Fantasy Football Week 7: Rankings, Stat Projections and Top Waiver-Wire Adds

David McCrackenOct 17, 2016

There are a lot of tough matchups for elite fantasy players in Week 7, which will cause fantasy owners headaches going into the week's games.

The Pittsburgh Steelers-New England Patriots matchup looks to be a fantasy gold mine whether you own players on the Steelers or Patriots—as long as you don't own either defense. However, the news of Ben Roethlisberger missing time due to a torn meniscus suffered against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Cook, affects the entire Steelers offense.

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With Landry Jones starting in Big Ben's place, Antonio Brown's numbers might fall. Same goes for Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers and Markus Wheaton. Le'Veon Bell may see a lot of action, but all the Patriots have to do is stop Bell from gaining any momentum. Let's be realistic here: Jones won't beat the Patriots using his arm.

Being realistic in a game surrounded by projections and fantasy points is a difficult thing to do, but here we'll take a look at Week 7's top 10 players at each offensive position with projections from Yahoo Sports.

Note: Roethlisberger is not listed below because of his injury, nor is Jay Cutler. Cutler may be healthy next week, but he's not guaranteed to play due to the surprising play of backup Brian Hoyer.

Date	Teams	Time (ET)	National TV
Thursday, Oct. 20	Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers	8:25 p.m.	CBS/NFL Network
Sunday, Oct. 23	New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Rams	9:30 a.m.	NFL Network
Sunday, Oct. 23	New Orleans Saints vs. Kansas City Chiefs	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sunday, Oct. 23	Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans	1:00 p.m.	CBS
Sunday, Oct. 23	Minnesota Vikings vs. Philadelphia Eagles	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sunday, Oct. 23	Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals	1:00 p.m.	CBS
Sunday, Oct. 23	Washington Redskins vs. Detroit Lions	1:00 p.m.	FOX
Sunday, Oct. 23	Oakland Raiders vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	1:00 p.m.	CBS
Sunday, Oct. 23	Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins	1:00 p.m.	CBS
Sunday, Oct. 23	Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Jets	1:00 p.m	CBS
Sunday, Oct. 23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Francisco 49ers	4:05 p.m.	FOX
Sunday, Oct. 23	San Diego Chargers vs. Atlanta Falcons	4:05 p.m.	FOX
Sunday, Oct. 23	New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
Sunday, Oct. 23	Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals	8:30 p.m.	NBC
Monday, Oct. 24	Houston Texans vs. Denver Broncos	8:30 p.m.	ESPN

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Matt Ryan	23.36
2	Tom Brady	21.88
3	Blake Bortles	20.97
4	Andy Dalton	20.81
5	Tyrod Taylor	19.87
6	Alex Smith	19.34
7	Derek Carr	18.68
8	Joe Flacco	18.65
9	Matthew Stafford	18.60
10	Philip Rivers	18.28

Boom: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

Outside of Tom Brady, Matt Ryan is the best fantasy option at the quarterback position, and in Week 7, Ryan is projected to score the most points at his position with 23.36.

Ryan scored 22.60 points against a tough Seattle Seahawks defense in Seattle and will have a much easier time next week against a poor San Diego Chargers defense that has surrendered the sixth-most points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

While the Chargers defense looked like an entirely different unit last Thursday against the Denver Broncos with rookie Joey Bosa proving his worth as a pass-rusher, the Falcons are a much better offensive team than Denver.

Throw in the fact that the Chargers won't have anyone to cover Julio Jones or Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman out of the backfield, and Ryan could easily score over 30 fantasy points. Start him with confidence.

Bust: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Some of the mystique surrounding Carson Wentz may have worn off after a poor showing against the Washington Redskins, even though it wasn't his fault.

The Eagles offensive line was poor, giving up five sacks and leaving Wentz with no time to throw all game. Completing 11 of 22 passing attempts against a mediocre defense is not a good sign. It's definitely a red flag going into Week 7, when Wentz will face the terrifying defense of the Minnesota Vikings, who are coming off a bye week.

