With 14 fantasy-relevant receivers on bye and even more out due to injury, choosing the right starters is paramount for success in a super-thin week. If you are desperate for a win this week, taking down someone also weakened by byes is a prime time to launch (or keep) your team in the playoff race.
Here are the top 24 week 7 wide receivers based on matchups and projections.
Most of these guys, you are starting whether you like it or not. However, if you are putting flex-level receivers in at WR2, you can feel good about the outlooks for players such as Jaylen Waddle, Darnell Mooney, and Jakobi Meyers.
Henry Ruggs III, Marquez Callaway, and Christian Kirk all have favorable deep-score matchups, which pops them up into the WR2 category on a week where many of the top producers are absent. This doesn't automatically mean they will score, but it means they have a better chance to than others behind them.
The next tier is our WR2/flex range options, and depending on your waiver wire fortunes you may have several of these players rostered to decide between.
The Ball/Bench rankings from #25-#60 decide how we value these guys compared to one another. The #37-#48 players are "Bench" candidates compared to the #25-#36 ranks, but "Ball 'Em" level compared to the #49-#60 receivers.
To be fair, I am not expecting great things from the Ball 'Em list, but due to volume and game script they profile to have better floors and higher scoring upsides than their counterparts.
Van Jefferson will see plenty of action in the Matt Stafford/Jared Goff "revenge game", as will Amon-Ra St. Brown on the Detroit side of things, giving them both enough value to plug in this week.
Look for Nelson Agholor and Rashod Bateman to score touchdowns this week as they take advantage of specific holes in the defenses they face. They may not have much volume other than the scores however. For this same reason, we find Brandon Aiyuk on the list, as he should see more red zone looks with Jimmy G and no George Kittle in the lineup.
Indianapolis likely will have to throw a few TDs if they have a chance against San Francisco, and as long as the TD passes don't go to running backs, Michael Pittman has a puncher's chance at getting in the end zone. Sterling Shepard is in much the same boat, as long as he shakes the questionable designation he currently carries.
Jamison Crowder is a sneaky top-36 play, as the veteran should see a healthy amount of targets against a New England defense intent on shutting down Corey Davis. He may not score, but in PPR formats the receptions (which could be as high as 10 this weekend) will cover for that.
Here the Bench 'Ems are the Ballers, because...well, fantasy sucks and bye weeks and injuries suck, and often this is the options we are given. I wasn't super high on the Denver/Cleveland TNF receivers save Courtland Sutton, and it turned out to be true even though Sutton himself didn't have a double-digit day.
If Julio Jones plays, he probably still isn't even 75%, so expectations have to be limited. He did put up close to 60 yards on 3 catches in his return to the field last week, so even a 75% Julio is flex status for me.
Randall Cobb and Russell Gage star in matchups where they may benefit from the coverage sliding towards their more talented counterparts, leaving them open in high-pass offenses to rack up some points. Gage probably doesn't score, yet could have the volume to be effective; Cobb likely doesn't have the volume, but has a great shot at a score from his buddy Aaron Rodgers.
Everyone else on the Ball 'Em side probably won't see much volume but they do have better touchdown odds than the #49-#60 range players. Guys like Kalif Raymond, Zach Pascal, and Deonte Harris are so touchdown dependent that they have little value unless they draw the lucky target.
New England won't be able to shut down everybody, but they will be able to shut down Corey Davis, and I like Jamison Crowder over rookie Elijah Moore as the receiver to reap the benefits in that matchup. Both these guys are a sit for me.
Josh Gordon and Kendrick Bourne are interesting sits this week because Gordon could have a prominent role in the Chiefs offense, but we have to see it first. Bourne has been involved more with Mac Jones, but we just don't know if New England will have to throw the ball all that much against the Jets. I could see both these guys being on the Ball 'Em List soon, but for now it's too risky unless you are seriously struggling.
Never start TY Hilton.
Ball 'Em Bench 'Em Week 7 Quarterbacks and Tight Ends will be posted shortly. Follow us on Twitter @theSportsLeaf1 for NFL fantasy updates!
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