TGIF! Welcome back to my weekly Start/Sit HUB! Mike Hubbard Jr here, providing you with information that can help you win your fantasy league week in and week out. For all things fantasy football, follow me on Twitter (@FantasyHubbard). You can tweet me or message me with any questions you might have regarding the fantasy football season.
Week 7 is here which means 6 weeks down and plenty more to go. I hope you are in a good position in your fantasy league but even if you’re not, crazier things have happened. If you have a losing record, you will have to play smart and use the tools you have to give yourself the best shot at victory. Right now all you should be focused on is making the playoffs. Once you are in, there is always a chance at a championship run. Stay focused and play informed.
MAJOR TRADE ALERT!! CMC has been traded to the 49ers. You can scramble to pick up Foreman or Hubbard from Carolina if you are desperate for a RB with upside. I believe Foreman will get more playing time/chances. 49ers add a crucial piece to their offense which is a total season changer. Great defense already and now an offense that just got better. Definitely hurts Jeff Wilsons fantasy appeal.
Last night was the TNF matchup between the New Orleans Saints and the Arizona Cardinals. Finally, a high scoring TNF game! Arizona snuck away with a win with a lot of help from Andy Dalton. Dalton threw interceptions on back-to-back drives which were both returned for TDs. Kamara and Hopkins got plenty of work and yards, but neither was able to find the endzone even with the high scoring. The Saints fall to 2-5 and have the Raiders next while the Cardinals improve to 3-4 and have the Vikings next. Next week for TNF we get Lamar vs Brady in a fun matchup between the Bucs and Ravens in Tampa Bay.
Week 7 has some great games to pay attention to. The game that stands out to me that I look forward to the most is the Chiefs @ 49ers on Sunday. A high-powered offense vs a high-powered defense. Defense wins championships, right? We will have to check with Mahomes on that following the game. KC is favored in San Francisco by 2.5 points with an over/under of 48.5. Will we get a high scoring shootout or a low scoring duel?
PAY ATTENTION TO BYE WEEKS. THIS WEEKS BYES ARE BUFFALO BILLS, LOS ANGELES RAMS, MINNESOTA VIKINGS, AND PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. PLAN YOUR LINE UPS ACCORDINGLY.
I’m here every week during the fantasy football season with start and sit suggestions for Sunday games that can impact your team each week. My decisions as always include obvious and not so obvious picks. I would also like to clarify that my sit suggestions are based on the assumption you have or can add a player that has a better chance at success. Good luck this week and continue to check out my weekly articles.
START OF THE WEEK
Start – Josh Jacobs – Oh baby what a spot and opportunity for Jacobs to continue his surge early in the season. Not only has Jacobs caught a pass in every game, he has 30+ receiving yards in each of his last 3. After averaging 64 rushing yards per game through week 3, he put up 144 rushing yards in week 4 and then 154 rushing yards in week 5. He should be fully rested after the Raiders BYE week so there isn’t much in his way of production. Houston is terrible defending the run and has let RBs hit the 150-rushing yard mark twice along with a total of 6 RB TDs. Jacobs is a great play this week. Borderline top 5 play.
Falcons @ Bengals
Start – Joe Burrow – Burrow is coming off his best game of the season. The Bengals got a win in New Orleans and Burrow was a huge reason why. Burrow linked up with Ja’Marr Chase for 2 TDs which was fitting since they both went to LSU together. Burrow finished the game with 3 passing TDs and ran in another. He threw for 300 passing yards for the 2nd time this season and ran in his 2nd rushing TD in consecutive weeks along with 25 rushing yards. Burrow gets to take on the Falcons defense which has struggled against almost every position but especially to WRs giving Burrow a lot of opportunity for big plays and stats.
