It feels as if this fantasy football season has already been a war of attrition. Injuries and inconsistency have led many of us to start players we would not have pictured ourselves doing so over the summer. Throw in six teams on a bye this week, and that is magnified a bit more. Look no further than this week’s running back rankings to prove that point. About half of the running backs currently in the top-100 overall were not under serious consideration as fantasy commodities back in August or early September. Most of us would not have believed back then that players such as Chuba Hubbard, Darrel Williams, and Cordarrelle Patterson would be potential RB1s by this point in the season. But here we are, so buckle up.
Wide receiver and tight end feel a bit safer relative to preseason expectations. But there are still quite a few players who have surprised me to this point. That has been the case both in good ways and bad. Tim Patrick and Ricky Seals-Jones were among the waiver wire darlings who hit paydirt last week. Meanwhile, players such as Julio Jones and Jonnu Smith have struggled to reach expectations in their new digs. Where do these players land in the landscape of Week 7 Flex plays? Keep reading to find out where I have these players (as well as others on your roster) ranked for the upcoming week of action.
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Running Back Notes
I did not include Saquon Barkley in my Week 7 Flex rankings. That can change, of course, if we get good news on his injury status. For the moment, though, I am not expecting him to suit up. Devontae Booker had 16 of the Giants’ 21 running back opportunities last week. Unfortunately for those who started him, one of the other five was a goal-line carry by Elijhaa Penny that resulted in a score. Both Booker and Penny finished inside the top-30 in half-PPR scoring last week. For Week 7, Booker is the one you want based on his expected role in the offense. The issue for this week is that his matchup is not ideal. Carolina has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Booker should still be an RB2, but the ceiling may not be as high this week.
The Arizona Cardinals are the league’s only undefeated team, but their backfield has not necessarily produced in the manner in which many of us expected. James Conner leads the team in carries and rushing touchdowns through six games. I did not consider him much of a threat to Chase Edmonds coming into the year. But Arizona clearly likes what they have seen from Conner, and it is hard to argue with the results. That Edmonds is dealing with a shoulder injury probably does not help matters. Arizona only gave Edmonds eight opportunities in last week’s victory. Meanwhile, Conner got 17 total touches. To be credit, he is running hard and is proving worthy of the additional work. I have Conner ahead of Edmonds this week, but both Cardinals running backs are in the RB2 range against an overmatched Houston Texans defensive front.
The backfield situations in Seattle and Washington are a bit murky. I currently have Alex Collins inside my top-20 running backs, but there is a very real chance he misses this game due to his hip injury. Even if he does play, he is likely to be extremely limited. I would try to avoid playing him if possible. But fantasy managers may not have much of a choice given the minefield that is the running back position. Antonio Gibson had an MRI on his shin and his availability for Week 7 is also in doubt. I have much more faith in J.D. McKissic as a fantasy viable option than any of the Seahawks’ backs. McKissic has proven he can be an asset even if Gibson is active, so he is certainly worthy of Flex consideration this week. I have both in the low-RB2 range for now.
Wide Receiver Notes
Could this be the week that Allen Robinson finally breaks out? I suppose that depends on your definition of a breakout. I currently have Robinson in the WR3 range, which is higher than the level he has produced this year. It is also higher than where I usually rank him. Chicago plays Tampa Bay this week, and opponents largely eschew the run in favor of the pass against the defending Super Bowl Champions. If the Bears follow suit, Robinson could be given more opportunities. Tampa’s cornerbacks have been solid this season, but have still allowed the fourth-most receptions and fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. If it doesn’t happen this week for Robinson, I don’t know if it ever will, and I would try to sell high on him if he does finally provide a top-20 or 30 finish this week.
Jaylen Waddle had his second double-digit catch game of the season last week. Oddly enough, the 70 receiving yards Waddle had were a season-high. Miami may be getting DeVante Parker and Preston Williams back from their respective injuries against the Atlanta Falcons. Having said that, I like Waddle’s chances of producing at a high level again this week. The expected presence of Parker and/or Williams may serve to benefit Waddle. If either or both are active, they will likely occupy A.J. Terrell, who is Atlanta’s best corner. That would allow Waddle to do his thing underneath in the slot against fellow rookie Richie Grant. I ranked both Waddle and Parker as top-36 options this week. I expect Williams to remain inactive but may add him as a lower-tier option when I update these rankings on Sunday.
