As if all the injuries aren't enough. Now we step into the worst bye week of the season. The Bills, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, Vikings and Steelers are getting a break this weekend, but the Fantasy season has no breaks. It does, however, tend to reward the resourceful, so it's time for scramble mode.
Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for QB here. His Waiver Wire column also can direct you to the best options who may be available. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' running back preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 7 numbers to know and more.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
Start 'Em
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Patterson and Mike Davis are both in play here as starters against the Dolphins, who are No. 3 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. The Dolphins have allowed either 100 total yards or a touchdown to a running back in every game this season, and three times this season two running backs on the same team have scored against Miami (Buffalo, Las Vegas and Tampa Bay). Patterson has either 100 total yards or a touchdown in four games in a row, and Davis scored a touchdown in consecutive games prior to Atlanta's bye in Week 6.
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I nearly made Sanders the Start of the Week because I feel like this should be his breakout game. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni knows the team needs to run the ball -- Philadelphia's crowd in Week 6 against Tampa Bay definitely made that clear -- and Sanders will hopefully benefit with the most touches he's had since Week 1 when he got 19 (15 carries) at Atlanta. He's averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and hopefully he'll score his first touchdown of the season in Week 7 at Las Vegas. The Raiders have allowed a running back to score in five of six games this year, and Sanders is dominating playing time compared to Kenneth Gainwell. Hopefully, this is the week Sanders rewards you for sticking with him after a rough start to the season.
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Hubbard is proving to be a reliable Fantasy option as the replacement for Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) in Carolina. In his past two starts, he scored at least 13 PPR points with either 100 total yards or a touchdown in each outing. He also has at least 15 total touches in the past three starts for McCaffrey, and now coach Matt Rhule said he wants the team to run the ball more. That should work for Hubbard against the Giants, who have allowed a running back to either score or gain at least 100 total yards in every game this season. Hubbard has top-10 upside in this matchup.
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This isn't the best matchup since the Colts are top five in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but I'll buy into the San Francisco rushing attack and trust Mitchell coming off a bye. He's the lead running back for the 49ers, and he should have the chance for 15-plus touches, which he's already done twice this season. There have been four running backs with at least 15 total touches against the Colts this season, and three of them (Chris Carson, Darrell Henderson and Derrick Henry) have either 100 total yards or a touchdown. Only Mark Ingram failed to accomplish either feat last week, but he managed 81 total yards in a 31-3 loss. Mitchell should be considered a high-end No. 2 running back in all leagues this week.
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Antonio Gibson (calf/shin) is banged up, and if he's out then McKissic could take on a bigger role for Washington. He had a season-high eight carries in Week 6 against Kansas City for 45 yards, and he also added eight catches for 65 yards on 10 targets. He's now scored at least 16 PPR points in three of his past five games, and he should continue to be involved in the passing game in Week 7, especially if Washington is chasing points at Green Bay. The Packers have already allowed five running backs (Alvin Kamara, D'Andre Swift, Kyle Juszczyk, Najee Harris and Samaje Perine) to score at least eight PPR points in a game against them this season with just their receiving production alone. McKissic is a flex option if Gibson plays, but he's a must-start running back in PPR if Gibson is out.
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Sleepers
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As of Wednesday, we're not sure what's happening with the Baltimore backfield. Is Latavius Murray (ankle) healthy? Will Ty'Son Williams be allowed to play? What we do know is Freeman is starting to look better each week and should be considered a flex option against the Bengals. He had three catches for 34 yards on four targets in the Week 5 comeback effort against the Colts. And then he had nine carries for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers in Week 6. There will be two other guys with Freeman -- either Murray or Williams and Le'Veon Bell -- but Freeman deserves more chances to touch the ball. He might be my favorite Ravens running back in Week 7 -- and beyond.
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The Cardinals are favored by 18.5 points at home against the Texans, according to the Caesars Sportsbook, so there should be some touchdown and garbage-time opportunities here for Conner. Chase Edmonds is the better Cardinals running back in PPR, but Conner is a borderline starter in all leagues in this matchup. Houston has allowed a running back to score in three games in a row, and Conner has scored a touchdown in three of his past four games, with five total touchdowns over that span.
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Sit 'Em
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Booker got the workload we were hoping for in Week 6 against the Rams with 16 total touches in place of Saquon Barkley (ankle), but he barely did anything with it, scoring just 10 PPR points. He's now had consecutive games with at least 16 total touches, but he's been at 69 total yards or less in each outing. We don't expect Barkley to play again in Week 7 against Carolina, and Booker is just a flex play in most leagues. The Panthers have allowed just two touchdowns to running backs all season.
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Carter already faced the Patriots once this season in Week 2, and he was held to 11 carries for 59 yards, along with two catches for 29 yards on three targets. New England has only allowed two touchdowns to running backs all season, and only Alvin Kamara in Week 3 and Leonard Fournette in Week 4 have topped 69 rushing yards on the Patriots. Carter has scored in each of his past two games, but he's been held to 58 total yards or less in each outing. At best, he's a flex play in Week 7, but I would prefer to avoid him in this matchup on the road.
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Williams has disappeared in the passing game for the Lions. He had eight catches on nine targets in Week 1 against San Francisco, but since then he's combined for just eight catches on nine targets in his five other games. He's also scored seven PPR points or less in four of his past five games, including three in a row. He's still playing in tandem with D'Andre Swift, but Williams isn't producing enough to warrant using him as a starter in most Fantasy leagues this week, especially if he's not involved in the passing game.
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I made the mistake of expecting Gaskin to use his Week 5 performance against Tampa Bay when he had 31 PPR points as a springboard to a strong rest of season. That didn't pan out well in Week 6 against Jacksonville in London since Gaskin was held to just two PPR points. He now has three games in a row with five carries or less, and he's still searching for his first rushing touchdown this season. The Falcons matchup isn't daunting since Atlanta is No. 9 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, but it's hard to trust Gaskin now. I'm hopeful he performs well again like he did against the Buccaneers, but I would only Gaskin as a flex option at best in PPR in Week 7.
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On Tuesday, when we found out Nick Chubb (calf) was ruled out for Thursday's game against the Broncos, I had moderately high expectations for Johnson, especially with Kareem Hunt (calf) on injured reserve. Then we got to Wednesday, and the Browns ruled out Baker Mayfield (shoulder), meaning Case Keenum will start at quarterback. We also don't know if Odell Beckham (shoulder) will play, and Cleveland is dealing with offensive line issues as tackles Jack Conklin (knee) and Jedrick Wills (ankle) are both banged up. I hope Johnson can overcome playing with a lot of backups against the Broncos, but I'm nervous to trust him as anything more than a flex option this week.
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Bust Alert
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Herbert was great as expected in Week 6 against the Packers with 19 carries for 97 yards and a touchdown, along with two catches for 15 yards on three targets. He's now run for at least 75 yards in two games without David Montgomery (knee), and his performance against Green Bay was also with Damien Williams on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Williams could be out again in Week 7 against the Buccaneers, which would help Herbert, but I would only use him as a flex option in this matchup. Tampa Bay is No. 10 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and the way to attack them out of the backfield is in the passing game. We'll see if Herbert can post quality receiving stats in Week 7, but I'm hesitant to start him in most leagues. He will likely need a touchdown to save his production this week, and those have been hard to come by against the Buccaneers this season for running backs. Only Patterson in Week 2 has rushed for a touchdown against Tampa Bay this year.
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So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 7 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that has out-performed experts big-time.