Sit – Tyler Allgeier – Allgeier has played every game since week 2 and has gotten more chances since Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on IR. Tyler has double digit rushing attempts in all but 2 of his games but he has only eclipsed 51 rushing yards once. He ran for 84 yards against the Browns in week 4 which was his best game of the season. Allgeier takes on Cincinnati this weekend who is good against the run. He will be looking to find the end zone for this 1st time this season but with the matchup I’m going to fade Tyler.
Lions @ Cowboys
Start – Dak Prescott – Dak is on schedule to play the Lions this weekend which is a great position to be in coming off an injury. Lions defense has been allergic to shutting down offenses. They give up an average of 35 points per game which is 7 more than any other team in the NFL. Dak sure is eager to play and although he might be slightly limited, this is too good a spot to sit him. Dak playing the Lions at home is a recipe for a great fantasy outing. All Cowboys are in play this week as they should pick apart Detroit.
Sit – Jared Goff – Goff has had 4 TDs in 2 games this season and has been helping Detroit score points on offense in an attempt to keep games closer since their defense is terrible. The problem this week is he must travel to Dallas to take on a rather good Cowboys defense. The Cowboys are going to want to play better and win after their loss to the Eagles last weekend. They are also going to be playing hard for Dak since he should be playing. This game could be a blowout meaning a lot of passing attempts for Goff, but he has thrown an INT in all but 1 game this season and I think he could throw a couple this week. Fade Goff and start Dak if possible.
Colts @ Titans
Start – Alec Pierce – Alec the rookie out of Cincinnati has surprised many with his success early in his first season. He started the season being held without a catch in the first 2 weeks but since has averaged over 67 receiving yards per game. He is also coming off a game where he scored his first TD of his promising career. Matt Ryan threw a ton in week 6 and he might want to do the same to take advantage of the Titans weak pass defense. Jonathan Taylor may return so monitor that situation, but I still love Pierce this week. Pittman is an obvious must start but Pierce is a sneaky play this week. Scoop him up if he is still available in your league.
Sit – Robert Woods – Woods leads every pass catcher stat for the Titans except for TDs. Woods has played in all 5 of the Titans games thus far and is averaging just 40 receiving yards per game. He did score his lone TD of the season in the first matchup with the Colts in week 4 but I’m thinking they’ll be more prepared this time and cover him better since Treylon Burks is on IR letting them focus more on Woods. Colts pass defense is stout so tread lightly.
Packers @ Commanders
Start – Allen Lazard – Despite being targeted less than Romeo Doubs and being 3rd on the team in receptions behind Doubs and Tonyan, Lazard leads the team in receiving yards and receiving TDs. He has been targeted by Aaron Rodgers 8+ times in 3 consecutive weeks and Lazard scored a TD in 4 of his last 5 games. It’s clear Rodgers trusts Lazard more than others, especially when taking shots downfield or near the red zone. Washingtons defense isn’t good defending the pass, so Rodgers and Lazard have a great chance at putting up big numbers.
Sit – Taylor Heinicke – Heinicke is set to start for the Commanders for the first time this season due to Carson Wentz fractured finger. Whether that is good or bad for the Washington offense, this week both QBs would be in my sit spot against the Packers. Green Bay has shut down QBs in fantasy this season and they should be playing angry after being smoked by the Jets. Heinicke is not a starter this week and I’m sure there should be better options you could pick up to replace a BYE or injured QB.
Buccaneers @ Panthers
Start – Chris Godwin – I’d doubling down on Godwin yet again this week. Last week he was my START OF THE WEEK and finished with 95 receiving yards catching 6 of his season high 12 targets. Carolina shouldn’t pose a big threat to anyone on the Bucs offense. Tampa Bay’s offense is averaging a little over 20 points per game this season which is low considering the high-power offensive stars they have at most positions. Brady has lost twice in a row already once this season and I don’t think he will allow that to happen again. He can throw with the best of them even at his age and we know how much he loves targeting Godwin. Fire him up and enjoy.
