Every week we’ll bring you The Primer, a deep dive into every fantasy-relevant player from every NFL game of the week. You can find the full weekly Primer here. Below we dive into a few notable players ahead of this weekend’s games.
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Waiver Wire Picks
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Fantasy Football Outlook
Darren Waller: Waller is the TE12 in fantasy with a 20.3% target share (fourth-best), 1.46 YPRR (16th), and a 25.2% first-read share (second-best). He has only two red zone targets, which ranks 23rd among tight ends. With Taylor under center last week and Waller’s health in question, he still posted strong numbers with a 72.7% route run rate and a 19.4% target share. Washington has held tight ends to the 12th-lowest receiving yards and the third-lowest yards per reception. Week 7 Positional Value: Volume-based TE1
Kyle Pitts: Pitts’ snaps have decreased over the last two games as he’s been between 53-55% with a 63.7% route run rate (67.2% slot). He has compensated with the drop in playing time by commanding a strong 18.8% target share with a 28% target per route run rate (TPRR). Over those two weeks, he has had 2.24 YPRR and a 20% first-read share. Pitts will run against Christian Izien (84.2% catch rate and 93.3 passer rating) in the slot. Pitts should have his way with a corner that he has eight inches of height and 48 pounds on. Week 7 Positional Value: TE1
James Cook: Cook’s usage has been all over the map weekly, with snap shares as high as 62% or as low as 40%. His pass game role seems to have dried up, with only one game with at least four targets over the last four weeks. He barely edged out Latavius Murray for work last week and lost the red zone battle. He has averaged 14.8 touches and 84.8 total yards as the RB22 in fantasy. His efficiency metrics have started to slide, which could explain the pin ball effect with his playing time. Among 53 qualified backs, Cook ranks 28th in explosive run rate, 35th in missed tackles forced per attempt, and 31st in yards after contact per attempt. New England has not been kind to backs, holding them to the ninth-lowest explosive run rate and the second-lowest yards after contact per attempt with the league’s highest stuff rate. Set realistic expectations for Cook for Week 7. The bar should be set low. Week 7 Positional Value: RB2
Keaontay Ingram: The Cardinals backfield is a complete fade. Stay away. Arizona decided in Week 6 to deploy a nightmare fuel three-way committee. Ingram played 37% of the snaps while leading the team with ten rushing attempts and handling the red zone work. His zero explosive runs this season screams stay away and his 2.00 yards after contact per attempt doesn’t help quell any fears. Seattle is no joke as a run defense. They have the fifth-best stuff rate, eighth-lowest missed tackles rate allowed, and the eighth-lowest yards after contact per attempt. Until this backfield narrows to two options or the matchup is elite, stay away. Week 7 Positional Value: Must sit
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