Week 7 Fantasy Rankings 2021

Welcome to this weeks, Week 7 Fantasy Rankings! Here we review each game for the week, outline possible starters and streamers, and give you the low-down to make your fantasy life easier. Along with our outstanding football minds, we’ve included the projected weather forecast for the game.

With that, let’s dive in!

Thursday Night Football

Denver Broncos (3-3) @ Cleveland Browns (3-3) (FOX & NFL Network)

Weather forecast: 59 degrees, overcast with windy conditions possible.

With RB Kareem Hunt out this week due to injury, the Browns may need to be more pass-heavy this week, especially since RB Nick Chubb is questionable to play as well. Denver is the fourth stingiest defense in the league against the run so far this season, but you’re obviously starting Chubb if he’s available.

(Edit: RB Nick Chubb has since been ruled out for Week 7.) 

WR Odell Beckham Jr.’s usage was noteworthy in Week 6 because he is considered the top receiver in this offense, but WR Donovan Peoples-Jones actually led the Browns in snaps (46-32 over Beckham Jr.) and routes-run (31-22). OBJ did see eight targets to DPJ’s five, but the latter had 101 yards and two touchdowns. WR Jarvis Landry also likely returns this week. Keep an eye on this situation moving forward. 

For the Broncos, WR Jerry Jeudy likely remains out in Week 7, so fire up WR Courtland Sutton as you normally would, and WR Tim Patrick remains visible for another week as well. TE Noah Fant was second on the team in targets with 11 (Sutton had 13). The Browns are a top ten pass defense so far in 2021, but they’ve allowed the fifth-most touchdown passes in the league as well, so QB Teddy Bridgewater (334 passing yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions last week) and the pass-catchers might have a chance to put up decent numbers this week.

RB Melvin Gordon and RB Javonte Williams continue to split work almost evenly. Both are probably decent flex plays at best this week. 

(Edit: QB Baker Mayfield has since been ruled OUT for Week 7; QB Case Keenum will start for Cleveland.)

Sunday Early Games

Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) @ Baltimore Ravens (5-1) (CBS)

Weather forecast: 62 degrees, partly cloudy.

The Ravens’ defense returned to form last week, frustrating QB Justin Herbert and company all day in their 34-6 win. This week, Baltimore has to contend with QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase. 

Chase has been ultra-consistent so far this season with either 75 or more receiving yards or a touchdown (or both) in every single game this season. He’s obviously an every-week play at this point. For his part, Burrow has tossed multiple passing scores in every game so far in 2021. 

WR Tee Higgins returned last week and promptly was second on the team in routes-run behind only Chase, and both Higgins and Chase paced the team with six targets each. WR Tyler Boyd played the majority of snaps as well in Cincy’s three-wide heavy attack. 

On the Baltimore side, the Ravens appear to be doing their best to relive 2015 by deploying a three-headed monster at running back consisting of RB Devonta Freeman, RB Latavius Murray and RB Le’Veon Bell. Three three veteran backs split snaps and carries almost evenly and all three scored touchdowns. RB Ty’Son Williams also looms, although he has been a healthy scratch in multiple games this season. Best to bench all of the Ravens backs until further notice. 

WR Rashod Bateman made his NFL debut last week and promptly led the wide receivers in targets. Keep him out of lineups for now, but it will be interesting moving forward to see his usage. 

Washington Football Team (2-4) @ Green Bay Packers (5-1) (FOX)

Weather forecast: 50 degrees and overcast.

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick might be back in Week 7, which would be a welcome addition for the Football Team, who might need to rely on the pass much more this week due to a shin injury to RB Antonio Gibson. 

Rookie RB Jaret Patterson likely stands to see an increased role against the Packers’ top five defense, but the running back to play this week is probably RB J.D. McKissic who had 110 yards from scrimmage on 16 touches (8 carries, 8 catches on 10 targets). McKissic also out-snapped Gibson 36-23 as the latter was in and out of the game due to the injury. McKissic is a solid start this week as the Football Team passing game will likely need to keep up with QB Aaron Rodgers on the other side. 

Speaking of Rodgers, his production was modest overall as the Bears held him to under 200 yards passing, but a late rushing score really boosted Rodgers’ fantasy day. 

