Fantasy Football Week 7 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em: Andy Dalton dialed in for Week 7

Injuries could impact Fantasy owners in a big way in Week 7, but Jamey Eisenberg gives you plenty of starting options this week, including Andy Dalton in a great matchup vs. Cleveland.

Week 7 Rankings: Standard | PPR

We're headed for a potentially tough week for Fantasy owners due to a rash of injuries, and Carolina and Dallas are on bye. There could be plenty of interesting lineups in your league for Week 7.

We're going to be without Cam Newton and Dak Prescott because of the bye week, and Ben Roethlisberger (knee) is out for the Steelers. At running back, Eddie Lacy (foot), Carlos Hyde (shoulder) and Doug Martin (hamstring) are out, and LeSean McCoy (hamstring) was injured in practice Wednesday. Those injuries are tough when Ezekiel Elliott and Jonathan Stewart are off.

Terrelle Pryor (hamstring) is the main injury to watch at receiver, and Fantasy owners won't have Kelvin Benjamin, Dez Bryant or Cole Beasley. But Stefon Diggs (groin) could return, which is a sliver of good news.

Tyler Eifert (back) could also make his season debut at tight end, which would help when Greg Olsen and Jason Witten are on a bye. But Jordan Reed (concussion) and Dwayne Allen (ankle) are out, and that hurts an already thin position.

The nice thing is the waiver wire should be your friend this week, with options like Brian Hoyer, Alex Smith, Jacquizz Rodgers, Jay Ajayi, Cameron Meredith, Kenny Britt, Hunter Henry, Jack Doyle and many others potentially out there to start in Week 7. And then there are the healthy players we actually like this week, which you'll read about below.

It should be a big week for the Bengals in their matchup with the Browns at home. That should lead to solid production for Andy Dalton in Week 7.

Editor's Note: Projections are provided by CBS Sports and not Jamey Eisenberg.

Start of the Week

Dalton deserves credit this season for being a quality Fantasy quarterback when there were plenty of negatives stacked against him coming into the year. He was down three members of his receiving corps from last year with Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu gone as free agents, and Eifert (ankle/back) was hurt.

Eifert still hasn't played, but Dalton is the No. 11 Fantasy quarterback in standard leagues, just one point behind Prescott for No. 10. Dalton only has one game with multiple passing touchdowns, but he has scored at least 20 Fantasy points in three of his past five games, including two in a row.

This week, Dalton should have his best game of the season against the Browns, who happened to be coached by his former offensive coordinator, Hue Jackson. That could be a problem since Jackson clearly knows what Dalton likes to do, but the Browns haven't stopped any opposing quarterback this season, which gives Dalton an edge.

All six quarterbacks Cleveland has faced this year have at least 20 Fantasy points in a standard league. While Tom Brady highlights that list, the other five quarterbacks include Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota. Every one of those quarterbacks threw for at least two touchdowns, and four in a row have tossed three.

Dalton was exceptional in two games against the Browns last year with exactly 27 Fantasy points in both matchups, including six total touchdowns. His track record against Cleveland, and how bad the Browns have been against quarterbacks this year, should lead you to trust Dalton as a No. 1 quarterback in all leagues this week, especially if Eifert is able to return to action.

And if he continues to play at a high level like he's shown through six games then maybe he's already earned your trust as a Fantasy starter for the rest of the year.

I'm starting Dalton over: Russell Wilson (at ARI), Carson Palmer (vs. SEA), Drew Brees (at KC), Derek Carr (at JAC) and Andrew Luck (at TEN)

Quarterback

Start 'Em

I get to sneak Ryan in here one more time because he'll be started in every league moving forward given his level of play so far and upcoming schedule. He just came through the toughest part of his season with consecutive road games at Denver and Seattle, and he managed 43 Fantasy points combined in those outings. Ryan has scored at least 20 Fantasy points in a standard league in five of six starts, and he's the No. 1 quarterback heading into this matchup with the Chargers.

San Diego, despite a multitude of injuries on defense, has only allowed three quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points, including one in the past four games, which featured matchups with Andrew Luck (15 points) and Drew Brees (16 points). But Ryan at home against a defense making a cross-country trip should be a slam dunk. And hopefully he'll stay hot for the rest of the year.

