Best NFL Fantasy Football Starts for Week 7 (2017)

Week 7 in the NFL, which begins tonight with the Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) on the road the play the Oakland Raiders (2-4), includes two teams with byes. So, fantasy football owners should have their full rosters going into the weekend. This is a good thing, because, in Week 6, F&TS lost its first matchup of the year. This week, we compare our picks against FoxSports’ fantasy football analysts. As you know, we scour the Internet in search of the best NFL Fantasy Football starts for the week. Good luck in selecting your lineup.

Fantasy Football Starts at Quarterback

Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans ) at the Cleveland Browns

Fox Sports notes, the Cleveland Browns have yielded the second-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing QBs and have given up the most passing TDs (14). A lot like the San Francisco 49ers, it’s hard to pick against any playmakers versus the woeful team from Believe-Land. But, a few words of caution for general managers. Marcus Mariota is recovering from a hamstring injury and is not at 100%. But, that’s all we can think of.

Our Pick:

Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) at San Francisco 49ers

The legal drama for running back Ezekiel Elliot continues to play out week after week, so the success of the Dallas’ offense will rest more on the right arm of Prescott. NFL.com notes, Prescott completed 25 of 36 passes for 251 yards, three touchdowns…during Sunday’s 35-31 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He added 37 rushing yards and a score on four carries. We expect Prescott to score over 20 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues.

Fantasy Football Starts at Running Back

Adrian Peterson (Arizona Cardinals) at LA Rams

Fox Sports is recommending Adrian Peterson based solely on his phenomenal Week 6 Arizona debut. The Cardinals have tweaked their offensive line, and the LA Rams have given up the most FPPG to RBs, 4.8 yards per carry (YPC), and 140 rushing yards per game. But, let’s pump the breaks on a Peterson resurgence. It’s a road game and the Rams’ defense saw the film from AP’s Week 6 debut. We expect the gameplan to focus on containing his impact.

Our Pick:

Doug Martin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) at Buffalo Bills

We are strictly making this pick based on two factors. The Bills defense is ranked 17th against the run and quarterback Jameis Winston may not suit up on Sunday afternoon. So, we expect Martin to get a lot of touches. At the very least, he should be a solid play in PPR leagues. With apologies to ESPN, F&TS doesn’t expect the Bucs to air it out with quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald (see his career INT numbers). We predict Doug Martin will bounce back from a slow Week 6.

Fantasy Football at Wide Receiver

Cooper Kupp (LA Rams) versus the Arizona Cardinals

We admit we love this Fox Sports‘ pick. The Cardinals may face the Rams without star CB Patrick Peterson, who re-injured a quad. Arizona has allowed the second-most passing TDs (13) in football, and Kupp leads the Rams in red-zone targets. But, would Peterson have covered Kupp? If healthy, Peterson will probably cover Sammy Watkins or Robert Woods. Kupp will have the freedom to operate running routes from the slot position of the offense.

Our Pick:

Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys) at San Francisco 49ers

Read our explanation for starting Dak Prescott. Do you have the balls to do a double start?