Week 7 is here and these are The Denver Post’s picks for who owners should and shouldn’t play in fantasy football.
START
Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Don’t look now but it seems as though reports of Tom Brady’s imminent demise were greatly exaggerated. Simply put, New England is back to its old ways, blowing teams out by at least two scores. With the Pats’ running game ailing due to the loss of Stevan Ridley for the year, expect the offense to rely on Brady with Shane Vereen (who is a better pass catcher than runner), Brandon Bolden and rookie James White in the backfield. Brady averages 233 yards in his career against the Jets and should throw for much more given Gang Green’s depleted secondary. The Jets allow the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Alfred Morris, RB, Washington Redskins
After turning in two duds the past two weeks, Morris should see a resurgence in production as the Redskins host the Titans this week. Through 19 games at home and 19 away, Morris has 14 touchdowns at FedEx Field and nine touchdowns in away games. The Titans have allowed rushing touchdowns in two of their last three games and yielded more than 100 rushing yards in the third game.
Justin Forsett, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Forsett has been outstanding in his last three games, scoring double-digit points in most standard scoring leagues. This Sunday, Forsett takes on the putrid Atlanta Falcons run defense that yields the most fantasy points to running backs this season. Matt Forte scored two touchdowns against them last week and Matt Asiata scored three against the Falcons in Week 4. Start Forsett with confidence on Sunday.
SIT
Eric Decker, WR, New York Jets
After battling a hamstring injury for multiple weeks, Decker returned Week 6 to play the Denver Broncos. Decker’s owners may be enthusiastic about putting him into their lineups after he racked up 54 yards and a touchdown against his former team, but they should be hesitant to do so as Decker will likely draw coverage from Darrelle Revis, who will be suiting up against his former team in Foxborough on Thursday. A division rival, the Patriots will be a lot more knowledgeable about the Jets’ offensive tendencies. And given that the Jets offense has looked sluggish of late, it should be a tough night for Decker and Co.
Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota Vikings
McKinnon managed a decent 82 scrimmage yards against a stout Detroit Lions defense in his first NFL start. This week however, the Vikings are heading up to New York, and McKinnon is walking into the league’s stingiest rush defense. While the Bills can be had in the passing game, don’t expect much from rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who threw for 188 yards and three interceptions against Detroit. On top of that, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer is having about giving McKinnon so many carries. He said he’d like to get Matt Asiata some more playing time and also cited McKinnon’s poor pass protection as reason. The road will get easier for McKinnon just not this week.
Mark Ingram, RB, New Orleans Saints
The last time Mark Ingram suited up against the Lions was in the 2011 season. He had 54 yards and a touchdown. While owners may see some appeal for Ingram as a flex starter this week, a lot has changed since then. Back in 2011, Detroit had the 23rd-ranked run defense, now it is second only to Buffalo. Also, Ingram is just coming back from being sidelined since Week 2 due to a broken hand. There’s no telling how much action the recovering Ingram will see. Owners should employ a “wait and see” approach to Ingram.
CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons
It’s difficult to get excited about the Falcons’ receiving corps after a lackluster outing on a decent matchup at home vs. Chicago last week. While Julio Jones has produced decent numbers with poor production from the Falcons’ inconsistent offense, White on the other hand has been very underwhelming. He’s been held to under 50 yards in his last two games and did little after scoring a touchdown Week 4 against Minnesota — and the Vikings on the scoring play. Matt Ryan’s struggles away from Georgia Dome are well-documented and things will be no different against the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday. Start White with extreme caution.
Hugh Johnson: 303-954-1037, hjohnson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/HughJohnsonDP
