Every week we bring you our suggested starts and sits for your fantasy football lineups. Everyone knows to start Kareem Hunt, so we’ll do our best to refrain from stating the obvious plays. Our starts will feature some lower owned, off the radar, sleeper types week in and week out – and our sits will feature more popular players that we think will underperform. While this is useful when setting your weekly lineups in your season long leagues, this can also be a valuable tool if you’re playing daily fantasy sports (DFS) as well. Follow along as Eric Iannaccone, Kyle August, Shaun Crandall, Josh Brickner, and myself bring you all the best start/sits so you don’t have to stress over lineup decisions.

Featured Starts:

Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams:

After two quiet weeks, Goff should flash the early season form again this week against a susceptible Arizona secondary. Through 6 games, Arizona has allowed 4 top 12 QB weeks. The only QBs to not finish within the top 12 the week they played against the Cardinals? Jacoby Brissett and Brian Hoyer. Goff is better than those guys and should get the chance to throw the ball around against a defense giving up 340 passing yards per game (and only 90 rushing).

– Eric Iannaccone

Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals:

It’s been a long season so far for Mixon owners. The highly touted rookie RB had to work his way into the primary running back role earlier this season but since then has yet to take advantage of the workload. Mixon has seen 15+ carries each of the last three weeks but has yet to exceed 62 rushing yards. In week 7, coming off a bye week, Mixon and the Bengals are traveling to Pittsburgh who currently gives up the 3rd most fantasy points to running backs. I think this will be Mixon’s coming out party and to take advantage of a great matchup this week in the rushing and receiving game.

-Kyle August

Marqise Lee, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

This might be going a little too far on the ledge in promoting Lee as a starter this week. However, I think if he catches a touchdown that his other stats will push him into WR2 numbers. He faces a Colts team which has allowed 295 passing yards per game and nearly 23 completions per game to opposing quarterbacks. Jacksonville will no doubt look to establish the run, but the middle of the field and short routes will be an option which Lee could capitalize upon.

-Shaun Crandall

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers:

George Kittle has become a focal point of the 49ers’ passing game the last two weeks turning 17 targets into 11 receptions, 129 yards, and a TD. Better yet, over that same period, the former Iowa Hawkeye has been targeted seven times in the red zone generating four catches and a TD. Kittle should see continued RZ success.

Want more good news for Kittle? The 49ers have named rookie C.J. Beathard as their starting QB moving forward. It’s cliche and presumptive to say a rookie QB will lean on his TE (three of Kittle’s receptions came with Bethard at QB on Sunday). However, when the two played together at Iowa they connected for 42 receptions, 604 yards, and 10 TDs over two collegiate seasons; it’s safe to assume there’s chemistry. Kittle is only owned in 8% of Yahoo leagues(!) so pick him up and start him with confidence as long as Bethard remains the starter.

-Josh Brickner

Defense/Special Teams:

New York Jets. How confident are you that the Dolphins will play 2 strong games in a row? Exactly. The Jets have been surprisingly good up to this point in the season, and their defense has been respectable. Jay Cutler is good for at least 1 interception, and if this game goes like I think it will, there should be lots of running in a low scoring affair. -John Di Bari

Staff Starts:

Eric Iannaccone

Running Back: Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts

Wide Receiver: Mohamed Sanu(if active)/ Taylor Gabriel(if Sanu inactive), Atlanta Falcons

Tight End: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

D/ST: New Orleans Saints

Kyle August

Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Wide Receiver: Pierre Garcon, San Francisco 49ers

Tight End: Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons

D/ST: Buffalo Bills

Shaun Crandall

Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills

Running Back: Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals

Tight End: Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers

D/ST: Miami Dolphins

Josh Brickner

Quarterback: Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams

Running Back: Adrian Peterson, Arizona Cardinals

Wide Receiver: Eric Decker, Tennessee Titans

D/ST: Tennessee Titans

John Di Bari

Quarterback: Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars

Running Back: Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

Wide Receiver: Josh Doctson, Washington Redskins

Tight End: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Featured Sits:

