Week 7 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Colt McCoy and 5 Who Will Exceed Expectations

With a number of big names (Michael Vick, Tom Brady) having their byes this week, it's imperative to find a solid sleeper or two to fill in your fantasy roster without losing a huge amount of points.

So which players will exceed expectations and help get you over the hump in your Week 7 fantasy matchups?

Here are five that you should seriously consider inserting in your starting lineup.

Dallas Cowboys Defense

Sure, the Dallas Cowboys defense has been very average this season, ranking 12th in fantasy. But this week the Cowboys play the St. Louis Rams, whose offense has been, well, offensive all year long.

The Rams are averaging less than 10 points per game, which is just astounding. After the loss to the New England Patriots, the Cowboys are in a must-win situation. I imagine they'll jump out to a big lead and put this game away early.

Justin Forsett, Seattle Seahawks

Marshawn Lynch has been a bit of a fantasy disappointment this season, and this was only made worse when he was removed from the Seattle Seahawks lineup in the last seconds before today's game.

Now, the majority of the rushing duties for the Seahawks will fall to Justin Forsett. Forsett is now a solid sleeper pick (as Lynch was before his injury), that is if you checked your page at the last second and had time to put him in your lineup.

Carolina Panthers Defense

You probably think I'm crazy. The Carolina Panthers defense ranks fourth from last in fantasy rankings this season. Still, the Washington Redskins offense has been hapless the last few weeks, failing to garner many points while turning the ball over often.

I could see the Panthers defense picking up some points this week. Redskins quarterback John Beck will likely be pressing (as he tries to secure the starting quarterback job), and Tim Hightower is long overdue for some fumbles.

Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns

With the bye weeks now coming for six teams each week, no doubt several marquee quarterbacks are useless in fantasy each Sunday. This week, it happens to be Michael Vick, Tom Brady, Ryan Fitzpatrick AND Eli Manning.

This week, a solid fill-in for one of the aforementioned quarterbacks would be Colt McCoy. The Cleveland Browns are playing the Seattle Seahawks. McCoy has been decent this season (averaging over 10 points per game), and is likely primed for his biggest showing of the season. 

DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

With Felix Jones out, the majority of the rushing duties for the Dallas Cowboys now fall to DeMarco Murray.

The rookie will likely come out fired up and take advantage of his first start in the National Football League. The Rams are the worst team in the league against the run, so Murray's debut start almost seems certain to be a successful one. Tashard Choice will get his share of carries, but I think there will be plenty of yards to go around in this game.