Fantasy Football Week 7 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Kirk Cousins 'Start of The Week' plus DFS sleepers to fire up

Cousins was a star in Week 5 against Tampa Bay with 42.4 Fantasy points, but he failed to back that up with a huge outing in Week 6 at Carolina with just 14.5 points. He'll get back on track in Week 7 against Seattle, and Cousins has top-five upside in this matchup. The Seahawks have allowed three quarterbacks in a row to score at least 26.1 Fantasy points with Jared Goff, Daniel Jones and Brock Purdy. Those quarterbacks combined for seven touchdowns and no interceptions, and each one passed for at least 255 yards. This game is projected to be one of the more high-scoring games of the week at 51 points, and Cousins should do his part for the Falcons. Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts should all have the chance to perform at a high level also, and Bijan Robinson will still get his stats, hopefully in the passing game as well. Cousins has been inconsistent as a Fantasy starter so far this season, but this matchup is too good to overlook. I'm excited to start Cousins in the majority of leagues for Week 7.

You might be concerned about Mayfield facing the Ravens, but this isn't a Baltimore defense to fear when it comes to Fantasy production. The Ravens are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and three of their past four opponents (Dak Prescott in Week 3, Joe Burrow in Week 5, and Jayden Daniels in Week 6) have scored at least 24.9 Fantasy points. Mayfield has scored at least 29.4 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and he has top-five upside in this Monday night matchup at home.

Darnold will hopefully come off his bye in Week 6, ready to go in his first NFC North game of the season. Prior to the bye, Darnold had a down game in Week 5 against the Jets in London with a season-low 4.3 Fantasy points. Prior to that, he had scored at least 23.9 Fantasy points in three games in a row, including two at home against the 49ers and Texans. The Lions defense is tough, but Detroit just lost standout pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson (leg) for the season. And this game has one of the highest projected totals of the week at 50 points, so Darnold has the chance for another top-10 finish in Week 7.

Richardson (oblique) is expected to play after missing the past two games, and I'm excited to see him in this matchup. While the Dolphins are actually No. 1 in the fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, that mostly has to do with teams running on them. Richardson should have a hand in the ground attack for the Colts, especially if Jonathan Taylor (ankle) remains out. Richardson only has one game this season with more than 12 Fantasy points, which was Week 1 at Houston when he scored 30.1 points, but this week, he should remind Fantasy owners of his breakout potential. I would trust him as a No. 1 quarterback in all leagues.

Smith is still looking for his first game this season with multiple passing touchdowns, and hopefully, that comes in Week 7 against Atlanta. The Falcons have actually allowed two quarterbacks in a row in, Baker Mayfield and Andy Dalton, to combine for five passing touchdowns, and three quarterbacks in the past five games have scored at least 20.4 Fantasy points. Despite not throwing for multiple touchdowns in a game this season, Smith has still scored at least 23.6 Fantasy points in two of his past three outings. This game has an expected point total of 51, so Smith should have the chance for a strong performance on the road.

Goff is hot right now, having scored at least 31.1 Fantasy points in consecutive games against the Seahawks and Cowboys. This is a tougher opponent in the Vikings, who have only allowed Jordan Love in Week 4 to score more than 16 Fantasy points this season, but I'm still trusting Goff in this NFC North showdown. The expected point total in this game is 50 points, and Goff has 607 passing yards, five touchdowns, and no interceptions in his past two outings. Goff should excel in this shootout on the road.

Mahomes had a big game against the 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII with 333 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception, along with nine carries for 66 yards. I wish that guy would show up more often because Mahomes has been a bad Fantasy quarterback this season, with 20.4 points in Week 3 at Atlanta, his season-high, and he scored 17.1 points or less in his four other outings. Two quarterbacks have scored more than 20 Fantasy points against San Francisco this season, and it's hard to trust Mahomes in this matchup on the road.

Jones scored 11.8 Fantasy points in Week 6 against Cincinnati, which is the best game at home this year. He has no passing touchdowns and four interceptions in three games against Minnesota, Dallas, and Cincinnati, and he also scored fewer than 10 Fantasy points in two home games in 2023. Jones should get Malik Nabers (concussion) back in Week 7, which is a positive, but the Giants just lost left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot), which is tough to overcome. The Eagles matchup isn't daunting, but Jones' struggles at home and being without Thomas make Jones only an option in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 7.

Murray has scored 16.8 Fantasy points or less in four of six games this season, and he's becoming tough to trust in one-quarterback leagues. And heading into Week 7 against the Chargers, Murray could be without Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion). The Chargers have allowed just two quarterbacks to score more than 15 Fantasy points this season, and Murray is only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 7, especially if Harrison is out.

