Justin Elick 
I was disheartened to see David Njoku go down with an injury in the 3rd quarter last week! He still managed a 7-71 line, but he will be out for a few weeks now. Travis Kelce did what he does, and I was a sucker for looking at Robert Tonyan again. The further we move into the season, the more important these games become! It’s time. Let’s roll.
Be sure to jump into the WinDailySports Discord, and take advantage of our cheat sheets and projections while you build your lineups for Week 8 on FanDuel and DraftKings! It would be the midway point of the season in a normal 16-game season already! Let’s find ourselves a few edges as we climb the leaderboards once again!
George Kittle, 49ers ($5,700 DraftKings, $6,900 FanDuel)
Look, the Rams are #1 in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to opposing TE. That said, they haven’t exactly faced a gauntlet of talent. Kittle had just 2-24 (four targets) in the first matchup here, but the 49ers won handily. I’m expecting this one to be closer, and Vegas is as well. The line currently sits around two points.
Kittle FINALLY looks fully healthy, and has seen 19 targets over the last two weeks. All he has done with those targets is 14-181-1. With no Mark Andrews or Travis Kelce on this slate, he is the default #1. He has played at least 89% of the snaps in each game he has played, and this week will be no exception. The 49ers are coming off a blowout loss to Kansas City. A sweep of a Rams team they have dominated in the regular season looks to be in the cards here. I have zero faith in the Rams doing anything but throwing the ball to Cooper Kupp. Kittle is in line for a solid game once again.
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers ($3,900 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel)
After missing a week, “The Freier” (do people call him that?) got right back to being the most consistent part of the Steelers offense. He hauled in eight of nine targets for 75 yards despite only playing 59% of the snaps. The Pittsburgh offense is a mess, but one thing is for certain. If (when) this team is down, Pat is getting looks.
The Eagles are 14th in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to opposing TE, but volume prevails here. He saw the most targets among all TE in Week 7. The Steelers have scored a TOTAL of 13 points in their last two games. When Kenny Pickett isn’t throwing the ball to the other team, Freiermuth should get plenty of opportunities.
Chris Myarick, Giants ($2,800 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel)
I was on Daniel Bellinger last week, and he left in the second quarter with an injury. You know the drill here. Myarick will be the default starter for the Giants and they face…the Seahawks. I’ll continue to target this defense with TE. They still rank dead last in fantasy points allowed to opposing TE, serving up nearly 600 yards in 2002.
Myarick is certainly a low-floor option, but he is a low-cost option as well. Given the plus matchup, I am fine going this way in cash games if necessary.
Irv Smith Jr., Vikings ($3,500 DraftKings, $5,000 FanDuel)
This certainly seems like a great week to pay down at TE, and Irv is one of your best options. Much like the Seahawks, the Cardinals have struggled to contain opposing TE. They are the only team aside from Seattle to allow more than 17 PPG…and they are still over 20. Irv has been getting looks from Kirk Cousins, with at least four in each of his last five games.
He has found the end zone twice this season, and this game has one of the highest totals of the week at 48.5 points. I’m off Zach Ertz for the most part with DeAndre Hopkins back, but I don’t hate the play if it fits into your lineup. I’ll be focusing more on the cheap guys if I’m not playing Kittle.
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins ($3,800 DraftKings, $5,400 FanDuel)
While I made a point in my showdown article to say I wasn’t chasing points with Gesicki, he makes sense here. In a week with no obvious top plays, Gesicki stands out in a few ways. He has seven targets in each of the last two weeks, and Tua looked off after the hot start against Pittsburgh.
Miami/Detroit owns the highest total on the slate, and it isn’t particularly close. The total is hovering near 52 points in this one, and the Lions rank 28th against opposing TE. I’m expecting Tua to continue to look his way in this one. It isn’t a pretty play by any means, but it’s a cheap way to get exposure to a massive total.
Come find me on Twitter and let’s chat some football! Good luck in Week 7, and let’s meet at the top of the leaderboards!