This should be an interesting test for Stafford since the Redskins have allowed just one quarterback to score at least 20 Fantasy points in a standard league this season, which was Ben Roethlisberger in Week 1. Now, Washington hasn't exactly faced the toughest of competition since then, especially the past three games against Cody Kessler, Flacco and Wentz, but the Redskins have allowed just three touchdowns with three interceptions over the past five weeks.

Stafford, however, has scored at least 24 Fantasy points in four of six games, including two in a row, and he finally got Golden Tate going in Week 6 against the Rams, which is another weapon at his disposal. The projected total points for this game is among the highest of the week, which is why we like both quarterbacks, and look for Stafford to give Washington its second quarterback with 20-plus Fantasy points this year.

Mariota exceeded my expectations last week when we had him as a starter against the Browns, and he finished with 284 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception and 64 rushing yards, which is 33 Fantasy points in a standard league. He comes into this matchup with the Colts with consecutive games of at least 33 points, and Indianapolis has struggled with opposing quarterbacks all year.

Four quarterbacks have scored at least 20 Fantasy points against the Colts, including Blake Bortles, Brian Hoyer and Brock Osweiler in the past three games. Mariota only faced the Colts once last season as a rookie and scored 22 Fantasy points, and a similar performance could happen this week. He's enhanced his value the past two games with at least 60 rushing yards in each outing, and if that continues then his Fantasy points should come in bunches.

Don't look now, but Cousins has quietly become a good Fantasy quarterback of late, with at least 20 points in a standard league in four of his past five games. He sits at No. 13 at the position, and he's only five points behind Prescott to be No. 10. We expect Cousins to have another 20-point outing this week against the Lions, who allow the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year.

Every opposing quarterback has at least two touchdowns and 20 Fantasy points, including Case Keenum, Wentz and Hoyer in the past three games. Cousins has multiple touchdowns in four of his past five road games going back to last year, and this game has the potential to be a shootout. With that in mind, we consider Cousins a Top 10 Fantasy quarterback this week.

We expected the opposing defenses for the Falcons the past two weeks to be tough on Ryan, but instead it was Atlanta shutting down Paxton Lynch and Wilson, who combined for 23 Fantasy points in a standard league against this defense. Prior to that, however, the Falcons allowed at least 30 Fantasy points to quarterbacks in their first four games against Tampa Bay, Oakland, New Orleans and Carolina.

We expect Rivers to be in that range in what should be a high-scoring affair, and he's scored at least 22 Fantasy points in a standard league in three of his past five games. He was limited last week against Denver with 13 Fantasy points, but he should get back on track this week. We consider Rivers a solid No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 7.

Sleepers

• Jamies Winston (at SF): SF has allowed five QBs in a row to throw at least two TDs.
• Brian Hoyer (at GB): GB could be missing its top three cornerbacks in this game.
• Alex Smith (vs. NO): Three QBs in a row have scored at least 22 FPTS vs. NO.
• Tyrod Taylor (at MIA): He had 273 passing yards and three TDs at MIA last year.
• Colin Kaepernick (vs. TB): Three of five QBs have scored at least 21 FPTS vs. TB.

Sit 'Em

Wentz has been great for Fantasy owners this year, and I was using him as a streaming option for the past two games. One worked out well when he had 20 Fantasy points at Detroit in Week 5, but he had his first dud in Week 6 at Washington with just seven points. Teams might have figured out his tendencies after five starts, and now he'll have to adjust.

It also hurts with offensive tackle Lane Johnson now suspended. For this week, it's hands off with Wentz in the majority of leagues with the matchup against the Vikings. Minnesota has yet to allow a quarterback to score 20 points in a game this year, including matchups with Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Eli Manning. Wentz should be in line for a long Sunday against this defense.

Let's see which Wilson shows up this week. Will it be the dominant one we saw in Week 4 at the Jets when he had 30 Fantasy points, which is his lone game with more than 15 points this year in a standard league? Or will it be the one who has scored two touchdowns combined in his other four outings and has left Fantasy owners in a lurch?

