Fantasy Football Week 7: Big Board and Advice for 'MNF'
All right, let me get it out of the way—the Baltimore Ravens are just a few Josh Scobee missed field goals away from being 0-6.
OK, now that that's done, hopefully you have some Arizona Cardinals players on your fantasy football team for this one.
The Ravens have been so hard to watch this season.
Baltimore's defense is definitely one of the worst units we've seen in a long time.
However, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has been a top fantasy quarterback since his Week 1 stinker against the Denver Broncos. We've also seen Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith have an incredible season despite injuring his back.
For the Cardinals, we've seen the rebirth of a former top fantasy performer—running back Chris Johnson.
The Ravens will be traveling to Arizona in this one. Don't expect a Ravens win.
I'm taking the Cardinals, 34-20.
Big Board
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| Rank | Player | Pos. | Team |
| 1 | Larry Fitzgerald | WR | Arizona Cardinals |
| 2 | Carson Palmer | QB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 3 | Steve Smith | WR | Baltimore Ravens |
| 4 | Chris Johnson | RB | Arizona Cardinals |
| 5 | John Brown | WR | Arizona Cardinals |
| 6 | Justin Forsett | RB | Baltimore Ravens |
| 7 | Michael Floyd | WR | Arizona Cardinals |
| 8 | Kamar Aiken | WR | Baltimore Ravens |
| 9 | Joe Flacco | QB | Baltimore Ravens |
| 10 | Andre Ellington | RB | Arizona Cardinals |
Injury Report
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Baltimore Ravens
Player | Status | |
Terrence Brooks | S | Probable |
Elvis Dumervil | OLB | Probable |
Asa Jackson | CB | Questionable |
| Kendrick Lewis | FS | Questionable |
Breshad Perriman | WR | Out |
Daryl Smith | LB | Probable |
Darren Waller | WR | Probable |
Lardarius Webb | CB | Questionable |
Maxx Williams | TE | Out |
Marshall Yanda | G | Probable |
Chris Canty | DL | Probable |
No surprises here, as rookie wide receiver Breshad Perriman will miss yet another game.
Arizona Cardinals
Player | Status | |
Justin Bethel | CB | Probable |
John Brown | WR | Questionable |
Darren Fells | TE | Out |
| Larry Fitzgerald | WR | Probable |
Brittan Golden | WR | Probable |
Alex Okafor | OLB | Out |
Cory Redding | DT | Probable |
Frostee Rucker | DT | Probable |
LaMarr Woodley | OLB | Probable |
The most alarming injury here is obviously wide receiver John Brown. He was limited in practice Saturday with a hamstring injury.
Injury Reports are courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals team sites.
Quarterbacks
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Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco
As mentioned before, this has been a tough season for the Ravens and quarterback Joe Flacco.
Heading into Week 7, the Cardinals are not very generous to opposing quarterbacks, allowing nine touchdowns while intercepting 11 passes.
Flacco has three games of 340 or more passing yards this season, and he's averaging over 40 attempts per game.
Flacco will have to throw a ton, but unlike his previous opponents, this Cardinals team won't be as kind.
Projections: 250 passing yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Arizona Cardinals: Carson Palmer
Coming off a loss in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer will have a fantastic opportunity to avenge himself against a poor Ravens secondary.
Coming into Week 7, the Ravens are the second-most generous team to opposing quarterbacks, allowing over 300 yards passing per game and 21.5 fantasy points per contest.
Start Palmer everywhere you have him; he's going off this week.
Projections: 350 passing yards, 3 TDs
Running Backs
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Baltimore Ravens Starter: Justin Forsett
The Cardinals have allowed just one rushing touchdown all year, but Ravens running back Justin Forsett will make that two after this week.
Over the past three weeks, Forsett has had no less than 17 carries.
While he may not accumulate a ton of yards and will have a low-yards-per-carry average, Forsett should get enough volume to find the end zone.
Forsett is a bit of a risk, but he could be involved in some garbage time.
Projections: 50 rushing yards, 1 TD; 3 receptions, 25 receiving yards
Arizona Cardinals Starter: Chris Johnson
Like the Cardinals, the Ravens haven't been so kind to the run this year, ranking 25th in terms of fantasy points allowed to the position.
However, is that due to good defense, or just because teams can throw all over them at will? I'll take the latter.
In a game in which the Cardinals should find themselves ahead, look for Johnson to get his first rushing touchdown since his two-touchdown performance in Week 3.
