Week 7 Wide Receiver Rankings - Standard Leagues

Last week was one where we saw the return of Odell Beckham Jr. We knew that at some point he was going to have his big game, and now that it has happened, owners can stop worrying about him and his antics. While Beckham Jr. was the high point last week, Antonio Brown was the low. Not only did he have a terrible game, but he also lost Big Ben for at least a little bit, just like in years past. Like with past weeks, the biggest non-performance factor in the rankings will be the matchups.

This week we aren't losing too much because of bye weeks. The only guy who was a regular starter in all leagues was Kelvin Benjamin. Cole Beasley is another guy who you won't be able to start, but overall not much is lost here. For owners who need to find a replacement, check out the rankings below to see who you should be starting over them.

Teams on bye: Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys

Antonio Brown - Well as I mentioned at the beginning, we are going to see Brown have to play without Ben Roethlisberger again. Last year in games without Big Ben, Brown had 17 receptions for 235 yards and no TD's over that 4 game span without Roethilsberger. Those numbers are far from elite, which is what is pushing Brown down to number 10 in the rankings. You are still starting Brown anyways, but this shows that he is far from a good pick in DFS.

Players ranked 15-19 - All of the receivers in this range have terrible matchups. The only one that doesn't is Brandin Cooks, but he is lining up across from Marcus Peters, and is playing the Chiefs in an away game, so he fits right into this tier. You could argue any of the guys in this range above the other and I would have absolutely no problem with that.

Julian Edelman - We now have seen Brady under center for two weeks, and we have yet to see the old Edelman return. Edelman has only been targeted 17 times over those two games, which has led to his supar production. We saw the Patriots use the Gronk, Bennett, and even James White in the offense now. Edelman has now gone from being a guy who was trusted as the safest receiver outside the elite tier, but now is just a low-end WR2 at this point until we see a change.

Golden Tate - Was last week a fluke or will we see Tate finally continue to be heavily used in the offense? Before the season I was probably his biggest supporter having him as a top 15 receiver, but after the first 4 weeks where he was barely used and was even getting benched I had moved on. I am now thinking that may have been a little premature. The biggest thing going Tate's way is the lack of a running game currently in Detroit. If that is what it takes to keep him involved, then I could see this continuing and moving up further in the rankings when we can trust him more.

Torrey Smith - Monitor this situation. Last week we saw the change to Colin Kaepernick saw a change in the number one receiver as well. With Gabbert the main guy was Jeremy Kerley, but with Kaepernick it is looking like Torrey Smith. Smith has big play potential, and could vault himself up into FLEX territory going forward if last week becomes a trend. If you are looking for a big play pick this far down, Torrey Smith is your best option.