Two weeks ago, we dealt with a number of injuries to mid-level quarterbacks like Derek Carr and Marcus Mariota, but last week took it up a notch, delivering a cold blow to Aaron Rodgers and knocking out the 2016 top fantasy QB possibly for the rest of the year with a broken collarbone. Our Week 7 fantasy QB rankings go on without him, though.
Speaking of injured QBs, Matthew Stafford nearly joined the laundry list after the Saints battered him around like a rag doll, but he'll take a much-needed bye week, alongside rookie sensation and now No. 1 fantasy QB Deshaun Watson. For those needing a new QB, there are plenty of streamer possibilties to go around, including Tyrod Taylor (vs. Bucs), Carson Palmer (@ Rams), Blake Bortles (@ Colts) and Jared Goff (vs. Cardinals). Of course, we know Blake Bortles is a sketchy pick, but who knows -- maybe the Jags decide to pass more this week with Leonard Fournette's possible ankle injury against that soft Colts secondary?
Despite the nice matchup vs. the Chiefs, Derek Carr on short rest seems like one to possibly stayaway. Thursday night games are notorious for sloppy performances, and it's still unclear how healthy Carr really is. Including Carr, Jameis Winston is banged up with a tough Bills matchup, and Ben Roethlisberger, despite being at home, plays a rested Bengals defense who has snagged seven interceptions in their past five games.
WEEK 7 RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Reminder: We'll update our rankings throughout the week and add player analysis, so please check back often. And here's how you could lose in Fantasy Football in Week 7.
Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings: QBs
These rankings are for standard leagues with 6-point passing TDs.
| 1 | Tom Brady, Patriots vs. Falcons. |
| 2 | Drew Brees, Saints @ Packers. The Saints scored 52 points, but Brees only had two touchdowns thanks to the defense scoring three. We'll chalk that up as an oddball game, and Brees goes back to dominating the scoring for the Saints. |
| 3 | Matt Ryan, Falcons @ Patriots. Ryan hasn't came close to putting up last year's numbers (currently 27th overall fantasy QB), but if there's ever a week he transforms back into 2016 MVP Matt Ryan, it's this week against a Patriots defense allowing a league-high 25 fantasy points per game (FPPG) to opposing QBs. |
| 4 | Dak Prescott, Cowboys @ 49ers. |
| 5 | Cam Newton, Panthers @ Bears. |
| 6 | Kirk Cousins, Redskins @ Eagles. Cousins struggled in his Week 1 matchup against the Eagles, but he's picked it up lately with two games of 30 points in his last three. The Eagles are still a formidable test, but Cousins will bounce back. |
| 7 | Carson Wentz, Eagles vs. Redskins. |
| 8 | Russell Wilson, Seahawks @ Giants. |
| 9 | Alex Smith, Chiefs @ Raiders. Smith has been impressive all season, ranking as the No. 2 fantasy QB right now, and he's been better on the road, averaging 30 points per game in three games so far. The Raiders secondary is easy to break apart, and Smith should have a nice day in this Thursday night showdown. |
| 10 | Marcus Mariota, Titans @ Browns. |
| 11 | Tyrod Taylor, Bills vs. Bucs. In need of a streamer? The Bucs let Case Keenum, Carson Palmer and Eli Manning all score at least 21 points. Coming off a bye, Taylor is a top streaming option. |
| 12 | Carson Palmer, Cardinals vs Rams (in England). |
| 13 | Blake Bortles, Jaguars @ Colts. Yes, Bortles is hard to trust, but out of all the games this year, trust him here. Bortles may only have one game over 16 points (35 points vs. Ravens in London), but the Colts have let all six QBs this year score over 16 points, including two now-benched QBs DeShone Kizer and Brian Hoyer go for over 22 points. |
| 14 | Jared Goff, Rams vs. Cardinals (in England). Goff struggled against the Jaguars defense last week, but then again, so has pretty much everyone this season. The Cardinals let Ryan Fitzpatrick put up a top-five QB finish in Week 6, giving Goff a high ceiling and making him a potential streaming option. |
| 15 | Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers vs. Bengals. Roethlisberger joins only Joe Flacco and DeShone Kizer as the only current starters with more interceptions than touchdowns this year, and the Bengals, fresh from a bye, have seven interceptions in their past five matchups vs. Big Ben. |
| 16 | Derek Carr, Raiders vs. Chiefs. |
| 17 | Jameis Winston, Bucs @ Bills. |
| 18 | Trevor Siemian, Broncos @ Chargers. |
| 19 | Philip Rivers, Chargers vs. Broncos. |
| 20 | Josh McCown, Jets @ Dolphins. |
| 21 | C.J. Beathard, 49ers vs. Cowboys. |
| 22 | Case Keenum, Vikings vs. Ravens. |
| 23 | Brett Hundley, Packers vs. Saints. |
| 24 | Jay Cutler, Dolphins vs. Jets. |
| 25 | DeShone Kizer, Browns vs. Titans. |
| 26 | Jacoby Brissett, Colts vs. Jaguars. |
| 27 | Eli Manning, Giants vs. Seahawks. |
| 28 | Andy Dalton, Bengals @ Steelers. |
| 29 | Joe Flacco, Ravens @ Vikings. |
| 30 | Mitchell Trubisky, Bears vs. Panthers. |