NFL Week 7 Sleeper Picks Player Predictions (2023)
Welcome to Sleeper Picks! Sleeper’s newest offering promised plenty of entertainment and action, and they delivered. We will break down our top three picks for this week's NFL action. Similar to fantasy sports, the goal in Sleeper Picks is to draft a team of players based on who you think will perform better than the field. But with Sleeper Picks, you pick teams of 2-8 players from multiple teams based on your preferences and predict whether those players will score more or less than a predetermined amount. There are a number of ways to play and a variety of strategies to employ, and we’ll guide you through the process each week.
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NFL Week 7 Sleeper Picks
Season record: 13-15
Travis Kelce (TE – KC): OVER 72.5 receiving yards
Travis Kelce has struggled to open the season, at least by his standards. He leads the NFL with 69.2 receiving yards per game, but the number is his lowest total since 2017. He has been held under 73 receiving yards in four of five games this season but appears to be rounding into full health after a breakout 124 receiving yard performance against the 'get right' Denver Broncos. Kelce is a huge part of the Chiefs offense but is averaging his lowest yards per target of his entire career. While this is concerning, it also suggests that Kelce will start to do more with his volume sooner rather than later. Kelce has seen 20 total targets over his last two games and should continue to be fed the ball despite being the focus of the Chargers’ defense. Los Angeles has struggled on the defensive end this season and is likely to have a tough time trying to contain Kelce, even with Eric Kendricks and Drwin James on the roster. Tap the over on Kelce for Week 7.
Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC): OVER 33.5 receiving yards
Austin Ekeler struggled on the ground to open his season against Dallas but went off for 117 rushing yards against Miami. That performance will help keep the Chiefs’ defense honest and make them think twice about selling out to stop the passing game. Ekeler has been a factor in the passing game in both of his games this season, recording 35 or more receiving yards in each. He has hit 34 or more receiving yards in 14 of his last 18 regular season games dating back to last year, making it a strong likelihood he will do so again in what should be a contest with positive gamescript. Ekeler is one of the premier pass catching backs in the NFL, but this is far from a sure thing. Kansas City was one of the teams that held him under 35 receiving yards last season. Still, with Mike Williams out for the season, Josh Palmer yet to find comfort as the number two, and Quentin Johnson still a work in progress, the Chargers are going to lean on their two most reliable pass catchers in Keenan Allen and Ekeler. Click More on Ekeler for Week 7.
Sam LaPorta (TE – DET): OVER 41.5 receiving yards
Sam LaPorta has been all the Detroit Lions hoped for and more. It is rare to see a rookie tight end start his career with such consistency on the offensive end. He has made an impact in the passing game each week, recording 47 or more receiving yards in four of his six games this season. The numbers don’t exactly sound earth-shattering at first glance, but put in the context of tight ends, his average of 56.4 receiving yards places him fourth in the NFL, one spot ahead of the player he was drafted to replace in T.J. Hockenson. Detroit has a tough matchup against a Baltimore defense that features solid coverage options at both linebacker, nickel, and safety. The Ravens have allowed just one tight end to hit 42 or more yards this season. However, deeper analysis reveals that they have not exactly faced a true threat outside of David Njoku, who recorded 46 receiving yards. LaPorta has seen seven targets a game this season, and while his role may shrink a bit when Jameson Williams truly emerges, his volume should be secure this week. And in a contest that is expected to be competitive, the Lions will need to lean on Amon-Ra St. Brown and LaPorta to help take some pressure off a backfield that will be rolling with rookie Jamhyr Gibbs and third-stringer Craig Reynolds. Hit the More on LaPorta for Week 7.
Writers note: The lines are constantly changing on Sleeper, so there is a high probability that one or all of the numbers may no longer be the same when you open your app. There are excellent values when they are first posted, with the only catch being that they are not all released at the same time. Vigilance could provide a solid return on investment this season, literally.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Raju, check out his archive and follow him @FantasyContext.