“Shore Thing Sleepers” isn’t your ordinary fantasy football Week 7 start/sit article. Instead, our analyst duo of Seth Woolcock and Nate Polvogt highlight lower-valued players that can provide starting-caliber production for a specific week. These are usually players near the end of your bench or even on the waiver wire/free agency. You can catch an additional sleeper pick live at the end of our weekly in-season Friday podcast episode.
Rostership percentages are based on ESPN Points Per Reception (PPR) redraft fantasy football leagues.
Week 7 Start/Sit Consideration: Shore Thing Sleepers
Jordan Akins (TE, Houston Texans) | 0 Percent
It seems to be my new thing to bring you a streaming tight end. I can’t promise it will be a weekly endeavor. Yet, I can promise that when there is an intriguing option out there, I will explore it. This week, my sleeper hails from the Longhorn state and has the potential to cure your tight end whoas, if only for this week.
The reeling Houston Texans are coming off a bye week, needing a win. Currently sitting at 1-3-1 and last in the AFC South, taking advantage of an equally desperate Las vegas squad will require exploiting their weaknesses. That is the Raiders’ inability to cover the tight end position. The Texans recently released veteran bookend Pharaoh Brown, and second-year tight end Brevin Jordan is on track to return from an ankle injury sustained in Week 2. Without Brown and Jordan, fellow veteran Jordan Akins has been a productive option for sophomore quarterback Davis Mills. In Weeks 3 through 5, Akins was the TE19, catching seven of eight targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. This was all against teams in the top half of fantasy points allowed to the position.
This week, Houston faces a Raiders defense that ranks third worst in fantasy points allowed to the tight end position. The Texans need a win, and Akins has been reliable. He is the highest-graded overall tight end on the Texans roster heading into this week. I have a sneaky feeling he’s going to lead the bookends in targets against the Raiders. While his floor is non-existent, his smash-week ceiling is a low-end TE1. – Polvogt
Tyler Boyd (WR, Cincinnati Bengals) | 57.1 Percent
Clairton, Pa. pride Tyler Boyd continues to produce another PPR WR3 season. His target share isn’t ideal, but he’s been one of the leagues most efficient WRs, averaging 2.3 fantasy points per target (10th best). He’s seen five targets in four of six games, providing weekly potential at double-digit PPR points.
He has additional upside this week as he faces the Atlanta Falcons, a top-three matchup for WRs thus far. Falcons defensive starters Mykal Walker, Ta’Quon Graham and AJ Terrell are all expected to play but may not be at 100 percent. As a result, I like Boyd on the former side of my Week 7 start/sit decisions against a secondary allowing 15.3 receptions per game to opposing WRs. – Woolcock
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