The 2020 NFL season is approaching its midway point, and it is becoming ever more clear which teams are likely to be in the mix for the postseason and which will almost certainly be watching the postseason from home.

From a fantasy perspective, there is plenty of evidence to guide managers regarding what players and teams they can rely on in their quest for glory.

By the same token, it should now be obvious which defenses have significant weaknesses and can be exploited by astute fantasy managers who pay attention to matchups.

Here we pick four players and a defense who have favourable matchups in the upcoming round of games and merit starter consideration for Week 7.

QB: Joe Burrow – Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are not an easy team to watch nor do they have the players to put Burrow, the first overall pick in the draft, in a position to succeed.

However, regardless of the on-field results, Burrow and the Bengals have typically been good for passing yardage. Burrow already has four 300-yard games to his name as a pro and his best performance of his young career came in Week 2 against this week's opponents, the Cleveland Browns.

Burrow threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions in that meeting and, with last week's loss to the Indianapolis Colts providing signs of a burgeoning rapport with A.J. Green, there is reason to be encouraged that he could replicate that display against a Browns team coming off a bruising blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

RB: Ronald Jones – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jones has emerged as a pivotal player for the Tampa Bay offense, helping take the pressure off Tom Brady with three successive 100-yard efforts, including a two-touchdown display in last Sunday's blowout of the Green Bay Packers.

The Las Vegas Raiders' run defense has stiffened in recent weeks but, given they began the season by giving up at least 100 yards on the ground in their first three games, fantasy players with Jones on their roster should approach this week with plenty of confidence he can have another productive outing.

WR: Christian Kirk – Arizona Cardinals

The offseason acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins bumped speedster Kirk down the wide receiver pecking order but, despite averaging only four targets a game, he has taken significant advantage of his opportunities in recent weeks.

He has 183 receiving yards and three touchdowns over the course of the last three games and showed off his abilities as a deep threat on his 80-yard score against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday.

Given Russell Wilson's devastating form throwing the ball, there is a strong chance the Cardinals may have to go downfield often to keep up with the unbeaten Seattle Seahawks in their NFC West clash. That would spell excellent news for Kirk, who can do significant damage against a Seahawks defense surrendering 370.4 passing yards a game – the worst in the NFL.

TE: Hunter Henry – Los Angeles Chargers

The days of the Jacksonville Jaguars as a competitive concern in the 2020 NFL season appear to have long since ended. Theirs is a defense that has given up over 400 yards four times this season, making them an ideal opponent for Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Herbert as he looks to get his first win.

Henry will likely be a frequent recipient of passes from Herbert, as the tight end has been targeted at least seven times in all but one game this season. His level of opportunity and the expected lack of resistance from the fast-fading Jaguars is a recipe for an impressive statistical performance.

D/ST: Washington Football Team

While the early-season shine is very much off Washington following their loss to the New York Giants in Week 6, their defense gets the benefit of going up against an offense in shambles in Week 7.

The Cowboys committed four turnovers in Monday's 38-10 loss to the Cardinals and have given away 15 so far this season. With backup quarterback Andy Dalton playing behind a decimated offensive line, the likelihood is Dallas will continue to surrender possession. Having forced eight turnovers this season, Washington and their fearsome defensive front should make it another long game for Dalton and the Cowboys.