RB A.J. Dillon continues to carve out a significant role for himself as the big back carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards. His 11 rushes were only two fewer than RB Aaron Jones’ 13 rushing attempts. This is something to monitor moving forward if you are someone who relies on Jones as a starting RB. Washington has the 31st-ranked defense in the league, so both Jones and Dillon are playable this week. 

WR Marquez Valdez-Scantling could return from IR this week, but it remains to be seen how the pecking order shakes out among the non-Davante Adams receivers for the Packers. WR Allen Lazard was targeted as many times as Adams last week, and Lazard also scored a touchdown last week. I’d go with Lazard over MVS if I was forced to start one of them. 

Atlanta Falcons (2-3) @ Miami Dolphins (1-5) (FOX)

Weather forecast: 85 degrees and overcast.

QB Tua Tagovailoa returned last week, and immediately, WR Jaylen Waddle, his old Alabama teammate, became the beneficiary with 13 targets (he caught ten of them). Waddle continues to operate mostly near the line of scrimmage (just 8.14 YPC so far this season), but the usage is encouraging. WR DeVante Parker might return to action this week, but the Falcons have allowed the third most points in the NFL so far this season, so Waddle is a decent play this week regardless. 

After a monstrous Week 5 performance, RB Myles Gaskin returned to irrelevance with a five-carry, nine-yard performance on the ground with just two catches for another five yards through the air. RB Malcolm Brown and Gaskin split snaps exactly (25 each) and ran almost as many routes as Gaskin. RB Salvon Ahmed also mixed in a fair amount with 19 snaps of his own, so it’s difficult to try to predict the Dolphins’ RB hierarchy week-to-week. Start Gaskin this week if you must start a Dolphin RB. 

Tagovailoa, for all the criticism he has gotten, was very good last week versus Jacksonville. Obviously the fact that it was the Jaguars helped Tua last week, but Atlanta isn’t a great defense either. Miami’s remaining schedule is full of exploitable matchups for the passing game, including Houston, the Giants and the Jets twice. There are worse buy-candidates than Tagovailoa. 

TE Mike Gesicki also saw an uptick in production with the return of Tagovailoa last week, putting up his first 100-yard receiving day, catching eight of nine targets. Gesicki has seen 40 targets in the five games since his Week 1 clunker. He’s nearly a must-start every week given the lack of depth at TE in general. 

For Atlanta, their trip to London two weeks ago was fruitful in that TE Kyle Pitts finally got going with nine catches on ten targets for 109 yards and a touchdown. Pitts supporters were already quick to remind everyone that his usage has been great all season and this was just a matter of time. That may be true, but it’s still nice to see him produce. Pitts remains an every-week start. 

WR Calvin Ridley is back in Week 7. He is a very good play against the Dolphins’ 29th-ranked pass defense. Before missing Week 6 due to personal reasons, Ridley had three straight weeks of double-digit targets, catching 22 passes during that time. Get Ridley into your lineups. 

Those waiting for the other shoe to drop on RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson’s magical start to 2021 are still waiting. Prior to the bye, Patterson actually saw the most snap share (59 percent) of the season in Week 5. As RB Mike Davis continues to turn in mediocre performances on the ground, let’s see if Patterson’s usage increases. For now, you have to keep him in your lineups, especially in PPR scoring. 

New York Jets (1-4) @ New England Patriots (2-4) (CBS)

Weather forecast: 57 degrees and clear.

Rookie QBs Zach Wilson and Mac Jones face off for the first time in their careers this week. 

Wilson has been largely bad, throwing nine interceptions and just four touchdowns on the season. He belongs on your bench in all formats until he shows some signs of development. A date with Bill Belichick’s defensive scheming is not an ideal situation for Wilson this week. 

RB Michael had received double-digit carries in back-to-back weeks prior to the Jets’ bye week, but we’re still not to the point where we want to start Jets running backs. 

WR Corey Davis and WR Jamison Crowder are probably the best bets if you need to start a Jets skill position player, but again, neither represents an amazing play this week. 

For New England, WR Jakobi Meyers continues to pace the receivers in most categories (snaps, routes and targets) except for touchdowns. Amazingly, Meyers has yet to score an NFL touchdown. He’s become an every-week flex or WR3 start because of the volume he sees, but it sure would be nice to see him hit paydirt at some point. 

Jones only threw 21 times last week, completing 15 of those attempts, and that was in a wide open overtime game against the Cowboys. This week against the Jets might be an even murkier game, so use caution when starting any Patriots in this game. 

On the ground RB Damien Harris had 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground on 18 rush attempts. RB Rhamondre Stevenson split time behind Harris with RB Brandon Bolden. Harris is the only playable running back, and he’s a decent start against the Jets defense this week that has already allowed seven rushing touchdowns so far this season (30th in the league). 

Carolina Panthers (3-3) @ New York Giants (1-5) (FOX)

Weather forecast: 60 degrees and partly cloudly.

After a dreadful performance against the Vikings last week, QB Sam Darnold looks to get back on track against a Giants defense giving up the fourth-most points and the sixth-most total yardage so far in 2021. If you previously relied upon Darnold to start for your teams, you might as well use him this week to see if he can figure things out against a poor defense. 

Interestingly, WR Brandon Zylstra appears to have overtaken rookie WR Terrace Marshall in the pecking order, at least for now. Zylstra out-snapped Marshall (34-23), more routes (25-12) and saw more targets against the Vikings. You’re not starting Marshall or Zylstra anyway in most seasonal leagues, but dynasty players will want to keep tabs on Marshall’s stock. 

RB Chuba Hubbard, WR D.J. Moore and WR Robby Anderson are usable this week in what hopes to be a bounce back opportunity for the entire Panthers offense. 

On the Giants’ side, WR Sterling Shepard seems to have established himself as QB Daniel Jones’ most trusted target when healthy. In the last full five games Jones and Shepard have played together, Shepard has ten or more targets in four of them. Consequently, WR Kadarius Toney’s usage was way down from the previous week with just three targets on the day. The Panthers remain a strong defense, and so use Shepard this week but avoid everyone else on the Giants offense. 

Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) @ Tennessee Titans (4-2) (CBS)

Weather forecast: 74 degrees and clear.

King Henry rules supreme over the entire fantasy football kingdom. What a player. If you have Henry on your team, just rejoice and enjoy the victories. 

It’s hard to trust any members of the Titans’ passing game right now because they are so centered around Henry. WR A.J Brown was back to lead the receiver group in snaps along with WR Julio Jones, but with only 18 completions and 216 yards passing from QB Ryan Tannehill on the night, there was little volume for anyone but Brown. Kansas City ranks 28th in total defense right now, so fire up Brown this week. 

Henry, Brown and maybe Tannehill based on matchup, that’s really it as far as usable Titans right now. 

For Kansas City, QB Patrick Mahomes continues to be the QB1 overall in fantasy based mostly on sheer volume. Last week was the fourth time this season he has attempted over 35 passes in a game. He and WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce remain no-brainers each and every week. 

RB Darrel Williams took over as the lead back in Week 6, seeing 21 carries and 30 routes, and he delivered with 89 total yards and two rushing scores to go along with three catches on four targets. Start Williams with RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire still on IR. 

Sunday Late Afternoon Games

Philadelphia Eagles (2-4) @ Las Vegas Raiders (4-2) (FOX)

Weather forecast: Indoors

No Jon Gruden, no problem for Las Vegas last week as they moved to 4-2 with a big win over the Broncos. QB Derek Carr is currently No. 2 in the NFL in passing yardage with another 341 yards last week, but faces an Eagles pass defense that ranks fifth-best in the NFL currently. Still, you can start Carr if you don’t have an elite option. 

WR Henry Ruggs is starting to get things going. He has put up 50 or more receiving yards in five straight games, scoring twice over that time period. It’s not elite production, but it’s at least encouraging, and in what is apparently going to continue to be a high-volume Raiders passing attack, Ruggs will have the opportunities to put up points moving forward. Flex him this week if you need him. 

TE Darren Waller is an every-week lock despite his lack of huge production so far this season. He is still tied for the league league (with Kelce) in targets for tight ends. 

Don’t read too much into RB Kenyan Drake’s big week. He only touched the ball six times, it just so happened that two of them resulted in touchdowns. He was still out-snapped by RB Josh Jacobs (36-11) and only ran six routes all game to Jacobs’ 14. 

