NFL Fantasy 2022 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 7: Quarterbacks

The expectation is that Tagovailoa will return in Week 7 after clearing the concussion protocol. If he is able to suit up for the Dolphins, he should be suiting up for your fantasy teams. He gets a gift in his first week back going against the Steelers, who have allowed 21.2 fantasy PPG to QBs, the sixth-most in the past month. They did hold Tom Brady and the Bucs in check last week, but I would still be starting Tua. This is partially because of the matchup and the bye weeks, but also partially because the Dolphins' playmakers are just worth trusting. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for over 300 yards on their own last week. That was with Skylar Thompson and Teddy Bridgewater at QB like it was a Disney Channel sitcom. Tagovailoa remains in play every week as long as his two gamebreakers are healthy. It being a favorable matchup only further makes him a start this week.  

Rodgers has been a sit a couple of times this season, but this is his debut being a start for me. Coming into the year it might have seemed too obvious to tell people to start the reigning back-to-back MVP. But this year Rodgers has looked like anything but an MVP. He has yet to score 17 fantasy points and is coming off a very disappointing game against the Jets. It’s the first time the Packers have ever lost back-to-back regular season games in the same season under Matt LaFleur. But prior to this past week, Rodgers had topped 16 fantasy points in four straight games -- throwing multiple touchdowns in each. This week he faces a Commanders defense that has allowed 19.1 fantasy PPG to QBs, the eighth-most in the NFL this season. We did just see Justin Fields have his best day of the year against this Washington defense. This is a get-right game and a chance for Rodgers to put up his best numbers of the season. If you are not starting Rodgers this week, when are you?

Prescott is on track to return in Week 7 against the Lions. If he suits up for the Cowboys, he should be starting for your fantasy team. We have only seen Prescott play one game this season, but we know that he brings both a safe floor and a high ceiling for fantasy. It also could be an immediate opportunity to show off that ceiling. The Lions have allowed 22.5 fantasy PPG to QBs, the second-most in the NFL. The bye week and Patriots game might have made people forget, but the Lions defense is the best to stream against in fantasy. Additionally, they tend to score a lot of points themselves, meaning that their opponents need to keep scoring. Given the landscape of the QB position and especially this week with the byes, Prescott is immediately back in play against the Lions if he is able to suit up. If he misses another week, Cooper Rush would be a much less appealing option who would be in play as a QB2 due to the matchup.  

Ryan is coming off his best game as a member of the Colts. He dropped 27 fantasy points last week on 389 passing yards and three scores -- all his new highs with Indianapolis. It's easy to forget that we are coming off of the craziest offseason arguably ever, and it has taken some players in new situations a little bit of time to jell. Ryan has now topped 15 fantasy points in three of his last four games, throwing for multiple scores in each of those. Plus, he is in a great position to build off of what he did last week when he faces the Titans. Tennessee has allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to QBs this season (21.1). Despite already having their bye, the Titans are still tied for second in passing touchdowns allowed to QBs. It’s a strong matchup for a quarterback who clearly looks more comfortable in his new offense. Ryan is a top streaming option in Week 7.

In his first game after getting a shoulder injection, Wilson threw for 188 yards and a score, while rushing four times for 23 yards. Wilson started the game off hot, and it looked like he could be back to regular health. But then he flashed back to the Russ we have seen all season. In total, he finished with 13.8 fantasy points and has scored fewer than 14 fantasy points in four of his last five games. Even with the byes and the QB position being way worse than we thought it would be, Wilson is not an option I would want to start this week if I had the option. The Jets are a tough secondary that just held Aaron Rodgers in check as well. The Jets have allowed 14.5 fantasy PPG to QBs this season, just outside the top 10. Wilson also is now dealing with a hamstring injury that could hamper him, especially when it comes to his rushing ability. There is just too much working against him this week. Sit Russ.

Goff was riding hot for a while, but that all came crashing down when he played the Patriots, who limited him to just 5.86 fantasy points. Goff has had two monstrous games this season, two meh games and that one dud against the Pats. But this week is arguably his hardest test yet. On the year, the Cowboys are allowing just 12.5 fantasy PPG to QBs, the seventh-fewest in the NFL. They also lead the NFL with 24 sacks. They have allowed just 5.2 yards per attempt, the second-fewest in the NFL. Goff might seem appealing on paper, but this is a scary matchup. There are better options out there.  

Mariota is coming off his best game as a member of the Falcons, going for over 24 fantasy points. He threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 50 yards and another touchdown on the ground. That might make him seem like an appealing streaming option this week against the Bengals, but do not go chasing the points. In the past three weeks, Mariota has averaged just 19 pass attempts per game. He has thrown for under 150 yards in each of those games. The Bengals are also a tough matchup for QBs. This season they have allowed just 11.4 fantasy PPG to the position, which is the fifth-lowest in the league. Starting Mariota would clearly be in hopes of rushing production, but if he does not produce there, it could end up being a really ugly day for the Falcons signal-caller. There are better streaming options this week.

Fields scored 18.4 fantasy points against the Commanders on TNF, which was both his season high and enough to make him a top-10 fantasy QB last week. However, it was against a Commanders defense that has been very favorable to QBs. The Patriots have, well, not been that. The New England defense has been improving as the season has gone on. In the past two weeks, the Pats have limited QBs to just 11 fantasy PPG, which ranks inside the bottom 10 in that span. Bill Belichick has also made a career off of making life very tough on young QBs. Fields is trending up and quickly could become a weekly streaming option because of his rushing ability, but this week is a tough week to start him. I would go in another direction.