Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 7: Smartest Matchups to Exploit, Sleeper Plays and More

The Cleveland Browns offense has scored more than 21 points just once this season, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense has allowed 30 or more points in four of five games.

Something has to give when these two teams square off Sunday. Will the Browns come to life, or will the Bucs defense thrive under the leadership of new defensive coordinator Mark Duffner?

The guess here is that Cleveland wins out, and that notion is reflected below in the form of some recommended Week 7 fantasy plays.

We'll take a look at a few Browns and offer start/sit advice for quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end, in addition to sleepers for each position.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz (vs. Carolina Panthers)

Any worries about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz taking a step back after suffering a torn ACL last season have been put to rest. The third-year pro looks like his old self and has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for eight touchdowns and just one interception through four games.

He's also looked good on the ground, rushing for 58 yards on 12 carries.

His Week 7 opponent (the Carolina Panthers) has a tough defense led by linebacker Luke Kuechly and defensive tackle Kawann Short, but Wentz was productive when he faced Carolina on the road last year, throwing three touchdown passes and adding 25 rushing yards.

Most of that Panthers defense is back this time around, and now Wentz is playing at home. Start him with confidence.

Sit 'Em: Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson (at Jacksonville Jaguars)

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense significantly regressed in their 40-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but they are in line for a bounce back against a Houston Texans offense that has scored just 32 points in their last two games.

Houston is having significant troubles protecting quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has been sacked four more times (25) than any other NFL signal-caller. That's not a good sign considering he is one of the NFL's more mobile quarterbacks.

Jacksonville also has a skilled pass defense that ranks fifth in adjusted passing yards per attempt, so it can at least slow down the Texans' talented trio of receivers in DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee.

Watson is a must-start nearly every week given his running ability and connection with Hopkins, but on the road against a tough Jags defense isn't a good spot.

Sleeper: Cleveland Browns QB Baker Mayfield (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield hasn't connected enough with his teammates over the past three weeks, completing just 52.3 percent of his passes and throwing five interceptions to just four touchdowns. 

In fairness, one of those matchups was against the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed the fewest points per game in the league.

Still, the Browns offense is stuck in neutral and needs a boost. Their Week 7 opponent can provide that. Mayfield is capable of much better pro production, as he proved when he completed 17 of 23 passes for 203 yards in a 21-17 win over the New York Jets.

Look for him to put forth his best game yet in a strong offensive afternoon for the Browns.

Running Back

Start 'Em: New England Patriots RB Sony Michel (at Chicago Bears)

New England Patriots running back Sony Michel has rushed for 316 yards and four touchdowns on 67 carries in his last three games. His rushing production has been fantastic, and he now faces a Chicago Bears team that just allowed 197 yards from scrimmage to Miami Dolphins running backs Frank Gore and Kenyan Drake.

That's not to take anything away from the Miami duo, as the ageless Gore and 24-year-old Drake have helped Miami to a 4-2 start. However, one has to wonder if the powerful Bears defense may have a weakness against opposing rushing attacks.

They haven't been tested much yet, as Chicago has faced two of the three worst rushing teams in football (the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), a Seattle Seahawks team that was still featuring struggling rookie Rashaad Penny at the time and the Green Bay Packers, who were missing running back Aaron Jones.

Perhaps the Bears have some work to do on run defense. We'll find out for sure Sunday when they face Michel, fellow Pats running back James White and the potent team attack.

Sit 'Em: Baltimore Ravens RB Alex Collins (vs. New Orleans Saints)

Don't let the fantasy points from Sunday fool you: Baltimore Ravens running back Alex Collins (and the entire team's rushing attack) has not been efficient this year. The team has rushed for just 3.4 yards per carry on the year and has been more reliant on the pass game to get the offense going.

The 24-year-old scored two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6, but he also ran for just 54 yards on 19 carries. Furthermore, he has to fight for carries and targets with Gus Edwards and Buck Allen in what is essentially a three-man committee.

Ultimately, Collins is reliant on touchdowns for his fantasy production, and that is a risky proposition, especially against a New Orleans Saints defense that may have turned a corner after allowing just 37 points in its last two games.

Sleeper: Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

At some point, Browns running back Nick Chubb will be given more opportunities, right?

