“Shore Thing Sleepers” isn’t your ordinary fantasy football Week 7 start/sit article. Instead, our analyst duo of Seth Woolcock and Eric Romoff 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
Desmond Ridder (QB, Atlanta Falcons) | 6.2% Rostered
Desmond Ridder is on a hot streak with two impressive fantasy QB1 performances in a row. He first carved through the Houston defense and then made the Washington Commanders secondary look vulnerable. Ridder is averaging a healthy 38 passing attempts per game over the last month, showcasing his growing comfort in Atlanta’s offense.
In Week 7, the Falcons face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and this matchup could be a golden opportunity for Ridder to shine. The Buccaneers have low-key struggled to contain opposing quarterbacks, allowing five of six to score at least two total touchdowns. The only one who didn’t was Derek Carr, a week after suffering his initial AC sprain. With a formidable supporting cast that includes Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson and Jonnu Smith, the Atlanta offense could present a challenge for the Buccaneers’ secondary. Expect Ridder to be in the driver’s seat, making him a strong Week 7 start/sit consideration. – Woolcock
Matthew Stafford (QB, Los Angeles Rams) | 56.0% Rostered
Matthew Stafford‘s arm is set to get a workout in Week 7. With the Rams’ top two RBs, Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers, sidelined with injury, the team is likely to adopt a pass-heavy approach. Given the Rams’ current ranking of third in pass plays per game (37.8), Stafford likely sees 40-plus passing attempts.
Stafford’s expected fantasy points per game are the seventh-most in the league at 17.4. This suggests that he should be scoring more, and positive regression may be on the horizon. All he needs is to find the end zone, which is highly likely in a favorable matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ secondary. The Steelers have allowed the fourth-most PPR fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season, meaning that Stafford should connect with his dynamic duo of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua for big numbers in Week 7. Keep an eye on the former No. 1 overall pick as he aims to deliver a top-tier performance. – Romoff
Thanks for reading our “Shore Thing Sleepers” to consider in your Week 7 start/sit decisions. Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.
*Photo Credit: Brett Davis – USA TODAY Sports*