Fantasy Football Week 7: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
Here come the rookies and wily veterans who won't go away. In Week 7, fantasy football managers can rely on the young and unproven as well as familiar faces who still have value in the latter stages of their careers.
To avoid the bye-week blues, fantasy managers will scour the waiver wire for players who can replace the likes of Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen at quarterback and also star wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson. Don't forget running backs Dalvin Cook and Miles Sanders.
But several sleepers can help you through a tough week.
Here's a quick hint as to what's to come: Invest in Big Blue.
With a mix of "old" reliables and upstart playmakers, check out our Week 7 sleeper options for point-per-reception scoring formats. They're all available in at least 40 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.
QB Matt Ryan at Tennessee Titans (49 Percent Rostered)
1 of 8
In Week 6, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt Ryan had his best passing performance of the season, throwing for 389 yards and three touchdowns; he didn't take a sack.
In three of six contests, Ryan has thrown for 352-plus yards with one of those outings against the Tennessee Titans. He could record another game of 300-plus passing yards in the second meeting with the Indianapolis Colts’ division rival.
Through six weeks, the Titans have surrendered the most passing yards per game and 12 touchdowns through the air. They're also tied for the fourth-most fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.
As long as Ryan gets decent pass protection, he can carve up the Titans' porous secondary with rookie second-round wideout Alec Pierce coming along as the No. 2 pass-catching option behind wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. The former caught three passes for 49 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars last week.
Furthermore, if Deon Jackson stays in the backfield rotation regardless of Jonathan Taylor’s injury status (ankle), Ryan would have a reliable target in the short passing game. The second-year running back caught 10 passes for 79 yards in Week 6.
Ryan looks like a smart play if you want a quarterback who could turn in a high-volume performance.
QB Davis Mills at Las Vegas Raiders (6 Percent Rostered)
2 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $5,000
Coming off a bye week, both the Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders had extra time to prepare for their Week 7 matchup, which means we could see a more competitive game than oddsmakers suggest with a seven-point line in favor of the Silver and Black.
The Raiders defense has surrendered the most fantasy points to quarterbacks, allowing every signal-caller it faced to finish within the top eight in fantasy scoring with 19.8 or more points. That list of signal-callers includes Ryan Tannehill and Russell Wilson, who have had underwhelming statistical starts to the 2022 campaign.
Davis Mills has a couple of viable offensive playmakers in wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins, who bring a combination of speed and size, respectively. The former can rack up yards between the 20-yard lines, and the latter can use his 6'4", 215-pound frame to finish drives against a defense that has surrendered an 82.4 percent touchdown rate to opponents in the red zone (ranked 32nd).
Only rostered in 6 percent of Yahoo leagues, Mills has a rare moment to shine in the fantasy realm against a bottom-tier defensive unit.
RB Latavius Murray vs. New York Jets (42 Percent Rostered)
3 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $5,200
On Wednesday, head coach Nathaniel Hackett said Melvin Gordon III will start Sunday against the New York Jets, but that declaration doesn't mean much in terms of projected workload.
In the Denver Broncos' previous outing, Gordon started over Latavius Murray, but the latter handled the bulk of the rushing workload, outpacing the former in touches (16 to three). The coaching staff essentially benched Gordon for Murray early.
With running back Mike Boone in the mix, Denver has a messy backfield from a fantasy perspective. Nonetheless, the Broncos poached Murray off the New Orleans Saints' practice squad after Javonte Williams tore his ACL, which means he'll probably maintain a role regardless of Gordon's first-series designation for the upcoming contest.
In six games, Gordon has fumbled four times and lost possession of the ball twice, so we shouldn't be surprised if Murray gets short-yardage and goal-line opportunities.
Murray could get the lion's share of carries out of the Broncos backfield against the Jets, who have a middling defense against running backs. Gang Green ranks 17th in fantasy points allowed to tailbacks and has surrendered seven rushing scores (tied for seventh-most) in six games.
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Meetings Football")
.jpg?w=256 "NFL Combine Football")
RB Dontrell Hilliard vs. Indianapolis Colts (12 Percent Rostered)
4 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $5,000
As rookie first-round wide receiver Treylon Burks recovers from turf toe, quarterback Ryan Tannehill will have more targets to spread among his pass-catching group.
Burks went down in the fourth quarter of the Titans' first game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. In that game, running back Dontrell Hilliard hauled in four passes for 18 yards. He found his way onto the fantasy radar with four receptions for 23 yards and a touchdown in the following contest—a 21-17 win over the Washington Commanders.