As I mentioned last week, it is tricky to figure out which Cardinals receiver besides DeAndre Hopkins to trust in a given week. The Cardinals had three top-20 fantasy wideouts against Cleveland, as Hopkins, Christian Kirk and A.J. Green caught touchdown passes in Arizona’s victory, while Rondale Moore was the odd man out. I currently have all four Arizona receivers inside my top-40 at the position, because the upside is certainly there. However, keep in mind that the odds of all four hitting (not to mention their two running backs, and newly-acquired tight end Zach Ertz) are low. Hopkins is the only one who is a no-brainer start. That is especially true given the revenge narrative on tap for “Nuk” in Week 7. I would not be surprised to see the Cardinals force-feed Hopkins some end-zone looks against his former team.
Tight End Notes
With the aforementioned Ertz now playing in the desert, both he and Dallas Goedert should be more stable fantasy plays going forward. However, there are some potential issues for both this week. Goedert is scheduled to come off the reserve/Covid list, but we will have to make sure of his status before Sunday. He has an excellent matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Vegas surrenders the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and teams have attacked linebacker Cory Littleton with great success. Littleton has been targeted on 20 percent of routes run, which is the second-highest number in the league, and he has allowed the fourth-most yards per route run. I have Goedert as my TE10 for now but there is a chance he moves up a notch or two provided a clean bill of health heading into Week 7.
As for Ertz, he faces a Houston team that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to tight ends. However, I don’t know how confident I would be in starting Ertz this week. He is on a brand new team and must learn a new offense. There are also plenty of mouths to feed in the Cardinals offense. You could make a legitimate case for starting two of Arizona’s running backs and four of their wide receivers. That does not leave a whole lot of room for tight end production. To be fair, Maxx Williams had 15 receptions over three weeks before his injury, so the former Eagle can produce right away. I currently have him grouped with Robert Tonyan and Evan Engram, so I can certainly see chasing Ertz’s upside given the disappointment of the other two tight ends to date.
Week 7 Flex Rankings
Check out our other Week 7 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Kicker | D/ST | PPR | Flex
More fantasy football fun for Week 7: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Targets | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | QB Streamers | D/ST Streamers |
| Rank | Player | Pos | Team | Opp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Derrick Henry | RB1 | TEN | KC |
| 2 | Davante Adams | WR1 | GB | WAS |
| 3 | Cooper Kupp | WR2 | LAR | DET |
| 4 | Alvin Kamara | RB2 | NO | @SEA |
| 5 | Tyreek Hill | WR3 | KC | @TEN |
| 6 | Aaron Jones | RB3 | GB | WAS |
| 7 | Darrell Henderson | RB4 | LAR | DET |
| 8 | Leonard Fournette | RB5 | TB | CHI |
| 9 | Travis Kelce | TE1 | KC | @TEN |
| 10 | D.J. Moore | WR4 | CAR | @NYG |
| 11 | Jonathan Taylor | RB6 | IND | @SF |
