Bold Predictions for Week 7
Oh boy, last week was rough. I feel as though Week 6 was a weird week for everyone in fantasy football, but that’s no excuse. Let’s start out with the hits from last week. The Bills took care of business and beat the Chiefs while holding Patrick Mahomes to two touchdowns. That’s it, that was the only hit. Now let’s look at the misses. Mike Evans was not able to take advantage of a really great matchup, The Eagles did not lose their first game of the season, the Broncos did not show signs of life (at least not in the last three quarters), Dalvin Cook was only able to score one touchdown, and Zach Ertz was not fantasy’s best tight end in Week 6. Did you get all of that? Needless to say, my bold predictions in Week 6 absolutely flopped. But hey, we live to fight another day. Let’s get into some bold predictions for Week 7 in the NFL.
Ezekiel Elliott Finishes Inside the Top 12 for the week
The time machine was up and running for the three-time Pro Bowl running back during the Sunday Night Football game last week. Against a tough Philadelphia defense, he rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries. Even with the negative game script, Elliott found a way to be fantasy relevant. He broke away for a 14-yard score in the 3rd quarter, showing some burst that hasn’t made an appearance since early last season. This week, the 27-year-old will look to build on his season-best performance and take advantage of what looks to be the worst run defense in all of football. The Detroit Lions have allowed the most rushing yards per game and the most rushing touchdowns in the NFL. They are awful against the run and Ezekiel Elliott is finally hitting his stride. This is a recipe for a boom week in what should be a positive game script from the kickoff for the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott is likely to return this week, giving the entire offense a boost. I can’t think of a better week to play Elliott and actually have high expectations. I expect a couple of big runs from Zeke and another score as he looks to continue his momentum from last week.
San Francisco Clamps Down on Mahomes and Company
Similar to what Buffalo did last week, San Francisco should be able to shut down the run game in Kansas City. No, there’s not much to really shut down anyways, but that just makes it easier to lock in on Patrick Mahomes and company. Through seven weeks, San Francisco allows the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and the seventh-fewest to Tight Ends. In no sense of the word can you shut down Patrick Mahomes or Travis Kelce, but I do think the 49ers will make it extremely difficult to move the ball against them. Another key component of their defense is their running game on offense. If they can churn out first downs and play keep away from Mahomes, they should be able to control the time of possession. That’s usually every team’s game plan, but the 49ers can really run the football. I expect this to be an ugly win for San Francisco, holding Patrick Mahomes to two or fewer touchdowns with none of them going to Travis Kelce.
Denver Fails to Score a Touchdown
As much stress and disappointment, this team has caused me so far this season, I still think Russell Wilson and the Broncos figure it out and show signs of life at some point this season. However, it won’t be against the New York Jets this week. Sauce Gardner and the Jets’ secondary is the real deal and they are about to play the second-lowest-scoring offense in the NFL. Even in a plus matchup against the Chargers last week, they looked below average-at best. The offensive line is banged up, Javonte Williams is out for the season, and Russell Wilson is cooked, as opposed to doing the cooking. If they can’t get it done against a weak defense, what do you think will happen against a good one? I’m expecting Denver to be shut out from the endzone in what will be another big win for the red-hot Jets and another loss for the struggling Broncos. ‘Broncos Country’ will not be riding this week, but maybe one day.
Lamar Jackson gets Back on Track and Finishes as QB1 in Week 7
Not too long ago, Lamar Jackson was setting the league on fire with his ridiculous numbers. Through three weeks, he had 10 passing touchdowns and two rushing scores. He looked to be an absolute touchdown machine early on. Since then, he’s scored three total touchdowns in three weeks with none of them coming from the ground. The Raven’s offense in general has been tough to watch. However, things could look different this week. One of Lamar’s favorite targets so far this season, Rashod Bateman, has a chance to return from a two-game absence. This is huge considering the big play ability he’s flashed this season. Another big piece returning to form is offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, who was limited in Week 5 and played more in Week 6. These are two pieces Lamar hasn’t really had at full strength over the last three games. It also doesn’t hurt that Cleveland could be without Denzel Ward and Jadeveon Clowney, while Myles Garrett looks to play but could be limited this week. So, we could see Lamar with a healthy offensive line and his weapons back, playing against a banged-up Brown defense. I think Lamar Jackson totals 350 yards with two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
Nick Chubb is Bottled Up Again
Last week was rough for Nick Chubb and the Cleveland ground game. He averaged a season-low 4.67 yards per carry on a season-low 12 carries in what was a negative game script throughout. Entering this week, I don’t expect things to get much better. Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller left the game in a walking boot last week and is not trending toward playing. Another red flag for the Browns this week is a possible negative game script again. As I mentioned earlier in this article, Baltimore is entering this week looking healthier and I expect a big game out of Lamar Jackson. This does not bode well for Chubb and his opportunities. If Cleveland faces another deficit, Kareem Hunt will be their guy in the backfield considering his pass-catching ability. I think it’s also worth mentioning that when they do run, they won’t be facing a cupcake rush defense. The Ravens allow the 7th fewest rushing yards per game in the NFL. With a lower floor due to a negative game script and a tough matchup against the Ravens, lower your expectations for Nick Chubb this week.
Aaron Rodgers and the Passing Game Find Their Footing
This has been a rough start to the season for Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense. The running game can’t seem to get going and there hasn’t been a lot of production for the receivers. However, things could turn around this week against Washington.
Rodgers and the Packers desperately need this win and they should be looking to take advantage of a good matchup where they can do some damage through the air. I think this is the week that the receivers finally gain some trust from their quarterback. The Commanders have been very generous to opposing QBs this season, giving up the fourth most passing touchdowns in the league. I expect Aaron Rodgers to spread the ball around and throw touchdowns to three different pass catchers. Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs should get plenty of opportunities and I think Robert Tonyan will be the recipient of a red zone score against a weak secondary.