Sit – Russell Gage – If you are desperate enough you might pick up and play Gage. Hopefully you aren’t that desperate because the stats don’t favor Gage. Week 3 was epic for Gage posting 12 receptions for 87 yards and a TD. Other than that game, Gage hasn’t had a 30-yard performance, hasn’t scored any TDs, and has only caught 2 balls in 4 of his games (last 3 consecutively). Gage does have Brady throwing to him but not nearly enough and not consistently. Having Godwin, Evans, and Fournette all active hurts Gages fantasy appeal.
Giants @ Jaguars
Start – Wan’Dale Robinson – Don’t get it twisted, Saquon Barkley is the must start player of this game, but we all know that, so I am going to give Robinson a chance this week. The WR was drafted this offseason in the 2nd round out of Kentucky. The Jaguars are average against WRs this season and Robinson returned from injury last week and caught a TD. Giants will rush/throw to Saquon a ton, but when Jones tries to air it out, I think he will look Robinsons way. 4 targets last week but I’m expecting more this week, especially if they are needing points quick. Jones and Robinson can create more chemistry moving forward.
Sit – Christian Kirk – I have Kirk outside my top 20 WRs this week mainly because they are playing the Giants who have yet to let a WR gain 100 receiving yards and have only given up 3 TDs to WRs this season. Never thought the Giants defense would play that well against the pass but here we are. I think Jacksonville knows this and will attack the Giants more with their running game behind the duo of James Robinson and Travis Etienne. Kirk is very much a starter for most given the BYE week of other players and he is leading his team in all but one WR categories. Start him if you must but bench him if you can afford to.
Browns @ Ravens
Start – Amari Cooper – Cooper is playing well for his new team this season leading all Browns in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and receiving TDs. He has 4 receiving TDs which is 3 more than any other pass catcher. Jacoby Brissett seems to target Cooper first and then goes to Njoku and DPJ if need be. Amari has double digit targets in 4 games, has surpassed 100 receiving yards in 2 games, and has scored a TD in 4 of his last 5 games. Feed the hot hand which is what Brissett might want to do given they are playing the Ravens who can put up points in various ways.
Sit – JK Dobbins – Dobbins has struggled for the most part since returning from injury in week 3. Dobbins scored 2 TDs for the Ravens in week 4 catching one and running for another. If you were to take away those TDs Dobbins would be a starting RB averaging 30 rushing yards per game. Seems he has been losing playing to Kenyan Drake and he already had to deal with all the Lamar runs. Cleveland would be a good team to get Dobbins going but I feel it’s such a rush by committee by the end of each game. Dobbins owners look away.
Jets @ Broncos
Start – Breece Hall – Go off Breece. After having a 100-yard receiving and 97 rushing yard performance with a TD in week 5, Hall rushes for 116 yards and a TD against the Packers in Green Bay. He has 17+ rushing attempts the last 3 consecutive games and will take on the Broncos next. The only RB to have over 15 rushing attempts against Denver this season was Josh Jacobs who carried the ball 28 times for 144 yards and 2 TDs. I say feed Hall and feed him often.
Sit – Melvin Gordon – Melvin struggled right out of the gate in week 6 and quickly found himself spectating from the sideline rather than participating on the field. Latavius Murray continually has cut into chances and has looked better than Gordon when the opportunity arises. The Broncos publicly said that Gordon will be RB1 this week against the Jets. Now you can hope Gordon will take advantage of this chance and run wild, but the Jets defense is decent in stopping opposing RBs and they have a lot of momentum after shutting down the Packers. I’m steering clear of all Broncos not named Sutton or Jeudy.
Texans @ Raiders
Start – Josh Jacobs – SEE START OF THE WEEK TOP OF PAGE
Sit – Hunter Renfrow – Hunter has played in 3 games with Vegas this season and hasn’t been able to do too much. 2 of his games he had a combined 7 receptions for 46 receiving yards on 10 targets. In the other game he was targeted 10 times and caught 7 of those but it only led to 59 receiving yards. Renfrow is averaging 35 yards per game and 7.5 yards per reception. With standout pass catchers like Davante Adams and Darren Waller it isn’t easy to get a big workload and he hasn’t been able to score or get any big numbers. I’m going to fade Renfrow since I think Jacobs will be fed and Carr has a bunch of options to throw to.