It's exciting that Rodgers got Davante Adams this week via trade from Las Vegas. And having Adams, Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard, Breece Hall, and Tyler Conklin will make stopping the Jets tough. But let's see how this works first, especially in a tough matchup against the Steelers. Pittsburgh allows just an average of 14.4 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks for the season, and only two quarterbacks have topped 20 Fantasy points against the Steelers this year. I like Rodgers moving forward, and you can start him in deeper leagues in Week 7. But he could also struggle, even with Adams, and keep in mind that he has four touchdowns and four interceptions in his past two games against the Vikings and Bills. I would only start Rodgers in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.

Mostert might be the lead running back for the Dolphins in Week 7 against the Colts if De'Von Achane (concussion) is out, which would make him a must-start option in all leagues. Even if Achane plays, Mostert would be at least a flex, and he had 19 carries for 80 yards and two catches for 18 yards in Week 5 at New England, which is the game where Achane was injured. Four running backs this season have scored at least 15.1 PPR points against the Colts, including two in a row with Tank Bigsby and Tony Pollard.

Robinson is expected to play in Week 7 against the Panthers after sitting out Week 6 against Baltimore with a knee injury. Carolina has allowed six running backs in the past three games to score at least 14.5 PPR points, and eight running backs have reached that total this season. It makes Austin Ekeler a flex option as well even if Robinson is active, and Robinson has scored at least 13.8 PPR points in four of five games this year. I like Robinson as a borderline No. 1 running back in all leagues in Week 7.

Travis Etienne (hamstring) isn't expected to play in Week 7 against the Patriots in London, which makes Bigsby a No. 2 running back in all leagues. New England has allowed six running backs to score at least 14.1 PPR points this season, and five running backs have gained at least 77 total yards against the Patriots in the past three games. Bigsby will share touches with D'Ernest Johnson in place of Etienne, and Johnson should be considered a flex option in all leagues. But I expect Bigsby to get 15-plus touches in this matchup, and he should deliver a quality stat line in all leagues.

Brown is the running back to trust for the Bengals this week and hopefully for the rest of the season, and he's worth using as a No. 2 running back in all leagues in Week 7 against the Browns. Brown has scored at least 14.4 PPR points in three games in a row, and he did well in tough matchups against the Ravens and Giants in each of the past two outings. The Browns aren't an easy matchup, but the Commanders had three rushing touchdowns against Cleveland in Week 5. And four running backs this season have scored at least 12.9 PPR points against the Browns.

It's great to have Chubb back in action in Week 7, and he'll make his long-awaited 2024 debut against the Bengals. I'm willing to trust Chubb as a No. 2 running back in all leagues, and it helps that Jerome Ford (hamstring) is expected to be out for Cleveland in this game. The Browns offensive line has been a problem this season, but this is a great matchup for Chubb. A running back has scored at least 13.7 PPR points against Cincinnati in every game this season, and I'm sure the Browns will try to get Chubb in the end zone this week.

We'll see what happens with James Cook (toe) this week, and if he's able to play against the Titans. If Davis starts again for Cook then I would only use him as a flex in the majority of leagues. He was awesome filling in for Cook against the Jets in Week 6 with 20 carries for 97 yards and three catches for 55 yards on three targets. But the Titans have allowed just one rushing touchdown to a running back this year, and no running back has topped 62 rushing yards, including matchups with D'Andre Swift, Breece Hall, Josh Jacobs and De'Von Achane. Davis is a risky starter even if Cook is still out.

We'll see what happens with Jordan Mason (shoulder) this week, but I would only use Guerendo as a flex if Mason can't play. While Guerendo did well in place of Mason in Week 6 against Seattle, keep in mind that he had 76 rushing yards to end the game, and he didn't have a target. Prior to that big run, he had nine carries for 23 yards, and he split playing time with Patrick Taylor. The Chiefs also are No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Guerendo will be tough to trust even if Mason is out. No running back has gained more than 46 yards on the ground against Kansas City, including matchups with Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, J.K. Dobbins and Alvin Kamara.

We'll see what happens with Aaron Jones (hip) this week, and if he's out then Chandler will likely start in his place. Newly acquired Cam Akers could also have a role, and this could be a messy backfield against Detroit. The Lions are also No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Chandler wasn't exactly great in Week 5 against the Jets after Jones got hurt. He had 14 carries for 30 yards and two catches for 9 yards on two targets, and I would only use Chandler as a flex this week if he starts in place of Jones.

We'll see what happens with Rachaad White (foot) this week against the Ravens, but even if he's out, Irving will share touches with Sean Tucker. And this could be a messy backfield in a tough matchup against Baltimore. The Ravens are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Tucker could get more work in the passing game then Irving. He had 18.5 PPR points in Week 6 at New Orleans, but Tucker was better with 34.2 PPR points. Even if White is out again, Irving and Tucker should be considered flex options at best, with Irving getting the slight nod if you have to decide between the two.