For the Eagles, the big news of last week was the trade of TE Zach Ertz to Arizona. On the surface, this is great news for TE Dallas Goedert who had struggled to establish himself as a true high-end fantasy tight end ahead of Ertz so far this season. 

Aside from Goedert, WR DeVonta Smith remains the only somewhat trustworthy play for Philly. He has led the Eagles receivers in snaps every week, and had back-to-back productive games prior to last Thursday against Tampa Bay. 

RB Miles Sanders continues to be very efficient with limited volume on the ground, but he is losing passing game work to RB Kenneth Gainwell, and in general, the Eagles seem uninterested in establishing the run aside from scrambling by QB Jalen Hurts, who remains an elite fantasy option for as long as the real life Eagles continue to stick with him. 

Detroit Lions (0-6) @ Los Angeles Rams (5-1) (FOX)

Weather forecast: Indoors

All eyes will be on QB Matthew Stafford as he faces his old team. Get him into your lineups as the Lions are currently the seventh-worst overall defense in the league in terms of yardage allowed. 

RB Darrell Henderson has turned into an almost-elite every-week play. Take away the game Henderson missed in Week 3, and he has scored a rushing touchdown in all but one game, and has topped 80 or more yards in every single game this season. 

Start WR Cooper Kupp, WR Robert Woods and TE Tyler Higbee this week as you almost always would. 

For the Lions, you’re starting RB D’Andre Swift and TE T.J. Hockenson as always. For all the respect the Rams’ defense gets, they are only 21st in the league in total defense right now. 

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to be involved in the offense for the Lions with 23 targets over the past three weeks. WR Kalif Raymond and WR KhaDarel Hodge join St. Brown in three-wide sets. None of the three are elite options, but game scripts usually give them all plenty of opportunities. 

Houston Texans (1-5) @ Arizona Cardinals (6-0) (CBS)

Weather forecast: Indoors

The 1-5 Texans on the road at the undefeated Cardinals… seems like a mismatch on paper at least. 

Conventional wisdom says all of your Cardinals will be elite plays this week, but keep game script in mind for this one. If QB Kyler Murray and the offense jump out to a huge lead early, suddenly a positive game script might favor RB James Conner more than if the Cardinals were playing, say, the Buccaneers this week instead. Obviously, you’re not sitting Murray or WR DeAndre Hopkins this week, but I think Conner and RB Chase Edmonds might get more work than we typically see this week.

WR Christian Kirk and WR A.J. Green continue to work with nearly identical usage as Hopkins (Green with 68 snaps, Hopkins 67 and Kirk at 64) with WR Rondale Moore being used more sparingly as the WR4. 

Keep newly acquired TE Zach Ertz on the bench until we see him get more acclimated to the offense. On paper, Arizona seems like a dream scenario for Ertz, but he might struggle to find at target share in such a loaded offense. 

For the Texans, QB Tyrod Taylor might be back for Week 7. He is currently day-to-day. If he returns, it represents a boost to WR Brandin Cooks. Either way, Cooks is the only startable Texan in any given week. 

Chicago Bears (3-3) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) (CBS)

Weather forecast: 82 degrees and overcast.

RB Khalil Herbert had a nice game last week, but that likely ends this week against the Bucs who teams have stopped trying to run against. Tampa Bay is No. 1 in the entire NFL in most rushing yards allowed and rushing attempts faced. They’ve allowed just 3.4 yards per carry on the season, third-best in the league. With RB Davis Montgomery still on IR and RB Damien Williams’ status still in question due to Covid-19, Herbert remains an intriguing option just due to expected volume, but just be aware of how good the Bucs are against the run before deploying him. 

QB Justin Fields will be the key for the Bears this week, which is no surprise. Tampa is just 27th in the league versus the pass, so Fields and company will need to move the ball through the air in this one to have a chance. I don’t think Fields is trustable yet, so leave him on the bench until he has a true breakout game. 

WR Allen Robinson saw more targets in Week 6 (8 targets) than he has since Week 1, so that’s a good sign for him as one of the most disappointing players in fantasy football so far this season. Robinson and WR Darnell Mooney were both used virtually the exact same amount last week, so it’s tough to tell which should be considered the top target for Fields at this point. I’m still an A-Rob believer. 

