Week 7 Wide Receiver Rankings - PPR Leagues

Last week we finally say some guys get back on the right track. Odell Beckham Jr. had a historic second half led all receivers in PPR with 40 points. While Brandin Cooks came out of the bye scoring an 87-yard TD, his second TD of 87+ yards this season, to rack up 30 points. Oh and that guy I told you to drop last week, Golden Tate, he scored 30 points as well. Is Tate a guy I trust going forward? My take on him is in the analysis, but you can get a good idea based on where I ranked him. Also included in my commentary are two elite wide receivers who I think are going to be duds this week. Enjoy.

BYE WEEKS: Carolina, Dallas

Antonio Brown - I can't believe I'm saying this, but Brown is a WR2 this week. We all know the reason why: Ben Roethlisberger will miss several weeks with a knee injury. With Big Ben out and Landry Jones in, Brown's stock takes a big tumble. Jones just doesn't get the ball to Brown as much as Roethlisberger does. This same scenario happened last year too. Big Ben went down and Landry Jones and Michael Vick were tasked with picking up the slack and it just didn't work that well from a fantasy owners perspective. Brown started slumping. I think the same thing happens this week, especially against a solid pass coverage team like New England. Let's be honest, you're starting Brown. It's too hard to put that guy on the bench with his insane playmaking ability, but don't expect him to go off.

DeAndre Hopkins - I'm worried about Hopkins this week and I have him higher on my list (#22) than most rankers out there. Any receiver that visits Denver is just asking for a bad fantasy week. Let's go over how some leading receivers have done against the Broncos this season: A.J. Green - 8 catches 77 yards (Week 3) , Mike Evans - 5 catches 59 yards (Week 4), Julio Jones - 2 catches 29 yards (Week 5), Tyrell Williams - 3 catches 28 yards (Week 6). The numbers are trending downwards as this defense has only gotten better. Denver leads the league with the least passing yards given up per game. To make matters worse, Brock Osweiler does not seem to have a great rapport with Hopkins. Low-end WR2 production is to be expected.

Julian Edelman - Edelman is frustrating a lot of his owners. His best friend Tom comes back from suspension and instead of throwing it to his pal Julian, just start slinging left and right to his tight ends. Since Brady's return, Edelman's production hasn't really moved. He's stuck in a 7-8 point range over the last two weeks. But I just don't want to be the guy that misses out of Edelman's first big game. It has to come because all the evidence is pointing to the fact that it will. Over the last two weeks Edelman has garnered 17 targets and is facing Pittsburgh that gives up a ton of receptions to wide outs. Don't bench this guy, he is due.

Pierre Garcon - I really like Garcon in PPR formats as a trusty low-end WR2 and flex play. I actually wanted to put him in Jackson's spot at #29, but the big-play threat against a pretty bad long ball defense makes Jackson more dangerous this week. Nonetheless I like Garcon much more than I like Crowder in PPR. He has really steady production. You can bank on Garcon to get you 5-6 receptions a week and with a flex position consistency is key. I'd much rather have Garcon in my lineup who I know can bring me around double digit points every week than a boom-bust candidate. The matchup against the Lions this week is also very enticing. They are horrible at defending the pass and have allowed the most passing TDs in the league (17). Long story short, there isn't much reason why Garcon shouldn't be in lineups this week and he's available in a lot of leagues t be picked up.

Golden Tate - I know a lot of you who read my article last week are probably mad that I told you to drop Tate days before he goes off for 30 points. DISCLAIMER: I did say there would be a day he would have a good game, I just didn't think it would be that soon. But if you've read my articles weekly, you'll know that I'm always extremely cautious of a spike and Tate's case is no different. That game was a spike and I'm not hopping on the Tate Train like a lot of people are just because of one good game. Give me more of a sample size and then we can talk.

That being said, I think Tate should continue to be monitored in terms of production. Don't worry I have you covered, I'll keep an eye on him for you. This week I'll track his snap count, target count, and routes run/percentage of routes targeted. Maybe percentage of time on the field if I'm feeling generous and I'll get back to you with a full diagnostic report. For now if you want to ride the hot hand, Tate is a flex play for me jumping up in the list to number 30.

Want more advice? Ask me on Twitter @NickPetraccione.