Week 7 Fantasy Football Quarterbacks: Start/Sit

Week 6 saw plenty of exciting matchups, surprises and things to look forward to. We finally saw the highly anticipated debut of Tua for the Miami Dolphins at the end of the Jets game. Tua went to the 15 yard line after the game in honor of the injury he suffered during his college days to show that people can show endurance and power through the pain to return to playing. This past weekend also featured the return of Andy Dalton in the starting quarterback role after the horrific injury to Dak Prescott in the previous week. This weekend we will see more exciting matchups and hopefully the return of Michael Thomas from his injury in week 1 which will impact how you should set your fantasy lineups for this week. In this article, we’ll break down the players you should start in your lineup and the players you should sit. We intentionally exclude players such as Pat Mahomes and Russell Wilson who should be in your starting lineup every week. 

Quarterbacks to Start:

Tom Brady – Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a beatdown win off the former undefeated Green Bay Packers. Tom Brady and crew won this matchup 38-10 in what was supposed to be America’s game of the week. For fantasy owners of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowkski and Ronald Jones, it was certainly a field day for their performances. Brady and Gronk connected for their first touchdown of the season and their first touchdown since being former teammates on the New England Patriots. Brady had a QBR of 96.1 in his performance and is looking to capitalize off of that in his lingering matchup against the 4-2 Raiders. With Chris Godwin and Mike Evans slowly recovering, this will allow Brady to find these players open more easily and allow for more opportunities for the Tampa Bay offense to succeed. Brady will be a player worth streaming this week and someone to stash as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signed veteran wideout Antonio Brown who should make an appearance in their next matchup against the lackluster Giants. 

Justin Herbert – The rookie quarterback is still seeking his first win as the Chargers are off to a 1-4 start with their sole win in week 1 against the Bengals with Tyrod Taylor starting. All 4 of the Chargers losses have come against teams with a .500 record or better and all 4 matchups were decided by one score. Herbert has been impressive and showed signs of being a promising franchise quarterback for the Chargers who made the executive decision to ride the season out with Herbert at quarterback over Tyrod Taylor. Herbert has averaged an impressive 312 yards per game and has 10 total touchdowns. Herbert is quietly growing into a star right in front of our eyes and is a quality quarterback in most fantasy lineups as well. Herbert is set to face a Jacksonville defense who has allowed big-time games to players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Deshaun Watson and Matt Stafford which sets up Herbert perfectly to continue to be a breakout rookie. 

Matt Stafford – Stafford has been one of the most underappreciated quarterbacks in the modern football ERA. Stafford has consistently been one of the lone bright spots for the Detroit Lions throughout his career and this season is no different. Stafford is on track for a good bounce back season after his disappointing end to his season last year due to injury. The Detroit Lions are facing the Atlanta Falcons with one of the worst secondaries in the entire NFL. This game is set to be a fantasy owner’s dream as both teams have atrocious defenses. This will be the game to set Matt Stafford on the right track and the potential to win Comeback Player of the Year. 

Quarterbacks to Sit:

Teddy Bridgewater – We listed Teddy Bridgewater as someone to start for your team in week 5 and he did not disappoint. Last week, we wanted him to fade and as expected, he didn’t have a great performance against the tough Chicago Bears defense. Bridgewater has another tough matchup against division rival and former team New Orleans Saints. The Saints already know Bridgewater’s playstyle and will easily be able to adjust to playing against him. With a weak performance last week and playing against former team this week, we don’t expect Bridgewater to have the momentum he needs to get going to be a quality fantasy starter. 

Cam Newton – After a strong start to the season, Cam Newton has been a bit of a letdown. The former pro bowler is on pace for the 2nd lowest passing yards per game and 2nd lowest QBR in his entire career. Newton has only managed 2 passing touchdowns in his 4 appearances. Newton has been able to score on the ground and gaining serious yardage that way but we don’t expect this trend to continue for much longer. New England has a loaded backfield featuring White,Burkhead, Harris and Michel which is looking for one to breakout and take over the rush game. Once we see this, we should see a ripple effect with the Patriots not needing to rely on Newton to rush the ball as much. Newton should be better left on the bench or replaced with a more consistent QB. 

Ryan Tannehill – With the Tennessee Titans, Ryan Tannehill has been an absolute monster on the field. Tannehill has put up career numbers since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Titans last season. Tannehill has led the Titans to a 5-0 record to start this season and are looking to stay undefeated in a matchup of heavyweights as they face off against a fellow undefeated team in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tannehill has been playing well and deserves every bit of credit that he has truly earned for himself but this matchup against the Steelers will be one of the toughest he’s had to face as a member of the Titans. The Steelers have one of the top defenses in the entire league which will be a true test to the ability for Tannehill to succeed which he very well might do, but with the uncertainty around this, we’d recommend keeping him on the bench and going with a safer option in your lineups this week.