Barkowitz: Injuries cause havoc for fantasy owners

A SPATE of injuries and a couple of byes have thrown Week 7 into disarray. Rosters have gotten to the point where, like a coach's computer tablet, they can't be counted on anymore.

So let's take a look at a few dilemmas fantasy leaguers are facing.

* Perhaps the costliest injury affects a guy who isn't even hurt. Antonio Brown was the consensus No. 1 overall pick this year after three seasons of being fantasy gold — as long as Ben Roethlisberger was his quarterback. With Roethlisberger (knee) out four to six weeks, Brown slips into the lower WR1 neighborhood. We have him ranked ninth this week against the Patriots, between Denver's Demaryius Thomas and Indy's T.Y. Hilton.

Brown has played five games since 2012 without Roethlisberger, and he's averaged four catches for 58.6 yards. Take out the game last season against Kansas City, where Brown had 124 yards receiving, and that average plummets to 42.3 ypg. In 42 targets from quarterbacks other than Big Ben, Brown has zero touchdowns. In 2012, with Charlie Batch filling in for Roethlisberger, the Steelers actually called a play for Brown to pass the ball. It was intercepted. Depressing.

Running back Le'Veon Bell, however, had three 100-yard games and two touchdowns in the games Roethlisberger missed last season, so he stays a high-end RB1.

After New England this week, the Steelers have a bye, play at Baltimore, host Dallas and then play at Cleveland. Get well, Ben.

* LeSean McCoy (hamstring) missed practice again Thursday. Mike Gillislee, McCoy's backup in Buffalo, should already have been scooped up in fantasy as McCoy's handcuff, given how run-heavy the Bills' offense is. If McCoy is out, Gillislee would be an RB2 this week against Miami, which is 31st in the league in run defense and has given up 100-yard games to LeGarrette Blount and DeMarco Murray.

Gillislee annoyingly had vultured touchdowns from McCoy in each of the last weeks, giving him five for his three-year career. His first came against the Eagles last year.

The poor Niners defense has played against Ezekiel Elliott, David Johnson and LeSean McCoy over the last three weeks and been gashed each time. But don't think unlucky scheduling is to blame for the Niners having the worst statistical rushing defense in the league. Both Christine Michael and Fozzy Whittaker also have run for 100 yards against San Fran.

Rodgers, a third-down back since coming into the league in 2011, got a full workload for the first time in his career before last week's bye. He ran for 101 yards on 30 carries and had some more fantasy points with five receptions for another 28 yards. We're skeptical the 5-7, 190-pound Rodgers will keep this production up long-term, but against the Niners, you bet your Fozzy Whittaker he's worth a play.

Sunday's Eagles-Vikings game, also known as Wentz-Bradford I, features a fascinating quarterback matchup. So let's make it more interesting.

For how many yards will they combine to throw? The reader who comes closest to their combined total yards passing will win a Daily News Fantasy Football T-shirt. In case of tie, one winner will be selected randomly. Both quarterbacks must play at least one snap for the contest to be official.

Send entries to FantasyFootball@phillynews.com by noon Sunday. One per customer, of cours

Seems there's some extra room on the Carson Wentz Wagon, at least in fantasy circles. Here are the five most popular/unpopular players on the ESPN waiver wire this week:

Most added

1. Cameron Meredith, WR, Bears

2. Matt Bryant, K, Falcons

3. Kenny Britt, WR, Rams

4. Jay Ajayi, RB, Dolphins

5. Knile Davis, RB, Packers

Most dropped

1. Eric Decker, WR, Jets

2. Graham Gano, K, Panthers

3. Charles Sims, RB, Bucs

4. Blair Walsh, K, Vikings

5. Carson Wentz, QB, Vikings

Tyler Eifert was a full participant at Bengals practice Thursday and is on track to make his debut Sunday. Eifert had 13 touchdowns in 13 games last year and is immediately a TE1 against a Browns defense that has given up six TDs to opposing tight ends over the last three weeks. Martellus Bennett had three by himself in Week 5.

Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson is going against an Arizona defense that has given up four touchdown passes in four home games. Those opposing quarterbacks were Jimmy Garoppolo, Jameis Winston, Case Keenum and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Not exactly Mount Rushmore . . . Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is 2-5 in the Eastern time zone. One of those wins came in Week 4 this year at Baltimore when he threw four touchdown passes, but for only 199 yards. He's 12-19 elsewhere . . . Matthew Stafford's 14 touchdown passes through six games are the second-most of his career. He had 15 to start 2011, when he ended up throwing a career-high 41. So much for losing Megatron.