This is a tough matchup to trust Wilson given the sample size of his performance thus far, and the Cardinals have allowed just Case Keenum to throw multiple passing touchdowns against them this year. Wilson has scored at least 21 Fantasy points against Arizona in four of his past six meetings, but his recent knee and ankle woes might still be bothering him. I'd only start Wilson in two-quarterback leagues this week.

I have to start Osweiler this week in a league where quarterbacks are flex options, but I have no confidence in him at Denver. The Broncos are going to obliterate him in his first game since leaving the team following last year's Super Bowl victory.

You know Denver's defense wants to embarrass Osweiler, and the Broncos typically do that to most quarterbacks anyway. He's coming off a solid outing in Week 6 against Indianapolis with 20 Fantasy points, which is just the second time he's reached that total this year and first since Week 1. Newton scored 22 Fantasy points against the Broncos in Week 1, but since then Denver hasn't allowed a quarterback to score more than 16 points, including matchups with Luck, Dalton, Ryan and Rivers. Osweiler is barely an option in two-quarterback leagues this week.

If you were to say in advance that Palmer would attempt 34 passes against that bad Jets secondary on Monday night then you would expect a huge outing. That's what happened, but Palmer finished with just 213 yards and one touchdown. He now has three games in a row with 13 Fantasy points or less, with two touchdowns and five interceptions over that span against Buffalo, Los Angeles and the Jets.

Seattle just got abused by Ryan in Week 6 for 27 Fantasy points, but Palmer has one game with multiple touchdowns against the Seahawks in his past four meetings going back to 2013. Seattle is banged up defensively, which could have helped Ryan last week and could be good for Palmer, but we need to see it from Palmer first before starting him in a tough matchup, even at home. He's a starter in two-quarterback leagues only this week.

Flacco is expected to play through a shoulder injury, but clearly he's not 100 percent after being banged up against the Giants in Week 6. And even though this is a great matchup against the Jets, we have a hard time trusting Flacco as anything more than a starter in two-quarterback leagues. He only has two games with at least 20 Fantasy points, which was at Cleveland in Week 2 and against Oakland in Week 4. He's been held to 26 combined Fantasy points in a standard league in his past two outings against the Redskins and Giants, and the Browns game is the only time he's passed for multiple scores. Steve Smith (ankle) also will likely be out again for the Ravens, which limits the weapons for Flacco, and he should post mediocre stats again this week on the road.

Bust Alert

Brees at home is a guaranteed superstar. Brees on the road is mediocre at best. So far this season he has 16 Fantasy points at the Giants in Week 2 and 16 points at San Diego in Week 4. He scored at least 31 Fantasy points in his three home games, and last year his lone road game with 20-plus Fantasy points was at Tampa Bay. The Chiefs just shut down Derek Carr on the road with a season-low 11 Fantasy points, and Roethlisberger is the lone quarterback with more than 15 points against Kansas City. Now, please read this carefully, this is by no means to say sit Brees across the board. He's still listed at No. 10 in my rankings. But I would rather start Dalton, Mariota and Cousins over Brees this week, and he could once again struggle on the road, especially in a tough matchup.

Running back

Start 'Em

What we saw last week for the Patriots is exactly what you want to happen on a weekly basis, which is White play a significant factor early in the game with Brady throwing all over the place, and then Blount killing the clock and scoring a touchdown. Against the Bengals in Week 6, White had seven carries for 19 yards and eight catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns, and Blount had 13 carries for 50 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 20 yards.

The Steelers are hurting on defense and just got run over by Jay Ajayi for 204 yards and two touchdowns. Blount has scored a touchdown in five of six games, and White has 12 catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns in two games with Brady. Both should excel in this matchup on the road.

We're going with several backfields this week since you can start both Chiefs running backs with confidence, even if you handcuffed Charles and Ware. We like Ware better since he should once again get the majority of touches. Even with Charles back in Week 6 against Oakland, Ware had 24 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 24 yards.

