The Week 7 NFL DFS main slate is missing some of our usual go-to players thanks to byes for the Rams, Bills, Eagles, and Vikings, but we were still able to field a solid DraftKings lineup with a good mix of veterans and a couple of surging rookies.
We built our lineup around a Bengals' stack that went off against the Saints last week and now has a favorable matchup against the Falcons. We also played the matchups at tight end (Evan Engram) and D/ST (Packers), knowing we needed to find some values in order to fit in a few of our more expensive picks.
Before we break down all of our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
WEEK 7 DFS: Best values | Best stacks
DraftKings Picks Week 7: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Joe Burrow, Bengals vs. Falcons ($6,900). The third-year quarterback was dialed in against the Saints last week during his best performance this season. Burrow threw for 300 yards, three touchdowns, and scored a rushing touchdown for 35.5 DraftKings points. Burrow has also done a great job taking care of the ball recently (10 touchdown passes and one interception) since his Week 1 implosion, where he had four interceptions against the Steelers. The young quarterback will now gear up to face the Falcons, who are allowing the 10th-most DraftKings points to QBs (19.9) this season. The Falcons' defense made life tough for Jimmy Garoppolo last week, but he still finished almost 300 passing yards and two TDs. He's one of Sunday's top options with Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen on bye and Kyler Murray off the main slate.
WEEK 7 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
RB Josh Jacobs, Raiders vs. Texans ($6,500). Jacobs is quietly having a career year under new head coach Josh McDaniels, posting 490 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The veteran running back has had back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances and now gets to face Houston coming off the bye week. This season, the Texans' defense has struggled to stop the run, allowing 164.8 yards per game (third-most in the NFL). One has to expect that Jacobs and the Raiders will exploit this matchup on Sunday. Jacobs is averaging 28.5 DraftKings points per game over his past three outings, and he should be one of the top-five DFS RBs on Sunday.
RB Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks @ Chargers ($5,800). Walker proved he's the real deal after scoring his second touchdown in as many weeks for the Seahawks last Sunday. All told, he had a season-high 97 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. It was the second week in a row that Walker scored double-digit fantasy points. He, just like Jacobs, has a great matchup in Week 7, facing a Chargers' defense that is getting chewed up on the ground and allowing the third-most DraftKings points to RBs in the NFL (30.1). If Walker has another double-digit outing, do not be surprised to see him valued in the $6K range for Week 8.
WEEK 7 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel
WR Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals vs. Falcons ($8,200). The second-year wide receiver had a breakout game last week, torching New Orleans' defense for seven receptions (10 targets), 132 yards, and two touchdowns. The last time Chase scored 30 DraftKings points was in Week 1 against the Steelers when he produced 10 receptions (16 targets) for 129 yards and a score. He will be rostered in many lineups on Sunday against an Atlanta defense that has allowed eight touchdowns and the fifth-most DraftKings points per game to WRs (42.6).
WR Amari Cooper, Browns @ Ravens ($6,100). Cooper scored his fourth touchdown in as many games in last week's loss to the Patriots, finishing with four receptions (12 targets) for 44 yards and 14.4 DraftKings points. The veteran receiver has seen double-digit targets in four games this season and has a favorable matchup this week against a Ravens defense allowing the fourth-most DraftKings points and second-most receptions to WRs.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
WR Alec Pierce, Colts @ Titans ($4,600). The fact that the rookie wide receiver is valued under $5K is crazy considering his recent stretch of productions for the Colts. Pierce is averaging 14 DraftKings points per game over the past three outings. Pierce scored his first career touchdown last week and now gets the Titans' porous pass defense. In their first meeting in Week 4, the rookie had four receptions (six targets) for 80 yards and 12 DraftKings points.
TE Evan Engram, Jaguars vs. Giants ($3,300). Engram is one of our sleeper picks this week after solid back-to-back performances against the Colts and Texans. In those two games, the veteran tight end recorded 11 receptions (16 targets) for 109 yards and 10.9 DraftKings points per game. Engram will now face his former team, which has allowed the fourth-most receptions to TEs and 14.2 DraftKings points per game this season. Engram should get some looks in the passing game as the Giants hone in on Christian Kirk and Zay Jones.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
FLEX Michael Gallup, Cowboys vs. Lions ($5,100). Gallup had a quiet performance last week against the Eagles, but he should bounce back in Week 7 against the Lions. The Lions' defense has only given up five touchdowns to WRs this season, which is not horrible compared to the rest of the league. However, Detroit has still allowed the eighth-most DraftKings points to WRs (39.8). Dak Prescott will look to get Gallup involved early and often. Before last week's loss to the Eagles, Gallup had been trending up with 8.4 and 10.4 DraftKings points in Weeks 4 and 5, respectively.
DEF Packers @ Commanders ($3,400). The Packers' defense did not look great last week against the Jets but has an opportunity to put on a show this weekend against the Commanders. Taylor Heinicke will be under center in place of Carson Wentz (finger), and Green Bay should feast against a Commanders' offensive line that has surrendered 23 sacks. The Packers' defense has the fourth-highest blitz percentage (34.3) and should be able to score double-digit DraftKings points against a struggling Commanders' offense.
