Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 7: Reviewing Fantasy Football's Top Fringe Starters

Will the Los Angeles Rams be more of a single-back team moving forward? How will the Kansas City Chiefs incorporate another strong player into their offense? And can the Arizona Cardinals keep putting up enough offense to spread the wealth around?

These are some of the questions that fantasy managers are likely considering when making some tough start/sit decisions with some fringe players on their rosters heading into Week 7. And as we know, if you don't make the right choice, it can cost you in any given week.

Here's a look at start/sit suggestions for some key offensive players for Week 7.

Start 'Em: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

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Remember what Joe Burrow did against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2? He threw the ball a whopping 61 times and passed for 316 yards and three touchdowns, nearly leading the Bengals to a road win.

There could be a similar performance coming this week when Cincinnati hosts Cleveland.

Although the 23-year-old hasn't thrown any touchdowns the past two weeks, he had a solid showing this past Sunday when he passed for 313 yards and scored a rushing touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts, who entered the matchup as the top-ranked defense in the NFL.

The Browns have had trouble stopping the pass, as they've allowed 271.7 yards through the air per game, sixth most in the league. Four of their six opponents have scored at least 30 points, and they haven't held any team to less than 20.

Burrow is developing a strong connection with wide receiver Tee Higgins, a fellow rookie, and both should put up some big numbers against the Browns this week.

The LSU product should be a top-10 quarterback in Week 7.

Sit 'Em: Cam Newton, QB, New England Patriots

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The Patriots' offensive struggles in their Week 6 loss to the Denver Broncos can likely be attributed to their lack of practice heading into the matchup, as the team dealt with numerous positive COVID-19 tests within the organization.

However, there are also some concerning signs regarding their offense even when they get a full week of practice.

New England's offensive line is not in good shape, as it has numerous players banged up and has had to shift players out of their regular positions. Also, its wide receivers aren't giving Cam Newton much to throw to, as none of them had more than three receptions or 38 yards in the loss to Denver.

Newton always has the potential for a good fantasy day because he often finds a way into the end zone by using his feet in the red zone. But even a rushing score may not be enough to start him, as he's passed for less than 200 yards in three of his four games and has yet to pass for multiple touchdowns in a game.

The San Francisco 49ers had some injuries on defense early in the season, but they still rank fifth in the NFL with 321 total yards allowed per game.

So, this might be another tough showing for the New England offense, Newton included.

Start 'Em: Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Los Angeles Rams

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It's sometimes tricky to know which Rams running back is worthy of starting because they've been known to use numerous guys out of the backfield recently. However, Darrell Henderson Jr. is putting up some consistently strong numbers in recent weeks to increase his fantasy value.

The 23-year-old had 14 carries for 88 yards in the loss at San Francisco this past Sunday, and although he didn't get into the end zone, he had scored touchdowns in three of his previous four games before that. The only game in which he had rushed for more yards was his 114-yard game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3.

Henderson has led Rams running backs in touches for two consecutive weeks. Now, he'll look for another strong game against the Chicago Bears, who have a strong pass defense but are more beatable on the ground.

Chicago has allowed only one touchdown to opposing wide receivers, which may be a good sign that the Memphis product will be getting into the end zone on the ground.

There's always a chance the Rams go with the hot hand, and that's Henderson right now. He's worthy of starting this week.

Sit 'Em: Le'Veon Bell, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

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Although Le'Veon Bell has barely been on the field in 2020 and didn't live up to expectations with the New York Jets, fantasy managers are going to be tempted to play him this week based on name value alone. And the potential of what he could do in this Chiefs' offense is exciting to think about.

But we also don't know how Kansas City head coach Andy Reid plans to utilize the 28-year-old in his offense. Just this past Monday, rookie running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 161 yards on 26 carries—career highs—in the win over the Buffalo Bills. How many touches will the team really want to take away from him?

The Denver Broncos are average against the run, ranking 13th in the NFL with 110.6 rushing yards allowed per game. So it's not like this is an irresistible matchup in which multiple Chiefs running backs are likely to put up huge numbers.

Bell may need a bit of time to acclimate with his new surroundings, too. Unless you have no other options, wait a week to see how this plays out before potentially getting him back in your fantasy lineup.

Start 'Em: Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals

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DeAndre Hopkins isn't the only Cardinals wide receiver capable of putting up big fantasy numbers this season. On Monday night, Christian Kirk had only two receptions, but they were both touchdown grabs—a six-yard catch and a huge 80-yard reception.

That likely won't be the last time the 23-year-old hauls in a deep scoring pass from quarterback Kyler Murray this year. And it's quite possible the two will connect for a big play (or potentially multiple) when Arizona hosts the NFC West-rival Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks are allowing an NFL-high 370.4 passing yards per game, and with a strong offense of their own, this game has the potential to be a high-scoring shootout. There should be enough targets to go around for Hopkins and Kirk to both have big games against Seattle.

Kirk has 240 receiving yards this season, and 164 of them have come in the past two weeks. Expect him to keep the momentum going moving forward.

Sit 'Em: DJ Chark Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

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After missing the Jaguars' Week 3 game, DJ Chark returned and had his best showing of the year thus far, compiling 95 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals in Week 4. However, he's been less effective the past two weeks after being slowed by an ankle injury.

Over his past two games, the 24-year-old has 10 receptions for 61 yards and hasn't gotten into the end zone. And just like last season, it's been hit or miss whether you can trust him to have a good game when you put him into your fantasy lineup.

This week may be a difficult matchup for Chark and the Jags, as they go on the road to face the Los Angeles Chargers, who are likely to start putting up better defensive numbers after opening the season with a tough portion of their schedule.

And with Jacksonville coming off five straight some losses (several of which have been tough offensive showings), it doesn't have much momentum.

Chark is a risky play again this week, so it's probably better to find a receiver with a strong matchup to take his spot in the flex in Week 7.