Guys. Remember when I told you to start your Brock Osweilers? That he’d throw for 380 yards against the Bears’ defense? Well that’s because I didn’t. Sometimes things just happen. Anything is possible in today’s pass happy NFL. It’s certainly exciting to see a player who everyone counted out years ago turn up again to beat a potential playoff contender in OT. The Dolphins have the pleasure of starting him again this week. Is he perhaps a quarterback to be featured in this week’s article? Here’s a hint, absolutely not. Week 6 was a successful week in the realm of of quarterback and tight end starts. So, let’s see if we can build off this success as we careen headlong into Week 7.

QUARTERBACKS

Baker Mayfield @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FD: $7,100 | $5,800

Sunday wasn’t a pretty outing for the young playcaller. The Chargers’ offense trounced the Browns’ defense early in the game, and the Browns then struggled to get anything going on offense. It was a surprising showing considering how competitive the Browns had been in the first 5 weeks of the season. Fortunately, Baker now has the advantage of going up against the worst defense against quarterbacks in the NFL. The Bucs’ run defense is sneakily one of the more effective in the League. They’ll be forcing Baker Mayfield to throw the ball a lot on Sunday. A mistake or two could still be in the mix for Mayfield, but the ceiling is extraordinarily high for him this week against a Tampa defense that seems determined to remain the worst defense in the NFL.

Andy Dalton @ Kansas City Chiefs – FD: $7,800 | DK: $6,400

This is a rare moment where I am going to suggest one of the more expensive quarterbacks in DFS for you to target this week. The match-up is just too juicy to pass up, though. Dalton has been very consistent through six weeks, and is about to go up against one of the weaker defenses in the NFL in the Chiefs. He’s just 62% owned, which makes him a borderline streaming candidate in your season long leagues, as well. Expectations for this game being a high scoring affair are running wild. Given what we just saw on Sunday Night’s matchup between the Chiefs and the Patriots it’s easy to understand why. Start your Bengals; start your Chiefs. This will be a fun game to watch.

Mitchell Trubisky vs. New England Patriots – FD: $7,500 | DK: $5,600

The Bears’ came out of their Bye to lose to the Brocketship in Brocktober. They allowed for the Dolphins’ backup to throw for 380 yards with two touchdowns. The Bears were not prepared to perform in the Miami heat. It’s reminiscent of that game in 2016 when Jay Ajayi went off for 200+ yards against a superior Steelers’ team. Northern teams do not fare well in Miami in October. Regardless, it was a firefight. Trubisky tried to bring his team back to victory throwing for 310 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, but it wasn’t enough. It was, however, enough for a great fantasy day, and that’s what we’re banking on as we head into Week 7. The matchup is ideal, as both defenses can clearly be exploited. Trubisky should have no issue finding his game-breaking playmakers in this high flying shootout.

Joe Flacco vs. New Orleans Saints – FD: $7,500 | $5,400

The Saints aren’t known for their pass defense this year. They were able to silence Alex Smith on MNF two weeks ago, but that’s not enough to change how we should view their defense as a whole. Now the Saints’ offense is arguably the most explosive in the NFL, and the Ravens’ defense has been one of the toughest to get through so far this season. It’s an intriguing matchup, but on paper, the Ravens’ defense will have a hard time stopping the Saints’ dynamic offense coming out of their Bye. This will likely put the Ravens in an early deficit, and Flacco will be called upon to throw. Flacco should have the opportunity to be a sneaky Week 7 start. He just has to focus on ball security, and avoid those pesky turnovers.

Eli Manning @ Atlanta Falcons – FD: $6,700 | DK: $5,200

Well. Here we go again. Eli Manning is served a juicy matchup on a plate. The biggest question is, can he deliver? I sure as hell hope so. Every other quarterback the Falcons have gone up against has been able to put up some pretty staggering numbers. Not counting Week 1, when the Falcons had the advantage of playing against a “come-back-down-to-Earth” Nick Foles, opposing quarterbacks are averaging 343 yards and 3.2 touchdowns. The Falcons defense is in shambles, and are relying on their high powered offense to win games. The Giants are trying to get their passing game going, too. If Manning cannot get it done this week against the second worst passing defense in the NFL, he will not be featured again in this article series until he’s had a string of strong starts. But still, you should take a hard look at him for this week. With so many strong quarterbacks on Bye, he could be a great option.

