NFL at Sheridan Hoops; Draft Street Million, Week 7

Tight Ends for Week 7

Top play: Joseph Fauria/$4193/DET. There is an utter lack of obvious value plays at the tight-end position this week. We are left to sift through the bargain bin to find players with high upside: Fauria is at the top of the list. Fauria spells Brandon Pettigrew/$3591/DET when the Lions get in the red-zone and has become a favored target of QB Matthew Stafford/DET. Fauria caught three touchdown passes last week against the Browns, thanks to his Jimmy Graham/NOS-like leaping ability. With WR Calvin Johnson/DET having difficulty securing catches in the red-zone and with few other viable options, Stafford will look Fauria‘s way whenever the Lions get inside the 20-yard line.

Other plays: the big news is that Rob Gronkowski/$8313/NEP has finally been cleared to play. His mere presence should do a world of good for QB Tom Brady/NE and the New England offense. We should not expect much from Gronk in his season debut, but if he surprises it will be on the upside by way of a couple of TDs. Without WR Julio Jones/ATL and WR Roddy White/ATL, Tony Gonzalez/$11282/ATL becomes the Falcons go-to man. Note that opponents have blanketed him in the red zone recently, making touchdowns very hard to come by. Jason Witten/$10130/DAL has a better chance of getting loose, as WR Dez Bryant/DAL will draw the bulk of the Eagles attention.

Two other low-priced options worth considering are Tim Wright/$5245/TBB and Jordan Reed/$5781/WAS. Wright played an effective second fiddle to WR Vincent Jackson/TBB for Glennon/TBB against the Eagles last week and showed good rapport with the new Bucs’ quarterback. Reed has won the top tight-end job with the Redskins and will be a potential target inside the red zone when WR Pierre Garcon/WAS isn’t open.

Defenses for Week 7

Top play: Kansas City Chiefs/$7479. After having trouble corralling QB Terrelle Pryor/OAK in the first quarter last Sunday, the Chiefs sacked him repeatedly in the second half. The constant pressure forced errant throws which led to multiple interceptions and an easy Kansas City win. Look for more of the same against the downtrodden Texans. Houston will try to run the ball with RB Arian Foster/HOU and RB Ben Tate/HOU to protect their brand new QB, but the Chiefs should be able to shut that down and force QB Case Keenum/HOU to throw.

Other plays: on the cheaper side, I like the Chicago Bears/$2819 to contain QB Robert Griffin III/WAS and keep the Redskins out of the end zone for most of the game. Without RG3 in full scrambling mode, it has been difficult for either RB Alfred Morris/WAS or the Redskins wide receivers to hurt the opposition. Look for the Bears to force several turnovers as is their custom and thus more than justify their salary.

If you can avoid injuries and get your share of luck in the touchdown department, you ought to be able to build a contending team from the head start I’ve given you here. Good luck, and I hope to see you battling in the DraftStreet qualifiers this week.

Robert Dudek covers the NFL and MLB daily leagues at Sports Leagues Daily. You can follow him on Twitter @robdudek ; retweets and replies are always appreciated. If you haven’t signed up at DraftStreet, what are you waiting for? Jump in and get your daily fantasy fix.