| 12 | Chuba Hubbard | RB7 | CAR | @NYG |
| 13 | Deebo Samuel | WR5 | SF | IND |
| 14 | D'Andre Swift | RB8 | DET | @LAR |
| 15 | Josh Jacobs | RB9 | LV | PHI |
| 16 | Darrel Williams | RB10 | KC | @TEN |
| 17 | Cordarrelle Patterson | RB11 | ATL | @MIA |
| 18 | DeAndre Hopkins | WR6 | ARI | HOU |
| 19 | Ja'Marr Chase | WR7 | CIN | @BAL |
| 20 | Joe Mixon | RB12 | CIN | @BAL |
| 21 | Calvin Ridley | WR8 | ATL | @MIA |
| 22 | A.J. Brown | WR9 | TEN | KC |
| 23 | Darren Waller | TE2 | LV | PHI |
| 24 | Terry McLaurin | WR10 | WAS | @GB |
| 25 | Damien Harris | RB13 | NE | NYJ |
| 26 | Robert Woods | WR11 | LAR | DET |
| 27 | Mike Evans | WR12 | TB | CHI |
| 28 | Antonio Brown | WR13 | TB | CHI |
| 29 | Brandin Cooks | WR14 | HOU | @ARI |
| 30 | DK Metcalf | WR15 | SEA | NO |
| 31 | Chris Godwin | WR16 | TB | CHI |
| 32 | James Conner | RB14 | ARI | HOU |
| 33 | Courtland Sutton | WR17 | DEN | @CLE |
| 34 | Marquise Brown | WR18 | BAL | CIN |
| 35 | Mark Andrews | TE3 | BAL | CIN |
| 36 | Miles Sanders | RB15 | PHI | @LV |
| 37 | Elijah Mitchell | RB16 | SF | IND |
| 38 | Sterling Shepard | WR19 | NYG | CAR |
| 39 | DeVonta Smith | WR20 | PHI | @LV |
| 40 | D'Ernest Johnson | RB17 | CLE | DEN |
| 41 | Devontae Booker | RB18 | NYG | CAR |
| 42 | Jakobi Meyers | WR21 | NE | NYJ |
| 43 | Tyler Lockett | WR22 | SEA | NO |
| 44 | Alex Collins | RB19 | SEA | NO |
| 45 | Jaylen Waddle | WR23 | MIA | ATL |
| 46 | Mike Davis | RB20 | ATL | @MIA |
| 47 | Michael Pittman Jr. | WR24 | IND | @SF |
| 48 | Chase Edmonds | RB21 | ARI | HOU |
| 49 | Tee Higgins | WR25 | CIN | @BAL |
| 50 | Henry Ruggs | WR26 | LV | PHI |
| 51 | Hunter Renfrow | WR27 | LV | PHI |
| 52 | Kyle Pitts | TE4 | ATL | @MIA |
| 53 | Michael Carter | RB22 | NYJ | @NE |
| 54 | Antonio Gibson | RB23 | WAS | @GB |
| 55 | Allen Robinson | WR28 | CHI | @TB |
| 56 | Corey Davis | WR29 | NYJ | @NE |
| 57 | T.J. Hockenson | TE5 | DET | @LAR |
| 58 | J.D. McKissic | RB24 | WAS | @GB |
| 59 | Javonte Williams | RB25 | DEN | @CLE |
| 60 | Darnell Mooney | WR30 | CHI | @TB |
| 61 | DeVante Parker | WR31 | MIA | ATL |
| 62 | Mike Gesicki | TE6 | MIA | ATL |
| 63 | Tyler Boyd | WR32 | CIN | @BAL |
| 64 | Mecole Hardman | WR33 | KC | @TEN |
| 65 | Tim Patrick | WR34 | DEN | @CLE |
| 66 | Marquez Callaway | WR35 | NO | @SEA |
| 67 | A.J. Green | WR36 | ARI | HOU |
| 68 | Robby Anderson | WR37 | CAR | @NYG |
| 69 | Melvin Gordon | RB26 | DEN | @CLE |
| 70 | Christian Kirk | WR38 | ARI | HOU |
| 71 | Myles Gaskin | RB27 | MIA | ATL |
| 72 | A.J. Dillon | RB28 | GB | WAS |
| 73 | Noah Fant | TE7 | DEN | @CLE |
| 74 | Rondale Moore | WR39 | ARI | HOU |
| 75 | Tyler Higbee | TE8 | LAR | DET |
| 76 | Odell Beckham | WR40 | CLE | DEN |
| 77 | Jamison Crowder | WR41 | NYJ | @NE |
| 78 | Kalif Raymond | WR42 | DET | @LAR |
| 79 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR43 | DET | @LAR |
| 80 | Hunter Henry | TE9 | NE | NYJ |
| 81 | Khalil Herbert | RB29 | CHI | @TB |
| 82 | Nelson Agholor | WR44 | NE | NYJ |
| 83 | Brandon Aiyuk | WR45 | SF | IND |
| 84 | Dallas Goedert | TE10 | PHI | @LV |
| 85 | Van Jefferson | WR46 | LAR | DET |
| 86 | Julio Jones | WR47 | TEN | KC |
| 87 | Ricky Seals-Jones | TE11 | WAS | @GB |
| 88 | Quez Watkins | WR48 | PHI | @LV |
| 89 | Allen Lazard | WR49 | GB | WAS |