Hail Mary Quarterback Play of the Week

Dak Prescott @ Washington Redskins – FD: $6,900 | DK: $5,300

Dak came back to life on Sunday. He passed for 185 yards with two touchdowns, and he rushed 11 times for 82 yards while running one into the endzone as well. Though his passing yardage wasn’t substantial, he was able to extend plays with his legs, and take off without much hesitation when necessary. If you recall, there was a time when Dak Prescott was considered a serious threat at quarterback. I think there’s a good chance Dak builds on his Week 6 success as he travels to the nation’s capital to take on the Cowboys’ divisional rivals. While the Skins’ run defense is stout, their defense against the pass is still something to be desired. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dak take advantage of this weakness in Week 7, and should be considered as a contrarian tournament play in DFS.

TIGHT ENDS

David Njoku @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FD: $5,700 | DK: $4,200

This is a week of rarities apparently. David Njoku is owned in nearly 75% of season long leagues. It makes him less likely to be available in those formats. If he’s still available in your season long league(s), I’d recommend picking him up. He’s about to have a string of games against favorable defenses. But, it’s worth buying in on him this week in your DFS leagues. The Bucs’ defense against the tight end position is the worst in the NFL. This will be a pass happy game, and the Browns’ receiving corps seems to be diminishing week after week. Last week Njoku was targeted twelve times, and the week before that he had eleven targets. It all bodes well for the second year tight end who is already putting together a good year (in tight end terms).

CJ Uzomah @ Kansas City Chiefs – FD: $5,400 | DK: $3,400

If you took a chance on Uzomah last week it probably paid off, or at the very least could have been much worse. He hauled in six of his seven targets for 54 yards with one dropped target in the red zone. The biggest advantage for Uzomah is that he’s the only game in town. Eifert is done for the season, and Kroft is dealing with a fracture in his foot. If you’re keeping up this leaves Uzomah as the singular tight end threat the Bengals currently have on their roster. Now the Bengals are on the road against the most explosive offense in the NFL, but one of the weaker defenses against the tight end position. This will be a shootout, and Uzomah should benefit from weak coverage as their defense will have their hands full dealing with AJ Green, Mixon, and Boyd. Uzomah should prove to be more than capable this week, and it’s worth noting that there’s a tasty Cincy stack available between him and Dalton.

Austin Hooper vs. New York Giants – FD: $5,900 | DK: $4,200

Hooper has been on fire over the last two weeks. He’s had 18 receptions on 22 targets during that span, and given the injury bug that is currently plaguing the Falcons’ offense, he should be in store for roughly the same amount of targets. With Ridley and Sanu both dealing with their respective injuries, the opportunity remains for Hooper to continue his streak of strong performances. The Giants’ defense is tougher against the tight end than Hooper’s last two opponents, but his target volume should keep him competitive.

O.J. Howard vs. Cleveland Browns – FD: $5,800 | DK: $3,600

Howard was somehow able to bounce back from the MCL sprain he suffered in Week 4, and hauled in four of four targets for 67 yards and a touchdown. A very impressive comeback from a player who I had counted out for Week 6. His production certainly ate into Brate’s targets, and will continue to do so for as long as he remains healthy and on the field. Brate is still a top red zone target for Winston, but defenses know that. They’re going to do their best to neutralize that threat, and Winston will be forced to look to his other big tight end. The upside Howard presents is significant. The defensive matchup on paper doesn’t get me excited, but Howard’s increasing involvement in this offense does.

Hail Mary Tight End Play of the Week

Evan Engram @ Atlanta Falcons – FD: $5,700 | DK: $4,300

There’s obviously the big “if” surrounding Engram’s health. But “if” he’s healthy and “if” he’s playing Engram could be worth the start. Engram hasn’t played since Week 3 when he was sidelined with an MCL sprain, but he’s been practicing with the team and looks ready for action. Engram had a good Week 2 where he racked up 67 yards on seven receptions and a score against an improved Dallas defense. The big asterisk outside of his injury is quarterback play. The Falcons’ defense against the tight end is not anything to worry about. So, naturally, if Eli has a good game against the Falcons, then odds are Engram will have a solid fantasy game as well. There’s risk in using Engram, but it’s a risk that could prove worthwhile in both season long & DFS.

QB/TE Week 7 Combo

There’s clearly a lot of stacks to choose from this week, but I think there’s one in particular that offers just a bit more upside than the others for the price. Mayfield & Njoku are heading to FL to face off against the worst defense against the pass and against the tight end. The depleted Browns’ receiving corps will keep targets going Njoku’s way, and it should be high scoring enough for him to find the endzone. Mayfield/Njoku…count it.

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