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers:

Don’t fall into the trap of starting Ben at home this week. He’s been bad, both on the road and at home. After two solid weeks to start the season (263 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT and 243 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs) he hasn’t had a game with two passing touchdowns since. He’s also turned the ball over in every game since. The Bengals haven’t allowed a quarterback to throw for more than 200 yards other than Aaron Rodgers. Granted, they haven’t played great QBs, but no one has even come close to a good game through the air. Watson had a good game against them in Week 2, but he ran for 60 yards and 1 TD. Ben isn’t doing that.

– Eric Iannaccone

Orleans Darkwa, RB, New York Giants:

As early week 7 rankings roll in, Darkwa is currently ranked inside the top 24 at the position in a matchup at home against the Seahawks. While Seattle will be traveling to New York this week, they are coming off a bye with a late afternoon kickoff. After giving up big games to Montgomery and Hyde the first two weeks of the season, the Seahawks have only given up one long run to DeMarco Murray in week 3 and have kept all other running backs in check. I’m fine starting Darkwa as a flex this week, but by no means am I excited to hit ‘submit’ with Darkwa as my RB2 this week.

-Kyle August

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Indianapolis Colts

Hilton faces a difficult defensive secondary in Jacksonville and overall T.Y. has had a sporadic season thus far. Except for the two weeks, he has had a mediocre season and has had only one touchdown in his last nine games, dating back to last year. Jacksonville has only allowed one touchdown to a wide receiver this year which all leads to Hilton being a surefire sit this week.

-Shaun Crandall

Coby Fleener, TE, New Orleans Saints:

The first two weeks of the season, Coby Fleener looked like he was going to be a weekly, reliable weapon for Drew Brees turning ten targets into eight catches, 87 yards, and two touchdowns. The last three contests? Fleener has only been targeted six times (3/42/0) which was highlighted by the goose egg he put up for his fantasy owners on one target in Week 6. What has changed for Fleener the past three games? Targets are at a premium in NO with the emergence of Alvin Kamara as a weapon out of the backfield (17 targets over the past 3 weeks). Ted Ginn’s productivity out of the slot (9 catches, 8 receptions, 2 TDs last 3 games). And the return of speedy slot WR Willie Snead (over 100 targets the past two seasons) from suspension/injury.

If you’re holding out hope for Fleener to turn things around, please STOP IMMEDIATELY as the Saints have won the past three games in a row and shouldn’t look to change a successful formula. Drop Fleener right now for a more reliable option such as George Kittle (8% owned) or Tyler Kroft (11% owned) who are available.

-Josh Brickner

Defense/Special Teams:

Green Bay Packers. The Packers are at home against the Saints and typically the Saint- on the road, outdoors- is a recipe for fantasy success, but not this week. The Packers just lost Aaron Rodgers for the season, and their offense will probably not be spending much time on the field, leading to a tired defense on the field more often than they’d like to be against one of the NFL’s top offensive units.

-John Di Bari

Staff Sits:

Eric Iannaccone

Running Back: Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wide Receiver: T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Tight End: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

D/ST: Washington Redskins

Kyle August

Quarterback: Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars

Wide Receiver: T.Y Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Tight End: George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

D/ST: Arizona Cardinals

Shaun Crandall

Quarterback: Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts

Running Back: Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

Tight End: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

D/ST: New England Patriots

Josh Brickner

Quarterback: Philip Rivers Los Angeles Chargers

Running Back: Matt Forte New York Jets

Wide Receiver: Devin Funchess Carolina Panthers

D/ST: Los Angeles Rams

John Di Bari

Quarterback: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Running Back: Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers

Wide Receiver: TY Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Tight End: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys

We hope you find this useful and we are always happy to interact on Twitter if you have any questions or concerns. Be sure to check out the rest of our weekly in-season content right here as we give you the tools and content to win every week of the season.