We’re almost midway through the season now and it seems like the NFL is lacking the big name stars it usually includes. Many players have unpredictably struggled this season and a lot of guys who had a lot of hype around them have just been underwhelming. However, there have been a few great stars.
We’ve gotten deep enough into the season that it’s time to start locking down who your starters are every week. So as always, it’s time to figure out who should start, and who should sit in week seven of NFL action.
Quarterbacks:
Michael’s Picks
The Rams new quarterback Matthew Stafford is just so good. He’s played great all year and his talented receiver core has only brought up his level of play. Now he’s playing against his old team, the Detroit Lions. The Lions can blame their winless record on a shotty defense. The line is filled with holes, the linebackers are untalented, and the secondary is a bunch of young, underdeveloped players. Stafford and the rest of the Rams are going to show their best stuff on Sunday.
Cincinnati Bengal quarterback Joe Burrow is not someone you should start this week. Burrow has had a decent year so far but he hasn’t played great defense yet. Heading into Baltimore, he’s going to have his first real test of the year against the Ravens defense, and I just don’t see him really performing the way he needs to under this spotlight.
Tre’s Picks
With a 6-0 record, the Arizona Cardinals cannot be stopped. Led by Quarterback Kyler Murray, who threw for 229 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. Murray should be everyone’s starting quarterback in fantasy. He is consistent with his stats and he is a joy to watch. Start Murray this week.
After last postseason’s playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we thought Washington Football Team’s quarterback Taylor Heinicke was going to be something special this year. He has not lived up to the hype, especially in the last two games. It’s time that the Heinicke bandwagon needs to take a stop to the bench for the next couple of weeks.
Running Backs:
Michael’s Picks
Ram’s running back Derrell Henderson is an animal. The man has gone beast mode all season long and hasn’t shown any signs of stopping. With the Lions traveling to L.A., Henderson should be able to just toy with their defense. Henderson should start this week for anyone that has him.
Josh Jacobs has been every bit of a disappointment this year. The Raiders main running back is averaging about 45 yards per game, the young rusher just hasn’t been involved in the teams offense. Now facing the Eagles this week, I hope he can turn his season around but that doesn’t look very promising, that’s why he should sit the bench this week.
Tre’s Picks
Even though the Indianapolis Colts haven’t had the best start to their season, running back Johnathan Taylor has been on fire recently. Last game against the Houston Texans, Taylor rushed for 145 yards and had two touchdowns. As they get ready to take on the San Francisco 49ers, I see him having another big day. Start Taylor this week.
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler was a disappointment this week. He had six rushes for a total of seven yards last week. This type of performance gets you fired in this league. Whether he should or will be fired, he is unreliable and should see your bench in the next couple of weeks.
Wide receivers/ Tight ends:
Michael’s Picks
Like we mentioned before, Cooper Kupp is going crazy this year. He’s having the best season of his career, and he’s been so exciting to watch every week. I mean, the guy is averaging nearly 100 receiving yards a game. That’s unheard of. Now that he’s broken free as the true NFL star that he always had potential to be, it’s no question that Kupp should be starting every week.
Defenses have figured out how to stop the Chiefs. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce have not been the big, dominating names that they have been the last two years. Kelce is still a very reliable tight end that should start every week, but Hill is a different story. Going into Tennessee, and coming off of a rough week, it’s best for your team if Hill sees the bench this week. The Chiefs are going to look to spread the offense more, as they have to find a solution for teams shutting down their best wide receiver. Hill just isn’t going to get enough targets this week for it to make sense to have him starting.
Tre’s Picks
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, has had an explosive past two games, first against the Indianapolis Colts where he had 11 catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns. Then against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown. As they get ready to go into a game against the Cincinnati Bengals this week, Andrews is going to have another great game. Put him in your lineup this week.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper has not lived up to his hype this season. Everyone thought coming into the season Cooper and Cowboys wide receiver Ceedee Lamb were supposed to take the league by storm this year. But it feels like Cooper hasn’t done enough to impress me so far this year and his stats show his disappointment. Keep Cooper on your bench.
Wrap Up
After having a lot of blow out games last week, there will be a lot of close and very eventful games this past week, and teams are coming off their bye weeks, I think we will see a lot more teams more motivated to compete at a higher level. Now that your team is set, kick back, relax and get ready for another great week of football.
![Holding the disc, senior Nathan Thompson waits for an opportunity to pass to senior Timmy Fry. Parkway United’s ultimate frisbee team is made up of students from each of the four Parkway schools. “The one thing I really like about ultimate [frisbee] is the community because it’s so different from any other sport I've been a part of. [My] national teammates are people who we play against in the regular season, so we see each other all the time. It's always fun hanging out with [them],” Thompson said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/C96A6823-1200x800.jpg)
![Senior Josie Grunzinger watches the football game intently from the sidelines on Oct. 18. Grunzinger stood out to the crowd as the only girl on the football team, encouraging other girls who want to play football to take a chance and go for a sport outside of their comfort zone. “If you think you could [play football] and you want to do it, just try it, because all it takes is to actually try it out,” Grunzinger said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1200x675.png)
![With her arms held high, junior Jenna Rickelman throws the ball across the pool during a girls water polo practice. With hours of practice after school and over the summer, Rickelman saw many improvements in her water polo skills. “When I look at [my] stats, I'm so much better than I was last year,” Rickelman said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Untitled-design-2-.png)
![Putting on his helmet, catcher and senior Tommy Eschbach prepares to get in his primary stance. Despite losing 6-1 against Eureka on April 16, Eschbach didn’t let the tough loss affect his playing or mental health. “It's [so] easy to get caught up in the sport and what you're doing that [after] one bad game or a stretch of games it is hard to remind yourself that your worth as a person isn't directly related to your performance on the field,” Eschbach said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/DSC_0415-1-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Sports organizations have changed lives on and off the field, improving athletes’ muscle strength, reducing their risk of diseases and building energetic work capacity worldwide. However, many student-athletes struggle to balance schoolwork and athletic commitments, hoping to seek more understanding and support from their teachers and coaches. “To lessen mental strain student-athletes [face] and create a healthier, more comfortable lifestyle, there shouldn’t be any homework. I'm already [at school] for eight hours and [homework] creates a bigger load for student-athletes in AP or honors classes,” track and field sprinter and sophomore Lucy Penton said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_0095-1-e1713883278514-1200x847.jpg)
![At the Spring Pep Rally on March 8, boys varsity water poloist and junior Jack Brau stands with the boys water polo team. The group, hoping to include everyone — whether boy or girl, varsity or JV — cheered on the girls water polo team during the sports team runouts. “Even though we all play separate games and have different practices, we like to see ourselves as one big group who represent one water polo [team],” Brau said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/DSC_8810-1-1200x800.jpg)
![Looking for an open teammate, freshman Patrick May passes the ball across the court at the Nov. 28 game against Parkway Central. May started in the game against the Colts. ”Growing up, [my parents] always gave me a basketball, [and] we had a basketball hoop outside. I grew up playing [all the time], playing on the [driveway] and shooting hoops with my dad.” May said.](https://pwestpathfinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/image2-1-1200x801.jpg)
