Fantasy football managers are facing a six-team bye week. Bye-mageddon has arrived.
Six-team bye weeks are challenging, arduous, headache-inducing … and kind of fun?
There are plenty of lineup nightmares in weeks where we have a half-dozen teams on bye at once. But you are really playing the game of fantasy football at a time like this.
I provide my fantasy football rankings and tiers for Week 7 to help you navigate your start/sit lineup questions. Below we dive into a few notable players for the week.
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- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
- Waiver Wire Picks
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Fantasy Football Outlook
Even with the Chargers having a Week 5 bye to more fully integrate rookie Quentin Johnston into their offense … Johnston isn’t fully integrated into their offense. He played 47.9% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps in their Week 6 loss to the Cowboys, drew only two targets and caught neither of them. The second of those targets resulted in the game-clinching interception for Dallas. Johnson’s lack of involvement bodes well for Josh Palmer, who had 4-60-0 on seven targets against the Cowboys and had multiple receptions nullified by penalties. Palmer is a midrange WR3; Johnston is off the fantasy radar for now.
When there aren’t any teams on bye, high-floor, low-ceiling WRs aren’t particularly attractive lineup options. When there are six teams on bye, such players become more alluring. If you’re stretched thin at a position, getting a modest but not insignificant point total from one of your fill-ins is a satisfactory result. Please allow me to tout the stable floors of Michael Thomas and Curtis Samuel. The stability of Thomas’ production has been remarkable. Thomas has finished with 45 to 65 receiving yards in all six Saints games this year. He’s had at least six targets and four receptions in every game. Samuel’s production has been nearly as stable. Factor in rushing yardage, and Samuel has produced between 32 and 65 yards from scrimmage yards in every Commanders game. He’s averaging 4.5 catches and 47.5 receiving yards per contest.
Rookie Rashee Rice leads all Chiefs WRs with 28 targets, 21 receptions and 245 receiving yards. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has a passer rating 0f 110.0 on throws to Rice Mahomes’ passer rating is 91.0 on throws to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, 78.7 on throws to Justin Watson, 70.7 on throws to Kadarius Toney, 67.4 on throws to Justyn Ross, and 50.8 on throws to Skyy Moore But inexplicably, Rice has played only 38% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps. Watson dislocated his elbow last week, which could mean more playing time for Rice (although the Chiefs annoyingly muddied the WR waters by reacquiring Mecole Hardman). I have Rice ranked WR40, which is below ECR, but I won’t try to talk you out of starting him in a potential shootout against the Chargers.
No one hates the play-calling of Falcons head coach Arthur Smith more than I do, but it’s hard to understand the low FantasyPros ECR for Drake London (WR27). Ever since London was shut out in Week 1 — he had no catches and only one target against the Panthers — he’s been getting buried in the Expert Consensus Rankings every week. Since Week 2, London has averaged 8.4 targets, 5.2 receptions and 65.8 receiving yards a game. He’s been the WR19 in fantasy points per game (0.5 PPR) over that span. London’s matchup this week isn’t bad. He’s going up against the Buccaneers, who have given up the eighth-most fantasy points to WRs. Start London with confidence.
-Pat Fitzmaurice
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