Week 7 of the NFL season got started on Thursday night with a bruising matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
The two teams were extremely physical, with the 49ers coming out victorious 13-6 and taking sole possession of first place in the NFC West. A nice slate of NFL games continues on Sunday with numerous division matchups, including a must win NFC East game for the New York Giants against the Washington Redskins.
Fantasy football moves into Week 7 as well and teams are looking to separate themselves from the pack or are facing the prospect of a disappointing season after six matchups. Here are some tips to help win the week in fantasy with some players who are poised to have big games.
Quarterback
Tom Brady - New England Patriots vs. New York Jets
The New York Jets enter Sunday's game against the New England Patriots in a surprising tie for first place in the AFC East. The Jets are sniffing for an upset, but the Patriots have been playing extremely well on offense, meaning Tom Brady should have a big day.
Making matters worse for the Jets, the team is still without All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, who was lost to a season-ending injury. The Jets have become so desperate to generate offense, the team is considering using quarterback Tim Tebow as a winning back.
All this adds up to big numbers for Brady. The Jets are ranked 28th in rushing yards allowed, giving Brady the chance to use the running game to compliment an attack through the air. The Patriots are ranked in the top five in both passing and rushing yards and are scoring 31 points per game, the best in the NFL.
Last week Brady passed for 395 yards and had 58 attempts, a career high. He added two touchdowns and could put up similar numbers against the Jets. Brady plays his best in games that are meaningful, and the Patriots want to avoid falling behind New York in the division.
Matt Schuab - Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens were known as the best defense in the NFL for many years. But after a conscious focus on offense in the offseason and a host of serious injuries, the Ravens vaunted D is at its weakest in years.
Enter Matt Schuab and the Texans.
The team is coming off an embarrassing 42-24 loss against the Packers last week after starting the season 5-0 and will look to rebound.
Baltimore is ranked 22nd in the league in passing defense and Schuab will have a chance to air out the ball after the Ravens lost star cornerback Ladarius Webb to a season-ending injury. On top of that, the team suffered injuries to linebacker Ray Lewis, who may be lost for the season, lineman Haloti Ngata and safety Ed Reed.
The secondary is hurting and that should give receiver Andre Johnson and tight end Owen Daniels a chance to break out big. Schaub will look to rebound after the embarrassing loss and show that the Texans are the toast of the AFC.
Running Back
C.J. Spiller - Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans
After running back Fred Jackson went down with an injury at the start of the season, C.J. Spiller made the most of his opportunity, rushing for over 200 yards in the first two games and scoring three touchdowns.
With Jackson back in the lineup, the two running backs have made one of the most productive tandems in the league and should continue that trend on Sunday against Tennessee.
The Titans are ranked 24th in the league in rush defense and give up nearly 130 yards per game to running backs. Buffalo also rushed the ball well against a tough Cardinals defense last week, including late in the game when yards were crucial.
Spiller has also proved to be a threat coming out of the backfield, catching 13 balls for 141 yards this season. For any points-per-reception leagues, Spiller is a must-start. He has also done a good job this season with escaping tackles, forcing 13 missed tackles from opponents so far this season.
The Bills are ranked 5th in the league in rushing yards and have relied heavily on the running game due to the disappointing play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick so far this season. Spiller should have at least 80 yards and a touchdown on the ground on Sunday.
Wide Receiver
Victor Cruz - New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins
Wide receiver Victor Cruz got to flex his salsa dancing muscles last week against the San Francisco 49ers and is poised to do so again on Sunday against the Washington Redskins.
The Washington defense is currently ranked worst in the league in fantasy against wide receivers and has given up nearly 330 passing yards per game. The team is ranked 32nd in the league in pass defense and should allow Eli Manning to have a big day and get the ball to his favorite target Mr. Cruz.
Last week Cruz caught six balls for 58 yards and is tied for third in the league with 43 receptions on the season. He has scored six touchdowns in six games and has gained 496 yards receiving. The Redskins also give up over 100 rushing yards per game, which should allow the Giants to run the ball and use play action to get the passing game going.
Manning has been the best quarterback in the league this season and the Giants rank 5th in passing yards in the league. Cruz should have at least eight receptions for over 100 yards and touchdown on Sunday.
