Alright gang! We are fast approaching the middle of the fantasy football season. The Chicago Bears and the New England Patriots get the party started in Week 7, so we have to get ready for another NFL matchup and figure out which players should be in the lineup. I hope you guys are winning in your fantasy leagues. If you are 5-1 or 4-2, congratulations! This season has been rough on fantasy lineups as injuries continue to mount. It’s almost like another player is going down with an injury every week. If you managed to get to 3-3, don’t panic. You’re still in the race. If you are under .500 in your fantasy league, either with a 2-4 or 1-5 record, it’s going to take some real elbow grease to make it to the fantasy playoffs. But part of the comeback is getting your lineup ready for a new week of fantasy football.
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Thursday Night Preview: Bears vs. Patriots
New England Patriots
The Patriots got off to a slow start but have recently turned up the heat for fantasy football. Drake Maye was the main culprit for fantasy managers over the first three weeks of the season. Maye averaged just 9.2 fantasy points per game over the first three weeks of the season and had fantasy managers questioning whether he was a good fantasy grab. But over the last three weeks, Maye has been lighting up the fantasy scoreboards. From weeks 4-6, Maye ranks as the QB1, averaging just over 30 fantasy points. The Chicago Bears defense has been allowing nearly 20 FPPG heading into the matchup. To make the matchup worse, Maye now reunites with A.J. Brown, who was activated from injured reserve last week. Maye now has his WR1 back to throw to, which could allow for more fantasy production. Maye is averaging 8.5 yards per pass attempt over the last three weeks and has been getting the ball downfield with chunk plays.
Speaking of A.J. Brown, it was good to see him back in action last week against the New York Jets. Browns showed clear rust after being on the shelf for a few weeks. The promising takeaway from the game was the number of targets Brown saw in his first game back from Drake Maye. Browns finished the game with 10 targets. Unfortunately, Brown would only catch three passes. That isn’t a sign to freak out, but it is encouraging to see the willingness Maye has to pepper Brown with targets, especially with Romeo Doubs now on injured reserve. The Bears rank 14th-most in fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. And here’s a fun fact: the Bears are allowing a 12.5 yards-per-reception average to receivers, according to Fantasydata.com.
Looking at the Patriots’ ground game, Rhamondre Stevenson and TreyVeyon Henderson are manning the Patriots’ backfield. But Mike Vrabel threw a monkey wrench into the mix last week, giving Corey Kiner the closer role against the Jets. What does that mean for this week? I can’t say. For now, it doesn’t sound like Vrabel is changing the backfield order. At least not yet. Rhamondre Stevenson will be the RB1, with TreVeyon Henderson as the direct backup. Stevenson and Henderson will likely be active and see a large share of work. I would just keep a side eye on Kiner to see what Vrabel does with him. We could end up talking about adding him to rosters next week (maybe). Stevenson is averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game. Henderson is averaging just 5.9 FPPG.
The Bears have been standing tall against opposing running backs, allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game at 17.7. At this point in the season, you’ll probably have to play Rhamondre Stevenson with all the injuries happening at the running back position. If I have a choice, I’m looking for another option over TreVeyon Henderson. Depending on my record, I can’t afford to take the chance with him. At the tight end position, I like Hunter Henry in this spot. Henry is averaging 8.9 fantasy points per game over the course of the season, but he ranks as the TE8 over the last three weeks. Henry is averaging 13.1 FPPG over the last three weeks, and the Bears’ defense allows just 10.5 FPPG. There may be more work for Henry to be involved with Romeo Doubs out of the picture.
Chicago Bears
The Bears have their franchise quarterback back under center with Caleb Williams returning from his hamstring strain. In his first game back, he threw for 305 yards and a touchdown for 16.5 fantasy points. Williams also looked sharp, completing 83.3% of his passes against the Atlanta Falcons. Williams has a tough opponent, with the Patriots’ defense slowing down opposing fantasy quarterbacks with the sixth-best fantasy pass defense. The Patriots are allowing just 14.8 fantasy points per game. Caleb Williams might be a bit risky to play against the Patriots’ pass defense, but he’s worth the risk with his level of play.
The real issue with the Bears offense in this game is the running game. D’Andre Swift is still a good player. That’s not what I’m saying. The trouble is the Patriots’ run defense. The Patriots are holding running backs to just 3.9 yards per attempt and around 20 fantasy points per game (ranked 18th). Last week, the Patriots finished with the eighth-fewest fantasy points to running backs when taking on the Jets. Swift is still an option because he also sees a significant level of passing work. Kyle Monangai (toe) has been ruled out, allowing Roschon Johnson to get more work behind Swift. Johnson may not be as versatile as Swift, but he still sees a couple of passes out of the backfield. If I have to choose between the two, I’d lean toward Swift to help my fantasy team over Johnson.
Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez returned last week and put the clamps on Jets’ top wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Now it looks like his sights will be set on shutting down Rome Odunze. Odunze is averaging just 8.2 FPPG, largely due to early-season injuries and not having Caleb Williams. But matching up with Gonzalez doesn’t look great for his fantasy value this week. I’m avoiding Odunze in my lineups. Luther Burden, on the other hand, may have a better opportunity to produce for fantasy football. Burden has been the better receiver between him and Odunze, averaging 12.2 FPPG. Colston Loveland might be harder to place. Loveland returned to form with Caleb Williams back at quarterback. Loveland finished with 18.5 fantasy points on six receptions (seven targets) for 65 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots are ranked among the 10th-fewest fantasy points allowed to tight ends.
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Final Thoughts
This game looks like it will be a fun watch. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye going head-to-head should be great for fantasy football. Maye is on a tear over the last three weeks. Caleb Williams has a chip on his shoulder after missing so much time and will look to put his stamp on this game. I do like D’Andre Swift and Rhamondre Stevenson as solid starts at the running back position. I also have a bit invested in A.J. Brown actually catching a few more balls than he did last week. As previously stated, the target volume he saw in his first game back is encouraging. If I had to pick between Hunter Henry and Colston Loveland, I might have to go with Loveland. His matchup against the Patriots’ defense says it’s an uphill battle. With Rome Odunze facing off against Christian Gonzalez, Caleb Williams should use Colston Loveland as another strong pass-catching option to help him out.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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