recently, and you should think twice about putting them in your lineup in Week 7. Will they bounce back or continue to underperform? For any and all issues or concerns, contact @RotoSurgeon on X.
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Quarterback Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 7?
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers' defense ranks second overall by DVOA (via FTN) against the pass and the Vikings remain without top receiving option Justin Jefferson. Kirk Cousins losing one of the NFL's top offensive players regardless of position is already enough reason to consider benching him on a weekly basis.
While rookie first-round pick Jordan Addison has flashed throughout the early portion of the season with 277 yards and four TD on 34 targets, he may be better suited as a 1B rather than a true alpha, especially against one of the league's more physical secondaries.
While Cousins does have a home crowd and a favorable offensive line to help him, his run game with Alexander Mattison is bordering on nonexistent. Against a 49ers defense that ranks around the bottom 10 against the rush, that is the way to get downfield against them. If forced into third and longs consistently, it is difficult to imagine Cousins succeeding on Monday.
(Also, "Primetime Kirk Cousins" is a well-noted disaster. Not to say this wholly determines a future outcome as every game is played within its own vacuum, but there may be a mental factor to it where Cousins shrinks under the bright lights. Nevertheless, it is merely a compounding issue on top of the bad matchup.)
Who To Start Instead?
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
Geno Smith's 2023 season is much more tumultuous than 2022. While his career resurgence was valiant, there were always question marks as to whether his high-end play was sustainable. Thus far, he is struggling to connect on deep passes consistently and that is limiting an offense with a fantastic set of weapons between the receivers and running backs.
Luckily, Seattle's pieces are getting healthier as first-round receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is over a month removed from wrist surgery, and starting left tackle Charles Cross is back in the fold. Smith-Njigba specifically had his best game of the season in Week 6 with an efficient 48 yards on five targets and the Seahawks will likely look to build on that in Week 7.
Arizona's defense ranks bottom-three against both the run and the pass while the Seahawks are playing at home. This is as favorable a matchup that Smith will see this season and it would be shocking if he were to not take advantage and thrive in fantasy.
Running Back Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 7?
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 6 was promising for Rhamondre Stevenson's managers; however, Week 7 may not be as kind. The Buffalo Bills rank eighth against the pass and 12th against the rush. Yes, a near-average rush defense is not a massive threat to production but given Stevenson's utility as a receiver, he needs both aspects of his game to benefit fantasy managers. Last week, Stevenson tied his season-high in targets (six) and found pay dirt in a close matchup against the Raiders.
This week, it is very likely that Buffalo will trounce the Patriots, whose offense remains stagnant. While this may have benefited Stevenson last season, with Ezekiel Elliott in town, passing downs are now split between the two rather than solely in Stevenson's possession due to Elliott's superb pass-blocking ability.
Stevenson remains the leader of this backfield but not by much as Elliott's 62 touches are not a far cry from Stevenson's 95. Game-to-game, either could be the lead and this matchup may favor Elliott, who has shockingly been more efficient with 4.1 yards/touch to Stevenson's 3.6.
Who To Start Instead?
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns @ Indianapolis Colts
Jerome Ford is not Nick Chubb (no one is) but his performance thus far to pick up the slack is commendable. Ford has posted 4.5 yards/carry and 5.6 yards/target since Chubb's injury in Week 2. These are starter-worthy numbers on an offense that wants to play through the backfield. Notably, the Browns have been without starting QB Deshaun Watson for half of this stretch. Watson is now set to return in Week 7 and that should only bolster Ford, who is averaging 16 touches/game as lead back.
Yes, the addition of Kareem Hunt does knock Ford's upside down but Hunt is currently dealing with a leg injury that kept him out of practice this Wednesday. In a matchup against the 17th-ranked Colts defense which just lost stud nose tackle Grover Stewart, we can expect a potential boom week from Ford as Cleveland would prefer not to strain Watson's injured shoulder further.
Wide Receiver Concerns - Sit 'Em for Week 7?
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts vs. Cleveland Browns
Gardner Minshew has been very good to Pittman Jr. as he is feeding the fourth-year WR roughly 30% of his targets while Josh Downs is a close second with roughly 25%. Despite this, the Colts face the league's top defense in Cleveland, which is shutting down the pass at a historic rate. Pittman Jr. is talented enough to separate and make contested catches against the best secondaries but trusting Minshew in this matchup is a tall task as he will be under constant duress against Jim Schwartz's unique pressure packages.
This passing game may favor the running back duo of Zack Moss and Jonathan Taylor along with WR Josh Downs as Minshew is forced to let go of the ball immediately post-snap to avoid hits. Also, with Cleveland's offense back to full strength with starting QB Deshaun Watson potentially back in the mix, the Browns may be capable of draining the clock on offense and preventing the Colts' offense from opportunities to feed Pittman regardless.
Who To Start Instead?
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
While Michael Thomas is a far cry from his glory days as arguably the league's top WR, he is still a top target earner in a solid Saints offense. While this claim about the Saints' offense may be contested as they have failed to score many touchdowns this season (14), there is reason for optimism as QB Derek Carr appears fully healed from a shoulder injury that hampered him over the past three games.
Thomas may benefit from the offensive line injuries for New Orleans as Carr would be forced to play the quick game between him and Alvin Kamara. This, along with Jacksonville being down their top corner Tyson Campbell this week, should slide him into a top fantasy performance for the week.
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