He now has at least 80 total yards in every game this season. Charles had nine carries for 33 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 14 yards against the Raiders, but his role should remain limited, at least for now. The Saints have allowed multiple rushing touchdowns in each of their past three games against the Falcons, Chargers and Panthers, and the Chiefs should add to their misery this week. Consider Ware a No. 1 running back in all leagues, and Charles is a high-end No. 2 option.

Anderson and Booker are both in play this week, with Anderson still a must-start option, and Booker is a sleeper given the matchup. The Texans run defense has struggled with J.J. Watt (back) out, and in the past four games Blount, DeMarco Murray, Matt Asiata and Frank Gore have scored double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league, with five touchdowns over that span.

Anderson had a touchdown catch called back in Week 6 at San Diego due to a penalty, but he's due for a big game after scoring in single digits in Fantasy points in three of his past four outings. Booker is expected to get more work this week, but he hasn't topped 10 touches in any game this season. We expect Denver to run all over Houston, and I like this backfield to deliver in a big way on Monday night.

One more tandem for you to mull over this week with the Bengals having the chance for big outing against the Browns. I like Bernard better than Hill, but both should have the chance to finish as Top 24 running backs this week. A running back has scored against Cleveland in four games in a row, with two running backs scoring at least eight Fantasy points in a standard league in the same game three times over that span.

Bernard has been better than Hill in each of the past two games against Dallas and New England with at least 90 total yards in each outing, and Hill has become touchdown dependent. But in last year's home game against the Browns in Week 13, Hill had 22 carries for 98 yards and a touchdown, and hopefully a similar performance takes place this week.

Martin (hamstring) is out this week, and the Buccaneers clearly have no problem leaning on Rodgers, who had 30 carries for 101 yards and five catches for 28 yards in Week 5 at Carolina when Martin and Sims were out. This is a dream matchup against the 49ers, who have allowed a running back to rush for 100 yards in five consecutive games, with nine touchdowns over that span. It could be another big game for Rodgers now that he's starting again in Week 7.

Sleepers

• Tevin Coleman (vs. SD): He's worth using as a flex option in this matchup at home.
• Jerick McKinnon (at PHI): He has at least 17 total touches in three games in a row.
• Mike Gillislee (at MIA): If McCoy is out then Gillislee's a must-start option this week.
• Dwayne Washington (vs. WAS): If he plays then he has a great matchup vs. WAS.
• Mike Davis (vs. TB): He could start this week with Hyde out and is a potential flex.

Sit 'Em

It's hard to trust Yeldon after what happened last week at Chicago. Coming off a bye week, the Jaguars indicated Yeldon was their feature back. But against the Bears, Yeldon had six carries for 21 yards and one catch for 5 yards, while Chris Ivory had 11 carries for 32 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 3 yards. This looks like an even split at best, and Yeldon will lose goal-line chances to Ivory.

Aside from Week 4 against the Colts when Yeldon had 117 total yards for 11 Fantasy points, Yeldon has combined for seven points in his other three games since Week 1. He might break out with a big game against Oakland this week, but he should only be considered a flex option at best in this matchup.

Crowell has struggled the past two games against New England and Tennessee with six combined Fantasy points in a standard league, and he's scored seven points or less in three of his past four outings. His offensive line is falling apart with guard Joe Bitonio (foot) out, and the Bengals should be able to contain this running game.

Cincinnati has struggled with running backs the past two games against Dallas and New England, but those offenses are on a much different level than the Browns. Crowell also had just six Fantasy points in each game against the Bengals last year. He's only a flex option in this matchup on the road.

Forte continues to get worse each week, and there's no reason to trust him now in the majority of leagues. He had a season-low 10 touches at Arizona in Week 6 and finished with just one Fantasy point in a standard league. He's combined for 15 Fantasy points in his past four games, and Bilal Powell continues to take him off the field, especially late in games.

The Ravens haven't allowed a running back to gain more than 31 rushing yards since Week 2, and only McCoy and Crowell have double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league against Baltimore. Forte is only worth using as a flex option in most formats this week.

Jennings returned from his three-game absence with a hand injury in Week 6 against Baltimore, and he struggled with just 35 total yards. If there was a silver lining it's that he had four catches for 20 yards on four targets, so clearly his hand is fine. But Jennings needs to do a lot more before Fantasy owners can start him in the majority of leagues. And he should struggle against the Rams this week in London.

