Key Starters and Tough Calls: Lineup Spotlights for Week 7

Scott Engel provides Week 7 fantasy football lineups analysis, spotlighting key NFL players to start and tougher lineup start/sit decisions to make.

Below you will find some of my spotlight choices and players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions in Week 7. These selections are based off my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the 2021 season. Skill position analysis here is based on my PPR rankings.

With six teams on byes and a plethora of injuries causing more challenges, most fantasy players will not be able to field ideal lineups this week. Some are complaining about "bye week hell," yet most of us are dealing with significant lineup challenges, so we are on similar footing overall.

Overcoming such hurdles is just a part of the fantasy game, and makes the victories more satisfying. We will help you assemble a respectable squad that will provide a good chance of winning in Week 7.

Running Backs

-Devonta Freeman rushed for a season-high 53 yards and his first TD of the season last week. Freeman has run with more burst than Le'Veon Bell in limited action for both players so far. Ty'Son Williams has actually looked like the most promising runner of the three. But Freeman should be the preferred play of the Baltimore RBs, as Williams has been deactivated recently and it appears the "past-their-prime" veterans may be in line for more action. It does seem that Baltimore will likely go with the less inspiring, but more experienced RBs. This is speculation from what we have observed so far, and the situation could be fluid, but Freeman is the recommended option among the Ravens RBs.

-J.D. McKissic had a season-high eight receptions and a career-high 110 scrimmage yards (65 receiving) in Week 6. Since 2020, he leads all RBs in receptions (101) and ranks second in receiving yards (804). You have to be careful when picking your spots with receiving specialist RBs, but game flow here should dictate going with McKissic again. Washington will at least be playing at a fast pace to keep up with Green Bay, and will likely be trailing for much of the day.

-Myles Gaskin has a TD in his last three games vs. NFC opponents. We have seen wild statistical swings from Gaskin in the past two games, and it is certainly hard to trust him. But this is a week where he should be involved in the passing game again, as Atlanta is eighth in the NFL in plays run per game and Miami will likely have to keep Gaskin involved as a pass-catcher. He does deserve flex consideration in Week 7. Do watch for Salvon Ahmed to possibly get more involved though, as the Dolphins may want to give him more of a look as a ball carrier in an effort to improve on the league’s worst rushing attack.

-Miles Sanders has 50-plus scrimmage yards in his last five road games. There is a lot of buzz among fantasy analysts that we will see Sanders get more deserved work this week. It seems sensible to boost the usage of Sanders, but the Eagles have been anything but sensible in how they have used him so far. You do have to be forward-looking and anticipate increased roles when possible, though, so it’s advisable to take the shot on expecting Sanders to produce more this week.

Miles Sanders has rushed for positive yards on 98.2% of his attempts this season

Highest rate among all RBs 💪 pic.twitter.com/oSm5X2xbpH

— PFF (@PFF) October 17, 2021

-James Conner has five rushing TDs in his past four games. The Texans have only 10 sacks, and a team that cannot put pressure on Kyler Murray will get sliced up by one of the game’s most potent offenses. Conner is the unquestioned goal-line back for the Cardinals and will be good for more than one TD run this week.

-Leonard Fournette is one of two NFC RBs with 200-plus rushing yards and 200-plus receiving yards so far this season. D'Andre Swift is the other. We just wanted to share those stats with those who roster Fournette, so they can continue to feel good about landing him as a value performer.

Wide Receivers

-Mecole Hardman has what seems to be a great draw against the Titans, who allow the most Fantasy Points Per Game to WRs. But Hardman has not flashed much upside in his career yet, and Patrick Mahomes will easily go elsewhere with the ball very often. Hardman can supply decent production this week, but I am skeptical that he can provide much of a statistical ceiling in any matchup.

-Robert Woods has a TD catch in two of three home games this season. He will score again this week, as Matthew Stafford gets the ultimate revenge game vs. the Lions. As Jay Glazer pointed out, Stafford loves Detroit and may not be angry at his former team.  But even if he is on good terms with his ex-teammates and others he worked with, Stafford will still want to show his old friends what they are missing. I am in on Woods, Van Jefferson and Tyler Higbee this week as Stafford embarrasses the Lions. I am also all in on the Rams DFS stacks. I will certainly take Los Angeles to go over the projected team total of 33.5 points.

Robert Woods is officially BACK pic.twitter.com/xEE1NQjA4X

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 17, 2021

-DeVonta Smith has seven-plus receptions in two of his past three games. The Raiders are sixth-best in terms of yardage allowed to WRs, but they have allowed 81 catches, which is the 12^th most. Getting the ball to Smith is a good way for the Eagles to stay competitive, and he should hit the seven-catch mark again. I will start Smith with confidence, and the prop play of over 4.5 receptions on DraftKings Sportsbook is a surefire target.

-Tyler Lockett has five-plus receptions in five of his last six home games. There is obviously limited upside for Lockett without Russell Wilson tossing him deep balls, but the hope is that Geno Smith can start finding him on shorter throws more consistently.  Lockett is not more than a fantasy WR3 right now. Starting Lockett is not a move you can make with much confidence this week, but he does have a long track record of proven success and cannot be fully written off. DK Metcalf will still get a lot of defensive attention, which can help Lockett. Geno Smith is heading into his second start after a very long layoff,  so he may be able to get into a better rhythm with his other pass-catchers this week.

Quarterbacks and Tight Ends

-Matt Ryan has passed for two-plus TDs in his last four games. Miami has also allowed the third-most passing yards per game to QBs.

-Sam Darnold has six interceptions in his last three games and was sacked 12 times during that span. But the Giants have allowed the fifth-most FFPG to QBs and their defense might spend a lot of time on the field this week, so Darnold may bounce back with at least a respectable outing and deserves streaming consideration. The Giants have just 10 QB sacks so far this season.

-C.J. Uzomah has a TD catch in two of his past three games. The Ravens allow the third-most FFPG to TEs and Uzomah is a viable plug-in option this week if you are looking deeper for help at the position.

-Ricky Seals-Jones has four-plus catches and 40-plus yards in his last two games and had a 39-yard TD catch last week.  He has done a decent job of filling in for Logan Thomas in an offense that does present some opportunities for the TE to produce adequately.

-Gerald Everett has a TD catch in three of his past four appearances on Monday Night Football, and nearly scored in the Sunday night game last week. Everett is a deeper play this week but many fantasy players are still scrambling for fill-ins at the position as kickoff times approach.

More Fantasy Football Analysis