NFL DFS Week 7 – The Sunday Crossword

For the second week in a row: they are who we thought they were! (Pounds lectern.) The high-percent-ownership players panned out, with the highest, DeAndre Hopkins (this week's price: $8,600), scoring the most points. Synchronicity. So many players went boom that 200 points brought in only $75 in DraftKings' Millionaire Maker. And one ticket got just about everything perfect, including late eligibles like Alshon Jeffery (bye) and Steve Smith ($6,200).

This week, lovable first-choice wideouts like Hopkins and Julian Edelman ($8,200) finally have first-tier prices. Not so with the running backs. As you will see, several of them practically choose themselves—making differentiation difficult. So be sure you really want these guys, as you'll be swimming in a huge pool. However, the cheap quarterbacks are still coming through, so you can confidently pick one all up and down the price points.

With so many tasty NFL matchups, it's a shame that we only get to pick nine players. The Raiders' shaky pass defense travels to face the Chargers's shaky run defense. Rested Todd Gurley ($5,000) gets the Browns' beleaguered run defense. The Cardinals passing attack battles against the woeful Ravens secondary. Washington can barely field a team, making many Buccaneers attractive.

All four teams coming off a bye last week won, with three of them producing fantasy gold. That makes the bye teams 5-1 so far this year. Cowboys, Rams, Bucs and Raiders have all just had that week off, so I'm paying a little extra attention to their matchups. This week's byes are Bears, Broncos, Packers and Bengals, and with those lost players our fantasy world got smaller. Seahawks and Niners play the Thursday night game while Bills and Jags have a 9 a.m. game in England.

QB

Ben Roethlisberger ($6,800) – A top choice if he plays against the woeful Chiefs pass defense

Carson Palmer ($6,700) – Licking his chops against the Ravens

Philip Rivers ($6,500) – 503 yards last week; here come the Raiders

Brian Hoyer ($5,300) – One of many nice cheap options

Jameis Winston ($5,100) – Off a bye against an opponent that's reeling

RB

Devonte Freeman ($7,900) – Finally expensive, but we're not shying away

Latavius Murray ($6,100) – Love the matchup against the Chargers

Chris Ivory ($5,800) – Don't think DraftKings is paying attention to him

Todd Gurley ($5,000) – Off a bye against the Browns? $2,000 too cheap

Doug Martin ($4,900) – Off a bye against banged-up Washington? Might as well be free

Christine Michael ($3,000) – Minimum priced

WR

Julio Jones ($9,100) – Want to see him score big again before paying top price

DeAndre Hopkins ($8,600) – Still want him and with the cheap RBs you can afford him

Brandon Marshall ($7,800) – The Jets will have to throw against the Pats

Keenan Allen ($7,700) – Should cost even more

Larry Fitzgerald ($7,400), John Brown ($5,500) – Alone or together against the Ravens

Mike Evans ($6,400) – If you like him, now is the time

Steve Smith ($6,200) – Take him anywhere against anybody

Martavius Bryant ($4,700) – He's white hot and will be highly owned

Stefon Diggs ($4,200) – Can he do it three games in a row?

TE

Gronk ($8,100) – Too pricey when you can have the next guy

Antonio Gates ($5,000) – Have you heard the one about the Raiders pass D?

Gary Barnidge ($4,900) – You've come a long way, baby

Austin Sefarian-Jenkins ($3,200) – Love him if he plays

DEF

Falcons ($3,200) – Titans are collapsing

Panthers ($3,100) – Expect an Eagles regression

Steelers ($2,600) – Not afraid of the Chiefs anymore

Buccaneers ($2,600) – Injuries have just decimated Washington

Rams ($2,400) – Two weeks to game-plan for Josh McCown

My DraftKings Ticket

Philip Rivers, Todd Gurley, Latavius Murray, Keenan Allen, Steve Smith, John Brown, Antonio Gates, Martavis Bryant, Rams Defense

Craig Clark is a Daily Fantasy Sports expert who appears weekly on the Harris Football Podcast (www.HarrisFootball.com). You can follow him on Twitter @pcclark59.