Fantasy Football: Fred Jackson, Brian Quick Among Week 7 Starts, Sits

It’s hard to believe. But if you’re in a standard league, you’ll be halfway done with your fantasy football season at the end of this week’s NFL action.

Time flies when you’re having fun, right?

OK, so maybe not all of you are having fun. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start now. The fantasy season, as always, has been unpredictable so far, with guys like Justin Forsett and Branden Oliver emerging from the woodwork to leapfrog over more proven stars like Doug Martin and Zac Stacy. What will happen over the next few weeks is anyone’s guess.

So what’s the key to finding the right guys to start every week? Sure, some of it is luck. But it definitely takes some skill to strike the delicate balance between sticking to your guns and taking a chance on a lesser-known player with high upside.

Since we can’t see into the future (man, that’d be awesome), there’s no way we can tell you for sure who to sit and who to start. But there’s plenty of information out there to make an educated guess. The rest, as always, is up to you.

STARTS
Carson Palmer, Quarterback, Arizona Cardinals: If you’re in the business of streaming quarterbacks, Palmer is your guy this week. Coming off a 250-yard, two-touchdown performance in Week 6, Palmer will head to Oakland to square off against his former team for the first time. Revenge games have been a boon this season (see: Steve Smith, DeSean Jackson), and the Raiders’ defense doesn’t give us reason to think that trend will stop for Palmer.

Fred Jackson, Running Back, Buffalo Bills: After leading the NFL in rushing attempts in 2013, the Bills have yet to establish a solid run game in 2014. Expect Buffalo to try to change that Sunday, especially if it can establish an early lead at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Jackson has scored double-digit points in three of the last four weeks, so stick with him in Week 7.

Justin Forsett, Running Back, Baltimore Ravens: Remember all that talk about a running back-by-committee system in Baltimore? Forsett put that to rest with a 14-carry, 111-yard performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. This week, he gets the NFL’s worst run defense (Atlanta Falcons) at home. Expect another big day from Forsett.

Reuben Randle, Wide Receiver, New York Giants: What a difference a week makes. With Victor Cruz out for the season, Randle suddenly is the No. 1 target in New York. The Giants will have to throw a ton if they allow the Dallas Cowboys to get an early lead, opening the door for Randle to put up some healthy numbers.

DeSean Jackson, Wide Receiver, Washington Redskins: This looks like a matchup made in heaven. Jackson only seems capable of catching deep balls, and the Tennessee Titans have gotten beat for 11 receiving touchdowns this season, tied for fourth-most in the NFL. It’s always a risk starting Jackson, but the chance of a big reward seems high here.

SITS
Derek Carr, Quarterback, Oakland Raiders: Carr had a big day against the San Diego Chargers last weekend, but don’t expect that to continue in Week 7. The Arizona Cardinals haven’t been lockdown against the pass this season, but something tells us they’ll do just fine against a rookie quarterback who’s been up and down all year.

Khiry Robinson, Running Back, New Orleans Saints: Robinson was a great source of points with Mark Ingram on the shelf. But Ingram is set to return from injury this week, and the Saints face a Detroit Lions team that’s been very stingy against the run. Don’t expect many more big games from Robinson, especially this week.

Steven Jackson, Running Back, Atlanta Falcons: Jackson’s production reached a new low last Sunday with six carries for just 25 yards, while backup Antone Smith broke off another big play in the passing game. Jackson is still the guy, but the numbers just aren’t there. That likely won’t change against a stout Baltimore Ravens run D.

Brian Quick, Wide Receiver, St. Louis Rams: Quick has been a pleasant waiver wire surprise this season, but he turned in his first disappointing performance of the season last week. The Rams now have to take on the Seattle Seahawks, and if Quick gets the Richard Sherman treatment, it’s hard to see him bouncing back this week.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings: The fall of Patterson has been swift and painful. After an explosive performance in Week 1, the speedy wideout has caught just two passes in three straight games and seems to have fallen out of favor in the dysfunctional Vikings offense. Unless something drastically changes, keep him on your bench.

Have a fantasy question for Darren? Send it to him via Twitter at @darren_hartwell

Photo via Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports Images