We have an awesome fantasy football week on tap, with a ton of huge games and a ton of great matchups.
This isn't to say everything is all sunshine and rainbows, as a number of teams are struggling in a big way and are looking to turn things around in Week 7. Who's going to underperform? Who's going to have huge performances? Let's find out!
Jared Goff and Jordan Love both throw 3 touchdowns
With a big 52.5 total, we should see plenty of scoring between these two offenses, which shouldn't be a surprise given the offensive talent on each team. Both defenses are in the bottom 10 of the league in defensive success rate, which should allow both Jared Goff and Jordan Love to air the ball out. The Lions have allowed 14 passing touchdowns through five games, and while the Packers have only allowed 9
through six games, Goff and the Lions could be playing from behind, forcing them to pass the ball more.
The Minnesota Vikings' defense comes up with a touchdown
This seems rather specific, but I'll go for a bit of a skill shot with this one. The Vikings' defense is beyond elite this season with a 24.9% pressure rate (1st in the NFL), -0.21 EPA/play (1st), sack rate 9.8% (1st), and 12.8 PPG (1st). Daniel Jones has taken the fifth-most (15) sacks this season and is tied for the third-most (6) interceptions while being 24th (40.9%) in success rate. There's nothing to suggest Jones is going to have a good game, and the pressure the Vikings bring will force bad decisions, leading to a defensive touchdown.
Braelon Allen continues to impress
With Breece Hall out, Braelon Allen has taken the bull by the horns and has shown to be a trusted fantasy running back. While Hall hasn't been officially ruled out this week, Allen has the hot hand right now, going for 12.4 and 18.6 PPR fantasy points over the last two weeks. He has a juicy matchup on tap against the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed 29.1 PPR fantasy points per game to opposing running backs (second-worst in the NFL). Allen should continue to produce with this great matchup, which will propel him to a top 15 weekly finish.
KC Concepcion scores his first NFL touchdown
Concepcion has been good, but not great, so far for the Cleveland Browns, but it's not all his fault. There were some growing pains with Deshaun Watson in the first few games, then Concepcion left a game early, but this is the week he has his first NFL touchdown. The Titans have allowed the sixth-most (1,052) receiving yards to opposing wide receivers, but only 4 touchdowns, which is tied for the fourth-fewest. Considering Concepcion has a 17.6% red zone target share, and the Titans are 27th in the NFL at 0.156 dropback EPA, it's a better matchup than some may realize.
Tyler Higbee finishes as a top 5 tight end
With Davante Adams out, this should be a layup for Tyler Higbee. We all know that Puka Nacua is the top option for the Rams, but they need someone else in the passing game, and Higbee has shown flashes of that this season. He comes in with a 12.0% target share and a 14.3% goal-line target share, which don't pop off the page, but the matchup against the Raiders is elite, as they've allowed the seventh-most (17.9) PPR points per game to tight ends.
Jaylen Warren posts 100+ combined yards
Jaylen Warren is the best offensive option for the Steelers, and getting him the ball should be their priority. They have a great matchup vs. the Saints, who have allowed the most (701) rushing yards to running backs and the most rushing touchdowns (11). Warren plays on 76.2% of the offensive snaps and is averaging 5.5 yards per carry, making him the clear top option in their backfield. He's coming off a slightly slower game with only 78 combined yards, but he'll bounce back and post over 100 combined yards against this bad defense.
Justin Jefferson has his first 100-yard game of the season
The Vikings' offense certainly hasn't impressed this season, but coming off the bye week, I think they're ready to take a step forward. The Colts' top cornerback, Sauce Gardner, is out this week, making the matchup that much better for Justin Jefferson. JJ comes in with a 19.2% target share and 10.5 air yards per target, but has yet to truly pop off this season. He had the two touchdowns in Week 1 and then missed a week, but hasn't posted more than 100 receiving yards. That changes this week, when he goes for 100+ and at least 1 touchdown. The bye week helps the offense, and they start looking good via Jefferson.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 7 key predictions for fantasy football Week 7: Goff, Love both go off
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