Phinsider Week 7 Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 7 was chalk full of surprises in both real life and the fantasy football world, something that has become a true trend thus far this NFL season. One such surprise was the shocking turnaround for the Miami Dolphins during the second half of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, one that saw Jay Ajayi finally return the type of production that is expected from a running back that many fantasy owners took in the first or second round drafts. This week, Ajayi gets a New York Jets team that bottled him up just a few weeks ago, but now playing at home in an offense looks to be slowly improving, Ajayi may get an opportunity for revenge.

Each week, I’ll be giving an updated look at where the top players at each fantasy position stand, with matchups and injury concerns taken into account. For the sake of continuity, I’ll only be using standard scoring when constructing the rankings, so be sure to consider that when setting your lineups.

Quarterback

1. Tom Brady - vs Atl
2. Drew Brees - @ GB
3. Alex Smith - @ Oak
4. Carson Wentz - vs Was
5. Kirk Cousins - @ Phi
6. Matt Ryan - @ NE
7. Carson Palmer - @ LAR
8. Marcus Mariota - @ Cle
9. Cam Newton - @ Chi
10. Dak Prescott - @ SF
11. Russell Wilson - @ NYG
12. Ben Roethlisberger - vs Cin
13. Derek Carr - vs KC
14. Philip Rivers - vs Denver
15. Trevor Siemian - @ LAC
16. Josh McCown - @ Mia
17. Andy Dalton - @ Pit
18. Eli Manning - vs Sea
19. Jared Goff - vs Ari
20. Tyrod Taylor - vs TB

The impact that the loss of Aaron Rodgers has on the fantasy football world (my team included), and more importantly, the Green Bay Packers, can not be understated. Heck, his loss hurts for every football fan not living in Minnesota, Illinois, or Michigan. Watching Rodgers play is a true gift, and going the rest of the season without one of his last ditch hail marries or clutch game winning drives will be tough for all of us, but the show must go on.

So, should you be in need of a quarterback, I suggest the likes of Carson Palmer. Palmer has thrown for over 250 yards in every game this season and his ownership is beginning to rise in most leagues, so nab him now while you still can.

Running Back

1. Kareem Hunt - @ Oak
2. Le’Veon Bell - vs Cin
3. Leonard Fournette - @ Ind
4. Todd Gurley - vs Ari
5. Melvin Gordon - vs Den
6. Devonta Freeman - @ NE
7. Jordan Howard - vs Car
8. Jay Ajayi - vs NYJ
9. Adrian Peterson - @ LAR
10. LeSean McCoy - vs TB
11. Carlos Hyde - vs Dal
12. DeMarco Murray - @ Cle
13. Jerick McKinnon - vs Bal
14. Doug Martin - @ Buf
15. Mark Ingram - @ GB
16. Christian McCaffrey - @ Chi
17. C.J. Anderson - @ LAC
18. Chris Thompson - @ Phi
19. Derrick Henry - @ Cle
20. Duke Johnson Jr. - vs Ten

Other than a couple of unfortunate injuries, the top portion of this season’s running back rankings has stayed relatively steady. Kareem Hunt, Le’Veon Bell, and Leonard Fournette have all consistently found ways to contribute both an the ground and through the air, as have the few guys listed immediately below them. As I stated above, Ajayi has finally found a grove that he can hopefully continue to ride this week against the Jets, while Adrian Peterson seems right at home with his new Arizona Cardinals squad.

One name to keep an eye on: Carlos Hyde. The talented running back continues to produce and seems to be holding off backup Matt Breida, but rumors have circulated that the 49ers are open to trading him. If they do, it could behoove you to keep Breida on your watchlist.

Wide Receiver

1. Antonio Brown - vs Cin
2. Mike Evans - @ Buf
3. A.J. Green - @ Pit
4. Julio Jones - @ NE
5. Michael Thomas - @ GB
6. Larry Fitzgerald - @ LAR
7. Dez Bryant - @ SF
8. Tyreek Hill - @ Oak
9. Michael Crabtree - vs KC
10. Brandin Cooks - vs Atl
11. Jordy Nelson - vs NO
12. T.Y. Hilton - vs Jax
13. Adam Thielen - vs Bal
14. Chris Hogan - vs Atl
15. Davante Adams - vs NO
16. Demaryius Thomas - @ LAC
17. Keenan Allen - vs Den
18. Jarvis Landry - vs NYJ
19. Stefon Diggs - vs Bal
20. Kelvin Benjamin - @ Chi

Unfortunately for fantasy owners heavily invested in the Green Bay offense, previously safe starts such as Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams have taken huge hits with the loss of Aaron Rodgers. With Brett Hundley representing a massive wild card at the quarterback position, all weapons for the Packers will be hit or miss for the foreseeable future.

