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The top daily fantasy football lineup picks for DraftKings in Week 7. Ben Rolfe's NFL DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Entering Week 7 we have to start with bad news. The Atlanta Falcons are playing on Monday Night Football, removing one of the best teams to select DFS options against. In a way, this is perhaps a blessing as they are facing the New York Giants. Therefore, this saves us as a fantasy community from being disappointed by the Giants once again. However, the good news is that there are a lot of interesting matchups with some decent Vegas over/unders on the slate. Below are my DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks for Week 7.
These DraftKings lineup recommendations are based on matchups, early week performances, overall upside/talent levels, opportunity, and other factors such as Vegas odds, home field advantage, and more. There are quite a few great value plays available, so read on to find out which players are the best for Week 7.
Good luck with your DraftKings DFS lineups!
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DraftKings DFS Quarterbacks - Week 7 Picks
Joe Flacco - BAL vs. NO (DK $5,400)
Picking Flacco never makes me feel comfortable. Flacco is better at home than on the road, with a quarterback rating 12 points higher when playing in Baltimore. However, this pick is not about Flacco, it is about the Saints defense. The Saints defense has a significant contrast when facing the pass or the rush. Against the rush, the Saints defense ranks first in yards surrendered. In comparison, against the pass, the Saints defense ranks 30th in yards surrendered. They also rank 26th in passing touchdowns surrendered with 11 in five games. In addition, they have only had one interception, making Flacco a safe play with upside. Finally, this game has one of the highest over/under lines of the weekend and is expected to be a shootout. The Saints offense will keep going for 60 minutes which means the Ravens offense will also have to keep their foot on the gas.
Baker Mayfield - CLE @ TB (DK $5,800)
Mayfield has had an up and down debut season but this is the worst pass defense he will have faced so far. The Buccaneers defense ranks last in both passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed. They also surrender the most fantasy points on average to quarterbacks. This is another game with a relatively high over/under at 48 so there should be plenty of points scored. Mayfield is a slightly risky play but against the Bucs, there is a big potential reward.
DraftKings DFS Running Backs - Week 7 Picks
Todd Gurley - LAR @ SF (DK $9,800)
Once again it is just simply a case that it is impossible to not pick this guy. Gurley rushed 28 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns last week. With Cooper Kupp out and the Rams now on their third away game in a row I expect the Rams to lean heavily on Gurley again this week. The 49ers rank 11th in terms of most fantasy points surrendered to running backs. They are worse against the pass but the only way the Rams lose this game is if they are careless. Riding Gurley is the best way of preventing mistakes from happening.
Kerryon Johnson - DET @ MIA (DK $4,500)
Johnson goes up against the sixth worst defense when it comes to facing running backs this week. The backfield by committee situation is a concern. However, there is a chance Theo Riddick will be out which will open up targets for Johnson. The floor for Johnson seems fairly safe at around 10-fantasy points but if he picks up passing down work he has the potential to reach 20-points this week.
Frank Gore - MIA vs. DET (DK $3,800)
Things are pointing up for Gore in Miami. Last week he saw a near even split in carries and Kenyan Drake fumbled. There is a good chance that Gore sees the majority of the carries this week. In addition, the Lions rank fourth against running backs and Brock Osweiler is once again going to be quarterbacking the Miami Dolphins. At this stage, all signs are points to the Miami backfield having a big week in Week 7.
DraftKings DFS Wide Receivers - Week 7 Picks
Stefon Diggs - MIN @ NYJ (DK $7,200)
The passing game splits for the Vikings on the road compared to at home are significant. Diggs averages 28.9 DraftKings fantasy points per game on the road compared to 9.0 at home. In addition, Diggs is seeing an average of 13 targets per game on the road compared to 6.66 at home. The Jets offense has been on fire the last two weeks and the Vikings are going to have to throw the ball a ton this week to come out on top. Finally, the Jets also rank seventh-worst against wide receivers this year. Perhaps the slightly safer bet is Adam Thielen ($8,600) but the extra expense would make it extremely hard to fit both him and Gurley into a lineup.
John Brown - BAL vs. NYJ (DK $5,700)
Picking which Ravens wide receiver is likely to go off is a tough call. However, the man with the ability to do the most damage all over the field is Brown. Ignoring the weird game last week Brown has been a huge part of this offense from Weeks 2 through 5, seeing an average of 10 targets per game in those four games. The Saints rank last against wide receivers when it comes to fantasy points allowed averaging 44 per game. As I said with Flacco, the Ravens are going to have to keep going in this game because the Saints will push for the full 60 minutes.
Taylor Gabriel - CHI vs. NE (DK $4,700)
Gabriel is coming off back-to-back 100-yard performances in his last two games. This season the Bears speedy receiver has not been targeted less than five times in any game this season. The Patriots surrendered 40-points last week, including surrendering three touchdowns to the speedy Tyreek Hill. The Bears defense will be better than they were last week but the Patriots should still put up points. That means the Bears will need to go toe-to-toe with them on Sunday and Gabriel should be a huge part of that.
DraftKings DFS Tight Ends - Week 7 Picks
Trey Burton - CHI vs. NE (DK $4,300)
The Patriots have not looked great against tight ends this season. They managed to make it tough for Travis Kelce last week by devising a game plan around stopping him. It is unlikely they focus as much attention on Burton this week. Therefore, he should be able to have a big day against a Patriots defense that ranks ninth-worst against the tight end. This should be a back-and-forth game with the current over/under set at around 50 points. I expect Burton to see plenty of looks and possibly even find the end zone.
David Njoku - CLE @ TB (DK $4,200)
Njoku now seems to be a big part of this offense, having seen 22 targets in the last two weeks. In addition, he caught his first touchdown of the season last week. This week he faces the Buccaneers, who rank worst in the NFL in terms of fantasy point surrendered to tight ends, with 16.92 fantasy points. This game should be fairly high scoring with neither offense likely to take a backward step. Njoku should be able to have another good game and possibly add his second touchdown this week.
DraftKings DFS Defenses - Week 7 Picks
Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears (DK $3,300)
The Colts have had a couple of really tough weeks on the road. Now they get to head home to face the Bills, who are allowing an average of 13.33 fantasy points per game to opposing defenses. That is among the worst in the NFL. When you also add in that Derek Anderson will be starting this game, less than two weeks after joining the team and the odds of success get better for the Colts defense.
