Week 7 is awash with injuries and the most byes we’ll see in a single week this season. Six NFL teams — the Bills, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, Vikings and Steelers — will all get some much needed rest this week, but where does that leave our fantasy squads? Fear not, that’s why I outline my fantasy football rankings into tiers — and why I do that twice each week: After setting my early projections on Wednesdays, then again after a robust round of updates on Saturdays.
Let’s dive into my early Week 7 tiers for each position: Quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers and defenses. Be sure to check out my real-time rankings at any point here before my final tiers go up on Saturday.
Fantasy Rankings & Tiers
Fantasy QB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Patrick Mahomes (@ TEN)
Lamar Jackson (vs. CIN)
Kyler Murray (vs. HOU)
Tier 2
Jalen Hurts (@ LV)
Tom Brady (vs. CHI)
Matthew Stafford (vs. DET)
Matthew Stafford has the #RevengeGame narrative going for him this week as he faces his former team. He should have his way against a Lions defense that currently ranks 25th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA against the pass.
Tier 3
Aaron Rodgers (vs. WAS)
Heading into 2021, facing the Football Team seemed like an imposing matchup. However, they have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing QBs. In addition, their pass defense ranks 28th in DVOA, thanks mainly to William Jackson III (who Washington signed this offseason to a three-year, $42 million deal) looking like a bust. I expect Rodgers to pick apart this secondary with ease.
Tier 4
Ryan Tannehill (vs. KC)
Derek Carr (vs. PHI)
Matt Ryan (@ MIA)
Ryan Tannehill finds himself in a smash spot this week against the Chiefs. A.J. Brown returning to 100% health is fantastic news for Tannehill, but it looks like Julio Jones will be a game-time decision this week (at best). If Jones is out, Tannehill may drop to the bottom of this Tier or end up in Tier 5.
Matt Ryan’s matchup will become a cakewalk if Xavien Howard and Byron Jones are held out again this week. His final rank will depend on their status.
Tier 5
Sam Darnold (@ NYG)
Tua Tagovailoa (vs. ATL)
Editor’s Note: This section was updated to include trade rumors surrounding Texans QB Deshaun Watson, who is currently facing 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault and misconduct, as well as several criminal complaints and has yet to play this season.
Tua Tagovailoa looked sharp in his return from a rib injury last week, throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns while chipping in 22 yards on the ground. The Dolphins defense has taken a huge step back this season (26th rank in DVOA), and it’s forcing their offense to become very pass-heavy. They lead the league in early-down pass rate as a result. Tagovailoa’s stock is on the rise as a result, and his outlook will only improve once he gets DeVante Parker, Preston Williams and Will Fuller V back.
But that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning up more murmurs about Deshaun Watson possibly getting traded to Miami, as John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reported the Texans and Dolphins could reach a deal as early as this week. It might be worth grabbing Watson in your league.
Tier 6
Joe Burrow (@ BAL)
Jameis Winston (@ SEA)
Daniel Jones (vs. CAR)
Mac Jones (vs. NYJ)
Taylor Heinicke (@ GB)
Daniel Jones’ final rank this week will depend on the availability of Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton.
Tier 7
Case Keenum (vs. DEN)
Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. IND)
Carson Wentz (@ SF)
Case Keenum gets the spot start for Baker Mayfield this week. We know Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are out, which means the Browns could have a pass-heavy game plan. However, we don’t know if either Odell Beckham Jr. or Jarvis Landry will be active. So there are a ton of moving parts here that will decide Keenum’s final rank.
Tier 8
Teddy Bridgewater (@ CLE)
Justin Fields (@ TB)
Geno Smith (vs. NO)
Jared Goff (@ LAR)
The Bears have leaned heavily on their running game over the past three weeks, but that’s not going to fly against the Buccaneers’ stout run defense. I’m expecting Justin Fields to break his single-game record for passing yards (currently 209) this week as the Bears opt for a more pass-heavy game plan. Treat him as a high-upside QB2 this week.
Tier 9
Zach Wilson (@ NE)
Davis Mills (@ ARI)
You aren’t starting either of these QBs this week unless you are desperate.
Tier 10
Taysom Hill (@ SEA)
Trey Lance (vs. IND)
Fantasy RB Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Derrick Henry (vs. KC)
King Henry ran all over the Bills defense (who ranked first in DVOA vs. the run heading into last week). Now he gets to face the 31st-ranked defense against the run — I’ll be sending my thoughts and prayers to anyone who has to face Henry this week.
