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Welcome back RotoBallers! As we head into Week 7 of the NFL season, we are approaching the time where bye weeks start to kick in which can have your fantasy lineups looking less than ideal heading into Sunday.
It's more critical than ever to make the right lineup decisions and start the right players to put out your optimal lineups, as we are getting into the point in the season where managers could be digging themself a hole too deep to climb out of.
Listed below will be some players who could be in for a disappointing performance relative to their overall expectations. No matter how bad of a matchup some of these players may have, fantasy managers likely aren't in a position to leave them on their bench. Having said that, there are a couple of guys who are by no means a must-start in Week 7.
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Who Should You Bench or Sit in Week 7
QB - Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow could be in for a rough game as the Bengals travel to Baltimore to take on fellow Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. When you look at how the Ravens have started the season, the matchup doesn't seem overly concerning. However, there are some underlying numbers that are concerning for Burrow’s outlook in this game. The Cincinnati offense has the sixth-fewest pass attempts to begin the season, throwing it just 29 times per game for a total of 175 attempts.
The Ravens have allowed a completion percentage of 63.8%, which is good for ninth-fewest in the NFL, and have allowed just nine passing touchdowns through the first seven games, so a potential lack of passing volume from Burrow in this game could put a cap on his ceiling for touchdown passes and passing yards. Overall, the Ravens have allowed 19.3 fantasy points per game to the position, which includes names like Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
If he is limited through the air, Burrow does not have enough rushing upside to offset any lack of production in the passing game. He has thrown seven interceptions already this season, which is just two behind Zach Wilson for the league lead, so he could be prone to turnovers against the Ravens defense who have forced a turnover in three consecutive games. The former first-overall pick is by no means a must-sit option in Week 7, but temper your expectations a bit here.
Is Antonio Gibson A Risky Start in Week 7?
RB - Antonio Gibson, Washington Football Team
Gibson, who has been dealing with a shin injury for the past couple of weeks, could be in for his second consecutive dud which would send fantasy managers into a frenzy. Last week, we saw exactly what happens when Washington starts to trail. A healthy dose of J.D. McKissic as the pass-catching back has become the norm once again. McKissic caught eight passes and actually out-touched Gibson 16 to 12. With the lackluster play of the Washington defense, it seems like we can expect much of the same in this one, which is Taylor Heinicke and the offense trying to play catchup in a negative rushing game script.
The Packers have allowed a generous 4.5 yards per carry, but a potential lack of rushing volume would still limit the production we see out of Gibson. We saw this last week against the Kansas City defense that allows 5.2 yards per carry, as the sophomore finished with just 44 rushing yards on 10 carries. When you consider the injury he has been dealing with, it wouldn't be a surprise to see his workload be managed once again. When you pair this with the fact that they are almost certainly going to be trailing in this game, there could be some Deja Vu for fantasy managers. His limited role in the passing game likely means that unless he scores a touchdown he will not live up to expectations once again this week. Still, with bye weeks starting to kick in, it is almost a certainty that fantasy managers cannot afford to bench Gibson.
Washington running back J.D. McKissic could be a bigger player in fantasy football if Antonio Gibson's shin injury causes him more problems. He had to leave Sunday's game twice because of the injury. https://t.co/Nv9I0QNgg6 pic.twitter.com/OubIZAA7il
— John Keim (@john_keim) October 17, 2021
Are Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert Risky Starts in Week 7?
RB - Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
This has become a common theme so far throughout the season, which is to simply leave any running back going up against the Tampa Buccaneers on the bench. Opposing teams facing the Bucs have almost completely abandoned the run, most recently the Philadelphia Eagles who attempted just nine rushing attempts with a running back. From what we saw the last time Williams and Herbert were both active, it seems that this can be an evenly split backfield with David Montgomery sidelined. In Week 5, Herbert handled 18 carries while Williams had 16.
It seems as if the only way to have any sort of solid fantasy production against the best run defense in the league is to have an extraordinary amount of volume or to score multiple touchdowns. Both of which seem very unlikely for the two Chicago backs in this game. The Chicago coaching staff has sheltered rookie quarterback Justin Fields in the passing game, as he has been very limited in terms of his volume. The offense has leaned on the run quite heavily, but that is a recipe for disaster against Tampa Bay. Herbert and Williams will likely both see over 10 carries in this one, but neither should be in starting lineups this week unless it is a deep format. Unless they find the end zone, which seems unlikely considering the Bucs have given up just three rushing touchdowns this year, they are almost a lock to disappoint this week.
Should You Start Devontae Booker in Week 7?