Hyde, Sims and McCoy all scored double digits in Fantasy points against Los Angeles, but Jennings should be held under that total. He'll also share work with Bobby Rainey and potentially Paul Perkins, and there's little upside in using Jennings this week in most leagues.

This is one backfield we don't like this week even if Latavius Murray (toe) remains out. We now have a two-game sample size of Washington and Richard sharing work, and Jamize Olawale will also factor in if there's a goal-line opportunity. Last week against the Chiefs, Washington had 10 carries for 49 yards and no catches, and Richard had four carries for 8 yards and two catches for 5 yards. The week prior, Richard was the better running back with 97 total yards, but Washington had 52 total yards, with Olawale scoring a touchdown.

Jacksonville has allowed just two running backs to score double digits in Fantasy points this year, but Melvin Gordon in Week 2 is the only running back with more than 68 rushing yards. I'd avoid Washington and Richard in the majority of leagues this week.

Bust Alert

Mathews has been great for Fantasy owners this season, and he has scored in three of the four full games he's played. He wasn't awful last week at Washington with nine carries for 60 yards, but he disappeared from the passing game with no targets, which was disappointing since he had five catches for 33 yards and a touchdown in Week 5 at Detroit.

This is a tough matchup for him against the Vikings, who have allowed one rushing touchdown this season, which came from Orleans Darkwa in Week 4. No running back has run for more than 50 yards against Minnesota, including DeMarco Murray, Lacy and Lamar Miller. Mathews is a low-end flex option at best this week.

Wide receivers

Start 'Em

Ty Montgomery is also worth using as a sleeper this week, and Jordy Nelson is a must-start receiver in this matchup at home against a banged-up Bears secondary. Cobb has played like a must-start option the past two games with at least 10 Fantasy points in a standard league in each outing against the Giants and Cowboys.

He had 11 targets in each game and finished with nine catches for 108 yards against the Giants and seven catches for 53 yards and a touchdown against Dallas. Cobb also has six touchdowns in his past five games against Chicago, and he's a solid starting option in all leagues this week.

Alshon Jeffery, Zach Miller and Meredith should all see a hefty amount of targets this week with Eddie Royal (toe) out. And Meredith has been excellent the past two games against the Colts and Jaguars with a combined 27 targets, 20 catches, 243 yards and a touchdown over that span.

The Packers secondary is a mess in this matchup, and the Bears will likely be throwing a lot (Hoyer has attempted at least 43 passes in three of four starts). I expect Jeffery and Meredith to be Top 20 Fantasy receivers in all leagues this week.

Geno Smith is starting for Ryan Fitzpatrick this week, which has many Fantasy owners concerned about Marshall's value in Week 7 and moving forward. But this is a great matchup to trust Marshall with confidence no matter the quarterback. The Ravens pass defense is mediocre to begin with, but cornerback Jimmy Smith (concussion) could be out.

Baltimore also might be without Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil, so the pass rush could be limited. Four receivers have already scored multiple touchdowns against the Ravens this year, including Odell Beckham last week when he went off for eight catches, 222 yards and two touchdowns. We don't expect that from Marshall, but he should remain active in all leagues as a Top 15 receiver this week.

Thomas just continues to post quality game after quality game, and Fantasy owners should start trusting him as a No. 2 receiver in the majority of leagues. He's scored a touchdown in three games in a row, and this week he should avoid facing Kansas City standout cornerback Marcus Peters. Thomas also leads the Saints in red-zone targets with six, which have all come in the past three games, so hopefully Brees continues to look for him near the end zone. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Thomas finish as the No. 1 receiver for the Saints this week.

Sanders is expected to be fine despite a hip injury last week at San Diego, and he struggled in that game with four catches for 40 yards. He's now gone two games in a row with single digits in Fantasy points after posting consecutive games with at least 14 points in a standard league. The Texans are dealing with a banged up secondary, which should allow Sanders and Demaryius Thomas to make plays. Both should be considered must-start Fantasy receivers this week, and Sanders is a solid No. 2 option in the majority of leagues.