Tier 2
Alvin Kamara (@ SEA)
Aaron Jones (vs. WAS)
Tier 3
Darrell Henderson (vs. DET)
Jonathan Taylor (@ SF)
Chuba Hubbard (@ NYG)
Leonard Fournette (vs. CHI)
Darrell Henderson sneaks into the top five due to a juicy matchup against the Lions, along with Austin Ekeler, Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott and Najee Harris being on byes.
Amid a three-game losing streak, head coach Matt Rhule said the Panthers would become a run-heavy team and wants to see 30-33 rushes a game. Hubbard needs to be treated as a RB1/2 until CMC returns.
“Playoff Lenny” has turned into “Regular-Season Lenny.” So fire him up with confidence until further notice.
Tier 4
D’Andre Swift (@ LAR)
Cordarrelle Patterson (@ MIA)
Josh Jacobs (vs. PHI)
Elijah Mitchell (vs. IND)
Joe Mixon (@ BAL)
Damien Harris (vs. NYJ)
Darrel Williams (@ TEN)
Devontae Booker (vs. CAR)
Elijah Mitchell faces the No. 1 ranked run defense (in DVOA) this week, so we need to temper expectations a bit. However, he appears to be the clear lead back after seeing 11 touches in Week 5 compared to Trey Sermon’s one touch. Additionally, Mitchell should benefit from Jimmy G being back under center this week as Trey Lance rushed 16 times for 89 yards in Week 5 and likely ate into Mitchell’s workload.
Tier 5
Miles Sanders (@ LV)
Miles Sanders is a boom/bust RB2 play this week. He’s been effective on limited touches the past couple of weeks, and the Eagles may opt to run the ball more in the future. Also, Kenneth Gainwell hasn’t seen his role grow over the past couple of games, which is good news for Sanders (for now).
Tier 6
Mike Davis (@ MIA)
Javonte Williams (@ CLE)
James Conner (vs. HOU)
Antonio Gibson (@ GB)
D’Ernest Johnson (vs. DEN)
Chase Edmonds (vs. HOU)
The window to buy low on Javonte Williams continues to shrink. He out-touched Melvin Gordon last week for the first time since Week 1. We could see his role expand on the short week as the Broncos may want to give Gordon a lighter workload as he plays through a hip injury. However, Williams having a breakout game in primetime could end the “buy low” window.
D’Ernest Johnson being a low-end RB2 tells you everything you need to know about Week 7. See my in-depth look at their RB situation — plus Seattle and Washington — here.
Tier 7
Melvin Gordon (@ CLE)
J.D. McKissic (@ GB)
Alex Collins (vs. NO)
Michael Carter (@ NE)
Demetric Felton (vs. DEN)
A.J. Dillon (vs. WAS)
Myles Gaskin (vs. ATL)
Michael Carter’s role should continue to grow as he should be the Jets’ workhorse back in 2022. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Jets start to give him a bigger role coming out of their bye.
Tier 8
Mark Ingram (@ ARI)
The Texans seem committed to feeding Mark Ingram, even when they are down big. He finished with a 18/73/0 rushing line in Week 7 despite losing by 28 points and despite their top offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil dealing with a multi-week absence. I would “sell high” on Ingram while you still can.
Tier 9
Jamaal Williams (@ LAR)
Rhamondre Stevenson (vs. NYJ)
Damien Williams (@ TB)
The Patriots used Rhamondre Stevenson more as a pass-catcher in Week 6, where he saw a season-high 35% routes run rate and caught three passes for 39 yards. It’s a massive development as the Patriots are still trying to replace the James White role in the offense. Stevenson already has RB2 upside if Damien Harris were ever to miss time, but he’s starting to carve out a role that may provide RB3/Flex value even when Harris is active.
Tier 10
Sony Michel (vs. DET)
Kenneth Gainwell (@ LV)
Khalil Herbert (@ TB)
Latavius Murray (vs. CIN)
Nyheim Hines (@ SF)
Damien Williams remains on the COVID list, so there is a chance he’s held out against his week. Khalil Herbert would get a boost if Williams is held out again, but the brutal matchup against the Bucs will limit his upside.
Tier 11
Kenyan Drake (vs. PHI)
Salvon Ahmed (vs. ATL)
Trey Sermon (vs. IND)
David Johnson (@ ARI)
Devonta Freeman (vs. CIN)
Le’Veon Bell (vs. CIN)
Malcolm Brown (vs. ATL)
Kyle Juszczyk (vs. IND)
Devonta Freeman, Le’Veon Bell or Ty’Son Williams could jump up to Tier 10 (or higher) if Latavius Murray is ruled out this week. However, it’s anyone’s guess as to who would take over as the lead back.
