Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 7
As we enter Week 7, there are only two teams on bye (Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears) so as long as your entire roster isn’t injured, you should be able to move forward with most of your usual starters. But that doesn’t mean everyone who has been in your lineup should be or that there aren’t players out there going unnoticed who could be a better option. None of these are must-starts (if they were, they wouldn’t be sleepers), but each one is in a great spot to overproduce this week and reward any manager willing to give them a chance. Here are my sleepers for Week 6.
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Week 7 Fantasy Sleepers
Start Stat %, Via Sleeper
DRAKE MAYE (QB)
NE VS. JAX (IN LONDON – 9% START)
This past week, rookie Drake Maye got his first start for the New England Patriots and, after shaking off some rust, he turned in a top 10 fantasy performance, completing 20 of 33 passes for 243 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, and had one fumble. He also showed off his mobility, running five times for 38 yards. Now he will have another chance to prove that he is the quarterback of the future in New England when he takes on a struggling Jacksonville Jaguars defense in London. The Jacksonville secondary seems allergic to stopping anyone, so Maye should be able to pick them apart. Last week, the Jaguars allowed another rookie (Caleb Williams) to score at will en route to an overall No. 1 QB performance. I’m not saying that Maye is the same caliber of talent as Williams, but after a solid showing against a much stronger defense, May could have an even better outing in Week 7.
RAHEEM MOSTERT (RB)
MIA @ IND (22% START)
De’Von Achane may not play this week. But even if he does, Raheem Mostert has flex appeal with RB2 upside. Two weeks ago, Mostert saw his first action since suffering a chest injury on opening day. While the final tally didn’t equate to an elite performance, he did get RB1 usage. Against the Patriots, Mostert ran the ball 19 times for 80 yards and caught two passes for another 18 yards. Achane got injured in that game so some of Mostert’s involvement was out of necessity, but if he’s going to see 15 touches per game he should be able to produce. This is a Miami team in desperate need of some offensive production. With Tua Tagovailoa still on the shelf, that production is unlikely to come from the pass catchers so leaning on the running game makes sense. This means that even with Achane active, both running backs should be involved, and if Achane is out, Mostert is a must-start. Either way, it’s hard to imagine he won’t outperform his projection, making him the perfect sleeper.
TYLER GOODSON (RB)
IND VS. MIA (3% START)
Jonathan Taylor (ankle) has missed two straight practices and Trey Sermon (knee) returned to practice in a limited fashion Thursday after missing Wednesday. Taylor, who has missed the last two games, seems unlikely to play this Sunday, while Sermon’s status is up in the air. If both are sidelined, Tyler Goodson will take on a much bigger role in Week 7. But even if only one of Taylor or Sermon are available, I like Goodson’s chances. Last week, Goodson showed off his explosiveness, carrying the ball eight times for 51 yards, while adding four catches for 14 yards. In his two games without Taylor, Goodson has seven catches, and that could continue against a Dolphins defense that is allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing running backs. The chances are that any fantasy manager who owns Goodson will not have to start him unless they have been hit hard by the injury bug or have several players on bye this week. But if you’re one of those managers looking for help at running back, Goodson has flex appeal even if Sermon does play, and if both Taylor and Sermon are out, he becomes a mid-range RB2.
MICHAEL WILSON (WR)
ARI VS. LAC (11% START)
The Cardinals have a tough test this week against a stout Chargers defense, so it takes some courage to plug any of the Cardinals’ skill players into your lineup. But with Marvin Harrison Jr. questionable for this week’s contest, Michael Wilson could be a major beneficiary. The Cardinals will have to pass in this one, and while I would expect Trey McBride to become the No. 1 target in Harrison’s absence, Wilson should also see a major uptick in usage. Wilson’s role has already been growing over the last few weeks. Wilson has seen at least four targets in four straight games, and at least six in three of the last four. If there’s no Harrison to contend with, it seems logical to assume that Wilson steps into the primary wide receiver role. The Los Angeles Chargers have been stingy to opposing wide receivers, allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points to the position. Still, if Harrison is inactive there could be enough volume to keep Wilson fantasy-relevant in a tough matchup.
CHRISTIAN WATSON (WR)
GB VS. HOU (17% START)
I could have just as easily gone with Watson’s teammate, Romeo Doubs, here, but I’ve decided to highlight the player with more upside in Watson. So far through six weeks, Watson has yet to set the fantasy world on fire. He has seen more than four targets just once. He only has one game with double-digit fantasy points, and he has yet to play more than 63% of the snaps. Still, what he showed us last week against the Arizona Cardinals was encouraging. In that game, Jordan Love tossed four touchdowns to three different receivers, so this is an offense that likes to spread the ball around. But while Watson has been a frustrating fantasy player, he is still probably the top big-play threat on the Packers. Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are questionable to play this week, but are trending in the right direction. Even if they’re active, Watson could provide flex value with touchdown upside in a matchup that promises to be a shootout. If one or both of his teammates are sidelined then Watson becomes a WR2 as the de facto top option (or at worst, second option) in the passing game.
HUNTER HENRY (TE)
NE VS. JAX (IN LONDON – 11% START)
To be honest, when picking a tight end sleeper, I have to hold my breath and hope for the best. The tight end position has been the most disappointing and impossible to predict this season. But if someone is going to break through in Week 7 and outperform their projection, Hunter Henry has as good of a chance as anybody. Through six weeks, Henry has only had two starter-worthy performances, but in those outings, he finished the week as the TE3 and TE8. While two out of six is not what you want in your starting lineup, it’s not that bad for a tight end this year, and there is reason to believe it can continue, and even improve. That reason? Drake Maye. Young QBs tend to lean on their tight ends early in their career as a short-yardage security blanket. This could lead to more targets for Henry, especially against a Jaguars defense allowing the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Henry is in a great spot to produce top 12 numbers.
