'Who Needs Reality?': Excellent Fantasy Football Starts for Week 7

On Friday night, news broke via ESPN.com that the Seattle Seahawks traded superstar receiver Percy Harvin to the New York Jets. 

This shocked many in the NFL world, mostly because the Seahawks had been paying a tremendous amount of money to make the versatile Harvin a part of their offense. 

While there's no doubt that Harvin is dynamic, his stat line did not equal his potential this season. The Jets need the help (badly), and the deal also allows Seattle to save some money in cap space. 

Personally, I think this trade is a win-win, and the same approach should be taken around this time of the season in fantasy. If you own a winning squad and have a player with a big name whom you could nab some flier/playoff talent for, let him go. If you're sitting at 2-4 or 3-3, however, make a move for an underperforming stud, like Harvin or Eddie Lacy, that a frustrated owner may be willing to exchange with little more hesitation than a mouse click. 

Sometimes, a shake-up is all you need to get back on track in fantasy football. 

Shake or no shake, here are some great starts for your squad in Week 7.

Please remember that I use a standard scoring system when projecting these points:

• One point per 10 rushing or receiving yards
• One point per 25 passing yards
• Six points for each rushing or receiving touchdown
• Four points for passing touchdowns
• Minus-two points for interceptions and fumbles lost

Additionally, be sure to stay tuned to the official NFL injury report to get the official word on who is in and who is out come game day.

Finally, please remember that with this column I intend to list players whom you should start who wouldn't be ultra-obvious picks. Therefore, I won't be telling you to start Peyton Manning, Matt Forte, Julio Jones, etc. 

Quarterbacks to Start

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Some quarterbacks in the league—Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck—are matchup-proof. Regardless of what team they are playing and where the game is taking place, they are going to put up stats with their consistent play and high-octane offenses. 

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not one of these passers, so with him, you need to gauge the situation. In Week 7 at home against the Atlanta Falcons, Flacco should flourish. The Falcons have looked porous on defense lately. The Ravens should run the ball well, giving Flacco plenty of red-zone scoring chances. Plus, his best wide receiver, Steve Smith Sr., is on fire. 

• 327 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions = 21 points

Other Solid Ball-Throwers

• Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers: 280 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions = 19 points
• Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears: 320 yards, two touchdowns, one interception = 18 points
• Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals: 299 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions = 19 points

Running Backs to Start 

Washington Redskins running back Alfred Morris is in a curious place. He was drafted to be a very good RB2 by most fantasy owners with the upside to turn into an RB1. What's been proved thus far this season, however, is that Morris, along with the rest of the Washington squad, is very matchup-dependant. 

Washington doesn't move the ball well on a consistent basis, and since Morris is not much of a pass-catching back, he'll only be in store for monster games when Washington is winning or playing in a close game. This week, at home against the Tennessee Titans, is a perfect game for Morris to shine and show off what he does best—being a workhorse running back.

• 18 carries, 105 yards and two touchdowns = 22 points

Other Solid Ball-Carriers

• Branden Oliver, San Diego Chargers: For the third week in a row, Oliver should be a stud. There's no reason to sit him. He has another good matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Chargers love to run the ball. They are fifth in the league with 190 rushing attempts this season.
• Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins: A lovely matchup in Chicago awaits Miller this week, who is now the team's sole reliable running back with Knowshon Moreno out for the season with injury. 
• Reggie Bush, Detroit Lions: Going up against his former team at home, Bush has chances to make some big plays here. The New Orleans Saints defense struggles to stop everything and everyone, so watch out for Bush when he gets a swing pass out into space. 

Wide Receivers to Start

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

With wide receiver Victor Cruz out for the season, Rueben Randle becomes the best non-rookie receiver on the New York Giants. Quarterback Eli Manning needs a target to rely on, so it's time for Randle to step up and be that man. If he doesn't, it will only be a matter of time before rookie Odell Beckham Jr. surpasses him in terms of targets and relevancy. 

• Eight catches, 85 yards and one touchdown = 14 points (22 in PPR)

Other Solid Pass-Catchers

• Cecil Shorts III, Jacksonville Jaguars: When he's healthy, Shorts is one of the league's most dynamic receivers. While Jacksonville may not be able to win, it is capable of moving the ball through the air. Jump on Shorts this week while he is having a spell of good health; it could end at any second.
  
• Justin Hunter, Tennessee Titans: He's been doing better with each week, and we must not be amnesic; Hunter was one of the most highly touted wide receivers during training camp this year. His sophomore campaign will have longer ebbs than flows, but I think this week will treat him well. 
• Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals: With quarterback Carson Palmer back in action, Floyd returns to being who we thought he was before the season began. Oh yeah, and the Cardinals are playing the Oakland Raiders. 

Tight Ends to Start  

AJ Mast/Associated Press

Tight ends are weird this year in fantasy. It seems that the top five guys are consistently fantastic and that everyone else of relevancy is a crapshoot. Therefore, it's tough to recommend a great tight end start without mentioning someone pretty obvious. 

Well, I'm going to try. Indianapolis Colts tight end Coby Fleener is due for a big week. This game against the Cincinnati Bengals is going to feature more defense and punting than offense. Quarterback Andrew Luck will be looking to Fleener as a security blanket. Hopefully, he'll need some security in the end zone. 

• Five catches, 55 yards and a touchdown = 10 points (15 in PPR)

Other Solid Big Guys Who Catch Balls

• Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs: Surely, the secret is out by now, right? Right?!
• Jordan Cameron, Cleveland Browns: The bulk of his production last week came on two long hauls, which scares me, but quarterback Brian Hoyer loves him, and the Browns have an extremely favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 
• Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills: This would be a real desperate start, but if you're in a deep league or perhaps a daily league and want a low-cost guy with great upside, look at Chandler. He had six catches for 105 yards last week. You could write this off as a fluke, or you could chalk it up to Kyle Orton playing quarterback for the Bills. Against the Minnesota Vikings this week, Chandler has wonderful potential for another great game. 

Defense/Special Teams to Start

There is every reason to pick up and start the Cleveland Browns D/ST this week. Unless you own the Detroit Lions or Seattle Seahawks, the Browns should do better than most units against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's an obvious pick, but for good reason. The Jaguars not only struggle to score early in the game, but they also tend to turn the ball over with reliability. 

Other Solid Defense/Special Teams Starts

• Arizona Cardinals (at Oakland Raiders)
• Buffalo Bills (home against Minnesota Vikings)
• Houston Texans (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

And there we have it, folks. Best of luck with your leagues this week.

If you have any further questions, hit me up at the email below, and I'll try to respond to all inquiries before kickoff on Sunday. Furthermore, if you're struggling with tough lineup decisions, like I am in many leagues this year, trust your gut above any person, logic or statistic. Many times the answer lies within your intuition. 

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All stats courtesy of NFL.com and FFToday.com. Feel free to email any question to [e-mail].