With the PSAT and first semester midterms behind us, the Jackson Fives brings on a new look for Week Seven.

Jackson Prince, staff writer

Week Seven is upon us, and many of you may be suffering from the dreaded “FFF”, or “Fantasy Football Fatigue.” This doesn’t apply to those of you sitting pretty at the top of the standings. For the fantasy footballers who are hovering around the .500 mark or buried in the standings with one or two wins, it is normal to experience some fatigue. It’s extremely frustrating to see your hard work amount to nothing, and I can relate to your pain. This week, I’m presenting my Jackson Fives in a different format, which will include five “Prince’s Positive Predictions” and five “Prince’s Pessimistic Predictions” regarding the upcoming week.

The New Orleans Saints (Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham) and the Oakland Raiders (Terrelle Pryor and Denarius Moore) receive byes in Week Seven, so make sure you adjust accordingly. I really, really, really like Nick Foles this week as a fill in for an injured or on-bye quarterback (hint, hint).

Prince’s Positive Predictions 

1. Andrew Luck has a career game at home against Denver, earning a crucial win for the Colts at home.

This week, the Colts’ organization released information on the topic of the transition from the Peyton Manning era to that of Andrew Luck. Manning reportedly advised the organization to take Andrew Luck back in 2012 and, this Sunday, Luck will prove that Manning made the right call. It’ll be close in Indianapolis, but Luck will be determined to cement his place as the next elite quarterback in the NFL. Manning’s return will be soured by a high-scoring shootout that ends in a Colts win.

2. Giovani Bernard runs away with the starting running back job in Cincinnati, cementing his place in fantasy lineups for good.

Giovani Bernard, proud owner of a minivan, has been consistently producing like a top-10 running back for the past few weeks. The explanation for this production is simple: he’s a top-10 running back. Against the Lions this week, the rift between BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Bernard will further increase in size. Bernard is the dominant runner, and has proven to be more valuable on passing downs as well. Expect him to total over 100 all-purpose yards, as the Bengals will run much of their offense through the speedster against the Detroit Lions.

3. Justin Blackmon posts top-five numbers within his position and leads the Jaguars to their first win of the season.

After two games, Blackmon has caught 19 balls for an insane 326 yards and a touchdown. It’s not a fluke, fellow fantasy owners. The guy’s a beast, and I expect Chad Henne (who is leaps and bounds ahead of Blaine Gabbert) to find Blackmon often on Sunday against the Chargers. In fact, I think that the Chargers will be overwhelmed by the Jaguars’ offensive weapons (Maurice Jones-Drew, Cecil Shorts, Blackmon and Henne) and drop a game to the 0-6 Jaguars, who played well in a loss to the Broncos last week.

4. Jordan Reed, Robert Griffin III’s second favorite target, enjoys a big day in what promises to be a shootout against “da Bears”.

Fred Davis is no longer the starting tight end in Washington. That man is Jordan Reed. Reed has been targeted 12 times in the last two games, and has the opportunity to become RGIII’s safety blanket in a pivotal game against the Chicago Bears. Griffin will be forced to throw on the run, and he’ll be looking for a big man across the middle. Reed will be able to fill that role.

5. The Dolphins’ defense doesn’t let the Bills score a touchdown.

Who is Thad Lewis, and why is he listed as the starting quarterback in Buffalo? Gross. Anyway, this is spectacular news for the Miami Dolphins, who have looked somewhat impressive through the first five games of the season. Coming off a bye week, the Dolphins will gain back corner Dimitri Patterson from injury, fortifying their defense. The offense in Buffalo is a mess: C.J. Spiller can’t find a gap to run through and Stevie Johnson can’t escape the injury bug. I’ll give the Bills a couple field goals, but no end zone trips this week for Thad Lewis’ squad (it just sounds wrong).

Prince’s Pessimistic Predictions

1. Josh Freeman delivers a lackluster performance against the Giants on Monday Night Football.

Josh Freeman, now a Minnesota Viking, will not impress anyone in his debut with his new team. I think he’s the right choice to start over Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel, but this game is all Adrian Peterson. Freeman isn’t familiar enough with the offense, and will need at least a week to adjust. He is a speculative pickup, but not a start against the Giants this week by any means.

2. Joseph Randle, filling in for an injured DeMarco Murray, doesn’t live up to his lofty expectations.

Joseph Randle will remain an unknown after his first start in the NFL. I know that the NFL is crazy, and produces some of the most magical stories in sports (Alfred Morris, Tom Brady, Colin Kaepernick, etc.), but Joseph Randle will not be a factor in the Cowboys-Eagles showdown. (As a side-note, doesn’t it seem like the ‘Boys have played the biggest games every week? Giants, Chiefs, Broncos, Redskins and now the Eagles. Who’s next, the ’85 Bears?) Anyway, Randle is an interesting pickup, just in case he explodes. But he won’t, so don’t feel the need to grab him.

3. Dwayne Bowe stays consistent.

In years past, this would be considered good news. This year is a completely different story. Bowe has been dreadful in the first six games of the season, reeling in 20 receptions for 229 yards and a mere two touchdowns. Even worse for the former stud, the Chiefs are doing swimmingly without his big numbers. He’ll see tight coverage from Texans’ corner Johnathan Joseph, and won’t see many balls thrown his way. Expect another quiet outing, disgruntled fantasy owners.

 4. Joseph Fauria doesn’t dance in Week Seven.

The highlights of Week Six were the moves performed after each of Lions’ tight end Joseph Fauria’s three touchdowns. This week, the Bengals’ defense will make sure to keep Fauria out of the end zone, and keep the kid from shaking “that groove thang”. Which sucks, frankly, as the days of creative touchdown dancing seem to have departed. I miss Chad Johnson.

5. Robert Griffin III stomps upon the Bears’ defense.

RGIII is going to light up the scoreboard on Sunday in a home matchup against the Bears. The Chicago defense is hurting, with corner Charles Tillman, linebacker D.J. Williams, defensive tackle Henry Melton and his replacement Nate Collins all injured. This is a recipe for disaster, so I’d be wary starting the Bears’ defense this week.

The cure to “Fantasy Football Fatigue” is, ultimately, a win. It’s Week Seven, folks. Be bold, because now’s the time to fortify your troops to prepare for the rest of the season. Good luck.