The week seven start or sit article for wide receivers focuses on three guys who played in the NCAA last year: should you start or sit Tee Higgins, Chase Claypool, and Jerry Jeudy in fantasy football week seven?
Start or Sit Tee Higgins versus Cleveland
Tee Higgins and Joe Burrow hit a whole new level last week against the Colts. Higgins turned eight targets into six catches for 125 yards against the Colts last week. While that’s good production on the surface, it’s great production when you consider the Colts’ track record this season against opposing wide receivers. They give up the ninth-fewest fantasy points to the position, and Higgins was just the second wide receiver to top 100 yards against them this season, and just the fourth WR to top 65 yards against them this year.
This week, Higgins gets a Browns squad that has trouble covering receivers. While the Colts allowed just four 65+ yard receiving performances this season, the Browns allowed two… last week. James Washington and Chase Claypool ran roughshod all over the Browns, and I don’t see a real reason why Tee Higgins won’t do the same. He’s in for a smash play against a faltering Browns team. You should start Tee Higgins with confidence this week.
Start or Sit Chase Claypool at Tennessee
It took some time to get Chase Claypool going this season, but once the Steelers activated the rookie wide receiver, he went all the way off. He has five touchdowns and 197 yards in his last two games. Granted, a lot of this took advantage of a lack of Diontae Johnson, and granted, he had just six touches last week. But, he carried a sweep into the end zone because the Steelers know that putting the ball in his hands makes good things happen.
This week, Chase Claypool gets a plus matchup with the #13 team against wide receivers this season, the Tennessee Titans. The Titans allowed three different wide receivers to do varying levels of work against them last week against the Texans. Will Fuller went for 123 and a touchdown, Randall Cobb hit paydirt, and Brandin Cooks kicked in 9 catches, 68 yards, and a score. Chase Claypool will have every opportunity to super smash the Titans this week. You can continue to start Chase Claypool, though a Diontae Johnson return could limit his upside potential.
Start or Sit Jerry Jeudy versus Kansas City
I (finally) found the advanced statistics leaderboard on pro-football-reference.com this week, and it led me to one extremely chilling discovery: Drew Lock loves to throw deep, but he rarely connects. He has the biggest difference between intended air yards per pass and air yards per completed pass, at a 7.8 yards difference. The next closest guy is Carson Wentz, at a 5.5 yards difference. That means that Lock’s completions travel an average of just under 8 yards fewer than his incomplete passes. That’s… very bad. He is bombing it out futilely then dumping off to Melvin Gordon and Noah Fant for completions.
Jerry Jeudy is getting targets with Lock (20 targets in three Lock starts), but and his 13.0-yard deep average depth of target puts him in the “futilely bomb it out” camp for Drew Lock passes. This week, Lock & Company need to bomb it out against the Chiefs and the defense that gives up the sixth-fewest wide receiver fantasy points. If I can help it, I am going to sit Jerry Jeudy this weekend.
The Takeaway
If I hard my druthers, I am starting Tee Higgins wherever I can this week. It’s a juicy matchup, and he and Joe Burrow made an immediate connection. Chase Claypool brings up a close second. Jerry Jeudy, bless him and the Denver Broncos, but he is a far distant third place.
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