Add? Drop? Start? Sit? Trade? Five fantasy football moves you need to make for NFL Week 7

July 24, 2024

Through five weeks, Aaron Rodgers was fantasy’s QB5 and led the NFL in touchdown passes. His comeback drive against the Cowboys was epic, and he was almost single-handedly propping up a Packers offense replete with weapons but perhaps not scheme greatness. To watch Rodgers play these past few seasons has been to admire a rule-breaker: someone who often ignores a play’s design and holds the ball longer than is advisable, who doesn’t set his feet before some of his best throws, and whose ball placement is so incredible he’d make stars out of most wideouts and some grocery clerks.

Rodgers’s broken collarbone doesn’t just irreparably damage Green Bay’s Super Bowl hopes and brutalize his fantasy owners. It probably tilts the balance of all fantasy leagues, away from players such as Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb, Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones. It may downgrade all Packer skill players; at least it throws the whole thing into a muddle.

New starter Brett Hundley is a mostly unknown quantity, and he understandably was shaky in Week 6 relief. Who will be his favorite targets? What plays will be his best? We don’t know yet, we can’t know, but how badly these highly valued players are affected will be one of fantasy’s leading stories from here on in.

Let’s look at five moves to make for Week 7:

Must-Start: Matt Ryan and the rest of the Atlanta Falcons

You’re frustrated with Ryan. He was a top-five QB in drafts this summer, and through five games is saddled with a 6:6 TD/INT ratio, and has only truly been a fantasy boon once all year. Prepare to be delighted and amazed. Ryan and his cohorts travel to Foxborough to face a historically terrible pass defense (and pass rush) that’s allowed six straight QBs to eclipse 300 yards passing. I can’t promise that Tom Brady won’t outdo Ryan again, but I feel safe asserting that at least for one week, the Falcons will party like it’s 2016.

Must-Stream: Tyrod Taylor, QB, BUF

This one’s for Aaron Rodgers owners. Since he was on bye in Week 6, Taylor may have been dropped in many leagues, but now he’s back and gets a home game against a Buccaneers defense that just revived the seasons of old coots Carson Palmer, Adrian Peterson and Larry Fitzgerald. Taylor is never an easy bet to produce much via the air, but he’s due for more rushing production. Adding him now gives Rodgers owners the option of using T-Mobile in Week 8 at home against the Raiders, too.

The Aaron Rodgers injury and the top takeaways from NFL Week 6

Should Drop: Jamison Crowder, WR, WAS

Crowder was a top-30 option on most receiver lists this summer, but after he ran a jet sweep on Washington’s first drive against the 49ers Sunday, his biggest role was on special teams. Washington is in three-wide most of the time, which means Crowder barely out-snaps Ryan Grant, and it was Grant who Kirk Cousins looked for on the game-winning drive. I don’t usually like to give blanket “drop” advice, but for the moment there aren’t too many redraft leagues where I’d be holding onto Crowder.

Must-Trade-Away: Jerick McKinnon, RB, MIN

In the two games since Dalvin Cook’s season-ending injury, McKinnon has 245 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. He’s a nice little player, but this pace is obviously unsustainable, and the Vikings have benefited from some easy game scripts that have kept them on schedule offensively against nonelite teams. (Sorry, Packers fans, without Aaron Rodgers, you’re not elite). McKinnon survived a big fumble Sunday — though he did seem benched for a little while — and scored a goal-line touchdown. My point isn’t that everyone should divest of McKinnon. He’s a terrific athlete. My point is that he’s 5-foot-9 and it’s rare players that small can handle 20-plus touches per game without getting hurt. (Devonta Freeman is on the line, Mr. Harris.) If you can parlay McKinnon into a true workhorse, I’d consider it.

Must-Add: Dion Lewis, RB, NE

Speaking of undersized backs who did a nice all-around job in Week 6, here’s Lewis, who benefited from a Mike Gillislee fumble and for at least one game became the Patriots’ starter. Don’t break the bank to acquire Lewis; the Pats seem to revel in changing their game plans and personnel every week. But after Gillislee’s gaffe, Lewis played 20 snaps to Gillislee’s seven (James White played 20-plus snaps, too, but we know he’s mostly used as a pass-catcher, and actually Lewis and White played on a few snaps together, too). I’m not racing out to use Lewis in my lineup in Week 7: he’s more of a speculative add to see if the Pats are willing to turn back the clock two years and use him as their main man. Probably they won’t. But if Lewis consistently soaks up Tom Brady’s goal-line carries — and he scored from the 1 against the Jets Sunday — he’ll be worth owning and using.

Christopher Harris runs HarrisFootball.com, where you can find more info on the “Harris Football Podcast,” with new episodes every weekday.

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