Week 7 fantasy rankings; Players who should be on your team

BYEpocalypse Byenado – Pick your favorite moniker for this Week 7 slate of fantasy football that features way too many BYE weeks. It’s not only the quantity of teams that are BYE but the quality as well. The Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and Jacksonville Jaguars are all BYE.

The number of fantasy assets that fantasy managers are forced to sit certainly led to difficult fantasy decisions throughout the week – this could benefit YOU. Check your league mates transaction moves. Players like Zach Moss, coming off a less than desirable fantasy performance, could have been dropped.

I completely understand why some teams were forced to drop players like Moss. However, this could benefit the team that possibly has an extra roster spot, or a team that has been holding onto players like Micheal Thomas on a passing offense that throws the ball 25-times a game. After this BYE, Moss has the Dolphins, Jaguars, and Jets in the next three weeks. He plays on one of the best scoring offenses in the league. The game scripts set up well for Moss and there will be plenty of fantasy points to go around.

If you’re hurting for a running back, see if Moss is available on the wire through his BYE weeks – and this pertains to a lot of different players on their BYE weeks. Always monitor the free agent wire and capitalize on your opponents trying to sneak people through the waiver system.

The highest over/under for this slate is Kansas City at Tennessee, and it’s not close. The game is set at 57.5, dropped a half-point through the week (Draftkings Sportsbook). There is only one other game in the fifties – the Rams hosting the Lions – a revenge game for both quarterbacks. However, the Rams are favored, rightfully so, by 16 points. This means the Rams have an implied point total of just over 33-points.

If you find yourself in a pinch, maybe you had a lot of Vikings, Bills, or Cowboys on your squad, and you need a receiver from the waiver wire but there are no consistent assets available; well, someone (who is ranked here) like Van Jefferson in a high implied total could make sense. He only had 4 targets last week in a blowout win over the Giants, but he ran 27-routes and played on over 70% of offensive snaps.

If you fall in this situation, AND you played against D’Ernest Johnson on Thursday Night and find yourself in a bit of a hole with most of your team BYE, then swinging for the fences could be an option. Philadelphia wide receiver Quez Watkins has displayed big play ability. With the departure of Zach Ertz, the Eagles could rely more on 11 personnel; Watkins was already creeping up on Jalen Reagor in 12 personnel. Both Reagor and Watkins played a comparable amount of snaps and ran just about the same amount of routes last week against Tampa Bay on TNF.

Hopefully, you’re not in too dire of situations heading into this week seven matchup. If you are I hope these rankings help.

Quarterbacks

1. Patrick Mahomes @ TEN
2. Kyler Murray vs HOU
3. Matt Stafford vs DET
4. Lamar Jackson vs CIN
5. Aaron Rodgers vs WAS
6. Tom Brady vs CHI
7. Jalen Hurts @ LV
8. Ryan Tannehill vs TEN
9. Matt Ryan @ MIA
10. Tua Tagovailoa vs ATL
11. Sam Darnold @ NYG
12. Derek Carr vs PHI
13. Jamies Winston @ SEA
14. Justin Fields @ TB
15. Joe Burrow @ BAL
16. Daniel Jones vs CAR
17. Jimmy Garoppolo vs IND
18. Taylor Heineke @ GB
19. Carson Wentz @ SF
20. Mac Jones vs NYJ
21. Jared Goff vs LAR
22. Geno Smith vs NO
23. Zach Wilson @ NE
24. Davis Mills @ ARI

Running backs

1. Derrick Henry vs KC
2. Aaron Jones vs WAS
3. Alvin Kamara @ SEA
4. Darrell Henderson vs DET
5. Jonathan Taylor @ SF
6. Corderrelle Patterson @ MIA
7. Leonard Fournette vs CHI
8. Darrel Williams @ TEN
9. D’Andre Swift @ LAR
10. Damien Harris vs NYJ
11. Chuba Hubbard @ NYG
12. Joe Mixon @ BAL
13. Josh Jacobs vs PHI
14. Elijah Mitchell vs IND
15. Miles Sanders @ LV
16. Antonio Gibson @ GB
17. Chase Edmonds vs HOU
18. Mike Davis @ MIA
19. J.D. McKissic @ GB
20. James Connor vs HOU
21. Devontae Booker vs CAR
22. Khalil Herbert @ TB
23. Alex Collins (if active)
24. Myles Gaskin vs ATL
25. Rhamondre Stevenson vs NYJ
26. Devonta Freeman vs CIN (especially if Murray sits)
27. A.J. Dillon vs WAS
28. Kenyan Drake vs PHI
29. Michael Carter @ NE
30. Jamaal Williams vs LAR
31. Mark Ingram III @ ARI
32. Nyheim Hines @ SF
33. Sony Michel vs DET
34. Kenneth Gainwell @ LV
35. David Johnson @ ARI

Wide receivers

1. Davante Adams vs WAS
2. Cooper Kupp vs DET
3. Tyreek Hill @ TEN
4. DeAndre Hopkins vs HOU
5. Deebo Samuel vs IND
6. Chris Godwin vs CHI
7. Calvin Ridley @ MIA
8. Mike Evans vs CHI
9. A.J. Brown vs KC
10. Marquise Brown vs CIN
11. Terry McLaurin @ GB
12. D.J. Moore @ NYG
13. Ja’Marr Chase @ BAL
14. Brandin Cooks @ ARI
15. DK Metcalf vs NO
16. Robert Woods vs DET
17. DeVonta Smith @ LV
18. Allen Robinson II @ TB
19. Jaylen Waddle vs ATL
20. Henry Ruggs III vs PHI
21. Michael Pittman Jr. @ SF
22. A.J. Green vs HOU
23. Sterling Shepard vs CAR
24. Julio Jones vs KC
25. Mecole Hardman @ TEN
26. Tee Higgins @ BAL
27. Tyler Lockett vs NO
28. Darnell Mooney @ TB
29. Hunter Renfrow vs PHI
30. Jakobi Meyers vs NYJ
31. Rashod Bateman vs CIN
32. Christian Kirk vs HOU
33. Jamison Crowder vs NE
34. Rondale Moore vs HOU
35. Marquez Callaway @ SEA

Tight ends

1. Travis Kelce @ TEN
2. Mark Andrews vs CIN
3. Darren Waller vs PHI
4. Mike Gesicki vs ATL
5. Kyle Pitts @ MIA
6. Dallas Goedert @ LV
7. Tyler Higbee vs DET
8. T.J. Hockenson @ LAR
9. Hunter Henry vs NYJ
10. Ricky Seals-Jones @ GB
11. Cole Kmet @ TB
12. Zach Ertz vs HOU
13. Mo Ali-Cox @ SF
14. Evan Engram vs CAR
15. Jonnu Smith vs NYJ
16. Ross Dwelly vs IND
17. C.J. Uzomah @ BAL
18. Anthony Firkser vs KC
19. O.J. Howard vs CHI
20. Jack Doyle @ SF

Defenses to consider (Yahoo ownership %)

1. Carolina @ NYG (76%)
2. San Francisco vs IND (67%)
3. Atlanta @ MIA (6%)

Kickers to consider (Yahoo ownership %)

1. Nick Folk vs NYJ (59%)
2. Randy Bullock vs KC (13%)
3. Zane Gonzalez @ NYG (5%)