We were pleased with last week’s article outside of Matthew Stafford, James Cook, and Logan Thomas. Unfortunately, this week might be much trickier! We have a handful of teams on bye, and looking through the injury reports is terrifying. We’re not even sure who will suit up at this point, but we’ll try our best to navigate those waters. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the flex smash starts we love for this week!
The premise behind this article is simple. Identifying fantasy football smash plays that are on the fringe of your starting lineup. We will rarely recommend a Top 20 player at any position, but we want to help you fill those critical flex spots!
- Waiver Wire Picks
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Smash Starts for Week 7
Wide Receivers
Terry McLaurin (WAS) at NYG
I’ve always been a massive fan of Scary Terry, and Sam Howell is finally hopping on the hype train. Since a disappointing opener, McLaurin is averaging 5.8 catches on 7.6 targets for 62 receiving yards per game. That doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, but getting double-digit targets in two of the last three outings does. That’s the stud we know and love, and it’s just a matter of time before a blow-up game happens. And the odds are much higher with a matchup against New York, currently ranked 28th in points allowed and 27th in yardage surrendered. Not to mention, McLaurin has averaged over 15 fantasy points per game against the Giants throughout his career!
Marquise Brown (ARI) at SEA
The Cardinals have a bad team, but Brown has been a bright spot. He had a rough showing in Week 6, but it’s hard to be discouraged by 11 targets. He’s got double-digit targets in four of the last five games, scoring at least 13 fantasy points in all five outings. That’s incredible from one of the guys you took at the backend of your drafts, and he should have another large target share against Seattle. The Seahawks are surrendering the fifth-most passing yards and second-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season.
Zay Flowers (BAL) vs. DET
I rarely get excited about rookies, but Flowers looks like the real deal. Baltimore certainly believes that, rewarding him with a 28% team target share. Only the best receivers in the NFL are above 25% and it’s incredible that he’s getting this much usage in his first two months in the NFL. He’s also playing nearly every snap, scoring a career-high 14 fantasy points in Week 6. Games like that will happen frequently in this type of role, and Baltimore will have to throw with how dominant Detroit’s run defense has been.
Tight Ends
Zach Ertz (ARI) at SEA
I hate writing up tight ends as potential fill-ins because there’s only a handful of good options in the NFL, and they’re already must-starts. With that said, Ertz has re-established his role as a target hound in this Arizona offense. Ertz is fifth among all tight ends in team target share and air yards. Those are encouraging marks, with Ertz recording at
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.