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Fantasy Football Week 7 Sleeper: WR Jarvis Landry

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By @CouchGuyFB

Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins

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Very quietly, and with a little help from the injury bug, Jarvis Landry has solidified himself as the slot receiver for the Miami Dolphins. For fantasy owners, this could mean a number of things. In keeper leagues, Landry is almost a must have, while in this year’s format, he remains an enigma. This week’s matchup against the Chicago Bears provides a similar conundrum. To start, or not to start? That is the question.

Landry is coming off a breakout performance against the Green Bay Packers where he caught six passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, and looks to improve that stat line against the Bears’ defense. While early season consistency isn’t the rookie’s strong suit, perhaps the best thing going for Landry at this point in the season is his increasing familiarity with quarterback Ryan Tannehill. As the rookie gets more snaps in the offense, expect his routes to open up even more.

Does Landry have prototypical size? No. Does he have elite speed? No. Asking yourself why on earth you would start this guy yet? I thought so.

What he does have is an innate ability to catch the ball in traffic and make something happen after the catch, even though he is only 5-foot-11, 202 pounds. He is also one of those players who has improved every day since joining the team, and has the drive to succeed in this league.

The increase in coaching confidence, as has been demonstrated by the comments made by both Joe Philbin and Bill Lazor, is another reason to expect the rookie to have another double digit fantasy performance. However, perhaps the best reason is the Chicago defense itself.

This season, the Bears have had difficulty covering the mid-range route over the middle, which is right in Landry’s wheelhouse. While Tannehill has struggled throwing the ball down field consistently, throwing the ball to the intermediate, middle part of the field has been his bread and butter, and expect Landry to reap the benefits. By no means is Landry a guaranteed starter, but if you are in need of a flex play and are ready to risk rolling the dice on a boom or bust wide receiver, take a shot on Landry.

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