WTBU Sports Fantasy Football: Week 7 Power Rankings
By Daniel Multz
Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season is in the books. Once again, there will be a few major changes in the power rankings this week. Many of the lower-ranked teams will remain where they are, and the same goes for the higher-ranked squads. However, there is another significant shakeup in the middle, so let’s look at this week’s power rankings.
No. 10: The Flavortown Trash Can Lids (1-5) Akshai Wadhwani [Last Week: 9]
Added: WR Christan Kirk (Free Agency)
Dropped: WR Sammy Watkins (Waivers)
The league’s worst scoring team kept up that status with its worst performance yet. Despite having nearly his whole roster healthy and playing this week, Akshai’s team brought home just 58.6 points. Starting at the top with Aaron Rodgers having possibly the worst game of his entire career to everyone else but Mike Davis either failing to meet projections or just score single digits.
That being said, Christian Kirk is a solid addition to the lineup, Tyler Lockett will return from a Week 6 bye, and there is just no way that his entire team can play that poorly again. Akshai’s team moves back down to No. 10 coming off an abhorrent week, but I see no reason for him to not crack triple-digits this week (so long as he remembers to add another kicker).
No. 9: Baby Chark (1-5) Ethan Fuller [Last Week: 10]
Added: RB Philip Lindsay (Trade), RB Justin Jackson (Waivers), WR Keelan Cole Sr. (Waivers), WR Demarcus Robinson (Waivers), K Joey Slye (Free Agency), Browns D/ST (Free Agency)
Dropped: RB Damien Harris (Trade), RB Alexander Mattison (Waivers), WR Mecole Hardman (Waivers), WR N’Keal Harry (Waivers), K Jason Sanders (Waivers), RB Joshua Kelley (Waivers)
Ethan’s roster underwent another enormous series of transactions this week, all after a very tough 74-point performance last week against The Philips Heads. Josh Allen struggled for the second straight week, his RBs both struggled, Mecole Hardman got dropped after accruing zero points last week, and his highest scoring player was the Steelers’ defense.
Last week was a nightmare for Ethan’s team, but just like Akshai’s team there is strong potential for a rebound. Allen and Devin Singletary should rip the Jets apart, Michael Thomas should return this week from his injury and suspension, and Jerick McKinnon is a strong bet to start this week for San Francisco with Raheem Mostert out. All told, Ethan’s squad faces a tough matchup in Suh-Tang Clan, but there is no way his team will look as bad this week as last week.
No. 8: Happy Golladays (3-3) Daniel Multz [Last Week: 6]
Added: QB Cam Newton (Trade), RB Le’Veon Bell (Waivers, later traded), Eagles D/ST (Waivers), TE Rob Gronkowski (Free Agency), WR A.J. Green (Free Agency)
Dropped: WR Tyler Boyd (Trade), Seahawks D/ST (Waivers), TE Greg Olsen (Waivers), WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Waivers)
Other than Baby Chark, I’ve definitely made the second-most additions this week as my team’s tumble continues. Despite a great resurgence by Lamar Jackson, many players meeting projections, and the Dolphins’ defense shutting out the Jets, Mark Andrews delivered another lackluster performance and I keep betting wrong on my wide-receiver roulette.
As Cooper Kupp yielded three catches for just 11 yards, CeeDee Lamb, James White and Tee Higgins all outperformed the Rams wideout greatly on the bench. All that aside, I drop my team to No. 8 because Lamar, Andrews, Myles Gaskin and the Dolphins all have byes this week. That’s why I had to trade for a capable QB in Newton, take the risk of hopping on the “Gronk is back” train, and part ways with Tyler Boyd and newly acquired Le’veon Bell.
My team has a very low projection for this week, and I have a very tough opponent in The Philips Heads waiting. Due to this, my team’s outlook for Week 7 is very bleak and that’s why the tumble continues.
No. 7: Philadelphia Pigeons (2-4) Ben Silver [Last Week: 3]
Added: K Younghoe Koo (Waivers)
Dropped: WR DeSean Jackson (Waivers)
Ben’s team took a heartbreaking loss against Suh-Tang Clan last week by losing by less than 0.5 points (134-133.72). It doesn’t get much closer than that, but it also hides the poor performances by many of his starters. Miles Sanders and Zach Ertz didn’t have great games and are now injured, and the same goes for Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill. However, this was made up for by strong efforts by Stefon Diggs, Travis Fulgham, Kyler Murray (the No. 1 fantasy QB through six weeks), the Buccaneers’ defense and Justin Tucker.
This week presents favorable matchups for every starter he has, along with Keenan Allen returning from a bye. However, Melvin Gordon is in the starting lineup even though he might get disciplined for his DUI, and if he plays he might lose carries after a great game from Philip Lindsay. Further, Jimmy Graham at TE is risky but he has no other option. All told, this might be an off week for Ben’s team, but by facing The Trash Can Lids, his chances for a win this week remain strong.
No. 6: These Ladies Love Sosi (3-3) Perry Sosi [Last Week: 5]
Added: WR Tyler Boyd (Trade), RB Le’Veon Bell (Trade)
Dropped: QB Cam Newton (Trade), WR Marvin Jones Jr. (Waivers), K Matt Prater (Waivers)
Perry’s team had a strong chance to hand Senior in J.V. its first loss of the season last week as they put up less than 120 points for the first time all year. However, his team did even worse with just 87.3 points. Chase Edmonds, the Rams’ defense, Stephen Gostkowski, and Mike Evans all let him down big-time by posting four points or fewer each. Additionally, Terry McLaurin and D’Andre Swift had great weeks on his bench.
