Sneaky Week 7 Fantasy Football Starts: Miles Sanders, Allen Lazard, More
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Week 7 is definitely the toughest week we’ve seen since the bye weeks began. The Buccaneers, Browns, Panthers and Steelers are off this week and some top fantasy contributors are out. Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Nick Chubb, Odell Beckham and James Conner are among the players that need to be replaced in your lineups. Here are a few sneaky starts to consider.
And you can also look for suggestions in our waiver wire column.
Quarterbacks
Allen had two huge games against the Dolphins last season and that defense is worse in 2019. Allen has one game of multiple touchdown passes and has been inconsistent, but this is the week to play him. Allen has 41 rushing attempts in five games, which gives him a high floor each week. He has at least nine rushing attempts in three of five games and three rushing touchdowns. The Bills have an implied team total of 28.5 points.
Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts
Brissett has been a consistent fantasy quarterback with multiple touchdowns in four of five games. The one he didn't come away with multiple scores came two weeks ago against the Chiefs, as he was asked to manage the game with a run-heavy plan to keep the Chiefs' offense off the field. The Colts will ask him to do more this week, and the Texans have allowed three 300-yard passing games and 11 passing touchdowns. T.Y. Hilton is expected to return and he's produced big numbers in his career against the Texans.
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars
Minshew is coming off his worst game of the season. He had multiple touchdowns in four of five games before not getting one last week against a staunch Saints defense. He went 14-of-29 for 163 yards with one interception. The perfect recipe for a bounce back is the Bengals' defense, which has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and will be without starting cornerbacks Dre Fitzpatrick and William Jackson.
Running Backs
Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos
The blueprint to beat the Chiefs has been evident the last few games. Run the football, eat up the clock and keep the Chiefs’ offense off the field. The Colts and Texans did it the last two games and the Chiefs had the ball for just 20:12 last week against Houston. The Broncos can run the football with the tandem of Phillip Lindsay and Freeman. The Chiefs allow 136.3 rushing yards per game to running backs. Freeman has been splitting time with Lindsay, but Freeman has been more involved in the passing game compared to last season. Freeman has at least 15 touches in four of six games and reached double-digit touches in each game. He has at least five receptions in four games, and while he has yet to score a touchdown, there's a good chance it happens against the Chiefs.
Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
It's difficult to rely on Sanders, since his touches aren't consistent. Last week he had a season-low six touches after reaching double-digit touches in the first five games. Sanders has been excellent in the passing game and caught all three targets for 86 yards with a touchdown last week. The week before, he had four catches for 49 yards. Darren Sproles has been out and Sanders has taken advantage. The Cowboys have allowed 41 receptions to running backs.
Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills
All signs point to Singletary returning from a hamstring injury this week. He hasn't played since Week 2 and gets to come back against the Dolphins, who have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs. Singletary has big-play ability, as he showed in the first two weeks. In Week 1, he had four carries for 70 yards and six catches for 28 yards. The next week he had six carries for 57 yards with a touchdown against the Giants.
Latavius Murray, New Orleans Saints
There's a good chance Alvin Kamara is out this week with a high-ankle injury. If he sits, Murray will get the bulk of the touches. It's not an ideal matchup against a good Bears defense, which has shut down some good running backs. But they did allow Josh Jacobs to rush for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries two weeks ago. Murray had eight carries for 44 yards and three receptions for 35 yards last week against the Jaguars, and had a 42-yard receiving touchdown called back due to a penalty. Even if Kamara is active, he could be limited, allowing Murray to get touches.
Darrell Henderson, Los Angeles Rams
Todd Gurley is dealing with a quad injury and Malcolm Brown has an ankle issue. If either one is out, Henderson should be more involved in the offense in a great matchup against a putrid Falcons defense. Henderson showed some explosiveness on a couple of runs last week, with six carries for 39 yards and a nine-yard catch.
Wide Receivers
Cole Beasley, Buffalo Bills
Picking on the Dolphins' defense tends to work. Beasley has a high floor in PPR formats and is more appealing with several good receivers on a bye week. In four of five games, Beasley has at least nine points in PPR formats and has 38 targets in five games. The Dolphins have allowed nine touchdowns to wide receivers.
Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers
There's a good chance Davante Adams misses another game, and Geronimo Allison could be sidelined after leaving last week's game with a concussion and chest injury. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers suggested Lazard be put into the game and he had four catches for 65 yards with a touchdown on five targets against the Lions. The Raiders have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to wide receivers, even with a bye last week. They have allowed eight receiving touchdowns to wide receivers in five games.
Auden Tate, Cincinnati Bengals
Tate is on the field a lot and plays in an offense that's constantly trailing, leading to a lot of pass attempts. Tate had 12 targets last week and made some impressive catches, finishing with five for 91 yards. In three of the last four games, Tate has reached double-digit points in PPR formats.
Phillip Dorsett, New England Patriots
Make sure Dorsett returns this week first, but signs point to him playing after sitting out last week with a hamstring injury. Josh Gordon is dealing with a knee injury and could be out. Dorsett has been good when playing a full game. In the three full games where Dorsett has played a lot of snaps, he has 20 targets and scored three touchdowns. He had six catches for 53 yards with a touchdown against the Jets in Week 3.
Tight Ends
Darren Fells, Houston Texans
Fells has become more involved in the offense, and played 87% of the snaps last week. He caught six of seven targets last week for 69 yards against the Chiefs. He has five red-zone targets over the last five games. The Colts allow the third-most fantasy points to tight ends and have allowed three touchdowns in five games.
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
The waiver wire is very thin if you're streaming tight ends. Knox is coming off a bye and gets a great matchup against the Dolphins. Knox has been playing more, getting 67% of the snaps in Week 4 and 72% in Week 5. He had a down game before the bye in a tough matchup against the Titans, but he had three catches for 67 yards with a touchdown on four targets in Week 3, and caught all three targets for 58 yards the next week against the Patriots.
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