Feeling myself a bit this week after anointing the likes of Tet McMillan as a prime start, and Justin Fields as an easy sit. I don’t want to get cocky, though, so let’s dive into Week 7 as far as who should be in your lineups and who can be left on your bench.
A reminder that I judge my ‘start or sit’ against a full-PPR format.
Start ‘Em
Mason Taylor, TE – New York Jets
Week 7 Matchup: vs Carolina Panthers
I may be going out on a major limb here – given that his quarterback is allergic to throwing the ball – but Mason Taylor feels like a strong start this week. For one, Garrett Wilson is set to miss time with a knee injury, leaving plenty of targets to be had. Taylor was targeted just once against the Broncos in London, and that simply cannot happen moving forward. Carolina is weak against opposing TEs, allowing the second-most points (17.6 PPR) to the position this season, which sets up nicely for a get-right week for Taylor.
Courtland Sutton, WR – Denver Broncos
Week 7 Matchup: vs New York Giants
Courtland Sutton is coming off a Week 6 stinker versus the Jets, where he caught one of just three targets for 17 yards. Bo Nix will need to prioritize getting Sutton the ball, and the Giants offer that opportunity. New York is allowing the third most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season, making this week a solid rebound chance for Sutton. Before Week 6, Sutton was averaging 20.2 full-PPR per game from Weeks 3-5.
Sterling Shepard, WR – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 7 Matchup: @ Detroit Lions (MNF)
The Tampa Bay WR room has been decimated this season with injuries. Chris Godwin missed the start of the season, Mike Evans was injured in Week 3 (and could be making his return this week), and now, most recently, star rookie Emeka Egbuka suffered a hamstring injury of his own last week. Egbuka is set to miss some time, which leaves room for Sterling Shepard to offer you a reliable floor if you are in a WR/FLEX bind. Detroit is allowing the third-most fantasy points to WRs on the season.
Sit ‘Em
Jaxson Dart, QB – New York Giants
Week 7 Matchup: @ Denver Broncos
Similar to last week with Fields, Jaxson Dart is a QB to avoid this week. Fields’ 31 rushing yards were a season-high allowed by the Broncos defense, but they also sacked him nine times. I see a world where the Denver defense will be just as relentless on Dart, making it a tough day for the rookie to get into any sort of rhythm that he started to show since taking over as the Giants’ signal caller.
Breece Hall, RB – New York Jets
Week 7 Matchup: vs Carolina Panthers
Disclaimer: Breece Hall hasn’t looked all that bad on the ground IRL, but for fantasy purposes, the translation just isn’t there this season. That’s largely in part to the play of his quarterback, as well as the lack of scoring (spoiler: he has zero TDs on the year). Either way, the Panthers are actually a decent group against opposing backs, allowing an average of 21.3 total fantasy points to the position this season per FantasyData. There’s also potential trade rumors whirling around Hall, so who knows if the Jets decide to limit his touches a bit up until the trade deadline in a few weeks.
DeVonta Smith, WR – Philadelphia Eagles
Week 7 Matchup: @ Minnesota Vikings
It’s hard to consider DeVonta Smith a sit, but the numbers just aren’t lying. Against a Giants defense that was primed for exploitation, Smith only posted 8.9 PPR points. This week, he’s facing a Vikings defense coming off their BYE that is allowing the least amount of fantasy points to opposing WRs. The Eagles’ offense is struggling right now, notably through their pass game, and if you can avoid relying on Smith in a matchup that does not favor him, I’d do so.
-Matthew Cava (@cavam_ Twitter & Reddit)
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurt_player02 on Instagram & Threads | @kuwasemiller.bksy.social on BlueSky)