For the Bucs, you’re starting QB Tom Brady, all three wide receivers, RB Leonard Fournette and TE Rob Gronkowski if he is active. The Bears are a top ten defense overall, but with how Tampa is rolling right now, you’re not benching any of them regardless of opponent. 

Sunday Night Football (NBC)

Indianapolis Colts (2-4) @ San Francisco 49ers (2-3) (NBC)

Weather forecast: 63 degrees with light rain and wind.

QB Carson Wentz has looked better over the past few weeks, throwing for almost 850 yards and six touchdowns to zero interceptions over the past three weeks. The 49ers are a top ten defense, so keep projections modest for Wentz this week.

For as good as Wentz has looked recently, RB Jonathan Taylor has been even better. In that same three game period, Taylor has 45 carries for 301 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns to go along with seven catches for another 140 yards and a touchdown through the air — 441 yards and four scores over the past three weeks. The Niners are a little worse than middle-of-the-pack against the run, so start Taylor confidently. RB Nyheim Hines is usable too, especially if the Colts are forced into a negative game script at all this week. 

Both WR Parris Campbell (out) and WR T.Y. Hilton (questionable) are in doubt for this game, making WR Michael Pittman even that much more of the “No. 1” receiver in Indianapolis this week, which he has operated as for the entire season. Last week, Pittman led the Colts receivers in snaps and routes, and he was right behind Hilton for the team lead in targets. 

At tight end, both TE Jack Doyle and Mo Alie-Cox are splitting work, both seeing nine routes-run last week. 

For San Francisco, it appears as though QB Jimmy Garoppolo is going to be under center with QB Trey Lance relegated to spot duty. The Colts are the 20th-best defense in the league right now and have allowed the second-most touchdown passes, so there are likely worse options than Jimmy G this week if he indeed is going to start and play the vast majority of snaps. 

RB Elijah Mitchell is the 49ers running back you want to be playing right now, although Indy has only allowed one single rushing touchdown on the year so far. RB Trey Sermon belongs on your bench until further notice. 

WR Deebo Samuel is the only member of the San Fran passing game that you can use. WR Brandon Aiyuk is too unreliable right now, and George Kittle is still on IR.

Monday Night Football (ESPN)

New Orleans Saints (3-2) @ Seattle Seahawks (2-4) (ESPN)

Weather forecast: 62 degrees and overcast.

The Saints haven’t given up a 100-yard rusher in years, and I doubt it’s going to be any different this week. RB Alex Collins is in doubt this week due to a hip/glute injury. Even if he can play, I don’t think his chances for a big game. RB Rashaad Penny is slated to be returning from IR this week as well, and Pete Carroll already said Penny will be “full go.” I would bench both Collins and Penny unless you are ravaged by bye weeks.

QB Geno Smith was decent last week despite his game-losing fumble against the Steelers. You aren’t starting him (hopefully), but you can at least have some level of confidence that Smith can get the ball to WR D.K. Metcalf enough to keep him fantasy-relevant. WR Tyler Lockett, on the other hand, has fallen off a cliff, averaging just 2.75 catches, 37 yards receiving and zero touchdowns per game since Week 2. Lockett is a Flex option at best until QB Russell Wilson returns.

Statistically, the Seahawks are the absolute worst defense in the NFL, so QB Jameis Winston — who has an 8:2 TD to INT ratio over the past three games — should find success this week, especially coming off a four-touchdown performance against Washington last week. RB Alvin Kamara is obviously in your lineups this week too.

WR Marquez Callaway is a good start this week against that aforementioned Seattle defense. After starting off slow in 2021, Callaway has come on in recent weeks, with 200 yards and three touchdowns over the past three games.

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Andrew Scherber

Your typical know-nothing wannabe who never played American football growing up, Andrew grew up playing the REAL football, dreaming of being the next Ronaldo (the Brazilian one).

One fateful day in 1998, Andrew was introduced to one, Randy Moss, who would almost singlehandedly vault American football to the forefront of a young twelve-year-old’s flimsy attention span.

Twenty-some years later, Andrew, now a father, coach and rabid Tottenham supporter, still loves both footballs.