Week 7 QB Rankings: Start Sit ~ Brady and His Bunch

Posted by Kurt on Oct 23, 2009 in Fantasy Football

No more tears for Patriots fans

After struggling early and often this season, 2007s stud QB Superman surfaced in Week 6. The fantasy Gods favored him with a match-up against the 0-5 Tennessee Titans who are last in the league in just about every conceivable ranking. Mother Nature gifted him with an early Nor-easter, and the Titans rewarded him with 5 turnovers and their sloppiest performance of the season. I won’t rehash his statistical exploits. You know the gaudy numbers he put up in just over half a game.

This is generally where I would remind fantasy owners to temper expectations that the Brady of old has returned. Perhaps the Brady of old, pre-2007. I won’t lay that dose of reality on you for Week 7 because for the second straight week, the fantasy Gods are being kind to Tom. He gets to beat up on perhaps the second worst team in the league this week, in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To add to this blessing, the team’s will be playing at Wembley Stadium in London, where the weather is often wet, cloudy, and the grounds muddy and soggy. Sounds like New England weather this time of year. That favors the Pats more than the “hometeam” Bucs. So it seems obvious Brady could have another 3+ touchdown game. Don’t count on another half dozen scores though, not even in 4 full quarters.

On to this week’s start and sit suggestions. With six teams, Denver, Detroit, Seattle, Jacksonville, Tennessee and Baltimore all on byes, the plug and play bye week filler options are slim this week. David Garrard, Kyle Orton, Matt Hasselbeck, Matthew Stafford, Joe Flacco, and well, I guess Vince Young now, all get a week off to refuel. Three of those guys are regular bye week fillers.

–Week 7 ~ QB Start ‘em–

Week 7 – No Brainer Plays
Drew Brees vs. Miami Dolphins	Tom Brady vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Peyton Manning vs. St. Louis Rams
It would be a cheat to list these guys on a Start list most weeks, but even moreso this week with all three having very favorable match-ups, especially the aforementioned Brady, and Peyton Manning vs. a woeful Rams defense.

Other top guys who have favorable match-ups include Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, Eli Manning and Philip Rivers.

Matt Ryan, Tony Romo, Matt Schaub, and Carson Palmer, all have decent match-ups for fantasy purposes.

Here are three guys that are not optimum starts, but they are still fairly widely available in most leagues.

Jason Campbell, WAS – Yes, he’s had his struggles, but this week he’s facing an Eagles team who just lost to the Raiders, and he gets a new play caller in Sherm Lewis. Despite his woes he’s still got 6 TDs in 6 games and he’s ranked 18th overall at QB. The Eagles did surrender 22 points to the tragic Bucs a few weeks ago.

Matt Cassell, KCC - The Chiefs are coming off their first win, and they are facing the stumbling Chargers. I think the Chargers will do what they do every season after a slow start and blow up this week (and most weeks hereafter), but I think they’ll still play sloppy enough to give Cassell a 2 TD day.

Shaun Hill, SFO – Hill and his team faced a wicked meltdown prior to their bye week. Don’t expect another letdown like that this week. Coach Singletary will make sure that doesn’t happen. The team gets Frank Gore back, and rookie receiver Michael Crabtree will play. His presence helps stretch the field so Hill can hit Josh Morgan deep. Hill should have 2 TDs and about 230 yards passing this week at least.

–Week 7 ~ QB Sit ‘em–

Risk/Reward – Sit of the Week ~ Donovan McNabb, PHI

There is no doubt McNabb has a high upside, and looking at the Redskins it seems like he has a sweet match-up this week. The Redskins have yet to play a team with a win and the Eagles will be their first. However, you can’t disregard his failure’s last week against the Raiders, nor the fact that the Redskins have given up the fourth least fantasy points to quarterbacks through six weeks. Or that McNabb has ZERO TDs in 3 of his last 5 games vs. the ‘skins. If you have a solid back up, this might be an advisable week to use him.

Kurt Warner, ARI – Drew Brees and the Saints passing game lit the Giants up last week, so the Cardinals high-flying passing game should have a decent day too right? Don’t count on it. Count on a pissed off Giants team taking that loss out on the Cards, in a home game, in cold weather, which the Cards never play well in.

Ben Roethlisberger, PIT - Sure Big Ben threw for over 400 yards last week, and he’s been torching everyone for 6 weeks. But look at the teams he’s played. The Steelers will struggle to run the ball vs. the Vikings, meaning Ben will have to use his arm to win, and the way he likes to hold onto it, expect a lot of sacks and a couple of  interceptions.

Mark Sanchez, NYJ - Don’t expect the rookie to get back on track at Oakland this week. The Jets may win, but it won’t be because of Sanchez. Expect a heavy dose of Thomas Jones and Leon Washington this week, and a reduced number of plays for Sanchez, to help get him settled back down.

–Current Statistical Top 30 QB Rankings through Week 6 (Actual stats with fantasy points per game)–

Other reads:

Week 7 – RB Start Sit

Week 7 – WR Start Sit

Week 7 – TE Start Sit

Week 6 – Fantasy Wrap Up

Weekly Start Sit Advice Column