Staff Writer Luke O'Roark gives owners insight on five players that could have break out games in Week 7.
My record: 9-9
It hasn’t been the best few weeks for me, but hopefully inner division matchups will help bolster my mediocre record.
Pay close attention to the Houston-Pittsburgh and Baltimore-Atlanta matchups, as all four teams have starters that could produce a lot of points for owners this week. Those included are: Andre Johnson, LeVon Bell, Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Joe Flacco.
At this point, no one should start offensive starters from Jacksonville, Oakland or the New York Jets. Those three teams are having trouble and I wouldn’t advise using players from any of them.
Be careful of starting Denver wideouts Julius and Demaryius Thomas against San Francisco, as the Broncos’ offense has not been a juggernaut like last year.
With that being said, I want to give my top-five fantasy sleepers for Week 7:
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Jeremy Hill, running back for the Cincinnati Bengals — Going against the Indianapolis Colts this week, Hill should see an increase in his workload after starter Giovanni Bernard suffered a minor shoulder injury in the Bengals 37-37 tie to the Panthers. Expect head coach Marvin Lewis to manage Bernard’s touches this week, so look for Hill to see more carries.
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Jordan Reed, tight end for the Washington Redskins — Reed was targeted 11 times in the Redskins 30-20 loss to the Cardinals last week and showed a lot of athleticism. Expect Washington head coach Jay Gruden to utilize Reed more, as Washington is in need of a desperate win against Tennessee this week.
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Joique Bell, running back for the Detroit Lions — With Reggie Bush out, Bell should carry the workload against New Orleans this week. The Saints are one of the worst defenses in the league and expect Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to hand the ball off multiple times, as Megatron is also out.
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Brian Hoyer, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns — Hoyer has been a stud for the Browns so far this season and expect him to move the ball well against the Jaguars.
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Cam Newton, quarterback for the Carolina Panthers — Even though the Packers passing defense has improved tremendously, their run defense is still the worst in the NFL. Expect Newton to scramble more against Green Bay this week, despite the lack of run production from the four-year pro in the past two seasons.
Fantasy Player of the Week: JJ Watt, defensive end for the Houston Texans — Chances are if you’re playing in a league that allows one defensive player, JJ Watt has been a key cog in your fantasy team. Watt had 18.50 points against Indianapolis last Thursday.
