The elite wide receivers have been a tiny bit disappointing so far in 2020, with Michal Thomas, Davante Adams, Julio Jones, and Chris Godwin all missing significant time early due to injuries and Tyreek Hill and Mike Evans taking on smaller roles in their offense than expected. However, the second and third tiers have really stepped up in the early going, with 24 receivers averaging at least 15 PPR points and 15 averaged at least 17; in 2019, those numbers were 19 and six, respectively.
Practically, that means there are more must-start wide receivers this season than usual, which might mean there are fewer lineup decisions to be made. Of course, there are people who might have to choose from, say, Tyler Lockett, Robby Anderson, Stefon Diggs, and Travis Fulgham, four wide receivers you would really like to start this week. Or, you might be someone who drafted Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, D.J. Chark, and CeeDee Lamb and all of a sudden aren't feeling so great about your options.
It doesn't matter how many must-start options there are, you'll always have lineup decisions. Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em calls are here to help. Here's wide receiver.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
Start 'Em
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Will Fuller remains the No. 1 receiver for the Texans, but Cooks isn't far behind. And both should be started in all leagues this week against the Packers. In his past two games, Cooks has been on fire with 17 catches for 229 yards and two touchdowns on 21 targets. Deshaun Watson is leaning on Fuller and Cooks to carry the Houston passing game, and that should continue this week against the Packers. Cooks is a quality No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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I've been talking about Kirk in the waiver wire column for the past two weeks, and he continues to deliver quality production. Now, it's time to trust him in your lineups as a low-end starter. He's averaging 14.7 PPR points in his past three games, and he has three touchdowns over that span. It helps that he's facing Seattle this week, and the Seahawks allow the most Fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.
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I like all three of Cincinnati's top three receivers this week in Boyd, Tee Higgins and A.J. Green, in that order, and Boyd should be considered a quality starter in all formats. Boyd has scored at least 12 PPR points in three of his past four games, including when he had 20 PPR points in Week 2 at Cleveland with seven catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He also has three touchdowns in his past five games against the Browns going back to 2017.
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Anderson had a down game for him in Week 6 against Chicago with four catches for 77 yards on five targets, and it's only the second time this season he's failed to get at least eight targets. He still managed 11 PPR points, and I expect him to get closer to his average this week of 16.5 PPR points against the Saints. The Panthers should be chasing points on the road, and Anderson and D.J. Moore should be considered No. 2 Fantasy receivers in all leagues in this matchup.
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Sleepers
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Beasley has scored at least 11 PPR points in five games in a row coming into Week 7. The lone game this season where he didn't score at least 11 PPR points was Week 1 against the Jets. But with John Brown (knee) banged up, I expect Josh Allen to lean on Beasley for at least six targets, which he has in all but one game this year. He's worth using as a No. 3 receiver in PPR this week.
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Patrick has stepped up with Courtland Sutton (ACL) out and has scored at least 14 PPR points in three games in a row. In a tough matchup at New England in Week 6, he had four catches for 101 yards on eight targets, and he should have similar success against the Chiefs in Week 7. Another strong game for Patrick could vault him into must-start status in all leagues.
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Keenan Allen should be fine in Week 7 against the Jaguars after leaving Week 5 at New Orleans with back spasms. In that game against the Saints, Williams and Justin Herbert got hot as Williams had five catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns on eight targets, and Herbert went to Williams in some key moments. Hopefully that continues this week, and Williams is worth using as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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In the first game without Sammy Watkins (hamstring) in Week 6 at Buffalo, Robinson stepped up with five catches for 69 yards on six targets. We'll see if Robinson or Mecole Hardman has the better performance in Week 7 against Denver, but Robinson should now be on your radar if you need a No. 3 receiver in PPR.
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Travis Fulgham will hopefully remain the top receiver for the Eagles even with Jackson coming back from a three-game absence with a hamstring injury. But Fulgham could face a tough matchup with Giants cornerback James Bradberry, and maybe Carson Wentz will give some additional targets to Jackson, especially with Zach Ertz (ankle) out. Jackson is worth a look as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
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Sit 'Em
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Gallup will be hard to trust given the way Andy Dalton looked in Week 6 against Arizona, as well as the offensive line woes for the Cowboys. Gallup also comes into Week 7 with six targets or less in three games in a row, and he's scored just once on the season. He's also been under 30 receiving yards twice in the past three games. I'm still starting Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb this week against Washington, but Gallup is easy to fade given the current circumstances in Dallas with Dak Prescott (ankle) out.
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I want to be wrong on this suggestion. I really do. I'm a Smith-Schuster fan and have him on several Fantasy teams, so I'm rooting for him to succeed. But it's hard to ignore the lack of targets and production, and now Diontae Johnson comes back at a time when Chase Claypool is clicking. I'll still start Smith-Schuster in three-receiver leagues, but he's not a must-start option until we see his targets start to rise again. He only has 14 targets in his past three games, he hasn't been above 50 receiving yards since Week 1 and he's averaging a meager 8.4 yards per catch. I'm still hopeful a big year is ahead, but you might have to consider other starting options at this time.
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Landry continues to deal with his hip injury from the offseason, and it could be why his production has been limited this year. He's yet to catch a touchdown, and he only has one game with more than 50 receiving yards since Week 1. In Week 2 against the Bengals, Landry had three catches for 46 yards on three targets, but this really isn't about the Cincinnati defense. The Browns will likely try to run the ball as much as possible with Baker Mayfield (ribs) also hurt, and I would try to avoid Landry in most leagues this week. As for Odell Beckham, he's a low-end starting option in all formats for Week 7.
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Since a standout performance in Week 2 at Seattle when Edelman had eight catches for 179 yards on 11 targets, he's combined for seven catches for 66 yards on 18 targets in three games. He's yet to score a touchdown, and it's hard to trust him in Week 7, even at home. Hopefully, some quality production is coming soon for Edelman, but Cam Newton has proven he doesn't need Edelman to produce at a high level. It's easier to bench Edelman in non-PPR leagues given his always limited touchdown potential, but I'd try to bench him in PPR as well in this matchup against the 49ers.
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Bust Alert
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It's hard to bench Kupp and Robert Woods, but I'd be concerned about both in this matchup with the Bears. Chicago has allowed one touchdown to a receiver this season, and Calvin Ridley in Week 3 is the lone receiver to go over 100 yards. Kupp and Woods should be considered no worse than No. 3 Fantasy receivers in all leagues, but their upside is capped in this matchup. I prefer Woods over Kupp given the diverse way the Rams use Woods, and Kupp is averaging just 8.8 PPR points in the four games when he doesn't score a touchdown.
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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 out-performed experts big-time last season.
