Can Ponder make an impact in his debut?
Wednesday brings another close look at some potential fantasy sleepers for week seven. Last week we hit it on the head with Earnest Graham as a sleeper, while Sam Bradford wasn’t a bad call, as he topped 300 yards passing against the Packers.
We wiffed on Chad Ochocinco, Delone Carter, and Antonio Brown, however, so we’re back again to take another stab at five sleepers who could be had for cheap this week, yet still put up solid numbers. Here there are:
Christian Ponder, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Ponder’s first career start won’t be an easy one as he draws the Green Bay Packers in week seven, but at least he gets to do it at home. Ponder displayed some nice athleticism and targeted Percy Harvin a lot in mop-up duty last week, and has the ability to come out and play like Andy Dalton has in spurts. Green Bay gave up 300+ passing yards to Sam Bradford last week, so it’s not insane to think Ponder could put up 200+ passing yards, 40-50 rushing yards, and a couple of scores. It won’t lead to a win, but Ponder could be a very cheap fantasy sleeper for week seven.
DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys
No one knows for sure who is taking over in Dallas’ back-field with Felix Jones on the shelf for a few weeks, but the safe money is on Murray. Tashard Choice will factor into the equation a bit, but Murray should start and get the bulk of the load this week against the Rams. St. Louis’ defense stinks, so he’s an interesting sleeper this week.
Montario Hardesty, RB, Cleveland Browns
Hardesty isn’t really a sleeper in the truest form, as we’ve seen him produce a bit this year. However, he hasn’t broken out and Peyton Hillis still exists, so he’s also not what you’d call an “obvious play”. Hillis is pretty banged-up, so Hardesty could get more carries than usual against the Seahawks this week. Seattle is tough against the run, but a solid role could lead to some decent yardage and possibly a score for Hardesty in week seven.
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
Brandon Lloyd is gone and Thomas is primed to make his season debut (achilles) this week. I won’t promise elite numbers right away, but there’s no doubt the guy is talented enough to make some big plays. Getting a weak Dolphins pass defense in his first game back surely helps his chances of making an immediate impact.
Brian Hartline, WR, Miami Dolphins
Sticking with the Broncos/Dolphins week seven matchup, I think this could be the week Hartline finally steps out of Brandon Marshall’s shadow. Marshall will be motivated against his former team, but he’ll also be blanketed by an elite cover corner (Champ Bailey) for the second straight week. The tough cover should easily free up Hartline for some more opportunities, and I think he could be a very sneaky WR3 play against a bad Broncos defense.
Take these suggestions with a grain of salt, but with the way things have been going, two or three of the guys we list each week have a reasonable shot at putting up solid numbers.
Remember to keep coming back for daily fantasy football advice as you prepare for your weekly fantasy football games, and if you haven’t already, stop by the contests section and check out this week’s lineup of college fantasy football games!
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