Is Jimmy Garoppolo Playing In Week 7? Should I Pickup and Start Brian Hoyer For Fantasy Football?

Jimmy Garoppolo has not done anybody any fantasy football favors this season. In fact, the best favor he could do for the fantasy managers who have rostered him is to miss a week so they can use somebody else at quarterback.

Garoppolo has done the unthinkable – make Las Vegas Raiders fans wish Derek Carr was back running the offense. He has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, averaged only a little over 200 passing yards per game, and has been no help to the fantasy values of top target Davante Adams and top tailback Josh Jacobs.

Garoppolo is currently nursing a back injury he suffered last week during Las Vegas’ home win over the New England Patriots. Will he be able to suit up on Sunday when the Raiders play the 1-5 Chicago Bears? Here is the latest:

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
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• Superflex fantasy football rankings
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• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Is Jimmy Garoppolo Playing in Week 7?

No, Jimmy G. will be watching from the sidelines, the press box, or from his cozy couch this Sunday when his Raiders play the hapless Bears in a game no football fan wants to sit through. Garoppolo’s back injury will force him to miss his second game of the season. He missed one earlier in the campaign due to a concussion. Bench him in all fantasy formats.

Should I Pick Up and Start Brian Hoyer?

I know the Bears have the 29^th-ranked pass defense in the NFL and have made most quarterbacks look like carbon copies of Joe Montana in his prime. I also know Hoyer has arguably the best receiver in the sport in Adams, a superstar who can take a five-yard Hoyer dump-off and turn it into a 50-yard scoring play.

But Hoyer should not be trusted in a fantasy spot. The longtime veteran has thrown a grand total of one touchdown pass over the past four years as he has barely seen the field. He has not played in six games of more in a season since 2017. The 38-year-old career backup is not blessed with fleet feet or a rifle arm. Hoyer is a decent game manager at best and a below-average QB at worst.

Go with Hoyer only if it is a fantasy emergency and there are no other viable options available. He is one or two bad quarters away from being replaced by youngster Aidan O'Connell, so there is more risk than reward if you decided to pick Hoyer up and play him this weekend.

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