| 90 | Bryan Edwards | WR50 | LV | PHI |
| 91 | Mark Ingram | RB30 | HOU | @ARI |
| 92 | Jamaal Williams | RB31 | DET | @LAR |
| 93 | Kendrick Bourne | WR51 | NE | NYJ |
| 94 | Rashod Bateman | WR52 | BAL | CIN |
| 95 | Jalen Reagor | WR53 | PHI | @LV |
| 96 | Darius Slayton | WR54 | NYG | CAR |
| 97 | Zach Ertz | TE12 | ARI | HOU |
| 98 | Robert Tonyan | TE13 | GB | WAS |
| 99 | Evan Engram | TE14 | NYG | CAR |
| 100 | T.Y. Hilton | WR55 | IND | @SF |
| 101 | Kenneth Gainwell | RB32 | PHI | @LV |
| 102 | Randall Cobb | WR56 | GB | WAS |
| 103 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB33 | NE | NYJ |
| 104 | Latavius Murray | RB34 | BAL | CIN |
| 105 | Zach Pascal | WR57 | IND | @SF |
| 106 | Kenyan Drake | RB35 | LV | PHI |
| 107 | Nyheim Hines | RB36 | IND | @SF |
| 108 | Kenny Golladay | WR58 | NYG | CAR |
| 109 | Sony Michel | RB37 | LAR | DET |
| 110 | Donovan Peoples-Jones | WR59 | CLE | DEN |
| 111 | Cole Kmet | TE15 | CHI | @TB |
| 112 | David Johnson | RB38 | HOU | @ARI |
| 113 | Demetric Felton | RB39 | CLE | DEN |
| 114 | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | WR60 | TEN | KC |
| 115 | Jonnu Smith | TE16 | NE | NYJ |
| 116 | Kenny Stills | WR61 | NO | @SEA |
| 117 | Deonte Harris | WR62 | NO | @SEA |
| 118 | DeSean Jackson | WR63 | LAR | DET |
| 119 | Mo Alie-Cox | TE17 | IND | @SF |
| 120 | Salvon Ahmed | RB40 | MIA | ATL |
| 121 | Nico Collins | WR64 | HOU | @ARI |
| 122 | Russell Gage | WR65 | ATL | @MIA |
| 123 | Terrace Marshall | WR66 | CAR | @NYG |
| 124 | C.J. Uzomah | TE18 | CIN | @BAL |
| 125 | Chris Moore | WR67 | HOU | @ARI |
| 126 | Damien Williams | RB41 | CHI | @TB |
| 127 | O.J. Howard | TE19 | TB | CHI |
| 128 | David Njoku | TE20 | CLE | DEN |
| 129 | Trey Sermon | RB42 | SF | IND |
| 130 | Elijah Moore | WR68 | NYJ | @NE |
| 131 | Ty Johnson | RB43 | NYJ | @NE |
| 132 | Chester Rogers | WR69 | TEN | KC |
| 133 | Dyami Brown | WR70 | WAS | @GB |
| 134 | Austin Hooper | TE21 | CLE | DEN |
| 135 | Malcolm Brown | RB44 | MIA | ATL |
| 136 | Sammy Watkins | WR71 | BAL | CIN |
| 137 | Ty'Son Williams | RB45 | BAL | CIN |
| 138 | KhaDarel Hodge | WR72 | DET | @LAR |
| 139 | Jarvis Landry | WR73 | CLE | DEN |
| 140 | Mohamed Sanu | WR74 | SF | IND |
| 141 | Anthony Firkser | TE22 | TEN | KC |
| 142 | Kyle Juszczyk | RB46 | SF | IND |
| 143 | Hayden Hurst | TE23 | ATL | @MIA |
| 144 | Freddie Swain | WR75 | SEA | NO |
| 145 | Adam Humphries | WR76 | WAS | @GB |
| 146 | Jerick McKinnon | RB47 | KC | @TEN |
| 147 | Byron Pringle | WR77 | KC | @TEN |
| 148 | Kendall Hinton | WR78 | DEN | @CLE |
| 149 | Gerald Everett | TE24 | SEA | NO |
| 150 | Demarcus Robinson | WR79 | KC | @TEN |
| 151 | Ronald Jones | RB48 | TB | CHI |
| 152 | Ross Dwelley | TE25 | SF | IND |
| 153 | John Kelly | RB49 | CLE | DEN |
| 154 | Devonta Freeman | RB50 | BAL | CIN |
| 155 | Giovani Bernard | RB51 | TB | CHI |
| 156 | Marquise Goodwin | WR80 | CHI | @TB |
| 157 | Cameron Brate | TE26 | TB | CHI |
| 158 | Royce Freeman | RB52 | CAR | @NYG |
| 159 | Devin Duvernay | WR81 | BAL | CIN |
| 160 | Phillip Lindsay | RB53 | HOU | @ARI |
| 161 | Rashard Higgins | WR82 | CLE | DEN |
| 162 | Mack Hollins | WR83 | MIA | ATL |
| 163 | Adam Trautman | TE27 | NO | @SEA |
| 164 | Jordan Akins | TE28 | HOU | @ARI |
