Fantasy Football, Week 7: These 4 players should be in your starting lineup

It’s Week 7. Players are hurt, teams are in shambles, and the Bye Week drag is hurting a lot of Fantasy lineups. Thankfully, my DraftKings Daily Fantasy play is holding strong while my first-place grasp in one of my Yahoo leagues slips due to the injury bug. As for my third team…well, just envision being in a Superflex league, and your three drafted quarterbacks were Justin Fields (hurt), CJ Stroud (bye), and Derek Carr (inconsistent).

Life can be tough.

On top of that, the Chicago Bears’ season is over — long before many fans anticipated. It’s been a strange and unpredictable NFL season, and things only get trickier as the weeks roll on.

As many Fantasy managers continue to venture into the unknown, it’s time to take big risks to make a splash in your week-to-week leagues and find that player who has “bang for buck” value in daily play.

Let’s get started.

QB: Josh Allen (BUF) vs. NE

I’ll get flack for this pick after Allen put up “mediocre-at-best” numbers against a bad Giants team.

Allen is also dealing with a shoulder issue, though, the latest update is that he’s good to go. Assuming he remains on track to play, it’s tough not to target him in DraftKings Daily Fantasy in a division matchup against the abysmal New England Patriots.

The Patriots’ defense allowed an average of 31 points over their last three games, giving Allen a (likely) comfortable day, despite a minor shoulder strain. While he won’t be a cheap option at DraftKings (given the matchup), he should be worth every penny as he eyes a big stats day with Stefon Diggs against the struggling New England defense.

RB: Jahmyr Gibbs (DET) vs. BAL (“Gamble of the Week”)

Something new that may continue to be a weekly trend is the “gamble of the week.”

The Lions’ backfield is a bit banged up after a ferocious start to the 2023 season. While David Montgomery has been an automatic weekly stud, he’s likely out of Week 7 with a rib injury. That opens the door for rookie Jahmyr Gibbs.

Keep an eye on Gibbs’ gameday status, however. He’s questionable with a hamstring injury, but it appears he will play.

Gibbs will score a bunch of points if he’s charged with Montgomery’s workload. It’s a gamble, but if he plays, Gibbs should get a heavy dose of carries and should be a pickup in daily play.

WR: Brandon Aiyuk (SF) vs. MIN (“Under the Radar” Selection of the Week)

The Minnesota Vikings’ defense almost allowed Tyson Bagent to pick up a win against them in Week 6 (and that was without the Bears even remotely attempting to use DJ Moore properly). Minnesota’s secondary is rough, and the 49ers will be looking to bounce back after taking their first loss of the season in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns.

I envision 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan exploiting the Vikings’ corners in a pass-heavy game, especially with Christian McCaffrey battling an injury. This opens the door for Aiyuk to be a prime candidate for a stats-heavy game.

Aiyuk has net 100+ yards against Arizona and Pittsburgh — and two touchdowns against the Steelers. These are also highly questionable secondaries. I could see Aiyuk being prominently featured in this game and finding the endzone.

TE: Kyle Pitts (ATL) vs. TB

If you read these weekly posts, you know my thoughts on the tight ends. It’s a shot in the dark almost nine out of ten times if the player’s last name isn’t “Kelce” or “Andrews.” But I think Kyle Pitts can be a strong play in Week 7.

Pitts is coming off a touchdown game against the Washington Commanders, and while the volume of his receptions hasn’t been what fantasy managers hoped for, I’m expecting more “boom” than “bust” from him in the Falcons’ Week 7 matchup with Tampa Bay. He’s yet to have a monster game this season, but he’s due. And his production over the last couple of weeks has increased enough to give him a shot. If he’s going to have a breakout performance, it’s undoubtedly possible against the Buccaneers.