Fantasy Football 2011: 5 Situations to Watch Coming out of the Week 7 NFL Bye

Ryan LesterOct 22, 2011

It’s that time of year. Fantasy football owners are scrambling to fill holes in their lineup as Buffalo, Cincinnati, New England, NY Giants, Philadelphia and San Francisco are on a bye week.

Here are some things to keep an eye on when they get back to action.

1. Can the “Dream Team” Wake Up from Their Nightmare?

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Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

Bleacher Report1w

Forget about a splash, the Eagles made waves in the offseason. However, going into Week 7 they are last in the NFC East at 2-4. They can’t stop the run and teams appear to have figured out a way to at least contain Michael Vick.

The good news is that nobody in the division looks overpowering. They can turn it around and make the playoffs. They are just going to have to play better.

2. Are the Niners for Real?

They certainly look the part. Their defense is playing at a high level. So is Frank Gore. Alex Smith is not messing things up.

One would think they have a target on their backs after the Harbaugh fiasco. They’ll win the division mainly because they don’t have any competition, but don’t expect too much noise in the playoffs.

3. Will Eli Manning Continue to Play at a High Level?

There doesn’t seem to be much noise about Eli’s poor preseason. That’s what happens when you have a 101.1 passer rating through six games with 11 touchdowns to five picks and a 296.3 YPG average.

It’s worth noting that he faced St. Louis, Arizona, Seattle, Buffalo and a Philadelphia team that wasn’t playing to their potential. They face Miami and New England after the bye, which should help add to his line.

However, some aggressive defenses follow. San Francisco, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Green Bay, Dallas, Washington and a fantasy football championship tilt with the Jets. He’s not going to fall off the map, but I don’t expect near 300 yards and two TDs every game going forward.

4. Is the Bengals Defense for Real?

The Bengals enter this week’s games ranked fourth in points allowed at 18.5 and second in yards allowed at 278.5 YPG. While I’m not dismissing their defense, you should note that they played Cleveland, Denver, Jacksonville and Indianapolis among their six games.

Fortunately for them, they face Seattle and Cleveland along with matchups in the fantasy playoffs with St. Louis in Week 15 and Arizona in Week 16. Sprinkled along the way are tilts with Tennessee, Pittsburgh (twice), Baltimore and Houston, but they should remain a solid fantasy defense option going forward.

5. Can the Bills Keep it Up?

As long as they stay healthy, I don’t see why not. They have been potent offensively for too long now to call it a fluke.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has command of the offense. Fred Jackson is a force to be reckoned with. Stevie Johnson has a nose for the end zone.

Plus, they have a slew of other guys who can step up. They may not make the playoffs, but the offense should continue to roll.

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