Owners of Julio Jones and Michael Thomas should be salivating at possible bounce-back weeks this Sunday. Both are going up against suspect secondaries after being held in check during their previous outings. Jones specifically is the one I’d be most excited about, as Falcons head coach Dan Quinn expressed his frustration with how little his star playmaker has gotten the ball in recent weeks.

Tight End

1. Rob Gronkowski - vs Atl
2. Travis Kelce - @ Oak
3. Zach Ertz - vs Was
4. Cameron Brate - @ Buf
5. Hunter Henry - vs Den
6. Jimmy Graham - @ NYG
7. Jordan Reed - @ Phi
8. Evan Engram - vs Sea
9. Austin Hooper - @ NE
10. Delanie Walker - @ Cle
11. Jason Witten - @ SF
12. Kyle Rudolph - vs Bal
13. Austin Seferian-Jenkins - @ Mia
14. Vernon Davis - @ Phi
15. Zach Miller - vs Car
16. Ed Dickson - @ Chi
17. Jack Doyle - vs Jax
18. Tyler Kroft - @ Pit
19. Benjamin Watson - @ Min
20. George Kittle - vs Dal

The fantasy football tight end pecking order is finally starting to solidify, with the draft busts showing their true colors and the hidden gems coming on full force. One notable pleasant surprise is the emergence of Cameron Brate, who’s shown chemistry with Jameis Winston. Brate has scored a touchdown in each of his last four games, proving that Mike Evans isn’t the only red zone weapon on Tampa Bay’s roster. Hunter Henry has also performed quite well after a rocky start, and is a good play this week against a Denver defense that has been quietly porous when defending tight ends.

Defense/Special Teams

1. Jacksonville - @ Ind
2. Baltimore - @ Min
3. Pittsburgh - vs Cin
4. Carolina - @ Chi
5. Seattle - @ NYG
6. Denver - @ LAC
7. New Orleans - @ GB
8. New York (Giants) - vs Sea
9. Minnesota - vs Bal
10. Tennessee - @ Cle
11. Buffalo - vs TB
12. Los Angeles (Rams) - vs Ari
13. Philadelphia - vs Was
14. Cincinnati - @ Pit
15. Kansas City - @ Oak
16. Miami - vs NYJ
17. Chicago - vs Car
18. Washington - @ Phi
19. New York (Jets) - @ Mia
20. Los Angeles (Chargers) - vs Den

The New Orleans Saints defense has been one of the most shocking units of the 2017 season. Over the past few years, Sean Peyton’s defense has been historically bad. Now, all of a sudden, they’re a force that offenses must pay attention to. This week, playing a quarterback who’s making his first career start, they might just be the best streamer of the week.

Kicker

1. Ryan Succop - @ Cle
2. Greg Zuerlein - vs Ari
3. Will Lutz - @ GB
4. Stephen Gostkowski - @ Atl
5. Robbie Gould - vs Dal
6. Jake Elliot - vs Was
7. Graham Gano - @ Chi
8. Adam Vinatieri - vs Jax
9. Matt Bryant - @ NE
10. Dan Bailey - @ SF
11. Harrison Butker - @ Oak
12. Chandler Catanzaro - @ Mia
13. Brandon McManus - @ LAC
14. Stephen Hauschka - vs TB
15. Chris Boswell - vs Cin
16. Justin Tucker - @ Min
17. Giorgio Tavecchio - vs KC
18. Kai Forbath - vs Bal
19. Phil Dawson - @ LAR
20. Randy Bullock - @ Pit

Ryan Succop has been one of Tennessee’s most reliable players on the field over the course of the season. He’s 16 for 17 with his only miss coming from over 50 yards. This week, Succop gets a golden matchup against the Cleveland Browns, a team that has given up quite a few points thus far this year. Another name I highlighted in last week’s write up that I’ll point out once more, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. This Thursday, Butker is going up against one of the league’s worst defenses, and the Chiefs offense should be chomping at the bit to bounce back after a lackluster performance against the Steelers last Sunday.