NFL Week 7 Tournaments on FanDuel and DraftKings: Top Picks to Consider
Spice Up Your NFL Week 7 with Exciting Tournament Plays!
Are you ready to take your Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) game to the next level? week after week, large field tournaments bring the excitement! A single lineup could catapult you to a five-figure week, or even score you the life-changing millionaire contest bucket! But building GPP lineups can be a labor-intensive task, especially with so many options available across the league! Worry not, for I've got you covered with this week's DFS tournament plays for FanDuel and DraftKings.
Remember, we're all chasing upside in our tournament lineups. Check out more details regarding GPP lineup construction here.
Tournament Plays for FanDuel and DraftKings: NFL Week 7
Quarterback
Brett Hundley (GB, FD: $6,500, DK: $5,100) vs. New Orleans Saints
Despite the Saints looking solid on defense these past two weeks, I'm not convinced they've suddenly transformed into a shutdown unit. They've faced the Jets and a banged-up Matthew Stafford in those games. We saw Hundley struggle after stepping in for Aaron Rodgers last Sunday, but let's not forget he's had a full week to prepare for the Saints and this is his third year in Mike McCarthy's system. Reminiscent of Deshaun Watson's struggles when he came in mid-game and in Week 2 after just three days of practice, once Hundley accumulates the first-team reps, he's been unstoppable, a phenomenon I expect to materialize in this situation, particularly at home. The UCLA grad should also pick up some points on the ground, as he's an impressive athlete who ran well in college. Fear not if players write Hundley off after his Week 6 performance, as we could be looking at a great spot for him at home at an attractive price point for GPP play!
Marcus Mariota (TEN, FD: $8,200, DK: $6,900) at Cleveland Browns
injuries have kept Mariota sidelined for some games this season, but he's now practiced in full, which is great news! His matchup provides us with even more good news, as Cleveland is allowing 20.5 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs, the second-most in the NFL. Mariota's consistency this season is undeniable, with every game falling within the 14-20 range in terms of fantasy scoring. But this could be where he finally breaks out, as Cleveland has allowed the most passing touchdowns (14) and rushing touchdowns (2), which benefits a fully healthy Mariota, who already has three rushing TDs on the season. Feel confident targeting the Flyin' Hawaiian against a Browns' defense ranked 29 in pass-DVOA.
Running Back
LeSean McCoy (BUF, FD: $7,900, DK: $7,400) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have allowed 256 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the past two weeks, and McCoy has seen at least 21 touches in four of his five games this season. If the Bills are out of weapons in the passing game, Shady should see plenty of work in the passing, picking up points on the ground and carrying a high floor for GPP play.
Leonard Fournette (JAX, FD: $9,000, DK: $8,600) at Indianapolis Colts
Fournette has averaged 25 touches over the last four weeks, and he's made every one count, averaging 136.8 total yards per game and scoring five touchdowns in those contests. He'll now face a Colts defense coming off a short week who just allowed 171 yards rushing and two touchdowns to Titans backs on Monday night. Expect Fournette to play this weekend and consider him a great GPP option, especially with lowered ownership given his absence from practice earlier in the week.
Wide Receiver
Adam Thielen (MIN, FD: $6,900, DK: $6,700) vs. Baltimore Ravens
Stefon Diggs looks like he'll miss his second straight game with a groin injury, making his counterpart an attractive tournament option this week. Players will be hesitant to plug him in this week due to the Ravens allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs. But Thielen has been more than capable of producing without Diggs on the field. In his three solo games, he's racked up 9-97-0, 7-127-1, and 8-53-0 lines. He's hauled in at least five catches in every game this season but is yet to reach pay dirt. If he finds his way into the end zone this weekend, he could be a big boost in tournaments as he'll likely have miniscule ownership.
Michael Thomas (NO, FD: $7,700, DK: $7,500) at Green Bay Packers
This is a great bounceback spot for Thomas coming off his worst performance of the season. He saw a season-low in both targets (6) and catches (3) in large part due to shadow coverage from Darius Slay and a negative game script. That should change this week, as the Packers have allowed the 11-most receptions (72) and ninth-most receiving yards (913) to opposing WRs thus far. He's the clear number one wide receiver option for Drew Brees, as he has more than double the amount of targets (43) as the next closest WR (Ted Ginn Jr. has 20). I expect him to see close to the 10 targets he averaged in his first four games, lining him up for a solid week against a poor Green Bay secondary.
