I hope you didn't start anyone on the Bears this week. If you did, you're probably fighting an uphill battle already. Thursday night games can be a fantasy dream killer.
Only two teams are on a bye this week, so that should help your roster construction. Let's look at some of the best and worst matchups for Week 7.
Start
QB Kirk Cousins vs. Lions
Did Detroit really just give up 321 yards and three touchdowns to Case Keenum? The Washington offense is rolling right now. The Lions are giving up the most fantasy points to this position. It's a great week to fire up Cousins.
QB Andy Dalton vs. Browns
You know who gives up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks? You guessed it. Cleveland has the unusual power of making any passer look like a Pro Bowl selection. The Browns have given up three passing touchdowns in four straight games, including matchups against Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota and Cousins. Plus, Tyler Eifert is back. Dalton's luck is looking up.
RB Jacquizz Rodgers at 49ers
Before Tampa's bye week, Rodgers broke the 100-yard mark in his first game as a starter for the Buccaneers. Now with Doug Martin facing a setback, Rodgers will get the nod again against the last-ranked run defense in the NFL. The 49ers have somehow allowed 27 runs of 10-plus yards. Rodgers looks like a must-start, especially if you're a PPR owner.
RB Mike Gillislee at Miami
The Dolphins are giving up an average of 147 rush yards per game. The Bills are averaging the most rushing yards per game. You don’t have to be a fantasy expert to piece this one together. LeSean McCoy injured his hamstring this week, leaving Gillislee to take over as the No. 1 back in Buffalo. He’s found the end zone in two straight games playing behind McCoy. You should be excited to see what he can do as the starter.
WR Michael Thomas at Chiefs
All this guy does is score touchdowns. Thomas has found the end zone in three straight games. The rookie is seeing more red zone targets than any Saints receiver, and he’s actually seen just five fewer targets than Brandin Cooks in 2016. Cooks tends to disappear on the road, so I’m trusting Thomas to steal the spotlight for Week 7.
WR Mike Wallace at Jets
Have you watched the Jets play in 2016? I hope not for your sake, but just to fill you in, they’ve given up 1,209 yards and eight touchdowns to wide receivers. They’re second in most fantasy points allowed per game to the position. Wallace hasn’t scored since Week 2, but this is a matchup that could get him going again. Joe Flacco is questionable for Week 7. Even if Ryan Mallett starts, though, Wallace still isn’t a bad option.
TE Hunter Henry at Falcons
Antonio Gates is back, but he hasn’t been taking away from Henry’s impact. Whether that’s because he’s not 100 percent remains to be seen, but the rookie tight end is hot right now. He’s scored in three straight games, and now he faces a Falcons defense that has been attempting to figure out how to cover tight ends for years. Five tight ends have scored on Atlanta in 2016.
TE Julius Thomas vs. Raiders
His offensive coordinator said this week he wants to get Thomas more involved. The Jaguars certainly need some kind of spark on offense. Thomas popped up on the injury report Thursday as a limited participant, but there’s no indication he’ll miss Sunday’s matchup. Oakland ranks dead last in passing defense. Time for Thomas to get going.
Sit
QB Carson Palmer vs. Seahawks
Two touchdowns in his last three games. Palmer isn’t himself right now. Seattle has only given up four passing touchdowns in 2016, and three of them came from Matt Ryan last week. It’s the David Johnson show right now in Arizona. Let him continue to dominate while Palmer sits on your bench.
QB Russell Wilson at Cardinals
Maybe just avoid all the quarterbacks for this game. Arizona’s pass defense in 2016: five touchdowns, nine interceptions. Opposing quarterbacks aren’t doing much against this secondary. It’s worth noting the list of passers Arizona has faced is a bit weak, but Wilson has been shaky himself. There are better matchups to exploit for Week 7.
RB Matt Forte vs. Ravens
Bilal Powell is seriously eating into Forte’s upside every week. Forte has only played one more snap than his backup in the last four games. The Ravens lead the league in rush defense, allowing just 70 yards per game. Considering Forte has only caught more than two passes in one game this season, you should be plugging in whatever replacement you have for him.
RB Ryan Mathews vs. Vikings
We keep hearing about how good the Vikings secondary is, but there run defense is just as impressive. Only one running back scored against the Vikings over the first five weeks of the season. Eddie Lacy holds the highest single-game rushing total with 50 yards. Mathews looked better over the last two games, but he’s heading into his toughest matchup so far.
WR Jordan Matthews vs. Vikings
I swear there’s no Eagles bias here. Matthews has posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in every game this year, but that looks like it’ll come to an end this week. The Vikings have allowed the second-fewest points per game to wide receivers. The most yards they’ve allowed to a wideout this season came against the Titans in Week 1 when Tajae Sharpe (this is not a joke) went for 76 yards. Don’t expect Matthews to do much against a team that’s seen just two wide receivers score on them in 2016.
Any Cardinals receiver not named Larry Fitzgerald (vs. Seahawks)
If we’re sitting Palmer, we’re probably not trusting his targets either. Fitzgerald has been the only consistent wide receiver for the Cardinals, but even he’s seen a few disappointing weeks. Michael Floyd hasn’t caught more than four passes in game, and John Brown has yet to find the end zone in 2016. Only three wide receivers can say they’ve scored against Seattle this season, and two of them are Brandon Marshall and Julio Jones. Even Fitz is a tough start for Week 7.
TE Kyle Rudolph at Eagles
He caught two passes for 15 yards in his last game. Rudolph was on a three-game scoring streak prior to Week 5, but owners should know the Vikings offense isn’t going to be the most consistent resource out there. The Eagles have allowed one touchdown and 102 receiving yards to tight ends in five games. I will gladly find another option.