Round seven of the fantasy football draft is all about what your roster looks like. It’s also a place where if you love a certain player, now’s the time to snatch him up.
The average draft positions are changing some, so we’ll avoid looking at players twice, and move them around accordingly.
According to average draft positions in a standard 12-team league, here’s the 12 players in order that will likely be taken in the seventh round:
73. Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Giants
74. Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets
75. Delanie Walker, TE, Tennessee
76. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina
77. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay
78. Paul Perkins, RB, New York Giants
79. Frank Gore, RB, Indianapolis
80. Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington
81. Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay
82. Willie Snead, WR, New Orleans
83. Martellus Bennett, TE, Green Bay
84. Jamison Crowder, WR, Washington
Best Bet
Jameis Winston — He’s my main target at quarterback this season. I’m not grabbing him in the sixth round or before, but with a roster filled with running backs and a few wide receivers, the seventh round is an opportune time to take that coveted quarterback off the board.
I’ve talked several times about Winston’s potential. He’s going off as the 10th quarterback in fantasy, with the ability to be a top-five option by season’s end. Tampa Bay has invested in the players and Winston is entering his third year, generally a stepping stone season for quarterbacks. The value is enough to grab him off the board in the seventh round.
Who’s next?
Brandon Marshall — Marshall is flying up the ADP charts with good reason. Somehow, he was being downplayed for much of the offseason, until recently some experts have put him where he belongs. He’s actually listed in the sixth round now and that may continue to rise. The Giants are a pass heavy offense, with a quarterback who has shown to be pretty good in the past with the right weapons. With Odell Beckham on the other side garnering attention, I love Marshall to attract plenty of targets and have high production. If I didn’t love Winston in this spot so much, I would easily be happy with Marshall.
How about those other quarterbacks?
Newton and Cousins also aren’t bad either. This is precisely why I’m not moving too early for a quarterback. Both players give you plenty of past experience as a solid fantasy quarterback. Newton was the best fantasy weapon two years ago, while Cousins is dinking and dunking his way to fantasy stardom each year.
If Newton can stay healthy and keep his added weapons healthy, he should have a bounce back season. Cousins offers a little more risk, especially with his offensive coordinator now in Los Angeles. Of the two, I favor Newton to have a more productive season.
Avoid these running backs
I’m not buying Martin or Gore this season. It’s simple with Gore. He’s had too much wear and tear on his body to be depended on as an option this season. He may produce somewhat, but if he’s your RB2, then you’re in big trouble. The Colts are pass-first, run-second team, and Gore can’t be trusted to stay healthy.
Martin was a fantasy stud last season, but then got suspended for four games to start this season. You’re basically wasting a pick at this level on Martin, especially since he’s not guaranteed the starting spot when he comes back. He’s going to miss the first four games, and then have to work his way back into the starting lineup. On a fast track, let’s say that’s two games. That puts your fantasy team at seven weeks into the season before you see any real value out of Martin. I’m avoiding his doghouse.
Other running backs are tempting
Perkins and Powell offer some value. Somebody has to score in New York, and with Matt Forte as an injury liability and not the pass-catching running back, Powell makes the most sense as the primary fantasy option for the Jets.
The Jets are going to be playing catchup all season, so Powell should see more touches than Forte in the long run. However, you just can’t trust his production each week. That’s why he’s so low in the draft.
Perkins, meanwhile, will be the Giants starting running back, but that hasn’t paid many dividends in the past. The Giants are a pass-first team with dynamic weapons at the wide receiver position. At this level, they’re both better RB2’s than the other ones on this list, but they shouldn’t be anymore than just some depth or Flex options on your roster.
Best of the rest
Walker has been pretty good in the past and offers a safer pick than Bennett. Green Bay doesn’t utilize its tight ends well, so I’m skipping Bennett as a potential option. Walker is kind of a boom or bust candidate, but Marcus Mariota seems to have a nice rapport with him, so he’s not a bad option. The only problem is that he will have to compete more for targets with better wide receivers now residing in Tennessee.
Snead and Crowder also offer some potential. Both are the second wide receivers on teams that love to pass. Somebody is going to have to attract Brandin Cooks’s targets from New Orleans, so I’m assuming Snead should have more value this season. The same goes with Crowder, too, with DeSean Jackson now gone from Washington.
Both quarterbacks spread the ball around too much to love either one of the players, but I’m actually going to side with Crowder among the two of them. He has a little more of a possession game to him that should attract more targets.