We'll see what happens with Rachaad White (foot) this week against the Ravens, but even if he's out, Irving will share touches with Sean Tucker. And this could be a messy backfield in a tough matchup against Baltimore. The Ravens are No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Tucker could get more work in the passing game then Irving. He had 18.5 PPR points in Week 6 at New Orleans, but Tucker was better with 34.2 PPR points. Even if White is out again, Irving and Tucker should be considered flex options at best, with Irving getting the slight nod if you have to decide between the two.

Mooney had a down game in Week 6 at Carolina with 6.8 PPR points, but prior to that he had scored at least 14.6 PPR points in three of his previous four outings. I expect him to get back on track in Week 7 against Seattle. The Seahawks have allowed five receivers to score at least 16.0 PPR points in the past three games against the Lions, Giants and 49ers, and I expect Mooney and Drake London to both perform at a high level in this matchup at home.

The last time we saw Smith-Schuster in Week 5 against the Saints he looked awesome with seven catches for 130 yards on eight targets, and I'm excited to see what he can do against the 49ers coming off the bye in Week 6. San Francisco has allowed six receivers to score at least 12.8 PPR points this season, and I expect Patrick Mahomes to lean on Smith-Schuster and Travis Kelce a lot in this matchup. Smith-Schuster is worth trusting as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.

Robinson scored just 10 PPR points in Week 6 against Cincinnati with five catches for 50 yards, but he had 11 targets. That's now three games this season with at least 11 targets, and he had at least eight targets in all but one game. Malik Nabers (concussion) is expected to return in Week 7 against the Eagles, but Daniel Jones will still lean on Robinson quite a bit. He's worth starting in all PPR leagues, and the Eagles are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers this season.

In the first game without Nico Collins (hamstring) in Week 6 at New England, Dell stepped up with seven catches for 57 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. It was his most targets in a game this season, and he scored his first touchdown. Dell should continue to be a go-to option for C.J. Stroud against the Packers, and Green Bay has allowed eight receivers to score at least 12.5 PPR points this season. I like Dell as a No. 2 receiver in all leagues in this potential shootout.

I don't love that Williams has received four targets or less in three games in a row against Arizona, Seattle and Dallas. I do love that despite the low volume, he still scored at least 16.0 PPR points in two of those outings. And now he's facing a Vikings defense in Week 7 that is No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. A pair of receivers has scored at least 12.6 PPR points in each of Minnesota's past three games against Houston, Green Bay and the Jets, with five receiving touchdowns over that span. This should be a good outing for Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown in a shootout.

Pittman played in Week 6 against Tennessee despite his back injury, and he scored a touchdown for the second game in a row. But both of those touchdowns came with Joe Flacco under center, and now Anthony Richardson (oblique) is back. In three games with Richardson, Pittman scored 7.6 PPR points or less, so I would only use Pittman in three-receiver leagues. I like Josh Downs better than Pittman, but keep in mind that Miami is No. 3 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers.

There could be a squeaky wheel game coming for Ridley after he complained about his targets in Week 6 against Indianapolis, but he got eight targets and didn't record a catch. Part of that is how bad Will Levis is playing this season, but Ridley is also not performing well. For the season, Ridley has one game with more than 8.0 PPR points, and he combined for 5.3 PPR points in his past three games against Green Bay, Miami and the Colts. There's little reason to trust Ridley right now heading into Week 7 at Buffalo, and I wouldn't start him in three-receiver leagues.

Evan Engram returned from his four-game absence with a hamstring injury in Week 6 against Chicago, and Kirk had just three catches for 39 yards on six targets. This is an easier matchup in Week 7 against New England, but I would only use Kirk in three-receiver leagues. Brian Thomas Jr. should get back on track against the Patriots, and it's doubtful Engram will have a reduced role. Kirk is the third option at best, and I'm not willing to trust him in most formats this week.

We have one more week until Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) is eligible to return, and then we can start trusting Waddle and Tyreek Hill again. I'll stick with Hill as a No. 2 receiver in most leagues, but I'm only using Waddle in a desperate situation in three-receiver formats. Including the Week 2 game against Buffalo when Tagovailoa was injured, Waddle has scored 8.6 PPR points or less in each outing. He needs Tagovailoa back, and hopefully that happens in Week 8. For now, keep Waddle reserved in most leagues, even in a favorable matchup against the Colts.

Aiyuk only had three catches for 49 yards on six targets in Super Bowl LVIII against the Chiefs, and I'm afraid he could post a similar stat line in Week 7. Aiyuk is only worth starting in three-receiver leagues. For the season, Aiyuk has scored 9.8 PPR points or less in all but one game, and he has four games with five targets or fewer. The Chiefs are No. 7 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and it's tough to call Aiyuk a must-start Fantasy option with how he's performed all year. Deebo Samuel should do well in his role for the 49ers, but Fantasy managers should use caution with Aiyuk in this matchup.