Week 7 could be a difficult one for fantasy football owners, especially when it comes to wide receivers. With the Panthers, Browns, Buccaneers and Steelers all on a bye, some top-notch receivers will not be available.
If you have Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Odell Beckham Jr., Jarvis Landry, Curtis Samuel, DJ Moore or JuJu Smith-Schuster, you may be scrambling for a sleeper at wide receiver. In our weekly list of 11 fantasy sleepers, we provide some possibilities at wide receiver as well as other positions.
11. Jaron Brown, WR, Seattle Seahawks
There’s still a chance Brown isn’t even on a roster in your league. If that’s the case, run out and grab him immediately. If he does happen to be on your roster, you might want to start him this week when the Seahawks play Baltimore. After not catching a pass in the first two weeks, Brown has gradually taken on a bigger role in the offense. He hit his apex in Week 6 against the Browns. He only caught three passes, but two were for touchdowns. Brown has earned the trust of quarterback Russell Wilson, and that means more passes should be thrown his way.
10. Jamison Crowder, WR, New York Jets
Robby Anderson is the big-name receiver for the Jets, so he can’t really be considered a sleeper. But Crowder can be, and even though the Jets play New England on Monday night, Crowder could be worth a start. He’s coming off a six-catch, 98-yard game in a win against Dallas. While quarterback Sam Darnold was out with mononucleosis, it was foolish to start any wide receiver for the Jets. But Darnold is back at full strength now, and that’s only going to help Crowder.
9. James White, RB, New England Patriots
White has little value as a runner; he’s carried only nine times in the past three games. But he’s become one of the league’s top receiving backs. He’s coming off a season-high nine catches against the Giants, and the Patriots are likely to keep him involved in a similar manner against the Jets.
8. Ryquell Armstead, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Leonard Fournette obviously will get the bulk of the carries. But we’re putting Armstead on this list because of this week’s matchup against Cincinnati. The Bengals defense has been destroyed in fantasy by rushing performances, and backup running backs have flourished at times because Cincinnati usually falls behind. That means Armstead, who averages 4.5 yards per carry, should get additional touches this week.
7. Anthony Miller, WR, Chicago Bears
Miller has only eight catches on the season, but his role has increased slightly the past two games, and that could continue against New Orleans. Chicago’s Allen Robinson is likely to be covered by Marshon Lattimore most of the game. So Robinson may be quiet. Miller could have a nice matchup after the news that New Orleans cornerback P.J. Williams has been suspended for two games. Miller probably will draw coverage from a combination of Patrick Robinson and Ken Crawley.
6. Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook still is the feature back. But Mattison is a guy worth keeping an eye on. Now that quarterback Kirk Cousins actually has shown he can throw the ball, things are going to open up for the running game. Cook will get the bulk of the carries. But Mattison is carving out a niche. In Week 6, Mattison got 14 carries and produced 63 yards. He’s averaging 5.25 yards per carry on the season, and his touches could increase against Detroit this week.
5. Damiere Byrd, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Byrd missed two games with an injury, and the Cardinals eased him back into the rotation against the Falcons on Sunday. He caught two passes for 60 yards. With rookie quarterback Kyler Murray starting to hit his stride, Byrd’s role could increase. And you have to like this week’s matchup, because the Giants have one of the weakest pass defenses in the league.
4. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, New Orleans Saints
Even though Bridgewater has gained plenty of attention in reality football, he’s still vastly overlooked in fantasy, where only a small percentage of owners even have him on their team. That’s a mistake, because Bridgewater is a solid No. 2 quarterback and is a good player to start if your regular quarterback is on a bye or injured. The Saints have loosened up their offense the past two weeks, allowing Bridgewater to throw more often. He could be a good quarterback to start against Chicago this week.
3. Auden Tate, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Tate is coming off his best game of the season. He caught five passes for 91 yards against Baltimore. The only drawback to Tate is that he’s only found the end zone once this season. But he’s going to get his share of catches because the Bengals are usually playing from behind. There’s no reason to believe things will be much different this week against Jacksonville.
2. Tavon Austin, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Austin is a deep sleeper, because he has only eight catches on the season. But he could take on a significant role this week against Philadelphia. The Cowboys have injury problems at receiver. Amari Cooper and Randall Cobb are banged up. Keep a close eye on the Dallas injury report. If Cooper and/or Cobb are going to be out, Austin could be worth playing.
1. Joe Flacco, QB, Denver Broncos
Flacco’s passing numbers have been down a bit the past two weeks, but that’s only because the Broncos have been winning and haven’t to throw a lot. But that should change Thursday night against Kansas City. Another plus for Flacco is that it looks as if receiver Emmanuel Sanders will be healthy this week. Flacco is not a guy you want to start regularly, but this could be a good week.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
