Fantasy football preview: Week 7

Greetings, Falcoholics! The Atlanta Falcons are still 2-3 and the bye week has now come and gone. This week, the Falcons are preparing to fly south and face the Miami Dolphins in a game full of favorable fantasy football matchups.

Throughout the season, every Friday, we will be previewing the fantasy matchups and who you may want to consider starting and also benching. Additionally, if you have any fantasy questions you’d like answered, you can submit them every week.

With that, let’s get started.

Matt Ryan is a perfect Bye Week replacement

Do you have Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert or Kirk Cousins in fantasy football? If you do, you likely know by now that all four quality starting quarterbacks have a bye week this week. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have a solid backup, you likely entered Week 7 searching the waiver wire on who to add.

Matt Ryan is an ideal replacement, if he’s still available in your fantasy league. Over his last two games, Ryan has 28+ fantasy points and has only scored less than 20 fantasy points once this season, Week 1.

Ryan’s opponent this week is the Dolphins, who have allowed the 9th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks thus far into 2021. He’s still available in 26% of leagues, so if you’re in need, I’d add him ASAP.

Is a big Mike Davis game looming?

I think it is. Mike Davis has been as stable as they come in fantasy football this year, as he has had no fewer than 10.2 fantasy points and no more than 13.3 fantasy points in games this year. With that being said, I predict Davis goes over the 13.3 mark and has his best game of the season thus far.

Miami is allowing the 4th most fantasy points to opposing running backs, and this could be a game where the Falcons get up big and grind it out with Davis. Cordarrelle Patterson remains a must-start and will get his, but I see Davis finishing with 80 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

The Unicorn has been let loose!

After weeks of average fantasy numbers, rookie tight end Kyle Pitts burst onto the national stage against the New York Jets recording 27.9 fantasy points. Although he may not hit that exact number this week, I don’t see how Pitts goes back to playing a smaller role in this offense after seeing what he’s capable of. With that being said, the tight end position is so thin nationally that if you have Pitts, you’re starting him.

What to do with Calvin Ridley...

One of the more puzzling fantasy plays this year has been Calvin Ridley. After a tremendous 2020 season, many expected Ridley to step into the WR1 role on the Falcons and literally run with it. He hasn’t been terrible by any means, but he’s definitely not making fantasy managers who took him in the first two rounds happy. Ridley has now finished below his weekly projections every week so far.

In Week 7, Ridley faces a Dolphins team that’s allowing the 3rd most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in 2021. If you have him, you’re starting him but hoping for Ridley to find the end zone for the first time since Week 2, and hopefully have his first 100-yard receiving day of the season.

Outside of those mentioned above, you probably shouldn’t start anyone else on the Falcons. Russell Gage could be a sneaky desperation play this week however. That about does it for the Week 7 fantasy football preview. Next week the Falcons travel south to face the Dolphins. As I say every week, when it comes to fantasy football – always go with your gut!