The Lineup Cheat Sheet combines Fantasy analysis and game-flow predictions with a confidence scale to give you a definitive answer on who to start in your leagues.
It’s pretty simple: The scale runs from 1-10. The higher the number next to a player’s name, the more confident you should be to start him. The numbers are not a projection, just a confidence score to help you pick who to start. Every relevant player for Week 7 is here, so if a player isn’t listed, don’t start him.
To find a specific player, use your search function — CTRL-F on PCs and Command-F on Macs. If neither of those are options, or if you’re on a mobile device, you can scroll by game.
If you’re still unsure, just send a note on Twitter (@daverichard) and I’ll give it a look, time permitting. Ready to get off on the right foot? Here’s how to approach every play for Week 7 in PPR leagues — the non-PPR Cheat Sheet is right here.
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All lines from William Hill Sportsbook.
The line wants us to believe: The Eagles should eke out a close win. Public perception is that the Giants stink, but they’ve actually played in three straight competitive games. It feels like a trick line — I can’t imagine many people are putting their dough on Daniel Jones, but the Eagles are getting healthier at receiver and in the secondary and hopefully right tackle Lane Johnson makes a difference. The Eagles haven’t won a game by a lot yet this year — this might be the week.
The line wants us to believe: The Titans are for real. This line opened with Pittsburgh as the favorite but fell once Maurkice Pouncey and Mike Hilton missed practice on Wednesday. Tack those absences on to Devin Bush out of the middle of the Steelers defense and suddenly there’s optimism the Titans can compete. I’m worried about the Titans O-line playing well with Taylor Lewan on the shelf.
The line wants us to believe: That these are evenly matched teams. There can’t be many people who think Washington is a good team. They know about Dallas’ receivers and running back and they’ll figure they’re the better squad. It’s a trap! Washington’s pass rush will be the difference in this game, but the Football Team’s running backs aren’t exactly terrible.
The line wants us to believe: Buffalo’s last two losses don’t matter because the Jets are roadkill. It’s a pretty believable statement. I’m kind of shocked it’s ONLY 13 points. Buffalo’s defense and run game need a get-right matchup. This is it.
The line wants us to believe: The 3-2 Saints are superior to the 3-3 Panthers. This is a steep number for the Saints — they haven’t beaten anyone by seven or more since Week 1. Guess what? It’s designed to be that way. With Michael Thomas back, the defense rested and Drew Brees ready, they’re about to land a blowout win.
The line wants us to believe: The Packers will struggle to bounce-back from last week. I’m buying the over — while its offense is great, Houston’s defense is totally corrupted. Green Bay should absolutely play with a chip on its shoulder. I don’t think the Texans are getting quite enough points at home, though. Aaron Jones should have a big game.
The line wants us to believe: This will be a close, high-scoring game. Weren’t the Browns a playoff darling two weeks ago? Now they’re supposed to struggle against the Bengals?! Cincinnati’s offense has been evolving. Its defense? Not so much. The fishy line is the total — no one should think about taking the over, which means you should. This could end up as a Fantasy bonanza with all the key players being decent.
The line wants us to believe: The Falcons are back! But they’re only two points better than the Lions?! I gotta tell you, this feels like a suspect line for sure. But the way Julio Jones played last week makes me think this offense can hit four touchdowns like their implied team total suggests. I’m struggling to see the Lions post more than three scores for the second week in a row on the road. If it’s a trap, I’m falling into it.
The line wants us to believe: Seattle isn’t that much better that Arizona. Honestly, it’s probably a fair line. The Seahawks don’t blow anybody out all that often and the Cardinals should continue to be feisty coming off of last week’s win. Should be a thrilling, high-scoring game. Hard to find anyone to sit in this one for Fantasy purposes, but if I’m picking a side, I’d rather trust Wilson than Murray.
The line wants us to believe: The Chargers are capable of blowing out anyone. This is the Jaguars we’re talking about, complete with a depleted defense and an offense that’s been pretty inconsistent. The Chargers, rested off the bye, should play well enough to win. I expect the run game to help L.A. a lot, and the return of Melvin Ingram and Justin Jones on the D-line should create a couple of turnovers. Gardner Minshew has a bad ball rate of 21.5% over his past two games.
The line wants us to believe: The Pats loss last week was an aberration. The reality is that Bill Belichick’s teams rarely lose two straight at home. Maybe that changes with Cam Newton under center, but I’d expect a resilient effort from the Pats. San Francisco might have too many injuries to deal with after an impressive win in the national spotlight last week.
The line wants us to believe: This will be another Chiefs blowout. It’s a tough sell given the Broncos‘ defensive exploits this season. Vic Fangio won’t exactly roll over — if anything he’ll zone blitz a little more often than other defenses might. The Broncos offense moved the ball pretty well against the Patriots last week. It’s too many points, I think it’ll be a close game.
The line wants us to believe: The Raiders‘ big win over the Chiefs shouldn’t be forgotten. If Las Vegas is missing pieces of its starting O-line and it’s defensive secondary, this game might not be close and 3.5 points isn’t enough. Six might not be enough. Expect the Buccaneers defense and run game to be a big part of their victory plan.
The line wants us to believe: The Rams are the better team, even after a loss. No one is giving the Bears any respect, but the truth is their defense has played better than expected. Los Angeles’ offense hasn’t consistently clicked, and Jared Goff is always suspect against teams with strong pass rushes. The Rams may win, but not by seven or more.
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 7 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