Seahawks @ Chargers
Start – Kenneth Walker III – Walker got the first NFL start at RB1 of his career in week 6 against Arizona. He took full advantage racking up 97 rushing yards, 13 receiving yards, and a rushing TD. Walker has scored a TD in back-to-back games. The rookie is averaging 5.5 yards per rush on the season but in his last 2 games he is getting 6.3 yards per rush. As an RB1 Walker got 21 rushing attempts which leads me to believe he will get that or more this weekend. The Chargers have allowed RBs to hit 100 rushing yards 3 times and have given up 5 rushing TDs and 3 receiving TDs to RBs this season already. Walker is already looking like a league winner and that is set to continue this week. Start him with confidence.
Sit – Joshua Palmer – Even with a chance of Keenan Allen not paying this week I am not confident enough in Palmer this week. He takes on the Seattle defense that gives up points but seems to keep most WRs in check. Only Jerry Jeudy hit the century mark against the Seahawks this season. If Keenan Allen does play that only hurts Palmers chances and don’t forget Palmer is dealing with a concussion so it’s not even guaranteed he plays Sunday. Proceed with caution.
Chiefs @ 49ers
Start – Deebo Samuel – Deebo had season highs with 10 targets and 7 receptions in week 6. He finished with 79 receiving yards and ran twice for 11 additional yards. Samuel scored a receiving TD in consecutive weeks until he was held without a TD last week. Chiefs have been subpar against the WR position this season and it shows in the stats. 4 WRs have mounted 100+ receiving yards against KC and 2 of those 4 players scored 2 TDs as well. KC has given up 9 TDs to opposing WRs through 6 weeks with is 2nd worst in the league behind the Titans. Deebo is in a good spot to produce if Jimmy G continues to target him. Samuel can catch and he can run so he is a threat on any given play. He should be able to continue the trend of exposing KCs secondary.
Sit – Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Clyde is back in my sit spot again and for good reason. I faded him last week and he only rushed for 33 yards on 9 attempts. KC RBs only had a combined 13 rushing attempts while Kelce had 1 and Mahomes had 4 himself. CEH must play another tough defense in the 49ers this weekend, and they’ll be on the road in San Francisco. No RBs have hit 60 rushing yards against the 49ers and no RB has over 50 receiving yards. (CMC had 50). Fading CEH is an easy sit here since he will be extremely TD dependent given the matchup and gameplan. There are at least 30 other RBs I would play over CEH in week 7.
Steelers @ Dolphins
Start – Tyreek Hill – I’m sure you didn’t need the reminder to start Hill this week or any week, but this spot is just too good to pass up. Hill has been a beast for Miami ranking 1st in the NFL with 701 receiving yards and he is currently 2nd in the NFL in both receptions and targets. Like I mentioned the Chiefs above, Pittsburgh is just as terrible against WRs this season. They have given up the most yards to opposing WRs this season and let 7 WRs hit 95+ receiving yards this season. Week 4 against the Jets was the only game they didn’t allow a WR to achieve 95 receiving yards. Hill has been targeted 12+ times in 4 of his 6 games which is the kind of volume fantasy owners love. Hill is my top WR this week.
Sit – Najee Harris – Harris is back on my sit list again. The workhorse from last year has yet to record a 75 rushing yard performance despite double digit carries every week and he only has 1 game with more than 16 receiving yards (40 against the Patriots). Miami’s defense has been ok against RBs this season, but they have given up 5 rushing TDs in their last 3 games. I think Najee is TD dependent this week and a risk I don’t want to take if I have options.