Dez Bryant (DAL, FD: $8,200, DK: $7,800) at San Francisco 49ers
It's not surprising both sites increased Bryant's price after Dallas' bye week, as the 49ers have struggled against the pass this season. They're currently 26 in pass-DVOA and 23 against WR1s. The Niners have allowed the third-most receptions (78) and fifth-most receiving yards (1,078), so Dez should have no problem finding success. The reason I'm interested in him for tournaments is due to his touchdown upside. He leads the NFL with six targets inside the 10-yard line, but has hauled in only one of those, resulting in a TD. The Cowboys' red zone philosophy shouldn't change much against a weak secondary, leaving Bryant with the possibility of a multi-touchdown game.
Julio Jones (ATL, FD: $8,800, DK: $8,500) at New England Patriots
The Week 7 Sunday Night game possesses the largest total (56) by a wide margin (no other game above 49). Therefore, we should expect to see an offensive explosion and a great game for fantasy production. Julio is at the top of that list, as he'll face the defense allowing the fifth-most receptions and most receiving yards to opposing WRs. He'll enter the game completely healthy, as he was removed from the injury report altogether on Wednesday. New England currently ranks 31 in DVOA against WR1s, providing Julio with a great opportunity at a breakout game. Everyone in Atlanta seems disgusted with his lack of touches (including Head Coach Dan Quinn), so expect Matt Ryan to pepper Jones with targets early. If Atlanta's offense can't break out of their little funk against New England, it might be time to seriously reconsider their chances of making a postseason run this season.
Tight End
Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ, FD: $5,900, DK: $5,000) at Miami Dolphins
ASJ has quickly solidified himself as the top option in the Jets' passing game since his activation in Week 3. He's the league leader in targets among tight ends since Week 3 and has now caught a touchdown in each of the last two weeks (should be three TDs if not for a bogus reversal last weekend). He'll head on the road to face a Dolphins defense that allowed Austin Hooper to catch a career-high seven passes last week, as well as 10-101-1 to Chargers' tight ends and 10-62-1 to Titans tight ends. ASJ should see a lot of the passing workload in this game and has a solid chance to reach the end zone for the third consecutive week.
Jimmy Graham (SEA, FD: $5,800, DK: $4,900) at New York Giants
Delanie Walker's matchup against the Browns catches the eye, but Graham could provide an intriguing pivot at a similar price point. He'll face the only defense more generous than Cleveland to opposing TEs, allowing 12.2 points per game to the position. Graham has seen solid involvement since Week 2, hauling in 17 of 25 targets for 170 yardsand a touchdown. This could be another big game for him against a defense ranked 20 in DVOA against the pass, so make sure he finds his way into some of your lineups.
Defense/Special Teams
Pittsburgh Steelers (FD: $4,500, DK: $3,200) vs. Cincinnati Bengals
This inner-division rivalry could become a low-scoring affair, as both defenses rank inside the top four in terms of total yards allowed and scoring defense on the season. In their last four matchups, Andy Dalton has thrown four interceptions to just two touchdowns, and the Bengals don't have much of a running game (averaging 84 yards per game, 4-worst in NFL) to exploit Pittsburgh's defensive weaknesses. Cincinnati has a low implied point total of 17.8, so we should have confidence in the Steelers' defense heading into this weekend.
- In Week 7's matchup against the New Orleans Saints, Brett Hundley of the Green Bay Packers could stand out as a great value play in GPPs, considering his familiarity with the system and the Saints' recent matchups against subpar quarterbacks.
- Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans, with a fully recovered injury and a favorable matchup against the Cleveland Browns, could have a breakout game against a defense that has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
- For NFL fans who enjoy watching American football, don't miss out on Leonard Fournette of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who has been averaging 25 touches over the past four weeks and faces a Colts defense that allowed 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns to the Titans on Monday night.
