Conviction Picks: Week 7 fantasy football predictions to count on
Our analysts reveal the fantasy football takes they have the most conviction for heading into Week 7 to help you feel better about the lineup decisions ahead. For more sit-start advice, check out our rankings hub.
Pacheco a top-5 RB option
Isiah Pacheco’s RB rush share continues to increase and hit a season-high (89%) last week. He’s even top-10 among backs in receiving yards this season. Pacheco routinely benefits from positive game scripts and will be helped Sunday by a Kansas City offense with the second-highest implied team total on the slate. The Chargers have been vulnerable to RBs this season, so Pacheco finishes as a top-five fantasy back in a tricky week. — Dalton Del Don
Rice takes step toward Circle of Trust
The Chiefs have yet to make a full commitment to Rashee Rice, but at some point you have to let your best players be your best players. Patrick Mahomes has a juicy 110.0 passer rating when he targets Rice — it’s lower, often considerably lower, with the rest of the receiver room — and Rice has charted respectable WR23 and WR34 finishes the last two weeks. I’m expecting 70 yards or a touchdown, perhaps both, against the Chargers. Maybe Rice isn’t yet in the Kansas City Circle of Trust, but he’s in mine. — Scott Pianowski
Jacobs in smash spot against Bears
Many of you have made your dissatisfaction with Josh Jacobs quite clear via various social channels. Ideally, your early-round running back would be averaging better than 2.9 yards per carry and 3.9 yards per touch. Jacobs himself can’t be too pleased with an offensive line that’s repeatedly failed him, creating far fewer opportunities than he saw last season. But here’s the good news: Jacobs has seen at least 20 touches in five of his six games so far, including 25 or more in each of the past three weeks. He’s also on pace to catch over 70 passes, so he’s been a gift in any sort of PPR format.
This week, Jacobs travels to Chicago to face a defense that’s been the fourth most generous to opposing running backs for fantasy purposes, primarily because they’ve allowed the most receiving yards and receiving TDs to RBs. Trust the volume and the matchup this week. — Andy Behrens
Diontae Johnson hits ground running in return
Johnson returns to immediate WR2 production at worst. It’s trending in the right direction for Johnson to play in his first game since Week 1. The Steelers offense has desperately missed his presence. Johnson is the team’s best route runner and separator by a country mile. Kenny Pickett needs an outlet receiver in this offense and that should be Johnson, who was looking like a typical first-read volume sponge early in Week 1.
George Pickens has been solid, albeit volatile as a separator in his role as the vertical X receiver but has been hit or miss on contested catches so far. We know he can produce highlight reel grabs there but those plays have a high degree of difficulty and can fluctuate wildly game to game. It’s just a tough way to live when an already erratic quarterback has a player like that as the clear top target. The Rams defense has been better than expected, especially at limiting vertical passing games. So I see Johnson returning to a big role as the short and intermediate receiver in this offense. — Matt Harmon
Kenneth Walker III will be Week 7's RB1
Walker saw season-high in usage last week. He earned 76% of the snaps and 86% of the carries. This was encouraging to see after the bye week. The dominant usage tempers any expectations of rookie Zach Charbonnet’s role growing after the bye.
Walker now ranks top-10 in RB usage this season and has the fourth best red-zone role in the league. This week he’s a 7.5-point favorite against the Cardinals 29th-ranked run defense. Arizona allowed Kyren Williams to average 7.9 yards per carry last week on his way to a 158-yard day. Expect Walker to take full advantage of this matchup. — Sal Vetri
Kupp and Nacua both finish as top-five WRs
Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers’ propensity for generating turnovers, they’ve generally struggled against the league’s top receivers. In Week 7, they’ll face not one but two of the league’s best wideouts in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The Steelers have allowed three different receivers to have 120+ yards and two TDs over the course of the season, resulting in those three receivers (Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, Nico Collins) finishing as a top-three fantasy receivers on the week. Don’t be surprised when this duo does enough damage to send cornerbacks Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson running for the (Hollywood) Hills. — Kate Magdziuk
Aiyuk ready to deliver on Monday night
A lot of things are coming together to make this my pick. Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel injuries could force them to sit or be limited and narrow the opportunities in the 49ers offense. Also, Brock Purdy and Co. are not facing the ferocious Browns defense. The Vikings are 20th in passing yardage allowed, with 241 per game and allow 34.9 half PPR fantasy points per week (28th) to receivers. The game will be in Minnesota, where Kirk Cousins has been much better. The Vikings will put up some points, forcing the 49ers to throw with two of their big weapons dinged.
If Samuel sits, the targets will become concentrated on Brandon Aiyuk. In Week 4, Samuel had three carries in a limited role playing through multiple injuries. Aiyuk turned six receptions into 148 yards against the Cardinals. And last season, Aiyuk had at least 81 yards in three of the four games Samuel missed. Aiyuk will get 10 targets, turning them into eight catches for over 100 yards and a score to thrill a Monday Night Football audience and fantasy managers. — Jorge Martin