Juicy Week Seven NFL Matchups
Three NFL players who should bring the juice to fantasy lineups this week
DeMario Douglas (WR, New England Patriots) vs the Jaguars Defense
The New England Patriots look like they finally have somewhat of an offense. Last week against the Texans, rookie quarterback Drake Maye passed for 243 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. By no means are these spectacular numbers, but it was a huge improvement over what New England has done through the first five weeks of the season. DeMario Douglas was finally utilized the way he should have been and brought a much-needed spark to the offense.
Drake Maye and DeMario Douglas look to have built solid chemistry throughout the season. Douglas was Maye’s top target of the afternoon, with six receptions for 92 yards and his first-ever NFL touchdown. Both players played well against a talented Houston secondary who have kept every quarterback they have played, other than Maye, to under 215 passing yards.
The duo of Drake Maye and DeMario Douglas should continue to be productive, especially this week against a struggling Jacksonville Jaguars team. What makes the matchup so nice for Douglas is how poor Jacksonville is against slot receivers. They are the worst defense against the slot per Evan Lazar:
DeMario Douglas has lined up in the slot 78.9% of the time that he is on the field. He already looks like the primary target in New England, but he could be in for a massive game this week in London. Douglas should be in for a ton of work this week and could finish among the top 12 wide receivers yet again.
Saquon Barkley (RB, Philadelphia Eagles) vs the Giants Defense
Revenge game, anyone?
Saquon Barkley has been phenomenal in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is among the top 10 running backs in every major statistical category this season. He currently has 486 rushing yards (third), 5.3 yards per carry (fourth), and four touchdowns (sixth). He has done this in only five games, since Philadelphia is just coming off their bye week.
While Barkley is undoubtedly one of the most talented backs in the league, a lot of his production is because of his offensive line. The Eagle’s line has been making life easy on Barkley, who is averaging 5.3 yards per carry this season.
Philadelphia comes off of their bye, ready to face their division rival, New York Giants. The Giants have an average run defense, ranking 15th in the league in rush yards allowed. While they do have star Dexter Lawrence to help stuff the run up the middle, the Giants will be without one of their best defensive linemen in Kayvon Thibodeaux. The loss of Thibodeaux will make it harder to contain Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' offense.
Barkley’s return to New York should be a fun matchup to watch. After a disappointing fantasy outing in week five, Barkley should bounce back, especially after a week six bye. He is a stud, has one of the best offensive lines in football, and will seek to make a statement to his former team, who decided not to re-sign him in free agency. Barkley should be a top-three fantasy back this weekend.
Davante Adams (WR, New York Jets) vs the Steelers Defense
The inevitable has finally happened. Davante Adams is now reunited with former teammate, Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets offense has lacked big plays this season. Rodgers ranks 20th in the league in completed passes of 10-19 yards, and 22nd in yards per attempt. The Jets needed another big-time playmaker alongside Garrett Wilson, and they found that in trading for Davante Adams, who has averaged 11 yards per reception every year of his career other than 2015. He has six straight seasons with at least 100 receptions, 1,000 yards, and seven touchdowns. This includes the last three seasons, where he played with average to below-average quarterbacks in Las Vegas.
The Jets play the Steelers in Pittsburgh this week, which should be a tough matchup offensively. Pittsburgh currently ranks eighth in the league in yards allowed per game. They boast the third-ranked rushing defense and 13th-ranked passing defense. Even so, the arrival of Davante Adams should help exploit whoever is matched up against him.
Adams is now back with the quarterback who helped turn him into a superstar. Even though both Adams and Rodgers are ascending in age, the two should be able to dominate defenses yet again. They have undeniable chemistry, which is an underrated attribute. Even though Adams has yet to have a full week as a New York Jet, expect him and Rodgers to connect early and often against Pittsburgh this week.