Ian Kenyon of Bleacher Report provided a side-by-side comparison of the 22-year-old and the team's current starter (Carlos Hyde):

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported that head coach Hue Jackson said the team will look to get Chubb more carries, but that refrain has been heard before with no change.

Still, with the team now 2-3-1 and sitting in last place in the AFC North, why not give the rookie a shot against a struggling Bucs defense that has allowed the most points per game in the NFL?

Granted, this is a speculative recommendation given Chubb has not amassed more than three carries in a game this season, but at some point, the Browns must provide him an opportunity. The guess here is that chance comes Sunday.

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: New England Patriots WR Josh Gordon (at Chicago Bears)

Patriots wide receiver Josh Gordon's fantasy production Sunday (five catches, 42 yards) may have been disappointing after he participated in a 43-40 shootout win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but he saw nine targets and was on the field 81 percent of the time. The only Pats wideout to see more snaps was veteran Julian Edelman.

Gordon is going to have his breakout game sooner rather than later, and perhaps his tendency for explosive plays will shine against the Chicago Bears, who just allowed scoring passes of 43 and 75 yards to Dolphins quarterback Brock Osweiler and wideout Albert Wilson.

The Bears defense is still fourth in the league in points allowed per game despite its rough 31-28 loss to Miami. However, its calling card (a stout pass rush) may be stymied against a Pats offense that has done a great job protecting quarterback Tom Brady, who has taken just eight sacks in six games.

If Brady has enough time to throw again, he could find Gordon on a few deep passes.

Sit 'Em: Tennessee Titans WR Corey Davis (vs. Los Angeles Chargers at Wembley Stadium, London)

This sit 'em pick is less an indictment on the player and more of a criticism of the Tennessee Titans offense, which has failed to score a touchdown in its last two games.

The Titans just allowed 11 sacks of quarterback Marcus Mariota in a 21-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, and now the team must face the Los Angeles Chargers, who have won three straight and amassed six sacks against the Browns.

Therefore, No. 1 wideout Corey Davis and any other Titans fantasy option should be on the bench Sunday and any future games until the team can rectify its problems.

Sleeper: Cleveland Browns WR Damion Ratley (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

If you're looking for a super sleeper no one may be on this week, check out Browns wide receiver Damion Ratley, who is rostered in less than one percent of Yahoo fantasy football leagues.

The rookie earned his first career start with wideout Rashard Higgins battling an injury, and he responded with six catches for 82 yards. Ratley was on the field 88 percent of the time, and that trend may continue Sunday against the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense.

Higgins will likely be out again this week, per Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com, so the 23-year-old could be in line for another strong outing.

Tight End

Start 'Em: Cincinnati Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah (at Kansas City Chiefs)

Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah has risen to the top spot on the team's depth chart with Tyler Eifert suffering a season-ending broken ankle and Tyler Kroft potentially out for the year with a broken foot, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Uzomah took advantage of his playing-time opportunity by partaking in 92 percent of the team's snaps and catching six passes for 54 yards in a 28-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The fourth-year pro was third on the team in targets, yards and receptions behind the top two wideouts on the team (A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd).

If that's a trend that continues moving forward, then Uzomah is at worst a borderline start play every week.

Sit 'Em: Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cameron Brate (vs. Cleveland Browns)

Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard miraculously missed only part of one game with an MCL sprain suffered in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. After sitting through the Week 5 bye, he came back in Week 6 and caught four passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Howard played on 52 percent of the team's snaps, while fellow tight end Cameron Brate played just one-third of the game. The second-year pro looks to be the team's No. 1 tight end target when healthy, making Brate a bench option at best.

In fairness, Brate has scored a touchdown in each of his past three games, but he's only seen 11 targets on the year, so that target-touchdown ratio is bound to regress.

Sleeper: Miami Dolphins TE Nick O'Leary (vs. Detroit Lions)

Miami Dolphins tight end Nick O'Leary may have jumped 2018 second-round pick Mike Gesicki on the team's depth chart after his Sunday performance against the Chicago Bears.

The former Florida State star had four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. He played on 67 percent of the team's snaps while Gesicki saw the field just 35 percent of the time.

O'Leary has a much easier matchup Sunday against the Detroit Lions, who rank 25th in points allowed per game this year. If he plays two-thirds (or more) of the snaps yet again, he could post a similar outing to the one he had versus the Bears.