The dreaded bye weeks have already begun and there are four powerhouse teams who have the week off. The Bills, Rams, Vikings, and Eagles will not be available, which leaves gaping holes in fantasy managers’ lineups. Aside from Weeks 9 and 14 when six teams are on a bye, this may be the toughest to deal with given the superstars who will need to be benched.
As a reminder, this is the player fade piece, not the player must-sit piece. You likely have to start some of these players due to injuries and bye weeks. If that is the case for your squad, try mixing in safe-floor and high-upside players to your roster to help make up for any potential deficit.
Here are five players to fade in Week 7.
Tyler Allgeier - RB Atlanta Falcons
Tyler Allgeier has had back-to-back outings of 13 or more carries for 45 or more yards. However, he has yet to find the end zone in either game. Quarterback Marcus Mariota, on the other hand, has rushed for more yards and scored a rushing touchdown in that same time frame. It was looking good for the rookie running back when Cordarrelle Patterson was forced to miss time due to injury, but a rushing quarterback has not helped his situation.
This week, the Falcons will take on the Cincinnati Bengals who have not allowed a rushing touchdown to the running back position since Week 2. They are ninth-best against running backs, allowing only 497 rushing yards, which averages to about 82 yards per game.
Allgeier is annoyingly touchdown dependent but had only two attempts in the red zone last week and three the week before. He has had zero touches inside the five-yard line.
Khalil Herbert - RB Chicago Bears
Since his Week 3 monster performance, Khalil Herbert has been quiet. Yes, he busted off a big run last week and totaled 75 yards, but he has not scored since his big game against Houston. With David Montgomery back and healthy, Herbert has been taking a backseat as opposed to being entrenched in a committee.
On Monday night, the Bears will face the Patriots in New England who are third-best on the season against running backs. They have allowed an average of 89.5 yards per game on 20 attempts and have yet to allow a single rushing touchdown to running backs. They also haven’t allowed a single receiving touchdown to the position, either.
If a Bears’ back finds the end zone, it will likely be Montgomery who has seen double-digit attempts when he is healthy and on the field. There is always a chance that Herbert gets his number called on in any given play, but that is a tall task for your fantasy team on a Monday night game.
Jamaal Williams - RB Detroit Lions
This situation stinks for both Jamaal Williams and D’Andre Swift of the Detroit Lions. Swift is scheduled to return this week after their bye after missing time due to injury. That alone sets back Williams’ potential production. For both running backs, the matchup is gross.
The Cowboys have allowed a chunk of yardage per game on the ground with 94.3 yards. For context, the Bills have allowed just 52.8 and the Texans a whopping 133.6. However, Dallas is tied for the second-fewest rushing touchdowns to the position with only two.
Unfortunately, you likely have to start both players, depending on who is on your team. If there is a silver lining, Dak Prescott may be returning to the lineup as the starting quarterback for the Cowboys. If his hand causes him to be limited, there is a chance that the Lions’ offense can return to the explosive machine we saw before the bye week. If the Lions can get a big enough lead, Williams could be more involved. If Detroit is trailing, Williams will be touchdown-dependent while Swift gets the work in between the 20s.
Christian Kirk - WR Jacksonville Jaguars
It’s hard to believe, but the New York Giants are number one in the country against wide receivers. What a time to be alive. They have allowed the second-fewest yards to receivers with 715 and have allowed an average of nine receptions per game. They are also tied for the third-fewest touchdowns allowed with three along with the Vikings.
The Jaguars will be able to move the chains with the running back position, specifically pass-catching back, Travis Etienne. However, even his production will be limited against the stout Giants defense.
Christian Kirk has not seen double-digit fantasy production since Week 3. Since then, he has scored 7.3, 1.6, and 8.8 points respectively. The Jaguars are wobbling after a hot start to the season and this is not the matchup that Kirk needs to get right in fantasy.
To make matters worse, Trevor Lawrence is looking for Etienne, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram in the passing game instead of Kirk.
Drake London - WR Atlanta Falcons
Drake London has become the epitome of a boom/bust player. The problem isn’t London, it’s the offensive scheme as a whole. They are ranked 31st in the league in passing attempts, 30th in passing yards, and 20th in passing touchdowns. Meanwhile, they are second in the league in rushing attempts, third in rushing yards, and fourth in rushing touchdowns. That is due partially to Mariota who is third in rushing yards with 206 (Patterson-340, Allgeier-235) and is tied with Patterson with three rushing touchdowns.
If Mariota looks downfield, he only has eyes for London, much to the chagrin of Kyle Pitts managers. He leads the team with 43 targets but has converted only 25 of those into receptions. Twelve of those targets and eight receptions came in Week 2. Since then, London has posted just nine receptions over three weeks and less than six fantasy points a game in half-PPR formats.
The Bengals’ defense, which is strong against running backs, is likewise stingy to wide receivers. They are ranked fifth in the league against the position and have only allowed two touchdowns and the seventh-fewest yards. Relying on London for a boom game is risky after three games in a row of poor production.