Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 7 Running backs

Start

Week 6 of the fantasy football season is here, and we’re back with another crop of start/sit options. We have a nice set of data about each team through six weeks, and can make informed decisions on good plays and traps. With that in mind, we’ll pick quarterbacks who should exceed expectations in Week 7, along with three you should probably sit.

Anderson has been pretty quiet the past couple of weeks, but a date with the Chargers ought to snap him out of it. Anderson had 20 carries against the Chargers in Week 1 and rushed for 81 yards. The Chargers have not had much better luck stopping the run since then, ranking 28th in DVOA, so the opportunity is there. The only concern is the emergence of Davontae Booker, but if Anderson approaches 20 carries again, he should post solid numbers.

Hyde is back on the radar after disappearing against the Colts two weeks ago. Against Washington last week, Hyde found the end zone twice on 13 carries and was back to being a factor in the passing game with six targets. The Cowboys are the worst team in the league at defending pass-catching backs, and are bottom third against the run overall, so Hyde has a chance to make noise at home.

DeMarco Murray got in some practice time Friday, but there’s a very real chance he does not play Sunday, which coupled with Tennessee’s Week 8 bye would give him two weeks to rest his sore hammy. Even if he’s active, Henry is going to be the main back here, as he was on Monday when he chewed up the Colts. Running backs against Cleveland is always a winning strategy.

Forte looked pretty good in his return to action last week, but who doesn’t look good against the Patriots these days? The Dolphins are much better against the run and Bilal Powell is expected back this week, turning the Jets into a RBBC nightmare. If you used Forte last week, be happy with what you got and don’t get greedy.

The Bears are middle of the pack against the run this season, so they’re nothing to really fear, but Stewart doesn’t appear to be the type of back to exploit matchups right now. The past two weeks, Stewart has carried the ball 26 times for 17 yards. Yikes.

I think the party is over for Mr. Gillislee in New England. He had a season-low 10 carries last week and fumbled one of them, which is not a good idea when there are about eight other backs waiting on the sideline. In this case, it was Dion Lewis who re-emerged as the back to be reckoned with. Gillislee hasn’t found the end zone since Week 2 and does not have a single pass target to his name. He has no value and might not have playing time if Lewis continues to play well.