The good news is Justin Herbert returns from the Chargers’ bye and the rest of his roster will be back at it again this week. The one concern I have is benching Mike Evans. I get that he struggled mightily to get targets and catches last week, but he is a great receiver and constant end-zone threat. However, this comes from having tons of WR depth like other teams do. His matchup with Hannah’s Bananas should be a tight contest this week.
No. 5: Hannah’s Bananas (4-2) Hannah Yoshinaga [Last Week: 7]
Added: None
Dropped: None
Hannah’s team did just enough to defeat Happy Golladays last week. Thanks to classic, elite performances from Julio Jones and George Kittle, Hannah’s team got enough from the rest of her team to put up over 125 points and earn her 4th win of the season. She is now tied with D-Hop’s Pancakes for the second-best record in the league and has one of just three winning teams.
That cannot go unnoticed, neither can everyone on her team having a cakewalk of a matchup this week nor that her team already projects for 123 points without a defense. So long as Hannah adds a defensive unit to her lineup this week, she’ll shoot for at least 130 points and put up a great fight against These Ladies Love Sosi.
No. 4: Suh-Tang Clan (3-3) Patrick Donnelly [Last Week: 8]
Added: None
Dropped: None
Patrick’s team’s tenure in the bottom-five of the league ends after a two-week stay. This is partly due to performing well and defeating The Philadelphia Pigeons thanks to great efforts from Ronald Jones II, Kenyan Drake and Brandin Cooks as well as good-enough games from Robert Woods and Patrick Mahomes. This rise back to No. 4 also has to do with winning without his top draft-pick in Dalvin Cook, and is due to the struggles of Happy Golladays in addition to the bleak outlook this week for The Pigeons.
With all this in mind, Patrick’s team looks back at a level of performance it should sit at, and he will have everyone from last week back on the field this week as well. The two concerns are Kenyan Drake following up last week’s game against a stingy Seattle run defense, and Brandin Cooks facing the Packers’ defense eyeing a major rebound this week. Still, his team looks more than good enough to beat Baby Chark and earn his 4th win.
No. 3: D-Hop’s Pancakes (4-2) Brady Gardner [Last Week: 2]
Added: RB Philip Lindsay (Waivers, later traded), RB Damien Harris (Trade, later dropped), QB Matt Ryan (Waivers), RB Boston Scott (Waivers)
Dropped: QB Andy Dalton (Waivers), WR A.J. Green (Waivers)
Brady’s team got the easiest win of the season thus far by taking down a Trash Can Lids team that could not have played worse. This masked subpar games from Chris Godwin, Deandre Hopkins, Dalton Schultz and Devonta Freeman. Still, Jonathan Taylor and newly acquired Clyde-Edwards Helaire did well this week, and Ryan Tannehill kept up his MVP-level performance against Houston.
Nevertheless, Darren Waller returns to the lineup, Robby Anderson faces a much easier opponent than Chicago, Hopkins faces a very porous Seahawks’ secondary, and he added Matt Ryan, who faces Detroit, to give Tannehill a week off as he faces the lethal Steelers’ defense. His team is looking good this week. However, he drops one spot to No. 3 because of his opponent this week being Senior on J.V, and due to The Phillips Heads’ matchup being far more favorable.
No. 2: The Philips Heads (3-3) Joe Pohoryles [Last Week: 4]
Added: WR Tim Patrick (Free Agency), Chiefs D/ST (Waivers)
Dropped: TE Hayden Hurst (Waivers), Washington D/ST (Waivers)
Joe’s team returns to .500 at 3-3 and earns a return to the No. 2 spot on the rankings because his second-best scoring team is finally getting what it deserves: wins! Joe soundly beat Baby Chark last week, and got an otherworldly 40-point game from Derrick Henry. He did all of this with his three Seahawks having byes last week!
Now they’re all back, and he’ll still have Joe Mixon, Amari Cooper and Henry in the lineup against Happy Golladays. Were it not for Senior on J.V. being undefeated and always performing well enough for a win, Joe might move up to No. 1 this week because of just how volatile and dangerous his roster is. As much as it pains me to say, Joe could handedly beat Happy Golladays this week without his three Seahawks, and he now has them back to put the cherry on top.
No. 1: Senior on J.V. (6-0) Chad Jones [Last Week: 1]
Added: K Graham Gano Free Agency)
Dropped: RB Kerryon Johnson (Waivers)
Still undefeated, no one can dethrone Chad’s team from the top spot just yet. While Hannah’s Bananas and D-Hop’s Pancakes are both 4-2 and The Phillips Heads are keeping up with him in scoring rate, Chad keeps performing well enough to win and pull out epic performances when needed. Call it luck or just the presence of immense talent, but it is no secret that this squad has cruised to 6-0 with very few roster changes.
Despite not having Adam Thielen this week, as long as he adds a new defense with the Colts on a bye, Chad can still project for 135+ points this week against D-Hop’s Pancakes. This matchup could be the best of the week, but Chad’s team does get the advantage for his RBs and Calvin Ridley getting such a high volume of work as well as Deshaun Watson returning to star-form. With many favorable matchups, Chad again remains the top team in the WTBU Sports Fantasy League.