Week 7 Flex Rankings for Fantasy Football

It is time to take our weekly journey into the fantasy football landscape with my Week 7 Flex rankings. Only Buffalo and Baltimore are on bye this week. That is the good news. The bad news is that injuries continue to take a toll on fantasy managers. We cannot call it an injury bug at this point. It feels more like an injury Giant Weta. Please remind me to never go to New Zealand, by the way. Despite all the injuries and the bye weeks, I ranked plenty of players for you to choose from. Sure, the names may not all be as sexy as they were six weeks ago. But fantasy points count the same regardless of who is scoring them, so let’s get to it.

Below you will see over 200 players that I have ranked for this week based on Half-PPR scoring. I will also offer some quick insight on situations involving players you may be considering for your Flex spot. You do not need me to recap how good Bijan Robinson was last week. However, you may appreciate my opinion on who might benefit from the injury to Garrett Wilson, aside from Wilson himself, who can at least rest up and let someone else try to push the giant boulder up the steep and narrow hill for a couple of weeks. But I digress. Here are this week’s rankings.

Running Back Notes

There have been 26 instances of a running back accumulating at least 234 scrimmage yards in an NFL game over the past 10 years. Two of those instances occurred last week. One was Bijan Robinson. Oops, I forgot I said I wouldn’t mention him. Anyway, the other running back who accomplished this feat last week was Rico Dowdle of the Carolina Panthers. Dowdle also exceeded this threshold the week before. For those keeping score, Dowdle has started two games this season and has accumulated over 470 total yards. It is too simplistic to compare Dowdle’s numbers to those of Chuba Hubbard and make any sweeping declarations. However, I also think it is naïve to assume Dowdle goes back to the bench anytime soon. I believe both Panthers running backs can be viable this week, but I am rolling with the hot hand in Dowdle.

Last week, I gave a slight nod to Hassan Haskins over Kimani Vidal as my preferred target to replace Omarion Hampton’s production. I have had better calls. Haskins carried the ball six times for 14 yards, while Vidal went off for 138 total yards and a touchdown. Pat yourself on the back if you grabbed Vidal, even if you did not start him last week. You are still likely to be rewarded in the coming weeks. There is a decent chance that Hampton does not return to his regular role until after the Chargers’ Week 12 bye. That should leave Vidal in the catbird’s seat for the next four to six weeks. Vidal matches up with a solid Indianapolis Colts run defense. But the volume should be enough to keep him locked in as an RB2 in 10 and 12-team leagues.

Wide Receiver Notes

The wait is finally over when it comes to the suspension of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice. Rice should be a full go for the Chiefs in Week 7 when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders. Fantasy managers should not hesitate to get Rice back into lineups. The Raiders rank in the bottom five in the NFL in terms of receptions and receiving yards allowed to opposing wide receivers through six weeks. Rice has been Kansas City’s primary target whenever he is on the field. Patrick Mahomes is sixth in the NFL in passing yards and tied for fifth in touchdown passes. The return of Rice should only help those numbers. I have Rashee Rice ranked inside the top-50 overall in my Week 7 Flex rankings.

In addition to Garrett Wilson, Puka Nacua and Emeka Egbuka were also injured last week. Those three wideouts were all in the top five among fantasy wide receivers heading into last week’s action. I listed Nacua among the 200-plus players this week. But that feels like wishful thinking. I imagine he sits out this week, especially with the Rams having a bye in Week 8. The main problem for fantasy managers is that the touch tree in Los Angeles is so concentrated on Nacua, Kyren Williams, and DaVante Adams that, even with the expected absence of Nacua, it is unlikely anyone else soaks up a decent number of looks. Jordan Whittington and/or Tutu Atwell could be interesting, but I am not looking to force either player into a starting roster spot this week.

With Egbuka and Chris Godwin out, I ranked Mike Evans as my overall WR12 this week. Evans himself is no sure thing to play, having missed three consecutive games. But if he can suit up, he should earn a ton of targets. If Evans misses another game, some combination of Sterling Shepard, Tez Johnson, and Kameron Johnson would likely pick up the slack. Shepard would be the safest bet in PPR leagues, while the Johnsons could be Week 7 wild cards. Only the Dallas Cowboys have given up more touchdowns to opposing wide receivers this season than Tampa Bay’s upcoming opponent, the Detroit Lions.

Tight End Notes

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle may finally return from Injured Reserve this week. The star tight end has been sidelined since Week 1 with a hamstring injury. I usually like to keep players on my roster on the bench for a week after a long layoff. However, in this case, you probably have to start Kittle if he plays without restrictions. We know the type of advantage he can provide versus some of the other options available at tight end. The rest of the team’s pass catchers, aside from running back Christian McCaffrey, are very much in flux at the moment. Kittle could return to his regular role right away if he can take the field on Sunday night. The Atlanta Falcons present a daunting matchup, but Kittle has earned the right to be trusted in fantasy lineups this week.

Can I copy and paste last week’s comments on Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers? Like Puka Nacua, I included Bowers in my Week 7 Flex rankings more as a procedural move than anything. I suspect that Las Vegas lets Bowers sit this week as he recovers from his knee injury. The Raiders also have a bye in Week 8. So while the lure of a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs looms, I believe that discretion will be the better part of valor, and Bowers will ultimately miss this contest. Michael Mayer could be a viable candidate for streaming this week if you are without Dalton Kincaid or Mark Andrews due to byes.

I do not think there is a player on the New York Jets who directly benefits from the injury to Garrett Wilson. But if there is, it is probably rookie tight end Mason Taylor. Wilson’s 56 targets are far and away the leader on the team. Taylor is next at 29, while running back Breece Hall has earned 24 targets. There aren’t many options on the club other than to keep peppering Taylor with targets. And his Week 7 matchup with the Carolina Panthers feels like a prime opportunity to do so. Carolina has given up the most receiving yards to opposing tight ends this year. Only the Jets themselves and the Cincinnati Bengals have ceded more touchdowns to the position. Mason Taylor may also be worthy of a streaming spot this week.

Check out all of our Week 7 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings