Fantasy Football Week 7 Starts, Sits: Wideouts To Consider Given Bye Slate
Amari Cooper and Tyler Lockett are two wideouts to elevate
There will be a number of fantasy football managers who have their receiver depth tested in Week 7 as a handful of lineup mainstays head to the bench on their respective byes.
The Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings all are on their bye week, meaning the absences of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis, Cooper Kupp, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, along with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. It will cause fantasy football managers to make an elevation either from their bench or with an addition off the waiver wire.
With that, we've highlighted a few specific receivers among our starts and sits in Week 7:
STARTS
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seahawks
Lockett has been a big beneficiary of Geno Smith's resurgence this season, perhaps a surprising development given his sliding fantasy football stock in recent seasons. After six weeks, Lockett ranks 12th among wideouts in touches, 20th in targets and 21st in average scoring, per Sportradar. He's finished with double-digit points in four of six games this season, though he is coming off a forgettable Week 6 outing in a low-scoring affair against the Arizona Cardinals. Nevertheless, Lockett could benefit from going against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7 with Los Angeles ranking in the middle of the league in points allowed to wideouts, an average of 21.6 per game, with cornerback J.C. Jackson struggling. Given the matchup and the number of high-end wideouts on the bench, Yahoo views Lockett as WR12 entering the slate.
Amari Cooper, WR, Cleveland Browns
Among the biggest takeaways from either of Cleveland's last two games relates to just how much Jacoby Brissett looks at Cooper in the passing game. The former Dallas Cowboys wideout ranks ninth in targets with 55 in six games, getting thrown the ball 12 times in each of the Browns' last two games. Cooper has seen 10 or more targets in four of six games this season. Cooper averaged 15 points per game in the last four contests with 11 catches of 10-plus yards during that span, per Sportradar. The Browns have a matchup with the Ravens in Week 7 and Baltimore has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points and second-most yards to receivers this season. All told, Cooper is viewed as Yahoo's WR14 entering the week.
Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott has been medically cleared to return to play for the Cowboys after missing the past five games with a fractured thumb. Admittedly, it's important to stay on top of Prescott-related injury updates before confirming your starting lineup, but if the Cowboys signal-caller returns to the field Sunday, he should be re-inserted in starting lineups. Most notably, the Detroit Lions have allowed the second-most points to quarterbacks and ninth-most to receivers this season, giving up eight passing touchdowns in five games. Additionally, the ongoing uncertainty as it pertains to quarterbacks in fantasy football has put owners between a rock and a hard place with so many of the big names struggling. Prescott currently is viewed as QB7 by Yahoo and is worth rolling the dice on even in his first game back.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
The injury to Rashad Penny opened the door for Walker, and he burst through it in Week 6 as he scored the eighth-most points among running backs. Walker received 23 touches and turned in into 110 yards and one touchdown while playing 71% of snaps. He's a must-start entering Week 7 with the Seahawks facing the Chargers, who allow the fourth-most points to running backs. Walker is viewed as Yahoo's RB12 entering the week.
SITS
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
We're going back to the well to hint at our disappointment in Pitts. The second-year tight end scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 6, yet still finished TE12 in full-point leagues, per Sportradar. It's an incredibly bizarre situation in Atlanta because while Pitts' target share is more than respectable -- it was 22% in Week 6 -- the fact is the Falcons don't throw the ball. Marcus Mariota attempted just 14 passes with three going to Pitts, who turned it into three receptions for 19 yards and one touchdown -- a good day for a streamer, but not for a third-round fantasy pick. Pitts, who has seen just five targets per game, is ranked Yahoo's TE7 entering Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals, who rank in the middle of the league in points allowed to tight ends.
AJ Dillon, RB, Green Bay Packers
The Packers' offense is struggling mightily in recent weeks, and Dillon is no different. The Boston College product finished outside the top 20 in scoring during three of the past four weeks -- RB22 in Week 6 on 9.20 points, RB62 in Week 5 on 3.40 points and RB49 in Week 3 on 5.80 points. He ranks RB40 in average scoring on the season. Not ideal. The Washington Commanders give up the 11th-most points to running backs at 18.7 per game, but Dillon and Green Bay's offense haven't provided much confidence of late. He's viewed as RB29 entering the week with fellow Packers running back Aaron Jones RB13.
