Fantasy football lineup advice: Week 7 BOOM or BUST!
Fantasy football lineup advice – Wide Receiver
BOOM:
T.Y. Hilton, IND vs. HOU
In his last game before the team’s bye, Hilton had a down-week against the Chiefs, drawing just four targets in which he turned into 7.7 fantasy points. This underachieving performance likely had to do with a barking hamstring injury that had him listed as questionable heading into the contest. Now with two weeks of recovery under his belt, it should be back to business for the four-time Pro Bowler. On the flip side, owners have rightfully voiced concerns about Hilton remaining healthy, looking to trade him while his value remains high.
If you’re planning on selling-high on Hilton, you should wait until after this week to do so. The Texans have allowed 41.4 FPPG to the wideout spot this season. Houston has also surrendered the third-most receptions to WRs in the NFL thus far. This bodes exceptionally well for Hilton, operating as Jacoby Brissett‘s unquestioned top target. Houston’s secondary took a massive hit this offseason losing several key pieces, something he should exploit on Sunday.
Michael Gallup, DAL vs. PHI
Gallup saw a season-low in yards last week (48) even in the wake of Amari Cooper‘s quad injury. However, if Cooper is forced to miss the Cowboys’ upcoming game, we could see Gallup fully operate as the team’s no. 1 option for the first time in his sophomore campaign. As reported by ESPN‘s Todd Archer on Monday, Cooper’s absence has become a real possibility as his availability for Week 7 is in “serious question.” Even with his teammate on the field this season, Gallup has put together a robust 17.2 FPPG.
The stars align perfectly for the second-year pass-catcher, as he’ll be going against a depleted Eagles’ secondary that was gutted by the Vikings last week as Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen went for a combined 224 receiving yards and four touchdowns. On the season, Philly has coughed up an average of 46.6 fantasy points to WRs. Even if Cooper is able to suit up, he’ll be at less than 100 percent, making Gallup an exceptional start this week.
BUST:
Terry McLaurin, WSH vs. SF
“Scary Terry” has been a revelation for the Redskins up to this point. He’s had a nose for the end-zone, reaching pay-dirt five times in as many games. McLaurin’s 18.8 FPPG is sixth-best amongst all wideouts, and even with subpar quarterback play, he’s managed to be a consistent fantasy contributor. Even when Washington’s offense as a whole has struggled, his big-play ability has made him a lone bright spot.
The negatives? In Week 7, he gets a date with Richard Sherman, who’s rejuvenated his career on what’s been an elite 49ers’ defense thus far. In a game that figures to be one-sided in San Francisco’s favor, the Redskins are going to need to air the ball out. While it seems that this may work in McLaurin’s favor, expectations need to be tempered as the Niners have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points this season to WRs.
Robby Anderson, NYJ vs. NE
With Sam Darnold on the field, life becomes easier for each of the Jets’ skill-position players. When the signal-caller returned last week after battling mononucleosis, Anderson returned to fantasy relevance, nabbing five passes for 125 yards, including a 92-yard touchdown on a beautifully-thrown deep ball. A player that thrives off of his homerun ability, owners should now begin to see signs of the WR that they drafted him to be.
However, it’s wise to pump the breaks on Anderson with a brutal matchup against the division-rival Patriots ahead. The first time these two teams met, the fourth-year pro was blanketed by Stephon Gilmore, posting just three catches for 11 yards. This, of course, was without Darnold, but New England’s defense across the board has been outstanding thus far. They’re giving up the seventh-fewest points to wideouts, making this a stay-away matchup for Anderson.
Sleeper:
Auden Tate, CIN vs. JAX
With A.J. Green nursing an ankle injury, Tate has quietly been a steady contributor throughout the last four weeks, averaging 11.8 FPPG. By no means are the Bengals a great offense, but their inability to run the ball has caused QB Andy Dalton to chuck the third-most pass-attempts in the league this season. The Jaguars’ pass-defense is only a shell of its former self, allowing the 15th-most fantasy points to WRs. Things only get tougher for their secondary now that Jalen Ramsey is out of the picture.