In three of four appearances this season, Hilliard has been targeted at least four times and caught three or more passes. He's part of the Titans' short passing game and should continue to see a handful of looks from Tannehill, especially with Burks on the sideline.
Hilliard will get a decent matchup against the Colts, who allow the 11th-most fantasy points to running backs.
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones at Baltimore Ravens (19 Percent Rostered)
5 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $4,100
Lost in the Cleveland Browns' three-game losing streak, quarterback Jacoby Brissett's connection with wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones has started to heat up over the past few weeks.
Peoples-Jones has at least four catches and 50 receiving yards in each of the last three games, as well as in the Browns' season opener against the Carolina Panthers.
While tight end David Njoku has emerged as a secondary pass-catching option to Amari Cooper, Peoples-Jones has shown consistency opposite the four-time Pro Bowl wideout and should be on every manager's watch list ahead of a favorable matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
Going into Week 7, the Ravens are tied with the Washington Commanders for fourth in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers.
Baltimore has jumped out to early leads against its opponents, tying for third in first-half points. The Browns may have to push the ball through the air to keep up with the Ravens, which bodes well for Peoples-Jones' fantasy outlook.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson at Jacksonville Jaguars (27 Percent Rostered)
6 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $4,500
In Week 6, Wan'Dale Robinson returned to action after a four-game absence with a knee injury. He caught three passes for 37 yards while on the field for just 23 percent of the snaps.
Robinson's limited role may scare off most fantasy managers, but he should see a significant uptick in snap count after his first game back. Remember, the New York Giants selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft, so the team probably has big plans for the first-year wideout.
On top of that, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has limited options in the passing game with Sterling Shepard (torn ACL), Kenny Golladay (knee) and Kadarius Toney (hamstrings) out because of injuries. Consequently, Robinson should have plenty of opportunities to build momentum following a solid Week 6 outing.
In Week 7, Jones will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who gave up 389 passing yards to Matt Ryan in their previous outing and rank 21st in yards allowed through the air, which bodes well for Big Blue's receivers. Also of note, the Jaguars have surrendered the 14th-most fantasy points to wideouts.
Managers should add Robinson ahead of a decent matchup with the Jaguars and hold him for the remainder of the 2022 term because of his draft status on a team with a depleted wide receiver unit.
TE Cade Otton at Carolina Panthers (6 Percent Rostered)
7 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $2,700
Twice this month, Cameron Brate left a game because of an injury. In Week 4, he suffered a concussion and missed the following outing. The 31-year-old tight end returned to action last Sunday but departed on a stretcher with a neck injury. Managers shouldn't count on him to play in the upcoming contest against the Carolina Panthers.
With the possibility that Brate misses time, rookie fourth-round tight end Cade Otton could have a strong pass-catching performance. When the former missed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 5 tilt with the Atlanta Falcons, the latter hauled in six passes for 43 yards.
In Week 7, the Buccaneers draw a matchup with the Panthers, who are in a regime shift with interim head coach Steve Wilks calling the shots in place of former lead skipper Matt Rhule, whom the team fired Oct. 10. Carolina has a middling pass defense that ranks 17th in yards allowed; Otton could rack up a decent number of yards and find the end zone.
Otton has played at least 56 percent of the offensive snaps with Brate in and out of the last three games. He has an opportunity to capitalize on an expanded role this week.
TE Daniel Bellinger at Jacksonville Jaguars (2 Percent Rostered)
8 of 8
DraftKings DFS Price: $3,400
Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars are tied for 22nd in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, managers in need of production at the position should roll the dice on Daniel Bellinger.
Before Week 1, the New York Giants released Ricky Seals-Jones with an injury settlement, which cleared the pathway for Bellinger to claim the lead position at tight end. He has started five of six games and has seen an increase in snap count with almost every passing week of the season.
In Week 6, against the Baltimore Ravens, Bellinger played 94 percent of the offensive snaps and hauled in all five of his targets for 38 yards and a touchdown. With two receiving scores and one on the ground, he’s second on the Giants in touchdowns (three) behind running back Saquon Barkley.
As noted with the suggestion to add wideout Wan'Dale Robinson, Big Blue has an injury-riddled wide receiver group, which will result in an increased target share for others in sizable roles. As a clear-cut starter who's shown flashes through six weeks, Bellinger could rack up a decent number of receiving yards and find the end zone for the fourth time this season in a matchup with the Jaguars' 21st-ranked pass defense.
Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com for details.
Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.
Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Meetings Football")
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Combine Football")
