Things You Oughta Know: Tips and Hints for NFL Week 7

Fantasy football is a game of stats. Balls are caught, yards are run, TD passes are made and points are accrued. Whomever has the most points wins. Whomever wins gets the money. In some cases a lot of money.

It is my job to give you the information so that you can best predict who will have better stats. It is a difficult job. It is nothing less than attempting to predict the future. To make these predictions I do not commune with a soothsayer, cast lots or flip tarot cards, though perhaps I should.

Instead I study trends, investigate match-ups and explore history. These tidbits help inform my Buy High/Buy Low Column as well as my Optimized Lineups, but sometimes they don't make it into those articles.

Things You Oughta Know is my opportunity to share this information.

Things You Oughta Know NFL Week 7

Quarterbacks

•  Philip Rivers is third in overall fantasy points and is averaging 21.1 points per contest. That's a higher average than anyone above him not named Peyton. Now he gets the Jags, who have looked better in recent weeks and with Justin Blackmon lighting it up, the Chargers will need to throw to keep their lead.
• Tony Romo is going up against the Philly D that has allowed over 300 yards passing per game and 13 TDs this year. Romo to Dez should be a fun thing to watch.
• Nick Foles against Romo's third worst in the league Dallas D. See above and repeat, excpet make it 14 TDs allowed for Dallas.
• Peyton comes back to Indy. Start Andrew Luck. Nuff said.
• Cam Newton finally showed up with 30+ points. St. Louis can't stop the run or the pass. Play him again.

Running Backs

• Fred Jackson has 344 yards and 4 TDs and 21 catches for 144 yards WITH consensus pre-season stud CJ Spiller sharing time.  Miami's D isn't as good against the run as people imagine. Jackson should shine.
• Brandon Jacobs is back. Not sure I buy it either, but if he is going to repeat his 100+ performance from last week anytime soon it will be this week against the Vikings who allow 110 yards a contest. New York needs to win at least once, don't they?
• Giovani Bernard looks to be the dual threat back. His 20 catches, 201 yards and 2 TDs  mixed with 237 rush yards and 2 TDs make him a nice solid play against Detroit's suspect run D

Wide Receivers

• In the two games since Justin Blackmon has returned from his suspension he has 19 catches for 326 yards and 1 TD. In TWO games for the Jacksonville Jaguars. This week Blackmon goes against the San Diego Chargers who are 28th in the league in yards allowed to pass catchers. They've also allowed 10 TD catches. AND Cecil Shorts may sit. 
• Keenan Allen has gone over 100 yards with a TD in each of the past two games. He is the rejuvenated Philip Rivers most trusted target. He goes against the Jags who have given up 14 TD passes.
• Philly and Dallas are two of the worst three teams against the pass. They play each other in Week 7. Dez Bryant and DeSean Jackson play on those teams. Both are in the Top 6 for receiving TDs.
• Washington's D is bad. Brandon Marshall has 40 catches for 486 yards and 5 TDs.