Projections: 70 rushing yards, 1 TD; 3 receptions, 25 receiving yards.
Arizona Cardinals: Andre Ellington
Playing just nine snaps in Week 6, Ellington should see a slight increase this week.
Again, Ellington could be involved in some garbage time.
However, Ellington is nothing more than a flex play this week.
Projections: 30 rushing yards; 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards
Arizona Cardinals: David Johnson
Seeing just four touches last week, Johnson is the definition of "boom or bust."
Proceed with caution.
Projections: 15 rushing yards
Wide Receivers
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Baltimore Ravens: Steve Smith
Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith is Joe Flacco's No. 1 pass-catching option on a team that is filled with players that could be on practice squads.
Throw out all of the stats, Flacco is going to throw to Smith.
Projections: 5 receptions, 85 receiving yards, 1 TD
Baltimore Ravens: Kamar Aiken
Definitely the No. 2 option for the Ravens and Flacco, Aiken will always have potential for a big game.
Don't expect the Ravens to lead at almost any point during this game. Aiken will prove to be a sneaky points-per-reception play this week.
He's a flex play.
Projections: 6 receptions, 55 receiving yards
Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald
Pretty much every wide receiver with hands would be in for a decent game against the Ravens this week.
The Ravens allow right around 228 receiving yards a game to opposing wide receivers, and they also rank second in terms of fantasy-point generosity to the position at 30 points per game.
Fitzgerald, along with the other Cardinals wide receivers, are going to roast these Ravens.
Projections: 8 receptions, 120 receiving yards, 2 TDs
Arizona Cardinals: John Brown
Although he's coming into the game with two beat-up hamstrings, wide receiver John Brown will be a fantastic play this week if he's able to suit up.
Brown's speed will burn this Ravens secondary, much like Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett burned the San Francisco 49ers secondary earlier this week on Thursday Night Football.
Projections: 5 receptions, 70 receiving yards, 1 TD
Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd
If Brown is unable to go, Floyd will be tasked with playing a ton of snaps.
However, even if Brown does play, Floyd will have a season high in yards this week.
This Ravens secondary is not in any way, shape or form intimidating.
Floyd is a flex or back-end WR2 option this week.
Projections: 4 receptions, 65 receiving yards
Tight Ends
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Baltimore Ravens: Crockett Gillmore
The popular narrative last season was how bad the Arizona Cardinals were against opposing tight ends.
This season is a different story—they're the stingiest unit against tight ends.
Gillmore will take over the majority of the tight end snaps with fellow tight end Maxx Williams missing this game.
He's a sleeper candidate, but don't expect much—look elsewhere.
Projections: 3 receptions, 30 receiving yards
Arizona Cardinals: Jermaine Gresham
Although fellow tight end Darren Fells is out for this game, Gresham remains irrelevant.
Don't play him this week.
Projections: 2 receptions, 10 receiving yards
Defense/Special Teams
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Baltimore Ravens Defense/Special Teams
If only it were possible to not even analyze why you shouldn't ever play this defense.
Oh wait, it is!
Don't play them.
Projections: 34 points allowed, 2 sacks
Arizona Cardinals Defense/Special Teams
The Cardinals have intercepted opposing quarterbacks 11 times this season.
A defensive touchdown wouldn't surprise me here, but those are definitely unpredictable.
If you're looking for a defense with decent upside and a chance to take it to the house, play the Cardinals defense this week.
Projections: 20 points allowed, 2 INTs, 4 sacks
Best Sleeper Add
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Kamar Aiken, WR, Baltimore Ravens (Owned in 29.1 percent of ESPN Leagues)
As mentioned earlier in this column, Aiken could prove to be a sneaky points-per-reception option.
Flacco will probably need to throw more than his average (around 41 passes), and Aiken could provide your team with 10-plus PPR points.
If you need a fill-in for Cardinals wide receiver John Brown if he does indeed sit this one out, look to Aiken to help you out.
Start or Sit?
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Every Arizona Cardinals Wide Receiver
This Ravens secondary couldn't stop a nose bleed. Despite the John Brown injury concerns and Michael Floyd's inconsistency, play them.
Verdict: Start
Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Coming into this game, owners may be weary of what is an intimidating Cardinals run defense.
However, Forsett gets a ton of touches, and that will continue this week. He could be somewhat of a touchdown-dependent option, though.
Verdict: Start
All advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Fantasy scoring numbers courtesy of ESPN.com.
Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.
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