Running backs: C.J. Anderson is a buy-low candidate. Anderson is coming off a season-low 10 carries, but the Broncos will have had 11 days to stew over that disappointing loss to San Diego by the time Sunday's game against Houston arrives. The Texans just allowed Frank Gore to become the first Colts back to run for 100 yards since, like, Alan Ameche. (Actually, it was Vick Ballard in 2012.) . . . Minnesota's Jerick McKinnon has 16, 18 and 20 carries, respectively, in the three full games since Adrian Peterson ripped up his knee. He's a reasonable option as a flex this week, given the way the Redskins just rolled up the Eagles on the ground.

Wide receivers: Julio Jones, Greg Olsen and A.J. Green are the three players with 600-plus receiving yards heading into Week 7. Yeah, Greg Olsen, the Panthers tight end . . . Tampa Bay promoted Donteea Dye from the practice squad after putting Vincent Jackson on IR. Slot receiver Adam Humphries, who had a 100-yard game in Week 3, expects to stay inside. Thought it was worth dropping their names, since Tampa throws the ball 61 percent of the time.

Quarterback, Team, Opponent

1. Tom Brady, NE at Pit.

2. Matt Ryan, Atl. vs. SD

3. Drew Brees, NO at KC

4. Matthew Stafford, Det.vs. Was.

5. Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. Chi.

6. Andy Dalton, Cin. vs. Cle.

7. Kirk Cousins, Was. at Det.

8. Derek Carr, Oak. at Jac.

9. Tyrod Taylor, Buf. at Mia.

10. Andrew Luck, Ind. at Ten.

11. Marcus Mariota, Ten. vs. Ind.

12. Eli Manning, NYG vs. LA

Running back, Team, Opponent

1. David Johnson, Ari. vs. Sea.

2. Spencer Ware, KC vs. NO

3. DeMarco Murray, Ten. vs. Ind.

4. Todd Gurley, LA vs. NYG

5. Devonta Freeman, Atl. vs. SD

6. Le'Veon Bell, Pit. vs. NE

7. Terrance West, Bal.at NYJ

8. Jacquizz Rodgers, TB at SF

9. Christine Michael, Sea.at Ari.

10. LeSean McCoy, Buf. at Mia.

11. C.J. Anderson, Den. vs. Hou.

12. Melvin Gordon, SD at Atl.

13. Mark Ingram, NO at KC

14. James White, NE at Pit.

15. Isaiah Crowell, Cle. at Cin.

16. Giovanni Bernard, Cin. vs. Cle

17. Lamar Miller, Hou. at Den.

18. Jay Ajayi, Mia. vs. Buf.

19. Matt Jones, Was. at Det.

20. Jerick McKinnon, Min. at Phi.

21. Frank Gore, Ind.at Ten.

22. Jamaal Charles, KC vs. NO

23. Ryan Mathews, Phi. vs. Min.

24. Jordan Howard, Chi. at GB

25. Matt Forte, NYJ vs. Bal.

Wide receiver, Team, Opponent

1. A.J. Green, Cin. vs. Cle.

2. Julio Jones, Atl. vs. SD

3. Odell Beckham, NYG vs. LA

4. Amari Cooper, Oak. at Jac.

5. Marvin Jones, Det. vs. Was.

6. Mike Evans, TB at SF

7. Brandin Cooks, NO at KC

8. Demaryius Thomas, Den. vs. Hou.

9. Antonio Brown, Pit. vs. NE

10. T.Y. Hilton, Ind. at Ten.

11. Alshon Jeffery, Chi. at GB

12. DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. at Den.

13. Allen Robinson, Jac. vs. Oak.

14. Jordy Nelson, GB vs. Chi.

15. Doug Baldwin, Sea. at Ari.

16. Cameron Meredith, Chi. at GB

17. Jarvis Landry, Mia. vs. Buf.

18. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. vs. Sea.

19. Brandon Marshall, NYJ vs. Bal.

20. Terrelle Pryor, Cle. at Cin.

21. Michael Crabtree, Oak. at Jac.

22. Travis Benjamin, SDat Atl.

23. Mike Wallace, Bal.at NYJ

24. Golden Tate, Det. vs. Was.

25. Randall Cobb, GB vs. Chi.

Tight end, Team, Opponent

1. Rob Gronkowski, NE at Pit.

2. Travis Kelce, KC vs. NO

3. Jimmy Graham, Sea. at Ari.

4. Delanie Walker, Ten. vs. Ind.

5. Martellus Bennett, NE at Pit.

6. Tyler Eifert, Cin. vs. Cle.

7. Kyle Rudolph, Min.at Phi.

8. Julius Thomas, Jac. vs. Oak.

9. Hunter Henry, SD at Atl.

10. Zach Ertz, Phi.vs. Min.

11. Coby Fleener, NO at KC

12. Cameron Brate, TB at SF

DFS sleepers

Quarterbacks: Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers

Running backs: C.J. Anderson, Jerick McKinnon

Wide receivers: Travis Benjamin, Sterling Shepard

Tight ends: Cameron Brate, Zach Ertz

barkowe@phillynews.com

@EdBarkowitz