Sleepers

• DeSean Jackson (at DET): If healthy, this is a tremendous matchup against DET.
• Mike Wallace (at NYJ): If anyone beats this NYJ secondary it will be Wallace.
• Jeremy Maclin (vs. NO): He'll deliver one of these weeks and this is a great matchup.
• Golden Tate (vs. WAS): Maybe Theo Riddick being out is the answer to his woes.
• Kenny Britt (vs. NYG): He's scored at least seven FPTS in 4-of-5 games this year.

Sit 'Em

You obviously know how we feel about the Eagles in this matchup with the Vikings, and you should plan to avoid most of their skill players, including Matthews. He's struggled since Week 1 with seven Fantasy points or less in four games in a row, including a touchdown in Week 3 against the Steelers. He's dealing with knee tendinitis, which won't help him in a tough matchup, and Minnesota has allowed just two receivers to score double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league. I wouldn't even use Matthews as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.

The only Cardinals receiver to trust this week is Larry Fitzgerald, and Brown struggled in Week 6 against the Jets with five catches for 54 yards on seven targets. He didn't practice Wednesday with a hamstring injury, but hopefully he'll be fine this week. In four games against Seattle, Brown has combined for 10 catches, 160 yards and no touchdowns. There are too many negatives piling up here to trust Brown with his hamstring, Palmer's struggles and a tough defense. We consider Brown just a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best this week.

There's no reason to start Coates this week in the majority of leagues. We hope he's fine coming off last week's finger injury, and he didn't have a catch on four targets at Miami. But the bigger issue is clearly with Roethlisberger out. Antonio Brown is clearly worth the risk with Landry Jones starting, but Coates, Eli Rogers and Jesse James should all be benched. The Patriots also have allowed just four receivers to score double digits in Fantasy points in a standard league this year.

Snead said his toe injury is still bothering him, and it's showed in his play. In two games since being out with his injured toe in Week 3, Snead has combined for five catches for 70 yards and no touchdowns, which came after he scored twice in each of the first two games. We hope he will be 100 percent healthy soon (he declared himself at 95 percent prior to Week 6), and Snead is averaging four catches for 57 yards in his past five games on the road, with one touchdown over that span. He should be considered a low-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.

Parker continues to struggle for the Dolphins, and he dropped a touchdown in Week 6 against the Steelers. In his past three games, Parker is averaging fewer than four Fantasy points a game in standard leagues. He only has one touchdown on the year, and he's been held to fewer than 30 receiving yards in two of his past three games.

The Bills allowed a touchdown to Torrey Smith last week on a broken play, but he's the first receiver to score against Buffalo in the past four games. Parker had three catches for 46 yards in his lone meeting with the Bills last year, and we expect another mediocre performance again this week at home.

Bust Alert

The last time I had Hopkins in this spot was Week 5 at Minnesota, and he had a terrible game against the Vikings before scoring a late touchdown to finish with 11 Fantasy points in a standard league. Fantasy owners would love that kind of production this week against the Broncos, who allow the fewest Fantasy points to opposing receivers this year.

Kelvin Benjamin had 15 Fantasy points against Denver in Week 1, but since then the Broncos have held T.Y. Hilton, A.J. Green, Mike Evans and Julio Jones to seven Fantasy points or less in each outing. Hopkins will likely suffer a similar fate against this secondary, and he should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best in Week 7.

Tight end

Start 'Em

Henry's star is on the rise after scoring a touchdown in three games in a row, and he dominated the Broncos in Week 6 with six catches for 83 yards and a touchdown in eight targets. We hope he continues to build on that performance, and this is a great matchup against the Falcons.

Atlanta has already allowed five tight ends to score touchdowns, and five tight ends have scored at least eight Fantasy points against the Falcons in a standard league. Henry has the chance to finish as a top-three Fantasy tight end this week in the majority of leagues.

We hope Rudolph didn't cool off in the bye week, and he should remain a solid Fantasy option in all leagues against the Eagles this week. He scored at least nine Fantasy points in a standard league in three of his past four games prior to the bye in Week 6, and the Eagles just allowed Vernon Davis to score a touchdown with two catches for 50 yards last week. Rudolph has at least seven targets in four of five games, and he should be the focal point for Sam Bradford in this matchup on the road.

