Welcome, once again, to the Week 7 edition of the Model 284 Friday Fantasy Preview. If you are looking for a blend of numbers and subjectivity to help guide your lineup, then this is the right place for you.

Player Notes From Week 7:

Todd Gurley: Gurley watch 2k17 continues this week. If you want to see what I said last week, you can check out the Week 6 Friday Fantasy Preview. Last week he surprised me by having a solid week, and 13 fantasy points. I’m still not sold on Gurley as a true elite fantasy back, but last week went a long way towards changing my mind. His long-term schedule still isn’t pleasant, but he got two of his toughest games out of the way in weeks 5 and 6. If he can dominate the Cardinals this week, and then come back from the bye and prove he’s a true top-tier talent in New York against the Giants, then I will be ready to admit I was wrong. For now, my advice to his fantasy owners is to wait out the week and see what happens. If Gurley doesn’t get it done consider trying to trade him for either Mark Ingram or Devonta Freeman along with another significant piece. Both of them have already had their bye (Gurley’s is next week), and have favorable matchups in Week 8. In addition, both of them have one of the easiest fantasy schedules during the playoff weeks, while Gurley has one of the worst.

Jerick McKinnon: “Jet” has been a stud over the last few weeks. He has scored 3 times and has been impressive as both a runner and pass-catcher. He is clearly a big part of the Viking’s gameplan and should continue to be until Stefon Diggs is back. Once this offense is healthy, and the QB situation is figured out, we’ll know more about what we can expectlong-termm from McKinnon.

DeMarco Murray/Derrick Henry: Henry was impressive last week, and has put himself in a position to take the lead back role in Tennessee. Demarco has been hampered by injuries, and underperformed all year. Murray is still a talented back who could reemerge and claim control of the backfield at any time, but I expect the carry split will eventually stabilize somewhere around 55%/45% in favor of Henry.

Week 7 Studs:

Carson Wentz/Matt Ryan: I’ve already written on these two in our QB fantasy projection article. You can read more there, but for now ill keep it brief. Ryan has been bad, but not worse than the Patriots passing defense. Carson Wentz is a legitimate NFL QB, and his matchup might get even better if Josh Norman doesn’t play.

Adam Thielen: I wrote a few weeks ago that Thielen is for real, and that turned out to be true. While his overall numbers aren’t overwhelming, that has to do with his difficulty finding the end zone, not his production. Thielen finished last year with 69 catches for 967 yards and 5 TDs. This year he is on pace to crush those numbers. He is currently third in the NFL in catches and yards. He won’t be kept out of the end zone much longer and should be considered a must-start until his numbers drop.

Alshon Jeffery: This year has been solid, but not spectacular for Alshon. He’s had a string of matchups as tough as any player in the league but has still produced at a decent level. Facing the Redskins this week, he might catch a break as Josh Norman may be sidelined with a broken rib. This is why so many experts have Jeffery as a must start this week. The difference here is that I think that, even if Norman Plays, you start Alshon. Anyone who’s ever broken a rib and punctured lung can tell you that you aren’t exactly ready to start wrestling around with receiver as big and physical as Jeffery in a little more than two weeks. The chances that Norman: 1. Plays. 2. Can compete physically to his standards. And 3. Finish the game while getting pushed around by Jeffery, are slim to none.

Week 7 Duds:

DeMarco Murray: As I mentioned earlier, Murray hasn’t been good this year. He hasn’t touched the ball 20 times in any game and most recently got out-touched by Derrick Henry against Indy. It’s a good matchup this week against the Browns, but I just don’t trust DeMarco anymore. This is a “prove it” game for me. If you have other solid options this week, go to them, and make Murray earn the trust of both you, and his coaching staff back this week.

Orleans Darkwa: Darkwa has scored 14 points in each of the last 2 weeks, and eclipsed 20 carries last week against Denver. Despite these good signs, I’m not sold on Darkwa, or the Giants offensive line for that matter. They may have handled a scary Broncos defense with ease, but that was clearly a fluke for the Broncos (and probably the Giants too). This week they play the ever-scarier Seahawks. I wouldn’t bet on Darkwa and the Giants to shock two defenses of this caliber in a row.

Jameis Winston/Ryan Fitzpatrick/DeSean Jackson: I can’t see a reasonable scenario where any of these guys find your lineup this week. Winston has a significant shoulder injury that will limit him if he plays. If he doesn’t, the turnover machine himself, Ryan Fitzpatrick, will be responsible for the Bucs offense. Either way, it’s not a good situation at QB. Then you look at the defense they’re facing. The Bills have been downright impressive this year as a defense. They have only allowed 2 players 80+ receiving yards all year, and wideouts have only caught 3 TDs against them. On top of all that, the Bills are averaging two turnovers forced per game. This spells a recipe for disaster for Tampa this week.