2021 Fantasy Football: Week 7 Predictive Drops

Who are fantasy owners giving up on heading into Week 7? Let’s take a closer look at the data.

[predict="drop-2021-7"]

Looking At Predictive Drops:

Shockingly, Michael Thomas is the player that is being dropped more than anyone as we gear up for Week 7. Thomas actually might return sometime in November so this move is quite puzzling to me. If you have had Thomas on the bench or in an IR spot all season long, you may as well hold onto him until we know more. Otherwise, you’ve been wasting a roster spot for six weeks. Don’t drop Thomas just yet. He could come into play just as the fantasy playoffs are getting kicked off. In fact, he could be a legitimate league winner. Don’t follow the herd with this one.

[career="Michael Thomas"]

While the data surrounding Thomas is surprising, it’s not surprising at all that the Steelers and Cowboys D/ST are being dropped quite a bit heading into Week 7. Both teams have a bye and we all know that streaming defenses is the way to win a fantasy football championship. Owners who are dropping their defenses with a bye in Week 7 are making the right decision. Don’t hesitate.

Miami Dolphins running back Myles Gaskin is another player who is being dropped at an extremely high rate. Gaskin has been completely hit or miss this season, though he has only hit once. In Week 5, the shifty back recorded five carries for 25 yards, but he also caught 10 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns. He surpassed 20 fantasy points and things seemed to be turning around. However, in Miami's last-second loss to the Jaguars, Gaskin only produced nine rushing yards on five carries and two receptions for an additional five yards. I would say it's safe to drop Gaskin. He is never fully utilized in the running game. He has only seen over 10 carries once this season and has yet to rush for over 65 yards in a single game. You can comfortably drop the disappointing Miami Dolphin.

Alexander Mattison is being dropped at a much higher rate than he deserves. Yes, he only managed one fantasy point in Week 6, but that’s because Dalvin Cook returned from injury and absolutely dominated in the Vikings’ overtime victory over the Panthers. Don’t forget that when Cook was injured in Week 5, Mattison absolutely torched the Detroit Lions to the tune of 113 rushing yards on 25 carries, seven receptions for 40 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Mattison is one of the best handcuff running backs in all of fantasy football. Yes, he’s got a bye in Week 7, however, I would absolutely hold on to him. Cook has a severe injury history and just one bad hit could turn Mattison into a legitimate RB1.

[lastten="Alexander Mattison"]

After being one of the most popular waiver wire pickups after his Week 5 breakout performance (seven receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown), Njoku returned to earth against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. He managed just one reception on two targets for six yards. Now, fantasy owners are dumping Njoku after having him on their respective rosters for just one week. While I understand the instinct, I think it’s a bit premature. The Browns are missing tons of skill players and Njoku could be heavily involved on Thursday night against the Broncos, especially if Jarvis Landry is unable to suit up. I would monitor the situation and if Landry isn’t able to give it a go, give Njoku one more chance to shine.

A preseason darling and sleeper, Rondale Moore is now being dropped at a high rate as we get ready for Week 7. The rookie receiver started the season with two double-digit fantasy points performances, including seven receptions for 114 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. Since then, he’s been extremely quiet. In Week 6, Moore managed just three receptions for 16 yards. The Cardinals have tons of playmakers on offense and obviously they are going to feed DeAndre Hopkins. But it isn’t just Hopkins; they also have Christian Kirk, two solid running backs in Chase Edmonds and James Conner, plus they just acquired former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz. It’s going to be very hard to trust Moore due to the plethora of weapons in Arizona. While I absolutely love the rookie’s talent, I understand why fantasy owners are giving up on Moore. 

[lastten="Rondale Moore"]

Ahead of Buffalo’s Week 7 bye, Devin Singletary is being dropped by a lot of fantasy owners. Singletary started the season on a high note, eclipsing 70 rushing yards in each of first two outings. In his last four contests, he has only accomplished that feat once. In Buffalo’s heartbreaking Monday Night Football loss to the Tennessee Titans, Singletary did see 10 touches but wasn’t able to do much with them. He carried the ball five times for 27 rushing yards and caught five passes for an additional 16 yards. Singletary has some flex appeal in PPR formats, but it appears Zach Moss is the favorite to be the early-down running back in Buffalo. Still, Singletary shouldn’t be dropped unless you participate in an extremely shallow league. This is just another case of fantasy owners focusing too much on a single week. 

[projection="Devin Singletary"]

After seeing 37 carries in his last two games, rookie running back Khalil Herbert is a player fantasy owners are dropping when they should be stashing him on their bench. Herbert broke out against the Raiders in Week 5 to the tune of 75 rushing yards on 18 carries.  Then with Damien Williams out due to COVID-19, the rookie earned the first start of his career against the Packers in Week 7. Herbert made the most of it, accumulating 97 rushing yards on 19 carries and a touchdown, plus two receptions for an additional 17 yards. With David Montgomery still sidelined, the Bears will likely use the one-two punch of Williams and Herbert moving forward. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Matt Nagy elects to feature Herbert after his promising day against the Packers. Fantasy owners should wait to see what this backfield looks like on game day before making the mistake of dropping a potential future star. 

[projection="Khalil Herbert"]

Lastly, I want to talk about veteran running back Mike Davis. Davis was expected to have a pretty good season after filling in admirably for Christian McCaffrey last season. Considering Arthur Smith loves to utilize his running backs, Davis was expected to be a solid PPR threat in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons. However, the veteran was averaging just 11.4 fantasy points per contest heading into his Week 6 bye. That said, Davis has managed double-digit fantasy points in each of his first five contests, which is why I’m surprised that he is being dropped heading into Week 7. He’s seen between four and seven targets in four of five games this season and is getting ready for a juicy matchup against the Miami Dolphins. Fantasy owners should give Davis one more opportunity to get on track.

Well that’s a wrap on the most dropped players heading into Week 7. Come back to FantasySP next Tuesday to see who fantasy owners are giving up on heading into Week 8!