Miller has already been a focal point for Hoyer, but with Royal out he could see an uptick in targets against the Packers. He has at least eight targets in three of four starts with Hoyer, and he's scored at least seven Fantasy points in three games over that span. The Packers come into this game with a beat up secondary, and two tight ends have already scored at least nine Fantasy points against Green Bay in five games. Miller is a must-start option this week in what should be a rare high-scoring game Thursday night.

Sleepers

• Jack Doyle (at TEN): With Allen out, we should see Doyle get plenty of targets.
• Cameron Brate (at SF): With Vincent Jackson (knee) out, Brate could see increased targets.
• Vernon Davis (at DET): He should start again with Reed likely out and scored last week.
• Charles Clay (at MIA): He has a chance for his first touchdown with Reshad Jones out.

Sit 'Em

Ertz has been awful in two games since coming back from a rib injury with four catches for 59 yards on six targets against Detroit and Washington. Fantasy owners are ready to dump him with his lack of production, and it's hard to blame them. He should struggle again this week against the Vikings, who have yet to allow a tight end to score, including matchups with Delanie Walker and Greg Olsen. It's hard to trust Ertz in the majority of leagues this week.

James with Roethlisberger was a borderline starter in good matchups. Without Roethlisberger, in a difficult matchup with the Patriots, it's easy to bench James in the majority of leagues. He's scored in three of four games prior to Week 6 when Roethlisberger was hurt against the Dolphins, but his season-high in yards was 43 against the Jets. There's little upside here with Jones at quarterback, and we can't trust James even in the deepest of leagues.

Barnidge continues to struggle this year, and it's hard to trust him as a starter in the majority of leagues. He's still searching for his first touchdown this season, and he's scored five Fantasy points or less in two of his past three games. The Bengals have given up four touchdowns to tight ends this year, and just got abused by Rob Gronkowski last week for 22 Fantasy points. But in two games in 2015 against the Bengals, when Barnidge was at his best, he combined for eight Fantasy points in a standard league. Barnidge is clearly not a must-start Fantasy tight end any more.

Bust Alert

Fleener is coming off a tremendous game in Week 6 against the Panthers with 19 Fantasy points, and he had six catches for 74 yards and a touchdown on seven targets and a rushing touchdown. But the Chiefs eliminate tight ends thanks to safety Eric Berry, and no tight end has scored more than seven Fantasy points against Kansas City in a standard league, with James scoring the only touchdown in Week 4. Fleener has scored three Fantasy points combined in two games on the road against the Giants and Chargers, and this is a good week to bench him in most formats.

Defense/Special teams

Start 'Em

Bengals (vs. CLE)

• Week 7 projected stats: 12.1 FPTS

The Browns were OK in Week 6 against the Titans with no turnovers and 26 points scored, but Tennessee still had six sacks. In four games this year, the opposing DST against Cleveland has scored at least 11 Fantasy points in a standard league. Terrelle Pryor is dealing with an injured hamstring, and if he's out then this offense will be atrocious.

The Bengals DST has one good game this season, which was Week 4 against the Dolphins on a Thursday when they scored 19 Fantasy points. Otherwise they have four points or less in three of their past four games. But Cincinnati has played four games on the road this year, and this is a great matchup to trust them at home. Since many owners dropped them, especially after they played New England in Week 6, consider the Bengals DST a great streaming option this week.

Sleepers

• Ravens (at NYJ): Geno Smith should be better than Fitzpatrick. Or he could be worse.
• Giants (at LAR): DET in Week 6 is the only DST with less than 10 FPTS vs. LAR.
• Raiders (vs. JAC): In five games, Bortles has seven interceptions and 14 sacks.

Sit 'Em

Eagles (vs. MIN)

• Week 7 projected stats: 11.4 FPTS

The Eagles DST has been amazing this year and has scored at least 12 Fantasy points in every game this season. They had a down game defensively in Week 6 at Washington with no sacks for the first time this year and a season-high 27 points allowed, but Philadelphia still scored on a pick-6 and a kickoff return. But this week could be tough since the Vikings allow the fewest Fantasy points to opposing DST units. Sam Bradford has been sacked eight times, but he doesn't have an interception. And Minnesota has just one fumble on the year. The Vikings also have scored at least 24 points in their past two games, and the Eagles DST should have their first bad game of the season this week.

