Week 7's fantasy football playbook
Week 7's fantasy football playbook
The latest fantasy football news, rankings, start/sit advice, and more to help you avoid misery on Sunday.
Thanks again for being a loyal reader and subscriber! Keep reading for the latest fantasy football rankings, news, and analysis from the 5th Down Fantasy team and around the web. Best of luck in Week 7!
📰 Week 7 news you can use
Who is trending up and down heading into Sunday’s action, courtesy of our friends at FantasyPros.
🙌 Expect rookie Jahmyr Gibbs to get the bulk of the work and be a high-upside flex option in David Montgomery’s absence in Week 7, especially with Craig Reynolds (hamstring/toe) also at risk of missing Detroit’s matchup against the Ravens.
🟥 Pat Freiermuth had already been ruled out for Week 7 by the Steelers and will now miss at least the next four games for the club. In his absence, Darnell Washington will likely slot into the starting tight-end role.
🤷 Aaron Jones, who has been dealing with a hamstring issue since Week 1, is officially questionable to suit up on Sunday when the team takes on Denver. Jones will be a fine RB2 with upside in a plus matchup against Denver if he goes, but if not, AJ Dillon will be an excellent streaming option in all formats.
🤞 Daniel Jones (neck) is considered questionable to play in Week 7 against the Washington Commanders. He still hasn’t been cleared for contact and seems to be trending towards not playing. Meanwhile. Deshaun Watson was able to practice on Friday, making it the second straight day he was on the practice field.
🟥 Kyren Williams has been placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. It remains unclear if anybody will emerge as the clear RB1 on this offense in his absence, but rookie Zach Evans has perhaps the highest ceiling out of anyone in this Rams’ backfield.
View the latest FantasyPros player news on 5thDownFantasy.com.
📋 Week 7 rankings update
Insights on key fantasy matchups from the 5th Down team and some of my favorite experts from around the web. Plus, there’s a fresh update on my player rankings below…
📈 3 guys up
A.J. Brown (PHI vs. MIA) — “Brown has an even split of where he is lining up on the outside (left vs right side)- he will be trading looks against Xavien Howard and Eli Apple of the Dolphins, where he should be winning as both corners have a sub 50 coverage grade (PFF). Brown has tallied 232 YAC thus far, an area where Howard is vulnerable; look out for Jalen Hurts trying Brown between the numbers in space or deep down the left side.” — Gavin Babbit, 5th Down Fantasy
Jerome Ford (CLE at IND) — “In a week where backups are having to step up in a major way due to injuries and six teams on a bye, it's fitting that Jerome Ford is in a great spot to help Fantasy managers … The Colts just lost one of their best run stuffers in nose tackle Grover Stewart to a six-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. With Stewart, Indianapolis has still allowed some big games to Travis Etienne twice, Kyren Williams and Tyjae Spears, as all three running backs scored at least 16.9 PPR points in each meeting with the Colts.” — Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports
Brock Purdy (SF at MIN) — “Purdy was off to an excellent start until last week’s game against the Cleveland Browns. He posted a 75.0-plus PFF passing grade in Weeks 4 and 5 but put up a career-low 41.4 grade last week. Purdy has a great chance to bounce back this week against the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have allowed a catch on 75.2% of targets, the second-highest rate among defenses. The 49ers’ offensive line has the fourth-largest advantage over the Vikings' defensive line, according to PFF's offensive line/defensive line matchup chart.” — Nathan Jahnke, PFF.com
📉 3 guys down
Michael Pittman Jr. (IND vs. CLE) — “Pittman has seen a healthy target rate from Gardner Minshew, although the QB once again struggled last week when the defense was prepared for him to start. But the Colts get a stout Browns defense allowing an NFL-low 3.8 yards per play and the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers by a mile. Wideouts have totaled just 94.2 yards per game versus Cleveland this season – the next lowest is 119.0. The Browns have ceded just one touchdown to a WR in 2023, so Pittman deserves bench consideration if you have alternatives.” — Dalton Del Don, Yahoo Sports
Jaylen Waddle (MIA at PHI) — “Waddle should be seeing James Bradberry for most of the evening, which could cause him issues as his ceiling partially relies on YAC registering just over 30 yards in the category in each of his six games. Bradberry has allowed only 49 YAC all season and will not need to extend his coverage with a deeper aDoT than Waddle (PFF).” — Gavin Babbit, 5th Down Fantasy