Welcome, #DFFArmy to Week 7! Several starting lineup staples will be out this week with the Rams, Bills, Vikings, and Eagles on bye. With players disappearing from those starting lineups, digging deep to find startable players becomes extra important! However, avoiding duds from players you’ve had reliance on in the past may be even more crucial. As always, I’ll look at some deeper targets that you may be on the fence about for my “Starts of the Week” and some bigger-name performers that I’m expecting not to play well for my “Sits of the Week”.
Quarterback
Start: Dak Prescott, Dallas vs Detroit
Prescott is seeing action for the first time since week one, so you might be scared to just plug him back into your lineups. Don’t be scared. Halloween is next weekend! Prescott gets the worst defense in the NFL as his welcome party. It’s not a super deep play, but a vote of confidence. Start your studs. Don’t get cute this week, especially with Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts on bye.
Sit: Jared Goff, Detroit at Dallas
On the other side of the ball, Jared Goff is my sit of the week at the quarterback position. Even after a bye in week six, Goff is a top-12 fantasy quarterback. However, he’s performed poorly on the road this year, scoring under 14 points in both away games and Dallas will be the toughest defense he’ll have faced thus far. I’m avoiding Goff everywhere I can and would rather start Ryan Tannehill and Matt Ryan over him.
Running Back
Start: Brian Robinson, Washington vs Green Bay
Brian Robinson found the end zone last week and it’s clear that Coach Riviera wants him to take as many touches as he can handle on the ground. He handles 17 carries, although he didn’t receive a target which will limit his viability long-term. However, this week he gets a Green Bay defense that is reeling after letting the New York Jets run for 179 yards on 33 carries (5.4 ypc) and two touchdowns. Robinson is no Breece Hall, but the opportunity will be there for him as long as he sees the workload he saw last week.
Sit: James Robinson, Jacksonville vs NY Giants
The winds of change are in the air in Jacksonville. James Robinson miraculously came back from a torn Achilles and looked like a fantasy goldmine as the Jaguars raced out to a 2-1 start. However, after three games of fantasy gold, Robinson has seen his usage slowly decline. The Jaguars have lost three straight games and Travis Etienne is on the field more than Robinson. It could have a little to do with the game script, but Etienne hasn’t seen that many more touches. He’s just been much more efficient than Robinson. The Giants are 5-1 and playing great football, as tough as that is to admit as a Jets fan. I’m fading Robinson this week because of that.
Wide Receiver
Start: Alec Pierce, Indianapolis at Tennessee
Alec Pierce played the Titans three weeks ago and finished with four catches for 80 yards on six targets. That walk-off touchdown last week against the Jaguars was just another sign that Pierce’s involvement in this offense and Matt Ryan’s trust in him is growing. He’s seeing seven targets per game over his last three weeks and with Michael Pittman as the clear number one, Pierce doesn’t have to worry about drawing the best corner on opposing defenses. The cherry on top is that the Titans give up the second most fantasy points to the wide receiver position. Start Pierce with confidence.
Sit: All Jets Receivers, NY Jets at Denver
The Denver Broncos give up the third-fewest fantasy points to the wide receiver position. So if it wasn’t enough that the Jets receiver room is in disarray with the Elijah Moore trade request and they only need to throw 18 times in order to beat teams like the Packers and Steelers in their homes, that should be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Find any other option this week. This isn’t the get-right matchup for these Jets wideouts. Their time will come, but it’s not this week, even when the Jets win.
Tight End
Start: Gerald Everett, LA Chargers vs Seattle
Gerald Everett was my start of the week last week and finished with five catches. That’s pretty solid from the tight-end position! Unfortunately, it was only for 29 yards leaving fantasy managers less than ecstatic. This week I’m going back to the well with Everett though. My faith in him has not waivered and this week he goes up against the Seahawks who give up the most fantasy points to the tight end position, with tight ends averaging over five catches per game for 87 yards and 0.67 touchdowns per game. Everett is definitely getting double-digit points this weekend.
Sit: Hunter Henry, New England vs Chicago
Hunter Henry’s usage since Bailey Zappe became the starter has been increasing each week, culminating in a seven-target, four-catch for 61 yards and one touchdown performance last week against Cleveland. This week, however, the Patriots play the Bears who give up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the tight end position. Henry hasn’t shown the ceiling quite yet to be worth starting as anything other than a touchdown-dependent dart throw. And with Chicago having given up only one touchdown to the position this year, I’m fading Henry this week despite his increasing usage.
You might be thinking, “damn @DFF_JoeMem, how do you stay sharp in your leagues?” Easy! I START off my week by SITTING down and reading the wide range of content that the crew here at DFF is cooking up! I also check out our Dynasty Rankings so I stay one step ahead of the competition! But if you’re tired of cheesiness and plugs, head over to my Twitter and let me know what you think of my article!