Kicker

Start 'Em

Bryant had his first dud in Week 6 at Seattle with six Fantasy points, but that was his first game with fewer than nine points in a standard league. He's made at least two field goals in four games this season, and in his two home games he's 5-of-5 on field goals and 7-of-7 on extra points. He's averaging 12 Fantasy points a game in standard leagues over that span. The Chargers have allowed four kickers to make multiple field goals this season, and in the past two games Sebastian Janikowski and Brandon McManus combined for six field goals on eight attempts and three extra points. Bryant should finish as a Top 10 kicker this week now that he's back at home.

Sleepers

• Mike Nugent (vs. CLE): He made four FGs and eight PATs vs. CLE last year.
• Cairo Santos (vs. NO): Three of five kickers vs. NO have made at least two field goals.
• Greg Zuerlein (vs. NYG): NYG allow the most FPTS to opposing kickers.

Sit 'Em

Boswell has been awful so far this season, and Fantasy owners need to move on, especially this week. He doesn't have multiple field goals in any game this season, and the Patriots allow the fewest Fantasy points to opposing kickers. Only Dan Carpenter in Week 4 made more than one field goal in a game against New England, and the Steelers are obviously going to lose some luster on offense with Roethlisberger out. Maybe this is the game that Boswell has a breakout performance, but we'd bet against it and start streaming kickers from this point on.

Full Disclosure from Week 6

It's always fun watching your Start of the Week blow up for a big game, especially when it happens in prime time. And that's what Lamar Miller did in Week 6 on Sunday night against the Colts, scoring 28 Fantasy points in a standard league and finishing as the No. 4 running back. Remember, he came into the game struggling and without any touchdowns, but he scored twice and rewarded Fantasy owners in a big way.

Our other positive start suggestions, including sleepers, were Matthew Stafford, Marcus Mariota, Christine Michael, Frank Gore, James White, Jonathan Stewart, Brandin Cooks, Cole Beasley, Cameron Meredith, Jimmy Graham and Coby Fleener. Stafford and Mariota were Top 5 quarterbacks for the week, Stewart, Michael and White were Top 10 running backs, Cooks and Beasley were Top 10 receivers and Fleener was the No. 2 tight end.

For our sit recommendations, we were right on Philip Rivers, Matt Forte and Isaiah Crowell, among others. But we missed on Russell Wilson, Jeremy Maclin and Zach Ertz as starters. And Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, Matt Jones, Terrelle Pryor and Hunter Henry all starred despite being listed as sit candidates.

This week, we're counting on Dalton to deliver another standout performance as the Start of the Week. He should finish as a Top 5 Fantasy quarterback in Week 7.

Full Disclosure

Start of the Week: Lamar Miller, RB, Texans

• Fantasy points: 28
• Position rank: 4

Recommended starts who made us look good

Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions

• Fantasy points: 35
• Position rank: 2

Brandin Cooks, WR, Saints

• Fantasy points: 23
• Position rank: 3

Christine Michael, RB, Seahawks

• Fantasy points: 19
• Position rank: 8

Recommended sits who made us look good

Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers

• Fantasy points: 13
• Position rank: 20

Matt Forte, RB, Jets

• Fantasy points: 1
• Position rank: 60

Isaiah Crowell, RB, Browns

• Fantasy points: 3
• Position rank: 39

Recommended starts who made us look bad

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks

• Fantasy points: 10
• Position rank: 26

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Chiefs

• Fantasy points: 4
• Position rank: 56

Zach Ertz, TE, Eagles

• Fantasy points: 2
• Position rank: 26

Recommended sits who made us look bad

Eli Manning, QB, Giants

• Fantasy points: 30
• Position rank: 7

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns

• Fantasy points: 19
• Position rank: 7

Hunter Henry, TE, Chargers

• Fantasy points: 14
• Position rank: 4