Welcome to our Week 7 Game Hub with breakdowns of every contest from across the league. Our Tom Brolley gets you ready for this week’s action with the most important stats and trends for each fantasy-relevant player in the NFL. We also provide betting, weather, and injury reports with each game’s write-up to make sure you’re well-informed before you set lineups and/or place wagers. Let’s get to this week’s games!
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Week 7 Schedule
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Thurs.
Steelers Trends
Record: 4-1 (3-2)
Aaron Rodgers has the Steelers off to a 4-1 start and at the top of the AFC North through six weeks. He completed 21/30 passes for 235 yards (7.8 YPA) and 2 TDs for 17.5 FP in a victory over the Browns in Week 6. Rodgers has thrown for multiple TDs in 3-of-5 games, but he owned the league’s lowest aDOT at 5.4 yards through six weeks. The Bengals rank 29th in pressure rate (32.1%), and they could be without Trey Hendrickson this week. Rodgers’ YPA (7.91>6.00), passer rating (124.2>54.1), and CPOE (3.3%>-7.6%) are significantly better from a clean pocket compared to when he’s pressured. The Bengals give up the third-most passing YPG (267.7) and the sixth-most passing TDs per game (2.0) to QBs. They’ve allowed multiple passing TDs in 4-of-6 games.
D.K. Metcalf is riding a four-game TD streak entering Week 7 after posting 4/95/1 receiving on 9 targets (30%) and 87% route share against the Browns. He scored between 11 and 12.3 FP in each of his first three games as a Steeler, but he’s reached 19.5+ FP in back-to-back games. The Bengals give up the 15th-most receiving YPG (103.5) and the 14th-fewest YPRR (1.92) to receivers aligned out wide. Romeo Doubs posted 5/55 receiving in this matchup last week, and Courtland Sutton turned in 5/81/1 receiving back in Week 4.
Jaylen Warren jumped back to the top of Pittsburgh’s backfield after missing Week 4 for a knee injury before their bye. He totaled 11/52 rushing and 2/11 receiving for 8.3 FP, and Kenneth Gainwell posted 6/22 rushing and 6/14 receiving for 9.6 FP. Arthur Smith gave Kaleb Johnson 6 carries in each of the last two games, so this could be developing into an ugly three-man backfield. Warren led Gainwell in snap share (52%>35%) and carry share (39%>21%), while Gainwell led in route share (42%>36%). The Bengals give up the fifth-most adjusted YBC/ATT (2.31), the third-most rushing YPG (119.7), and the fifth-most receiving YPG (46.3) to RBs. Josh Jacobs ripped them for 12/54 rushing and 2/33/1 receiving in this matchup last week. Warren totaled 9/30 rushing and 4/55 receiving in two matchups against the Bengals last season.
Bengals Trends
- Record: 2-4 (2-4)
- Joe Flacco posted his best fantasy performance of the season in his first start for the Bengals. He completed 29/45 passes for 219 yards (4.9 YPA) and 2 TDs in a loss to the Packers, adding a 2-point conversion for 18.8 FP in Week 6. The Steelers deploy the fifth-highest rate of man coverage (36.5%), and he averages 5.03 YPA with a 45.8 passer rating on 66 attempts against man. The Steelers blitz at the fourth-highest rate (37.9%), and Flacco’s YPA (5.50>3.98), passer rating (77.5>42.9), and CPOE (4.5%>-7.1%) plummet against the blitz. Pittsburgh gives up the second-most passing YPG (270.4) to QBs. Dillon Gabriel was the first QB to fail to account for multiple TDs against the Steelers.
- Ja’Marr Chase fared well in his first action with Flacco at quarterback, posting 10/94/1 receiving on 12 targets (27%) and an 89% route share. He totaled 29+ FP three times and has failed to reach double-digit FP three times after failing to reach double-digit FP just once in 17 games last season. The Steelers deploy the fifth-highest rate of man coverage (36.5%), and he averages .98 YPRR and .22 TPRR on 51 routes against man. Pittsburgh gives up the ninth-most receiving YPG (117.2) and the 13th-fewest YPRR (1.91) to receivers aligned out wide. Justin Jefferson posted 10/126 receiving in this matchup in Week 4. Chase posted 6/86/1 and 10/96/1 receiving in two matchups against the Steelers last season.
- Tee Higgins finally caught more than 3 passes in a game in his first action with Flacco, turning in 5/62 receiving on 7targets (16%) and an 80% route share. He’s scored 11.2 FP in back-to-back games and has yet to top 14.6 FP or 62 receiving yards in any game. The Steelers deploy the fifth-highest rate of man coverage (36.5%), and he averages 2.26 YPRR and .30 TPRR on 46 routes against man. Pittsburgh gives up the 14th-fewest YPT (8.25) and the seventh-fewest receiving TDs (2) to receivers aligned out wide. Higgins posted 5/69/1 and 4/53 receiving in two matchups against the Steelers last season.
- Chase Brown lost some of his grip on the backfield with the Bengals handing Samaje Perine a bigger role next to him. Brown led him in snap share (53%>47%), carry share (56%>38%), and route share (46%>33%). He turned in just 9/42 rushing and 2/7 receiving with a 2-point conversion for 8.9 FP. Brown has yet to top 13.1 FP in any game, and he’s failed to find the end zone since he scored in the season opener. The Steelers give up the 16th-fewest adjusted YBC/ATT (1.90), the 13th-most rushing YPG (89.2), and the 11th-most receiving YPG (38.2) to RBs. Coming out of their Week 5 bye, the Steelers were the first team to slow down Quinshon Judkins (12/36 rushing). Brown posted 12/70/1 rushing and 3/30 receiving in this lone matchup against the Steelers last season.
