Week 7 of the 2019 NFL Season is upon us. Whether you’re as thrilled as Sean Payton or as miserable as Adam Gase, it’s been an exciting year so far. By now, we’re starting to learn who we can and can’t trust on a weekly basis.

Week 7 Fantasy Football Hot Plays And Hesitations.

Quarterbacks

Hot Plays

Daniel Jones, Giants (Vs. Cardinals)

I’m starting out with a boom or bust pick here. But I have a feeling that the Giants will have a great game on the offensive side of the football at home against Arizona. Sterling Shepard may be sidelined for a second consecutive game, but it’s probable that Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram will return to action for the Giants. The Cardinals have allowed a league-high 16 passing touchdowns on the season to go along with an average of 281.2 passing yards per game (third-worst in the NFL). They are the only team that has yet to intercept a pass from an opposing quarterback and are allowing 8.5 yards per completion (fourth-worst) and a 71% completion rate (fourth-worst). All of this adds up to a bounce-back game for Daniel Jones. Both defenses are terrible, so this one has the possibility to be a high-scoring affair. At the very least, he’s a viable streaming option.

Josh Allen, Bills (Vs. Dolphins)

Allen was a popular preseason breakout candidate but hasn’t quite met these lofty expectations yet. As the QB13 in terms of fantasy points per game, Allen has only passed for multiple touchdowns once (Week 5 against Tennessee) and hasn’t reached 50 yards on the ground in any game this season. However, is there a better cure than a matchup with the Miami Dolphins at home? The Dolphins have allowed 270.2 passing yards per game (seventh-worst), 14 passing touchdowns (tied for third-worst) and only have one interception on the year. They’ve allowed 9.7 yards per completion, worst in the league.

Unfortunately for Miami, their run defense hasn’t been much better. In five games, the Dolphins have allowed 169.6 rushing yards per game (second-worst) and seven touchdowns (tied for third-worst). This means that Allen is a good bet to do some damage through the air and on the ground. He’s available in more than half of ESPN leagues, so at the very least he’s worth strong consideration as a streaming option for the week.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys (Vs. Eagles)

The overall numbers are there but hasn’t he seemed somewhat off the last few weeks? In Week 4 against the Saints, Dak passed for 223 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. In Week 5, he passed for 463 yards (on what felt like a million attempts because Dallas was down big the whole time) with two touchdowns but three interceptions. This past week, Dak passed for 277 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions against a very mediocre Jets defense.

Despite this, I think Dallas has a big bounce-back game on Sunday Night Football against the Eagles. Philadelphia has a terrible pass defense and an outstanding run defense. They’ve allowed 280.2 passing yards per game (fourth-worst) and 13 touchdowns (fifth-worst). On the flip side, the Eagles have only given up 72.8 yards per game on the ground (second-best) with four rushing scores. To me, this adds up to a struggle for Ezekiel Elliott and a big game for Dak Prescott. Last week, I picked Cousins to have a big game against Philly and he went 22-for-29 for 333 passing yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Dalvin Cook totaled 16 carries for 41 yards, albeit with a rushing score. I expect a similar result here in Dallas with Dak and Zeke. Start him.

Hesitations

Sam Darnold, Jets (Vs. Patriots)

Darnold was outstanding in his Week 6 return, passing for 338 yards with two touchdowns in the surprising Jet victory over the Cowboys. With the second-year pro under center, the Jets looked like a functioning offense. The Dallas pass defense had been top-10 heading into the matchup, so Darnold’s performance as QB9 for the week was impressive. However, the Iron Curtain otherwise known as the New England Patriots will visit in Week 7. The Patriots have allowed 161 passing yards per game (second-best) with only one touchdown through the air all year. Their 14 interceptions lead the NFL (nobody else even has double-digit picks) and their 25 sacks rank second. Darnold is prone to throwing interceptions and for the most part this season, the New York offensive line has been a revolving door. Look for better streaming options.

Kirk Cousins, Vikings (@ Lions)

Last week, Cousins was featured as one of my “Hot Plays”, and boy did he deliver. However, this week presents a much worse matchup for the Minnesota signal-caller. The Lions are a bottom-five defense in terms of passing yards allowed per game. However, they’ve only allowed six passing touchdowns on the season, tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL. It’s been somewhat of a “bend but don’t break” type of situation for the Detroit pass defense. Cousins is not a volume passer, he has only thrown 155 passes in six games, an average of 25.8 per contest (25th in the NFL). The Lions don’t give up many touchdowns, so this feels like a 240 yard, one touchdown performance to me. Don’t be fooled by Week 6. Start someone else.

Carson Wentz, Eagles (@ Cowboys)

NOTE: I’m not necessarily saying to bench Carson Wentz. I’m saying that if you have another viable QB1 option, consider benching Carson Wentz. He’s been good this year as the QB9 from a fantasy points per game standpoint. However, I just can’t help shake the feeling that Philly gets blown out on Sunday Night Football. Dallas is hungry after their loss against the Jets, they’re still a top-half defense in terms of passing yards allowed per game and they’ve still only given up five passing touchdowns. The Eagles simply aren’t that good. The Cowboys aren’t great, especially with their injuries on the offensive line. However, I think they win big, rack up some sacks against Carson Wentz and limit him in this one.

Running Backs

Hot Plays

Frank Gore, Bills (Vs Dolphins)

Rookie Devin Singletary is expected to return, but Gore is worth strong Flex consideration for this week. He goes up against a Miami run defense that has allowed 169.6 rushing yards per game (second-worst) and seven rushing scores (tied for third-worst). The Dolphins are also allowing a healthy 4.7 yards per carry. The potential timeshare isn’t ideal, but Gore has totaled double-digit carries every week, including an average of 16 from Weeks 2-5. In the two games in which he’s faced a bottom-10 run defense, Gore has 33 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Even if Singletary gets significant work, Gore is a good bet to find the end zone and rack up 13-17 carries. He’s a good option for the week.

Tevin Coleman, 49ers (@ Redskins)

After sustaining an injury in Week 1, Coleman has returned with a vengeance. In two games, he’s totaled 34 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 7, he gets a matchup against a porous Washington defense allowing 134 yards on the ground (fifth-worst). Additionally, the Redskins have allowed a healthy 4.6 yards per carry and six carries of 20 or more yards (tied for second-worst). Even with Matt Breida a threat to steal carries, Coleman should be the featured back with goal-line priority. Start him with confidence as an RB2.

Josh Jacobs, Raiders (@ Packers)

While a road game against the Packers might not inspire confidence, Green Bay has been tougher against the pass (only 239.3 passing yards per game and six passing touchdowns allowed) than the run. The Packers have allowed 124.5 rushing yards per game (tenth-worst), 4.9 yards per carry (seventh-worst) and seven touchdowns on the ground (tied for third-worst). Jacobs is coming off of an outstanding game in which he ran for 123 yards and two scores against an imposing Bears defense. He did so on 26 carries, a career-high for the rookie. Green Bay has surrendered over 30 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, so at the very least, you should be starting him at your flex.