You know what I love about television? The structure is long form story telling. Unless your ratings are firmly entrenched in the toilet, you typically have a little bit of time to find your groove as a show. Take "30 Rock" for example. While the show was funny early on, it took a season or two until it really hit its stride. Tina Fey has said it's normal for a show to need a little bit of time to get comfortable and make necessary changes to improve as it goes.
Fantasy football operates in much the same way.
Week 7 is essentially the mid-point for most fantasy regular seasons. Your average league starts its playoffs in Week 14. That means there is more than enough time to still make some trades, check out the free agent pool and tinker with your lineups. Teams hovering around .500 still have a window to make a late season push.
To help with that, here are a few players worth starting this week and a few to avoid.
Worth It:
QB: Russell Wilson
Don't be fooled by the poor outing against the Cowboys. "Russell & Flow" is still good to go in all formats. Last week was Wilson's first game of the season in which he failed to throw a pair of touchdowns. But a matchup against the St. Louis Rams, who are allowing an average of 19 fantasy points to opposing QBs this year, is the perfect remedy for any doubters. St. Louis just surrendered 380 total yards and three touchdowns to Colin Kaepernick. Wilson is also averaging a career high in pass attempts per game this season just in case you needed a little more convincing.
RB: Ben Tate & Isaiah Crowell (And Maybe Terrance West...Maybe)
Ben Tate is healthy and Cleveland gave him 25 carries to Crowell's 11 last week in Pittsburgh. But Crowell put the limited work to good use, running for 77 yards and a touchdown while Tate added two scores of his own. Terrance West was a healthy scratch, which could indicate that Crowell has moved into the No. 2 spot on the depth chart. Regardless, Cleveland is playing the Jacksonville Jaguars this week, and you know what that means? FANTASY POINTS BONANZA! It's going to be like an Oprah show on Sunday: "You get a touchdown and you get a touchdown, EVERYONE GETS A TOUCHDOWN!!!" The Jags have allowed a combined seven touchdowns to opposing backs this season. The Browns, meanwhile, are 3rd in the league in rushing yards per game. Get ready to do the happy dance.
WR: Mike Wallace
The Dolphins play the Bears this week and while Chicago has played better against the pass in its last two games, it's still susceptible to longer throws. Da Bears allow nearly 8.0 yards per pass attempt. Wallace, as some of you might remember, is a speedster who likes to run deep routes. He's averaging a hearty 8.5 targets a game and 12.5 yards per reception. The Bears have allowed four touchdowns over 20 yards in their last four games. I'm feeling a big play coming from Wallace this week.
TE: Rob Gronkowski
Guess who's caught a touchdown in three of his last four games? Rob Gronkowski. Guess who's allowed seven touchdowns to opposing tight ends in their last four games. The New York Jets. Guess who Gronkowski is playing this weekend? Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. Step right up and claim your prize of fantasy victory and bragging rights.
Avoid:
QB: Drew Brees
I mean, you're going to start him regardless. I can't argue against that. All I can say is that it is going to be a tough matchup this week. The Saints are playing the Lions, who rank first in opposing passing yards and second in opposing rushing yards. Last time I checked, that was pretty good. Detroit has only allowed five passing touchdowns this season, least in the league. Brees' top option, Jimmy Graham, will also be out of this contest thanks to an injury. On the road, where Brees averages 15.5 fantasy points, against a top defense and without his favorite target? Pimpin' ain't Breesy, and neither is this matchup.
RB: C.J. Spiller
Fred Jackson (4.4) leads Spiller (3.4, a career worst) in YPC by a full yard. Jackson is the guy who gets the goal line looks in Buffalo. Hell, he's even second on the team in receiving. Spiller looks lost out there right now. Whether it's due to coach Doug Marrone's system or just poor play, Spiller is not the same explosive dual-threat back that he's been in the past. Only two double digit fantasy games this year and those came in the first two weeks of the season. He was even benched last week after a disastrous fumble. I don't see much changing for the former first-round pick this week, even with a decent matchup against the Vikings.
WR: Kelvin Benjamin
The guy is a stud rookie receiver, which is a rare commodity. I like his size and his talent and I like a getting healthier Cam Newton almost every week. But the Packers have allowed an average of just 243 yards receiving during their current three-game winning streak. Benjamin has just 163 yards over that same time frame. He does have four scores on the year but I'm always wary of relying on touchdowns for fantasy football. They're too fickle from week to week to be counted on consistently. I'm not saying Benjamin won't find the end zone in this one, but I do think his upside is limited somewhat.
TE: Antonio Gates
Gates is facing a Kansas City Chiefs defense that hasn't given up more than 61 yards to a tight end all year. They haven't allowed a double digit scoring effort to a TE since Week 2. Gates, meanwhile, is averaging just fewer than three catches on five targets a game since his strong start to the season. Dude has cooled off more than Vinnny Chase after "Medellin" bombed in "Entourage." With Philip Rivers spreading the ball around and Branden Oliver emerging as a legit option in the backfield, I don't see Gates having a start worthy game this week.
