QBs
In Week 7, Detroit, Indianapolis, NY Jets, and the Houston Texans are all on bye. So out of those four teams, the only people who have to worry about quarterback are Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, and Mark Sanchez owners.
Alex Smith (San Francisco 49ers): As I referenced in the Week 6 “In a Pinch” column, Alex Smith would not be a bad guy to pick up if your quarterback was on a bye. Same holds true for this week, and even more so I think. The Niners will be facing the Carolina Panthers, who aren’t the strong defense of a couple of years ago. They have no one who can cover Vernon Davis, and it appears that Michael Crabtree may have finally turned a corner, with two touchdowns the last two weeks. It’s a good matchup for Smith, and basically just a good matchup overall for the Niners.
Sam Bradford (St. Louis Rams): Normally I do not endorse rookie quarterbacks, particularly rookie quarterbacks who went to the University of Oklahoma (nothing to do with Oklahoma producing bad quarterbacks, cause there is no evidence of that, but I just have never liked Oklahoma. It’s an irrational dislike). Nonetheless, Bradford is putting together a solid rookie campaign, with solid numbers week in and week out. They’re not blow your mind fantasy numbers, but he’s throwing for over 200 yards with at least 1 touchdown every week. He’s not going to win the week for you, but he will at least give you enough points to give you a chance.
Colt McCoy (Cleveland Browns): He looked good, particularly against a top 5 defense in the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for almost 300 yards (281) with a touchdown. He looked poised, he was accurate (much more accurate than Delhomme, completing 70% of his passed), and he showed guts and determination, basically everything you want your quarterback to be. Do you trust him going against New Orleans in the Superdome? Most likely not, but after what he showed you in a hostile environment in Pittsburgh, it’s sure hard not to think he might be able to have another solid week. If I had to choose though between rookie quarterbacks to pick up, between Sam Bradford, Max Hall, Jimmy Clausen, and Colt McCoy, if Bradford was taken, I’d go with McCoy.
Matt Cassel (Kansas City Chiefs): Cassel threw for 201 and 3 touchdowns. Now the yards might not be what you want, but he certainly made up for it with 3 touchdown passes. In Week 7, the Chiefs are facing the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are ranked very similar to the Houston Texans in defense, that ranking being atrocious (actually ranked 32nd in giving up points to opposing fantasy quarterbacks). Is it a stretch to think that Cassel can repeat his performance? It might be, as it seems unlikely he would throw another 3 touchdowns, particularly with the tandem running game of Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones getting a lot of touches against an equally as bad Jaguars run defense. But if you need someone who isn’t a rookie quarterback, Cassel could be that guy.
RBs
So you’ve spent the last 2 weeks trying to find someone, anyone, you can trust to fill in as your number 2 back, or even at a flex position? Join everyone else in the country. After a hard look at all the matchups, I could only find 3 players who would be worth picking up, and who knows what you might get out of them.
Chris Ivory (New Orleans Saints): He rushed for 100 yards against a not strong against the run defense in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, the Saints are playing the Browns. That being said, the Browns are an improved defense (currently ranked 8th in points given up to fantasy running backs), and they did manage to hold Rashard Mendenhall under 100 yards in Week 6, but, normally you like the matchup. If Pierre Thomas remains injured and inactive again this week, Ivory may be worth a pick up, especially if you’re looking to flex him.
BenJarvis Green-Ellis (New England Patriots): Playing the Chargers this week, who had a good run defense, until they came up against a good running back in Steven Jackson, of the now 3-3 St. Louis Rams. Jackson rushed for over a 100 yards with a touchdown. Clearly the Rams are a better team than we all thought, and if the Rams can run on San Diego, you would think that the Patriots would at least be able to give it a shot. Would I be shocked if The Law Firm of BenJarvis Green-Ellis rushed for over a hundred with a touchdown? Sure as hell I would be shocked, but I wouldn’t be shocked if he managed at least 60 yards with a touchdown. Ok production for a second back, but very solid production for a flex.
Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks): Ok, so I’m curious what the Seahawks thought they were getting when they traded for Marshawn Lynch. If they thought they were trading for a dynamic 100 yard rusher, they made a big mistake. Yes, Lynch was playing against a stingy Bears defense in Week 6, particularly against the run, but we all know Lynch isn’t a feature back. He’s a solid change of pace bruiser guy. The ball should be in Forsett’s hands more often than not, but it appears Seattle is more than willing to give Lynch a shot at being the starter. He rushed 17 times for 44 yards, which averages out to 2.6 yards/carry. Not even close to good, but he did manage a touchdown, and if the Seahawks keep pushing Lynch, he’s bound to do good eventually, particularly this week against a bad Arizona Cardinals defense (currently ranked 30th overall in points given up to fantasy running backs). A good flex this week, and even probably a solid number two option, but only because he’s playing Arizona.
WRs
Deion Branch (New England Patriots): So I wrote about Brandon Tate last week, and he did nothing, and the main reason for that would be because of the addition via trade of Deion Branch. Apparently you can leave for a few years, but the chemistry between Branch and Brady never died. They picked up right where they left off, with Branch almost going over 100 yards with a touchdown. Facing the Chargers, who seem to be in a tailspin, picking up Branch is basically a no-brainer if you have the roster spot. He’s going to turn into Brady’s second favorite target behind Welker, so week in and week out his production should be consistent. I’d pick up Branch for the long haul, not just a fill in. If he’s available this week, snag him up.
Kenny Britt (Tennessee Titans): Another week, another touchdown for Kenny Britt. Britt is proving to be the go to guy in the Tennessee Titans passing game, particularly down in the redzone. If he’s still available, he’s worth a pick up, but he doesn’t have a good matchup this week against the Philadelphia Eagles unfortunately, who are ranked 4th overall in giving up points to fantasy wide receivers.
Mike Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): See last week’s column. If he’s still out there (and amazingly he may be, as he was available in one of my buddy’s leagues last week), pick him up. He’s a double digit fantasy scorer week in and week out, so he’s very reliable, and he’s the #1 receiver on Tampa Bay.
Danny Amendola (St. Louis Rams): So, Amendola didn’t have a very good week, and that sucks for those of you who picked him up. Who knew that Danario Alexander would be the most productive Rams receiver in Week 6? Seriously, I have no idea who that guy is (turns out he’s a rookie who went to Missouri). Nonetheless, you can’t keep a good guy down, so have some faith in Danny Boy. He was still targeted 5 times, which was tied for the team lead. The Rams just decided to run the ball 29 times with Jackson, which took away from some of the pass plays. In playing Tampa Bay this week, chances are they will go heavy with Jackson again, but the Buccaneers pass defense isn’t anything great either. It’s certainly a chance in picking up Amendola, but if you are in a PPR league, he’s a definite option, and if you’re not in a PPR league, I’d still say he’s worth a flyer if you need to flex someone.
Jabar Gaffney (Denver Broncos): I had predicted that Gaffney would have over 100 yards with a touchdown in Week 6. While he didn’t quite do that, he did manage 6 catches for 81 yards. A very nice game, especially if you picked him up just to fill in for the week. So this week, we find him on the list again, particularly since the Broncos are playing the Oakland Raiders. Great for a flex this week, and if you play in a league that starts 3 receivers, he would be a borderline #2, but definitely a solid #3.
Steve Johnson (Buffalo Bills): So, in facing the Baltimore Ravens this week, do I still love Steve Johnson? Well, no, I still don’t love Johnson, but I do still kind of like him. It’s a bad matchup for the Bills, who are already a bad team, to play a defense in the Baltimore Ravens. Now Brady put up solid numbers against the Ravens, but Ryan Fitzpatrick is definitely no Tom Brady. Nonetheless, Lee Evans is the deep threat, and there won’t be enough time for Fitzpatrick to throw it down the field. That leaves the short and intermediate routes to Steve Johnson, so he should get a decent amount of targets this week. What will determine if he has a good week or not will be whether Fitzpatrick can stay upright. He’s a good flex play this week, and in a league that starts 3 receivers, he’s a decent #3 guy.