The Vikings defense punishes quarterbacks and doesn't give up any big plays. Wentz is projected to score 16.93 points, but even getting that is going to be difficult.

Sleeper: Alex Smith, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Alex Smith has a great matchup against the New Orleans Saints next week, and he's projected to score 19.34 fantasy points. Having Jamaal Charles back in the fold helps a lot, but the Chiefs offense has blossomed into something more than just a one-man show.

Spencer Ware is also a great option out of the backfield, and Travis Kelce is arguably a top-five tight end in the NFL when healthy. Add Jeremy Maclin to the mix against a Saints defense that gives up a ridiculous amount of points each week, and Smith could have himself a day.

Owned in just 28 percent of Yahoo leagues, Smith is a steal. If he's an option on the waiver wire, pick him up and plug him in.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Julio Jones	17.91
2	Antonio Brown	15.43
3	A.J Green	14.91
4	Allen Robinson	12.75
5	Odell Beckham Jr.	12.40
6	Alshon Jeffrey	12.00
7	Jeremy Maclin	11.08
8	Marvin Jones Jr.	10.66
9	Mike Evans	10.42
10	Jordan Matthews	10.07

Boom: A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

A.J. Green can dominate a game the same way Jones can, and he can get the volume of catches that Brown does as well. Going up against the Cleveland Browns will be a tougher matchup than most fans might think, but Green is due for a huge game. And what better time to have a big game than against a divisional rival?

The Bengals need to rebound fast, and to do that, they'll need to put the ball in Green's hands. Forget the gadget plays and handoffs to Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard.

Green has had at least eight targets in each game this season, according to Yahoo Sports, and with a projected score of 14.91 fantasy points against the Browns, look for Andy Dalton to force-feed Green the ball en route to a monster fantasy performance.

Bust: Cameron Meredith, WR, Chicago Bears

Cameron Meredith has come out of nowhere for the Chicago Bears over the last two weeks, and while he's put up some great numbers during that span, his hot streak will end against the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers are coming off a humiliating performance at home against the Dallas Cowboys, and their defense will look to take its anger out on the Bears, whose offense has been suspect despite solid play from Hoyer.

Meredith and Alshon Jeffery are Hoyer's go-to options at the wideout position, but it's hard to see Meredith having a big game against one the NFL's better defenses. Meredith has hauled in 243 yards in the last two weeks, but those were in games against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. Neither team is exactly what one would call elite.

Don't buy into the hype this week. Let Meredith ride the bench.

Sleeper: Torrey Smith, WR. San Francisco 49ers

It was just one game, but Torrey Smith looked like the same deep-threat receiver he was when he was playing for the Baltimore Ravens.

Targeted seven times, Smith saw a lot more volume with Colin Kaepernick under center than he did with Blaine Gabbert, and he was even able to haul in a 53-yard touchdown. The duo should've combined for a score on the 49ers' opening drive, but Kaepernick overthrew Smith on what would have been a 59-yard touchdown grab.

Owned in 25 percent of Yahoo leagues, if you have a receiver on a bye or who is underperforming, give Smith a shot in Week 7, when he takes on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is projected to score at least 6.29 points.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	LeSean McCoy	16.72
2	Le'Veon Bell	16.49
3	Lamar Miller	15.11
4	DeMarco Murray	14.94
5	Mark Ingram	14.77
6	Doug Martin	14.34
7	Carlos Hyde	13.82
8	Eddie Lacy	13.44
9	Isaiah Crowell	13.31
10	David Johnson	13.21

Boom: DeMarco Murray, RB, Tennessee Titans

DeMarco Murray is running the ball harder than ever this season for the Titans, and he's putting up some pretty impressive numbers in the process. In six games this season, Murray has averaged 17.30 fantasy points per game. In fact, his lowest point total of the season came in Week 6, when he racked up 12.50 points.

Going up against an abysmal Colts run defense, don't be surprised if Murray goes over 20 fantasy points for the third time this season. He's a monster coming out of the backfield, even with Derrick Henry taking some carries away from him. The Titans run game is one of the best in the NFL right now and will likely deploy a run-heavy attack against Indianapolis.

