Fantasy Football Week 7: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position

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In some weeks, you only need to target a few matchups for high-upside fantasy football sleepers, and the upcoming slate shapes up that way.

While you don't want to put all your fantasy eggs in a select few baskets, don't ignore matchups with bad defenses and key injuries, because that combination often brings the best out of backups and underperforming starters.

In Week 7, fantasy managers should start with a quarterback-receiver sleeper stack in London and track unheralded playmakers in the two Monday Night Football games.

This week, we highlighted three rookies among the eight players, injecting new blood into the sleeper circuit.

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If the New England Patriots don't have a concern with Drake Maye's knee following an MRI on it, don't be shy about throwing a dart with him after his debut as a starter last week. Maye threw for 243 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Houston Texans' fourth-ranked pass defense.

In London, Maye draws a much easier matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have allowed the most passing yards and touchdowns through six weeks.

Cornerback Tyson Campbell (hamstring) may return from an extended absence, but one player isn't going to fill all the holes in the Jaguars' pass coverage.

Moreover, Maye may have to use his legs behind an unsettled offensive line with multiple backups in starting spots. He rushed for 38 yards last week.

Because of the matchup and his subpar offensive line, Maye can easily clear 300 yards passing and rushing combined on Sunday, finishing within the top 10 in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks.

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With Gus Edwards on injured reserve, the Los Angeles Chargers have a workhorse running back in J.K. Dobbins, who recorded 25 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown last week.

That said, rookie sixth-rounder Kimani Vidal flashed in a backup role with a 38-yard reception for a touchdown. He accumulated 51 scrimmage yards and could be a consistent contributor in a backup role, specifically in the short passing game.

On the ground, the Chargers can exploit the Cardinals' 29th-ranked run defense, which is tied for third in rushing touchdowns allowed (eight).

Dobbins could post gaudy rushing numbers, though Vidal may see enough opportunities in the run game and as a pass-catcher for a solid fantasy outing as a flex option.

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Managers should monitor the Indianapolis Colts' injury report this week. If Jonathan Taylor misses his third consecutive outing because of a high ankle sprain, the Colts' backup running backs will get a favorable matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins are giving up the third-most rushing touchdowns, and they're allowing the third-most fantasy points to running backs.

Even if Taylor returns to game action, he may not handle a full workload, which leaves enough room for Tyler Goodson to pick up some carries against a defensive unit that's yielding 4.7 yards per carry.

Last week, in Taylor's absence, Trey Sermon led the Colts backfield in touches (18), but Goodson outpaced him in scrimmage yards (65-29) with six fewer touches.

Lastly, Taylor has only seen 10 targets in four games. Goodson garnered five targets, and Sermon didn't see any in Week 6. If Taylor suits up, Goodson can still be a fantasy asset in point-per-reception leagues.

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In Week 7, the Arizona Cardinals may take the field without wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who's in concussion protocol. Typically, players miss at least one game while in the protocol. New York Giants rookie wideout Malik Nabers has missed two games with a concussion.

In all likelihood, the Cardinals will have to fill a void in the passing game without their No. 1 wideout.

Though Arizona faces a tough matchup for running backs, Emari Demercado is an under-the-radar sleeper because of his pass-catching ability.

Last week, as the Cardinals' primary pass-catching running back, Demercado saw an uptick in target volume while Harrison was in concussion protocol. He hauled in five out of seven targets for 39 yards.

If quarterback Kyler Murray finds his rhythm with short-to-intermediate passes, Demercado could lead Arizona in receptions on Monday. He finished second on the team in targets (seven), catches (five) and receiving yards (39) last week.

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While wideout Adam Thielen recovers from a hamstring injury on injured reserve, rookie first-rounder Xavier Legette has established himself as the No. 2 target behind fellow wideout Diontae Johnson in the Carolina Panthers' passing offense.

Legette has started in the past three contests, playing at least 77 percent of the offensive snaps in two of those games. He's also scored touchdowns in two of the past three weeks.

In Week 4, against the Cincinnati Bengals' struggling pass defense, Legette had his most productive performance of the season, hauling in six out of 10 targets for 66 yards and a touchdown.

On Sunday, Legette will face a more vulnerable pass defense than the unit he saw in Week 4. The Washington Commanders have allowed the second-most passing touchdowns (12), and they're giving up the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers.

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New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye has a rapport with wideout DeMario Douglas. In Maye's debut start, he connected with Douglas on six out of nine passes for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Last year, Douglas led the Patriots in targets (79), so he likely has a secure role in the passing attack, even with the quarterback change from Jacoby Brissett to Maye.

A Maye-Douglas sleeper stack has a sizzle to it if the Patriots' rookie quarterback can take advantage of the league's worst pass defense in yards and touchdowns allowed.

Because Douglas lines up mainly in the slot, his production won't be capped by boundary cornerback Tyson Campbell's potential return. He's a Week 7 sleeper and potential keeper for the remainder of the season.

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This past offseason, the Washington Commanders had an open battle for the No. 2 wide receiver spot at training camp. In August, they traded Jahan Dotson to the Philadelphia Eagles, which left the position up for grabs going into the regular season.

Wide receiver Terry McLaurin leads the Commanders' pass-catchers in targets (43) by a wide margin. Tight end Zach Ertz is second on the team (29).

Nonetheless, Noah Brown has established some consistency within the passing attack, recording at least three receptions in all four of his outings. He sat out Week 5 because of a groin injury and logged season highs in catches (four) and receiving yards (58) last week.

Moreover, Brown has started in his last three appearances, and he's played at least 64 percent of the offensive snaps in the past two outings.

Brown could put together a breakout performance in a matchup with the Carolina Panthers' 23rd-ranked pass defense. Also, Carolina allows the 12th-most fantasy points to wide receivers.

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Cade Otton has gone through fantasy highs and lows this season.

After racking up 44-plus receiving yards in three consecutive games between Weeks 3 and 5, Otton hauled in two out of his six targets for 15 yards and a touchdown in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints last week.

Otton struggled with efficiency in his last outing against the Saints, but he's third on the team in targets (31). He has a secure role in Tampa Bay's aerial attack.

In Week 7, Otton gets a favorable matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, who allow the second-most passing yards and the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends.

In a potentially high-scoring matchup between two top-four scoring offenses, Otton should have opportunities to rack up yards and get into the end zone.

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Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.