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

For some fantasy football managers, Week 7 of the 2021 NFL season will be the hardest of the year. That's because there are a whopping six teams that will have a bye during the upcoming week.

So that means any of the key members of your team who play for the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings or Pittsburgh Steelers will need to be on the bench. There are a lot of strong players on the rosters of those six teams.

Whether that means you're filling in positions with depth from your bench or scouring the waiver wire for options, the decisions to make this week could be much tougher than usual.

Heading into Week 7, here's some early start/sit advice for numerous players to help with those choices.

Start 'Em: Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

Gary McCullough/Associated Press

The six starting quarterbacks on a bye this week are: Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence, Justin Herbert, Kirk Cousins and Ben Roethlisberger.

If you've been relying on one of those names, there's a good chance you'll be seeking a streaming option on the waiver wire, unless you've been rostering a second quarterback.

Tua Tagovailoa is likely to be one of the best choices, considering he impressed in his first game back from a rib injury in Week 6. He passed for 329 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the Miami Dolphins' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, his best showing in limited action this season.

This week, Miami is hosting the Atlanta Falcons, which should be another good opportunity for the 23-year-old to have a strong performance. He's rostered in only 17 percent of Yahoo leagues and 25 percent of ESPN leagues, so he'll be a good fill-in option for many fantasy managers to acquire.

Sit 'Em: Devontae Booker, RB, New York Giants

Brett Duke/Associated Press

With Saquon Barkley still out due to an ankle injury, Devontae Booker is going to continue to be the lead back for the Giants.

However, high volume doesn't always yield big results. That was the case for the 29-year-old the past two weeks, and it may be again in Week 7.

Over New York's past two games, Booker has 28 carries for 83 yards, an average of three yards per attempt. He scored a pair of touchdowns in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, but he was kept out of the end zone by the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday.

If you don't have two solid options at running back and have to start the Utah product, you'll have to hope he scores a touchdown, because that's likely the only way he'll have any value against a solid Carolina Panthers defense that has mostly fared well against the run.

So, leave Booker on the bench if you have that luxury.

Start 'Em: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Detroit Lions

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

It hasn't happened yet, but Amon-Ra St. Brown seems to be on the cusp of a breakout. The Lions' receiving corps is banged up, and the rookie is going to be getting plenty of opportunities. Eventually, he's likely to have a big game this season.

Although the 21-year-old had only 26 yards in Detroit's Week 6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, he had five catches and was targeted seven times. He's had at least seven targets in each of the Lions' past three games, so quarterback Jared Goff is trying to get him the ball.

The Lions are likely to lose to the Rams in Week 7, but they should be passing the ball a lot once they fall behind. That means St. Brown could rack up plenty of yardage late in the game and may even get into the end zone for the first time in his NFL career.

He's a sleeper flex option with high upside this week.

Start 'Em: Zach Ertz, TE, Arizona Cardinals

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

Is it risky to play somebody who just got traded and isn't too familiar with his new team's offense yet? Yes. But Zach Ertz has a ton of potential to become a top weapon on an Arizona Cardinals offense that has been rolling during the team's 6-0 start to the season.

Arizona has been getting its tight ends much more involved in 2021, as Maxx Williams was faring well before he suffered a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 10.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Ertz step in and immediately become a factor and one of quarterback Kyler Murray's top targets.

The Cardinals have a favorable Week 7 matchup against the Houston Texans, which are allowing 391.2 total yards per game. So it should be a big day for Arizona's offense, and expect the former Philadelphia Eagles star to quickly get into the mix.