If you're lucky enough to have Murray on your team, feel good about all the points he's going to score. The Colts run defense is so bad, that if you have Henry as a handcuff, you should play him as a flex option. There should be plenty of yards for the taking in this game.

Bust: Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

Every year is the same story for Ryan Mathews. A few strong performances, turnovers and nagging injuries seem to make Mathews a high-risk play each week. Thankfully, you don't have to fret over starting him in Week 7, as the Eagles are playing the Vikings. In other words, Mathews doesn't stand a chance of having a big day.

The Vikings defense is just too good. The only impact Mathews could make would be making some catches out of the backfield for a few yards, but most of those dump-off plays will be given to Darren Sproles instead.

It's not Mathews' week to shine. He should not be played in any capacity.

Sleeper: Matt Asiata, RB, Minnesota Vikings

So much for all the Jerick McKinnon hype.

Matt Asiata has become the new Mike Tolbert—the fantasy football vulture. He is, without a doubt, the preferred option in the red zone and at the goal line. Asiata has scored a rushing touchdown in two consecutive games now, while McKinnon only has one to his name this season.

Not only is Asiata getting red-zone touches, but he actually outplayed McKinnon in yards gained back in Week 4 against the Houston Texans, rushing for 55 yards on 14 carries compared to McKinnon's 36 yards on 20 carries.

Give Asiata a go this week and see if he can rumble his way into the end zone. He should still be available on the waiver wire since he's only owned in 17 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Rob Gronkowski	10.38
2	Jordan Reed	9.53
3	Travis Kelce	9.07
4	Martellus Bennett	7.23
5	Zach Miller	7.19
6	Delanie Walker	7.00
7	Dennis Pitta	6.98
8	Jacob Tamme	6.55
9	Zach Ertz	6.34
10	Julius Thomas	6.33

Boom: Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

Is there any other tight end who deserves to be the "boom" player this week?

Gronkowski is back and so is Tom Brady. Week 6 was a good week for the Patriots and Gronkowski, who hauled in a career-high 162 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. He was dominant and toyed with the linebackers of the Bengals, even receiving a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

But none of that matters heading into Week 7's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers' defense is no slouch and will give Gronkowski a lot of double-coverage, but Gronkowski always finds a way to score points.

Don't even think about playing someone else. Nobody is better than Gronkowski when he's healthy.

Bust: Julius Thomas, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

Julius Thomas is not the same player he was back in Denver. It's clear now that he was just a product of the system that was in place in Denver during Peyton Manning's record-breaking season a couple of years ago, and he's failed to have any real success this season despite being in a pass-happy offense that likes to make big, splashy plays.

A tight end as athletic as Thomas should have no problem dictating his position in the open field like Gronkowski or Kelce.

But Thomas just isn't that good.

The Jaguars are playing the Oakland Raiders next week in what should be a shootout, but who knows if Thomas will even get a catch. He's far too inconsistent to play every week.

Coming off a two-catch performance against the Bears that scored 2.80 fantasy points, Thomas isn't worth the start when there are much better options on the waiver wire. It might even be time to cut ties with the Jaguar heading into Week 7.

Sleeper: Charles Clay, TE, Buffalo Bills

For some strange reason, Charles Clay is only owned in 24 percent of Yahoo leagues this season, despite putting up some solid numbers at the tight end position for the Buffalo Bills. In the last three weeks, Clay has put up 4.70, 7.30 and 5.20 points.

While those numbers don't jump off the page, it's important to stress how crucial it is to find consistency at the tight end position in fantasy. Not everyone can have a Greg Olsen or Kelce or Gronkowski, but there are other ways to make up for those points.

Clay is going up against his old team in Week 7, the Miami Dolphins, so there will be extra motivation for Clay to go out and show up his former employers.

Give Clay a chance to prove his worth as a starting tight end this week, as he's projected to score 5.85 points.

Defense/Special Teams