Fantasy WR Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Davante Adams (vs. WAS)
Tyreek Hill (@ TEN)
Cooper Kupp (vs. DET)
Tier 2
D.J. Moore (@ NYG)
Terrance Marshall Jr. (concussion) may be held out this week, and Robby Anderson continues to struggle. Moore could bounce back to the elite WR1 production we saw in Weeks 2-4, where only Cooper Kupp outscored him in 1/2 PPR.
Tier 3
Deebo Samuel (vs. IND)
Calvin Ridley (@ MIA)
Terry McLaurin (@ GB)
Tier 4
DeAndre Hopkins (vs. HOU)
Robert Woods (vs. DET)
Sterling Shepard (vs. CAR)
A.J. Brown (vs. KC)
Brandin Cooks (@ ARI)
Mike Evans (vs. CHI)
Chris Godwin (vs. CHI)
Ja’Marr Chase (@ BAL)
Antonio Brown (vs. CHI)
Sterling Shepard’s rank is not a typo. I am currently projecting the Giants to be without Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, which has sent Shepard’s projection to the moon.
The last time I can recall ranking three WRs from the same team inside the top 15 was in 2013 with Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker and Wes Welker. I hinted this was a possibility in Tom Brady’s second season in the Bucs offense.
Tier 5
Courtland Sutton (@ CLE)
D.K. Metcalf (vs. NO)
Marquise Brown (vs. CIN)
Jakobi Meyers (vs. NYJ)
DeVonta Smith (@ LV)
Tee Higgins (@ BAL)
Tyler Lockett (vs. NO)
Jaylen Waddle (vs. ATL)
Michael Pittman Jr. (@ SF)
Jaylen Waddle’s rank will shoot up if DeVante Parket is held out again this week. The Dolphins have become a pass-heavy offense, and the needle is pointing up for the talented first-round pick.
Tier 6
Corey Davis (@ NE)
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. DEN)
Christian Kirk (vs. HOU)
Allen Robinson (@ TB)
Rondale Moore (vs. HOU)
Darnell Mooney (@ TB)
Robby Anderson (@ NYG)
Tyler Boyd (@ BAL)
Hunter Renfrow (vs. PHI)
Mecole Hardman (@ TEN)
Henry Ruggs III (vs. PHI)
Robby Anderson, Mecole Hardman and Henry Ruggs III are boom/bust WR3 options this week. With six teams on a bye this week, I’m guessing a lot of fantasy GMs will have to make sit/start decisions involving these types of WRs. I would take advantage of their high ceilings if you are an underdog this week and would be careful starting them if you are a favorite.
Tier 7
Julio Jones (vs. KC)
Tim Patrick (@ CLE)
Brandon Aiyuk (vs. IND)
T.Y. Hilton (@ SF)
A.J. Green (vs. HOU)
Amon-Ra St. Brown (@ LAR)
Marquez Callaway (@ SEA)
T.Y. Hilton returned from his neck injury to post a solid 4/80/0 performance against the Texans. However, he picked up a quad injury and is shaping up to be a game-time decision for Week 7. Check back for my Updated Tiers on Saturday once we have a better idea of his status to see where I rank him.
Tier 8
DeVante Parker (vs. ATL)
Quez Watkins (@ LV)**
Jamison Crowder (@ NE)*
Kalif Raymond (@ LAR)**
Van Jefferson (vs. DET)**
Sammy Watkins (vs. CIN)
Rashod Bateman (vs. CIN)
Deonte Harris (@ SEA)
Bryan Edwards (vs. PHI)**
Allen Lazard (vs. WAS)
Tier 9
Donovan Peoples-Jones (vs. DEN)**
Jalen Reagor (@ LV)
Nelson Agholor (vs. NYJ)
Randall Cobb (vs. WAS)*
Kendrick Bourne (vs. NYJ)
Jarvis Landry (vs. DEN)
Darius Slayton (vs. CAR)
Zach Pascal (@ SF)
Tier 10
Terrace Marshall Jr. (@ NYG)
Mohamed Sanu (vs. IND)
Dyami Brown (@ GB)**
Nico Collins (@ ARI)
Russell Gage (@ MIA)
Tre’Quan Smith (@ SEA)
Desean Jackson (vs. DET)**
Elijah Moore (@ NE)
Freddie Swain (vs. NO)
(*) players with a higher floor
— I would lean toward these WRs in sit/start decisions where you are a favorite.
(**) players with a high ceiling
— I would lean towards these WRs in sit/start decisions where you are an underdog.
