Week 7 of the XFL season kicks off Friday night, with two games following Saturday and the finale Sunday. The marquee game will be the final one of the weekend, when the Roughnecks take on the Battlehawks. After a 4-0 start to the season, the Roughnecks have lost consecutive games, which has allowed the Renegades to creep back into contention for the South Division title.
Meanwhile, the Defenders are the lone remaining undefeated team and have a two-game lead over the aforementioned Battlehawks in the North. The Defenders have among the easiest matchups in the league in Week 7, as they take on the winless Guardians. With that broad overview out of the way, let's turn the focus more specifically to the upcoming slate.
Quarterback
Jordan Ta'amu ($8,500) at Orlando
Ta'amu entered the season with significant hype given his past performance in both the XFL and USFL. He has helped guide the Defenders to a perfect record, but he often had production taken away from him by D'Eriq King early in the season. That's lessened in recent weeks, and Ta'amu has responded with DK performances of 23.04 and 21.3 points in two of his last three games. Now, he gets a dream matchup against a consistently overpowered Guardians defense. There is some risk involved in this pick. King could reemerge in the offense, or the Defenders could rely on their strong run game in a contest they're projected to comfortably control.
Quinten Dormady ($8,000) vs. D.C.
Dormady took over at quarterback for Paxton Lynch in Week 6 and managed the Guardians' offense well. He accounted for 286 total yards, which helped him put up 14.02 DK points despite not reaching the end zone either through the air or on the ground. The Defenders are a good team, but their dominance comes from their ability to run the ball and stop the opponent's running game. In contrast, they've allowed the most passing yards in the league, which should help Dormady emerge as a value option this week.
Running Back
Jacques Patrick ($5,700) at Vegas
Patrick has a significant role in the Brahmas' offense, both on the ground as a pass catcher. That will be set to only increase after Kallen Ballage suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 6. Patrick is the smash play of the week because his salary doesn't account for that increased role, and because the Vipers have allowed 820 rushing yards this season and are one of only two teams to allow more than 550 yards on the ground.
Max Borghi ($8,900) vs. St. Louis
Borghi and Brian Hill ($9,400) have had comparable roles in their respective offenses and also comparable production with that opportunity. Through the early portions of the season, Borghi had a higher price point making Hill the preferred option. That has now switched, and Borghi faces the leaky Battlehawks run defense, which has allowed 712 rushing yards to opponents this season.
Also Consider: De'Veon Smith ($7,800) vs. Seattle
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Lucky Jackson ($6,200) at Orlando
Jackson has emerged as a favorite target of Ta'amu, so many of the same notes about the matchup from above also apply to Jackson. As for the former point, Jackson has at least four receptions in five of six games this season. Recently, he's showcased the ability to produce big plays and is tied for the league lead with seven receptions of 20 yards or more.
Charleston Rambo ($8,000) vs. D.C.
Rambo has had an inconsistent season, primarily due to varying levels of targets in an unsteady Guardians' offense. As was discussed, Dormady has given that unit some stability, and Rambo has been the beneficiary. His line last week (6-54) was mediocre, but he commanded 11 targets – accounting for over one-third of his targets on the campaign. The primary downside is that Rambo isn't cheap, but if he can repeat 11 targets he has as much upside as the elite options at the position priced in the five-digit range.
Cedric Byrd ($5,900) vs. St. Louis
The targets in Houston condensed after the injury to Jontre Kirklin (chest), leaving Deontay Burnett ($9,700) as the new alpha in the offense. Both Byrd and Travell Harris ($6,600) also benefitted, though Byrd commanded nine targets in Week 6. In a PPR scoring system and at his current price point, Byrd is a solid value option to consider for those who want to pay up at other positions.
Defense/Special Teams
Seattle Sea Dragons ($3,900) at Arlington
The Sea Dragons are tied for second in the league in both forced fumbles and fumbles recovered, so they have proven capable of creating turnovers despite tallying only two picks. Meanwhile, the Renegades have found the end zone an abysmal six times this season. They traded for Luis Perez to take over as their quarterback earlier in the week, which should help in the long term. In the short term, he's likely not familiar enough with the offense to make a notable difference in offensive output in Week 7.