RB - Devontae Booker, New York Giants
Devontae Booker will once again handle starting duties as Saquon Barkley rehabs his low-grade ankle sprain, but he is in for another tough matchup against the Carolina Panthers, who are one of the best run defenses in the league. The Panthers' defensive numbers against the run have been skewed by big days from Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook carving them up, but make no mistake, they are a very tough matchup for Booker in Week 7. Even after the two big games from Elliott and Cook, the Panthers have still given up the fewest fantasy points to running backs through six weeks of the season.
With the Giants dealing with injuries to their offensive line and skill position players, the Panthers could easily load the box and try to make Daniel Jones beat them through the air, much of the same that Barkley has seen in the past during his time in New York. The tough matchup is not the only thing that may hurt Booker. The game script, much like last week, could take him out of the game plan completely. He finished with just 12 carries for 41 yards in the 38-11 loss to the Rams, which is a scoreboard that could look eerily similar against the Panthers, who seem to have found their stride offensively this year. Although fantasy managers placed waiver bids for Booker and could be in need of a starting running back this week, it is best to look elsewhere for RB2/FLEX options.
Is Ja'Marr Chase A Risky Start in Week 7?
WR - Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase has exploded onto the scene as a rookie but he faces his toughest challenge yet, as he could potentially be going up against Marlon Humphrey for most of the game on Sunday. The Ravens defense as a whole has not been all that impressive through the first six weeks of the season, as they have given up the eighth-most passing yards. Humphrey on the other hand has allowed just 2.7 receptions per game and has been targeted just 5.7 times per game. Yes, Chase has been one of the most impressive rookie wide receivers in recent memory. But, he is facing his toughest challenge yet and expectations need to be tempered just a bit.
In three out of six games so far, Chase has finished with targets of 4, 5, and 6 because of the Bengals' limited passing volume, as mentioned before. With other talented receivers at the disposal of Burrow, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd can be relied on instead of force-feeding Chase against one of the premier corners in the league. Humphrey has allowed just 8.1 fantasy points per game and 1.43 per target. So, if Chase is limited for targets, which we have seen in the past, he could be in for his worst day as a pro. After seeing how the Ravens handled Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams, it would be no surprise to see Chase struggle on Sunday in Baltimore. That being said, consider the 2021 fifth-overall pick a mid-range WR2 in this contest.
Chargers were 1-of-4 on fourth down. Targeting Marlon Humphrey on two of them was a mistake. pic.twitter.com/yUixmRQ5Kb
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) October 18, 2021
Should You Start Corey Davis in Week 7?
WR - Corey Davis, New York Jets
Davis and the New York Jets will once again face the New England Patriots, the same team that held him to two catches for eight yards back in Week 2. The bad news for Davis is that the Patriots' defense has shown that they are able to take the opposing team’s top receiver out of the game plan on several different occasions. Chris Godwin was held to three catches for 55 yards, and Amari Cooper caught just five passes for 55 yards in their meetings with New England.
The Jets have been one of the lowest-volume passing attacks in all of football, totaling just 171 pass attempts, which is good for the fourth-fewest in the league. Despite the lack of volume, Davis has been able to see an average of 7.2 targets per game come his way. However, his lowest total of the season came against the Patriots when he was targeted just five times by Zach Wilson. It can be expected that the defensive game plan against Wilson will be very similar, as he was forced into throwing four interceptions and finished with just 210 passing yards in their previous meeting.
Considering how thin lineups could be looking with bye weeks and all the injuries so far throughout the season, Davis could be relied on by a lot of fantasy managers on Sunday. All things considered, Davis is an easy fade in Week 7 unless you have no other choice.
How do the Jets receivers stack up in terms of average separation according to Next Gen Stats?
Corey Davis - 2.9 yards
Ryan Griffin - 3.4 yards
Jamison Crowder - 3.4 yards
Elijah Moore - 3.9 yards
Braxton Berrios - 4.5 yards#TakeFlight #NYJ pic.twitter.com/oqnijlng7q— David Wyatt-Hupton (@DWyattHupton) October 15, 2021
Should You Start Robert Tonyan in Week 7?
TE - Robert Tonyan, Green Bay Packers
Tonyan has simply been one of the biggest disappointments so far this year after scoring 11 touchdowns in 2020, and there is no reason to believe that changes this week against the Washington Football Team. Tonyan has simply failed to carve out a significant role in the passing game this season, as Davante Adams has once again dominated the target share while running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon have been leaned on quite a bit early in the season.
Tonyan has scored just one time through the first six games, so much of where his value comes from has simply been nonexistent so far. He has caught no more than three passes in a game and has had more than 10 receiving yards in just one game which came all the way back in Week 2. Yes, the Washington pass defense has been abysmal, but they are 16th in fantasy points allowed to tight ends so far this season. When you consider Aaron Rodgers’ tendency to gravitate towards Adams, as well as the potential for a run-heavy game script in the second half, Tonyan is an easy fade once again for fantasy managers waiting on his breakout game.
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