Fantasy TE Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Travis Kelce (@ TEN)
Tier 2
Darren Waller (vs. PHI)
Mark Andrews (vs. CIN)
Mark Andrews has been white-hot over the past two games (11/147/2 & 5/68/1), while Darren Waller has been in a mini-slump. However, there is no reason to be worried about Waller; the big game(s) are coming.
Tier 3
Kyle Pitts (@ MIA)
T.J. Hockenson (@ LAR)
Dallas Goedert (@ LV)
Mike Gesicki (vs. ATL)
Tyler Higbee (vs. DET)
Noah Fant (@ CLE)
Dallas Goedert’s stock shot up following the Zach Ertz trade, and the increase in playing time and targets should make him a top-10 TE going forward. There is a chance he remains on the COVID list and cannot suit up for Week 7, so make backup plans just in case.
Tier 4
Hunter Henry (vs. NYJ)
Ricky Seals-Jones (@ GB)
This week, Ricky Seals-Jones can be trusted as a low-end TE1 as he’s averaging an elite 87% routes run rate in his three spot starts for the injured Logan Thomas.
Tier 5
Zach Ertz (vs. HOU)
Evan Engram (vs. CAR)
O.J. Howard (vs. CHI)
Cole Kmet (@ TB)
Robert Tonyan Jr. (vs. WAS)
Rob Gronkowski (vs. CHI)
Zach Ertz makes his Cardinals debut this week, but it’s unclear how much playing time he will see. I have him penciled in as a high-end TE2 but will adjust my projections/rank if we get more information on his expected playing time.
Tier 6
C.J. Uzomah (@ BAL)
David Njoku (vs. DEN)
Ross Dwelley (vs. IND)
Mo Alie-Cox (@ SF)
These are all sneaky streaming options on a bye-heavy week. Ross Dwelley could not capitalize in his first spot start for George Kittle (2/25/0), but he should benefit from Jimmy G back under center.
Tier 7
Jonnu Smith (vs. NYJ)
Gerald Everett (vs. NO)
Hayden Hurst (@ MIA)
Anthony Firkser (vs. KC)
Tier 8
Austin Hooper (vs. DEN)
Juwan Johnson (@ SEA)
Durham Smythe (vs. ATL)
Ian Thomas (@ NYG)
Cameron Brate (vs. CHI)
Fantasy Kicker Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Matt Gay (vs. DET)
Matt Prater (vs. HOU)
Harrison Butker (@ TEN)
Ryan Succop (vs. CHI)
Tier 2
Justin Tucker (vs. CIN)
Younghoe Koo (@ MIA)
Mason Crosby (vs. WAS)
Daniel Carlson (vs. PHI)
Jason Sanders (vs. ATL)
Nick Folk (vs. NYJ)
Tier 3
Wil Lutz (@ SEA)
Randy Bullock (vs. KC)
Zane Gonzalez (@ NYG)
Graham Gano (vs. CAR)
Evan McPherson (@ BAL)
Joey Slye (vs. IND)
Tier 4
Chase McLaughlin (vs. DEN)
Jake Elliott (@ LV)
Brandon McManus (@ CLE)
Michael Badgley (@ SF)
Chris Blewitt (@ GB)
Matt Ammendola (@ NE)
Jason Myers (vs. NO)
Austin Seibert (@ LAR)
Cairo Santos (@ TB)
Ka’imi Fairbairn (@ ARI)
Fantasy Defense Rankings & Tiers
Tier 1
Arizona Cardinals (vs. HOU)
New England Patriots (vs. NYJ)
Tier 2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. CHI)
Los Angeles Rams (vs. DET)
New Orleans Saints (@ SEA)
Tier 3
Cleveland Browns (vs. DEN)
Green Bay Packers (vs. WAS)
Tier 4
Carolina Panthers (@ NYG)
Baltimore Ravens (vs. CIN)
Las Vegas Raiders (vs. PHI)
San Francisco 49ers (vs. IND)
New York Giants (vs. CAR)
Denver Broncos (@ CLE)
Tier 5
Atlanta Falcons (@ MIA)
New York Jets (@ NE)
Seattle Seahawks (vs. NO)
Kansas City Chiefs (@ TEN)
Indianapolis Colts (@ SF)
Philadelphia Eagles (@ LV)
Cincinnati Bengals (@ BAL)
Miami Dolphins (vs. ATL)
Tier 6
Chicago Bears (@ TB)
Tennessee Titans (vs. KC)
Washington Football Team (@ GB)
Houston Texans (@ ARI)
Detroit Lions (@ LAR)