Welcome back to my trust or bust series, brought back for 2022, here we look at the Week 7 matchups.
It was nice to see Joe Burrow and Ja’Maar Chase come back to life. Kenneth Walker didn’t disappoint in his first start of the season and it’s never a bad thing to see Tom Brady lose. After seven weeks it’s clear that this rookie class is better and deeper than most of us predicted, and we still haven’t seen the best of Treylon Burks and Skyy Moore. Now that the rookies, for the most part, have answered any and all questions about this class, it’s time for some veterans to remind us what they can do and hopefully provide us with that late surge some of our fantasy teams need.
With Keenan Allen, Jonathan Taylor, D’Andre Swift, and Dak Prescott set to return this week, players of their caliber can be exactly what a struggling fantasy team is missing to get back in the playoff race. Whether your team is 6 – 0 sitting pretty in your league standings, or maybe you’re 2 – 4 and considering blowing it up, just remember at the end of the day fantasy is supposed to be fun.
For those of you who are reading this for the first time, thank you. Let me tell you what this series is about and what its intentions are. (I promise it will have your daughter home before curfew). Every week I select players inside the FantasyPros Consensus Top 12 that I think will finish outside the top 12 and players outside the top 12 that I like more. All rankings are used with full PPR scoring in mind. This is NOT a ‘start/sit’ article per se. This is more or less how I feel about a player, why I feel that way, suggesting what I would do, what to expect, and who I like more.
Accountability Report
QB Justin Herbert (LAC)
Week 6 Ranking 6th
Prediction- Bust
Week 6 Finish 24th
Another Denver Broncos primetime game, another stinker! At least the Broncos’ defense is good, right? Herbert is just another victim of a defense that just so happens to be number one in the league against quarterbacks.
RB Alvin Kamara (NO)
Week 6 Ranking 8th
Prediction- Bust
Week 6 Finish 10th
Remember that champagne I told you to save for another day? Would you ming pouring me a glass? Sheesh! For the record, full-point PPR is a scam unless you’re a tight-end. Six receptions for twenty-five yards should not be worth eight and a half points, in my humble opinion. .5 PPR should be the standard format, rant over!
WR Tyreek Hill (MIA)
Week 6 Ranking 4th
Prediction- Bust
Week 6 Finish 3rd
Remember that champagne I told you to save for another day? Would you ming pouring me a glass? Sheesh! For the record, full-point PPR is a scam unless you’re a tight-end. Six receptions for twenty-five yards should not be worth eight and a half points, in my humble opinion. .5 PPR should be the standard format, rant over!
TE David Njoku (CLE)
Week 6 Ranking 7th
Prediction- Bust
Week 6 Finish 17th
What is that famous Queen song, another one bites the dust? Well, Njoku is another tight end that faced the wrath that is the Patriots’ defense and he too did not perform up to his usual standards.
Let’s run the numbers.
Week 6 Results- 2 for 4 50%
Correct
11
Wrong
4
Week 7 Inside/ Outside Picks
QB Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
v NYG
Current Ranking 11th
AVG Points per Game 17.0
Week 7 ranking 9th
What a turnaround Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have made this season! The impact one coach can have on an entire team is shocking. Just look at Brian Daboll and the 5 – 1 New York Giants and you’ll see a defense that is top ten in both pass yards allowed and touchdowns.
Who I like More
QB Ryan Tannehill (TEN)
v IND
Week 7 ranking 21st
Prior to their bye week, Tannehill and the Titans’ offense was starting to find their groove and won three games in a row. Scoring five touchdowns with only one turnover Tannehill was a top-twenty quarterback during that stretch. This week they have a home game versus a Colts team that is still trying to find its identity after letting Trevor Lawrence score two rushing touchdowns in Week 6. Tannehill should waltz his way to a QB1 finish.
RB Breece Hall (NYJ)
@DEN
Current Ranking 6th
AVG Points per Game 17.0
Week 7 ranking 11th
Look, it’s easy to pick on Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos offense. However, their defense is no joke. In six games this season the Broncos’ have allowed ONE TEAM to score twenty or more points, ONE! As good as the Jets have been lately Breece Hall and this young Jets team will have their work cut out for them against the Broncos and their stingy run defense.
Who I like More
RB Ezekiel Elliott (DAL)
v DET
Week 7 ranking 18th
The Zeke of old may be long gone, yet the Zeke we see today is still fantasy viable. Rushing for no less than fifty yards in any game this season and averaging eighteen touches per game, Zeke still has RB2 potential every week plus he’s already had one top-twelve finish this season. Heading into Week 7 the Cowboys’ offense will have Dak Prescott back at quarterback against a running back-friendly Lions defense that has given up the fifth most rushing touchdowns this season.
WR Mike Williams (LAC)
v SEA
Current Ranking 17th
AVG Points per Game 13.8
Week 7 ranking 12th
Like Forrest Gump famously said, “life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” That pretty much sums up Williams’ career up to this point. Scoring more than twenty points in weeks two and five, is as sweet as chocolate and peanut butter, scoring less than five points in weeks one and six will leave a bad taste in your mouth like that weird raspberry one. This matchup against the Seahawks’ top-ten pass defense could truly go either way. “But you never know which Williams you’re gonna get.”
TE T.J. Hockenson (DET)
@DAL
Current Ranking 5th
AVG Points per Game 13.1
Week 7 ranking 7th
The Lions/Cowboys game is going to be a popular game for all of us DFS players and rightfully so with Dak Prescott and D’Andre Swift returning to their respected and productive offenses. A player that I won’t be targeting is Hockensen. In 2021 the Dallas defense finished as a top-sixteen defense versus the tight end and in 2022 they’re even better allowing less than forty yards per game and zero touchdowns thus far.
Who I like More
TE Cade Otton (TB)
@CAR
Week 7 ranking 20th
Averaging almost five targets per game the last three weeks, Otten has started to make his presence felt in the Buccaneers’ offense. Julio Jones and Cameron Brate have been ruled out for the matchup and Russell Gage is still trying to find his footing in the offense. Otten is taking advantage of his opportunity. With Carolina going into rebuild mode and throwing in the towel on the season, Otten’s opportunity is looking even better this week.
That’s gonna do it for this week’s piece. I hope you found the info useful and actionable.
Thank you for reading. Just a reminder, my fantasy podcast: The ATB Fantasy Show records a new episode every Thursday. You can find the podcast on most major platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Here’s a link to the most recent episode.
If you use the hashtag #AskATB or send us a DM, we’ll be sure to answer any and all of your fantasy questions.
There you have it! Any questions, or want some more specific help for your league on who to drop, just reach out. Reach out on social media, you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Or jump into our Discord server. And checkout out rankings for each Week.
Image Credit: Matthew Emmons – USA TODAY Sports
