Week 7 Squad Up Contrarian Plays: Strong defense will help boost Christine Michael in Week 7
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Here's a look at the top Squad Up contrarian options for Week 7 of the NFL season:
RB Christine Michael (63K), Seahawks (at Cardinals)
Just because New York Jets RB Matt Forte was limited to 19 yards on nine carries against the Cardinals in Week 6 doesn't mean Michael will suffer the same fate. The Cardinals jumped out to such an early lead against the Jets that Forte was limited from the outset.
The Cardinals, surprisingly, were not able to do the same a week earlier against the San Francisco 49ers. That game was relatively close until the second half, but that was enough for RB Carlos Hyde to run for 78 yards on 22 carries while also scoring a touchdown. When the Cardinals lead early, their opponents don't run.
The Seahawks have the best defense of all the Cardinals' opponents to date. Not only could this be close, but Seattle could control game flow early and thrust the ball into Michael's hands. Even though he's a poor choice on paper, only a few things have to fall Seattle's way for Michael to have a good day.
QB Drew Brees (86K), Saints (at Chiefs)
Brees has been a much different QB on the road than he has been at home. At the Superdome, he has averaged 421 passing yards over three games while throwing 11 touchdowns and only one interception. Away from New Orleans, he's averaging 235 yards and has thrown three touchdowns to two interceptions in only two games. That alone will sour owners on rostering him.
Despite his obvious preference to play at home, he's not always Mr. Hyde on the road. His final two road starts in 2015 saw him throw for more than 300 yards both times and he didn't throw a single interception. He might not be able to avoid turnovers in Week 7, as the Chiefs are tied for first with nine interceptions, but they've also been torched a couple of times through the air.
This game could feature a heavy dose of RB Mark Ingram, but it's increasingly looking like he's doomed to be a complementary piece of the Saints offense. Breese only costs this low because he's playing on the road. The risk is high, but a few big plays could make that salary look like a bargain.
WR Brandon Marshall (63K), Jets (vs. Ravens)
Ryan Fitzpatrick's disastrous play has limited Marshall's results, despite being targeted between eight and 15 times in each of the first five games. The six targets in Week 6 represented an unfortunate low and was followed up by Fitzpatrick getting benched for Geno Smith. In the Jets' last game, Smith replaced Fitzpatrick and threw six passes. One was intercepted.
Smith is likely a poor choice at QB, but he does have some history with Marshall. In his lone appearance in 2015, Smith threw 18 passes in Marshall's direction. Marshall caught nine of them for 108 yards. Even though he didn't find the end zone, Marshall's volume made him worth rostering.
It's admittedly a small sample size, but Marshall was seen as a top-10 WR this season for a reason and it wasn't solely linked to Fitzpatrick. It's not like Fitzpatrick was an elite passer before this season. If Smith sends every other pass to Marshall again, it will be a big week even if Marshall doesn't catch a TD pass.
TE Gary Barnidge (42K), Browns (at Bengals)
Barnidge was projected by many to be a bust, and he has honored those projections by failing to catch a TD pass through Cleveland's first six games. This can largely be attributed to the QB carousel crushing the hearts and minds of Browns fans everywhere.
Things get worse for the Browns, but possibly better for Barnidge, with the potential absence of WR Terrell Pryor Sr., who could miss Sunday's game with a hamstring injury. Who is most likely to step up? Barnidge. The targets have been there, and other than his catchless first game, Barnidge has had some decent totals, plus a steady volume of catches.
The Bengals' pass defense isn't that good despite its somewhat vaunted reputation. Only these Browns and the Detroit Lions have allowed more passing TDs, and the Bengals have allowed four TDs to TEs. Barnidge is hitting paydirt in Week 7.