| 165 | Juwan Johnson | TE29 | NO | @SEA |
| 166 | Ryan Griffin | TE30 | NYJ | @NE |
| 167 | Keelan Cole | WR84 | NYJ | @NE |
| 168 | Le'Veon Bell | RB54 | BAL | CIN |
| 169 | Chris Conley | WR85 | HOU | @ARI |
| 170 | Ian Thomas | TE31 | CAR | @NYG |
| 171 | Jack Doyle | TE32 | IND | @SF |
| 172 | Rob Gronkowski | TE33 | TB | CHI |
| 173 | DeeJay Dallas | RB55 | SEA | NO |
| 174 | Olamide Zaccheaus | WR86 | ATL | @MIA |
| 175 | Durham Smythe | TE34 | MIA | ATL |
| 176 | Curtis Samuel | WR87 | WAS | @GB |
| 177 | Pharaoh Brown | TE35 | HOU | @ARI |
| 178 | Brandon Bolden | RB56 | NE | NYJ |
| 179 | Ty Montgomery | RB57 | NO | @SEA |
| 180 | Jack Stoll | TE36 | PHI | @LV |
| 181 | Chris Evans | RB58 | CIN | @BAL |
| 182 | Tommy Tremble | TE37 | CAR | @NYG |
| 183 | Tyler Johnson | WR88 | TB | CHI |
| 184 | Collin Johnson | WR89 | NYG | CAR |
| 185 | Marlon Mack | RB59 | IND | @SF |
| 186 | Kyle Rudolph | TE38 | NYG | CAR |
| 187 | Marcus Johnson | WR90 | TEN | KC |
| 188 | Tevin Coleman | RB60 | NYJ | @NE |
| 189 | Elijhaa Penny | RB61 | NYG | CAR |
| 190 | Dante Pettis | WR91 | NYG | CAR |
| 191 | Will Dissly | TE39 | SEA | NO |
| 192 | Jeremy McNichols | RB62 | TEN | KC |
| 193 | Rashaad Penny | RB63 | SEA | NO |
| 194 | Geoff Swaim | TE40 | TEN | KC |
| 195 | N'Keal Harry | WR92 | NE | NYJ |
| 196 | Harrison Bryant | TE41 | CLE | DEN |
| 197 | Ashton Dulin | WR93 | IND | @SF |
| 198 | Damiere Byrd | WR94 | CHI | @TB |
| 199 | Anthony Schwartz | WR95 | CLE | DEN |
| 200 | John Ross | WR96 | NYG | CAR |
| 201 | Marcedes Lewis | TE42 | GB | WAS |
| 202 | Greg Ward | WR97 | PHI | @LV |
| 203 | Josh Reynolds | WR98 | TEN | KC |
| 204 | Brandon Zylstra | WR99 | CAR | @NYG |
| 205 | MyCole Pruitt | TE43 | TEN | KC |
| 206 | Travis Homer | RB64 | SEA | NO |
| 207 | Samaje Perine | RB65 | CIN | @BAL |
| 208 | Denzel Mims | WR100 | NYJ | @NE |
| 209 | Tajae Sharpe | WR101 | ATL | @MIA |
| 210 | Albert Wilson | WR102 | MIA | ATL |
| 211 | Tyler Kroft | TE44 | NYJ | NE |
| 212 | Jaret Patterson | RB66 | WAS | @GB |
| 213 | Foster Moreau | TE45 | LV | PHI |
| 214 | DeAndre Carter | WR103 | WAS | @GB |
| 215 | Trent Sherfield | WR104 | SF | IND |
| 216 | Jimmy Graham | TE46 | CHI | @TB |
| 217 | Chris Hogan | WR105 | NO | @SEA |
| 218 | Zay Jones | WR106 | LV | PHI |
| 219 | Charlie Woerner | TE47 | SF | IND |
| 220 | Lee Smith | TE48 | ATL | @MIA |
| 221 | Eric Saubert | TE49 | DEN | @CLE |
| 222 | JaMycal Hasty | RB67 | SF | IND |
| 223 | Geronimo Allison | WR107 | DET | @LAR |
| 224 | John Brown | WR108 | DEN | @CLE |
| 225 | Danny Amendola | WR109 | HOU | @ARI |
| 226 | Dwayne Washington | RB68 | NO | @SEA |
| 227 | Jalen Richard | RB69 | LV | PHI |
| 228 | Josh Gordon | WR110 | KC | @TEN |
| 229 | James Proche | WR111 | BAL | CIN |
| 230 | Amari Rodgers | WR112 | GB | WAS |
| 231 | Alex Erickson | WR113 | CAR | @NYG |
| 232 | Willie Snead | WR114 | LV | PHI |
| 233 | Noah Gray | TE50 | KC | @TEN |
| 234 | Shi Smith | WR115 | CAR | @NYG |
| 235 | Josh Oliver | TE51 | BAL | CIN |
| 236 | Drew Sample | TE52 | CIN | @BAL |
| 237 | Darren Fells | TE53 | DET | @LAR |
| 238 | Jody Fortson | TE54 | KC | @TEN |
| 239 | Auden Tate | WR116 | CIN | @BAL |
| 240 | Wayne Gallman | RB70 | ATL | @MIA |
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