Davone Bess (Miami Dolphins): Another game, another 9 targets for Davone Bess. This week for 5 catches and 37 yards, with a touchdown. Bess is now officially the 1st option for Chad Henne after Brandon Marshall, and Bess is producing to back up his increased targets (averaging 9 per game over the last 3 games). If he’s available, he’s obviously a solid flex option and a fantastic #3 option in leagues that start 3 receivers.
Jason Avant (Philadelphia Eagles): DeSean Jackson got slobberknoced into the Stone Age by Dunta Robinson, so it doesn’t look good for Jackson to be healthy enough to play next week against the Tennessee Titans. With that most likely the case, that elevates the WR position by one for each player. So that makes Maclin #1 and moves Avant up to WR #2. With the elevation of Avant comes an increase in targets, and hopefully a corresponding increase in production. We’ve seen glimpses in the past, that when given the opportunity, Avant tends to step it up. So if you need a WR in a pinch that is sure to be available in most leagues, Jason Avant would be that guy.
Michael Jenkins (Atlanta Falcons): Michael Jenkins returned in a big way from injury this past week, with 5 catches out of 11 targets for 99 yards. Now his percentage of catches to targets wasn’t out of this world, it was about average. That being said, if you are pretty desperate for a wide receiver you could find worse choices out there. However, he faces the Cincinnati pass defense, which is pretty darn good, so it’s not a good matchup for him.
Mike Williams (Seattle Seahawks): Listen, I haven’t liked Mike Williams yet this year, even though at the beginning of the year people thought he could make an impact. Turns out all it took was the departure of Deion Branch to New England for that to happen. With a lot of Seahawks receiving targets this week, Mike Williams was by far the leader with 15, 11 more than the next closest which was 4 targets, for Deon Butler, Justin Forsett, and John Carlson. Do I think this will happen again next week? It is possible, but slightly unlikely, as sometimes these types of performances are a fluke. But with no other foreseeable #1 option at receiver in Seattle, Williams is the de facto #1, and in facing the Arizona Cardinals, he has a good matchup to try and reproduce similar numbers.
TEs
Aaron Hernandez (New England Patriots): If he’s still out there, gobble him up fast. He’s the real deal.
John Carlson (Seattle Seahawks): He didn’t produce quite like everyone thought he would this past week, as he only received 4 targets. Facing the Arizona Cardinals, whose pass defense is shaky, Carlson’s production should increase in tandem with an increase in his targets. You may even see Carlson in the end zone this week.
Todd Heap (Baltimore Ravens): So I’m glad I picked Todd Heap up this week to replace JerMichael Finley. He managed to garner me 16 points on a 3 catch, 49 yard, 1 touchdown performance. Do I like him this week? He’s playing the Buffalo Bills, who are one of the worst defenses in the league overall, especially against the Tight End, so I feel optimistic that he may get the looks. Will he get a touchdown to make starting him worth it? I’m 50/50 on it. It’s taking a chance again this week, but I think I would trust him if I was you.
Benjamin Watson (Cleveland Browns): The old axiom is, a rookie quarterback’s best friend is his Tight End. In Colt McCoy’s first start, that old saying held true. Watson was targeted 9 times and produced 6 catches for 88 yards, with a touchdown. Watson is consistently putting up good numbers and is being targeted at an average of 7.3 targets/game for the year and 8.7 over the last 3 games. Also, he ranks 15th overall in targerts between wide receivers and tight ends combined. That’s pretty impressive. With McCoy possibly looking to take over the reigns, I feel good with Watson as a fill in for any bye week to come, and maybe even if you are looking for a starting Tight End if you are or were a Jermichael Finley owner.
Heath Miller (Pittsburgh Steelers): With the return of Ben Roethlisberger, it may coincide with the return of Heath Miller. Ben loves using Heath Miller when he scrambles, and especially on third and about 6 yards. Miller already scored a touchdown in Roethlisberger’s first start of the year, and with the Miami Dolphins poor against the tight end when it comes to giving up fantasy points, Miller could be a good bye week fill in if necessary.
Tony Moeaki (Kansas City Chiefs): If he’s still available, which he might be, especially after his dud of a performance this past week, you may want to think about picking him up. The trend so far this year says that after every bad performance for Moeaki, he has a good one. That means that this week, he should be in for a solid game, particularly since he’ll be facing one of the worst defenses in the league in the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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