Fantasy Football: Week Seven Staff Must Start, Must Sit and Sleeper Picks
Oct 13, 2013; Foxborough, MA, USA; New Orleans Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton (50) tackles New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley (22) during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Saints 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Hal Bent:
Must Start Player: Stevan Ridley (RB) New England
I admit to having drafted Ridley pretty high in a few fantasy leagues this season. That said, he’s been sitting on the bench since week two while I wait for a “show me” game. Well, last week against the Saints was a definite “show me” game. Two touchdowns, almost a hundred yards, and backups Brandon Bolden and LeGarrette Blount were near invisible. Bolden showed up and dropped a key pass for the second week in a row, further hurting his chances for more snaps. Blount looked unimpressive the past few weeks and looks like nothing more than an end-of-the-roster player who should no longer be splitting carries. I know this much, as poor a matchup for Ridley the stout New York Jets defense is, he is in the lineup because he is: MUST START!
Must Sit Player: Sam Bradford (QB) St. Louis
One of my fantasy leagues, well, I did not draft a quarterback (well, not until the end of the draft, which is like not drafting one). I decided to ride the waiver wire and play matchups. I have had some great (unexpected) success with St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford this season, but he is planted on the bench this week for one reason only: Carolina defense. Carolina is the best defense in the NFL that no one knows about. Points? They keep them low. Yards? Not many allowed. This is a terrible matchup for Bradford, and he is stuck on the bench this week: MUST SIT!
Sleeper Pick: Nick Foles (QB) Philadelphia
Starting quarterback Michael Vick is still hurt. Wide receiver Desean Jackson catches everything thrown near him. Defenses have to load up to try to stop running back Lesean McCoy. Foles is not a special quarterback, but he is good enough to grab when the starting quarterback is on a bye week or you have Matt Schaub starting for you. He will find the end zone a few times, run a bazillion plays in that offense, and maybe gets some yards with his legs. He is solid, and for this week only he is a great pick as: SLEEPER!