Week 7 Start ’Em, Sit ’Em Quarterbacks

Week 7 Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: QB | RB | WR | TE | Team D/K

Start ’Em, Sit ’Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in fantasy football leagues based on a full-point PPR scoring system. This column will not cover elite NFL players like Josh Allen, Bijan Robinson, Ja’Marr Chase or Trey McBride. Instead, it will focus on players who could exceed or fall short of their statistical expectations at each position. For all your final lineup decisions, check out my weekly player rankings, which are updated daily. 

Note: Streamers listed are players started in fewer than 50% of Sleeper fantasy leagues.

Byes: Bills, Chargers, Commanders, Jaguars

Fabs’s Top 10 Fantasy Quarterback Rankings For Week 7

1. Brock Purdy at Falcons
2. Jordan Love at Lions
3. Drake Maye at Bears (Thurs.)
4. Lamar Jackson vs. Bengals 
5. Jared Goff vs. Packers 
6. Joe Burrow at Ravens
7. C.J. Stroud vs. Giants
8. Caleb Williams vs. Patriots (Thurs.) 
9. Bryce Young vs. Buccaneers
10. Matthew Stafford at Raiders

Complete Week 7 quarterback rankings

Week 7 Start ’Em Quarterbacks

Start of the Week

Jordan Love at Lions (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Love has been on fire over the last two weeks, scoring 20-plus fantasy points in each game. He should post another big stat line this week too, as the Packers veteran faces a vulnerable Lions defense. Believe it or not, Detroit has allowed all five quarterbacks they’ve faced to score more than 21 points, including Josh Allen, who torched them for more than 40 points. The projected points total is also expected to be in the low 50s, so this should be a real shootout.

Start ’Em

Matthew Stafford at Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Stafford has scored 20-plus fantasy points in three of his last five games, and a Rams matchup in Sin City makes him a nice option for Week 7. The Raiders have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, and they’re seventh in EPA (Expected Points Added) per game as well. While the loss of Davante Adams clearly hurts him, Stafford averaged better than 24 points in three games without him last season. 

Jared Goff vs. Packers (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox): Goff has been one of the top quarterbacks in fantasy football this season, scoring 19-plus points in all but one of his five starts. He also has thrown 12 touchdown passes without a turnover. The veteran should remain in most starting lineups against the Packers. While they’ve been tough on paper against the position, Green Bay has benefitted from playing against Carson Wentz, Geno Smith, Jalon Daniels and Tyson Bagent. 

C.J. Stroud vs. Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Stroud has been on absolute fire in the stat sheets for the Texans, scoring 20-plus fantasy points in three straight games. He has completed 71.6% of his passes in that time, and has committed just one giveaway. The Texans have no ground game to speak of to this point, so Stroud is throwing often and finding success. The Giants have allowed three quarterbacks to beat them for 26-plus fantasy points, too, so the matchup is favorable.

Aaron Rodgers at Saints (Paris 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network: Rodgers has scored 17-plus fantasy points in four straight games for the Steelers, including three with more than 20 points, so he’s certainly a viable fantasy option … especially with four teams on a bye and injuries hurting the depth at the position. He has a plus matchup against the Saints, who have allowed the fourth-most points per game. Last week, their defense gave up 16.3 points to J.J. McCarthy in the fourth quarter alone.

More Starts

• Brock Purdy at Falcons (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Bryce Young vs. Buccaneers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Kyler Murray vs. Colts (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Quarterback Streamers

• Bo Nix at Cardinals (28%): Nix has been a major dud in fantasy, but the Cardinals have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. 
• Geno Smith vs. Dolphins (12%): Smith is tough to trust, but he has streaming value against a Miami defense that has allowed the ninth-most points per game to quarterbacks. 
• Tanner McKee vs. Cowboys (6%): McKee is a deep-league sleeper this week against the Cowboys, who have allowed four quarterbacks to beat them for over 20 points.

Week 7 Sit ’Em Quarterbacks

Sit of the Week 

Patrick Mahomes at Seahawks (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Last week, Mahomes scored just 10.5 fantasy points against a Chargers defense that has been slammed by injuries. In his last three games, he has averaged just 14.5 fantasy points. Part of what is hurting him is injuries to his weapons. Rashee Rice is banged up, and fellow receiver Tyquan Thornton is out for the season. Also, the Chiefs are leaning on RB Kenneth Walker III a ton, and Seattle has allowed the second-fewest points per game to quarterbacks.

Sit ’Em

Tyler Shough vs. Steelers (Paris 9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network): Admittedly, I’m on the fence about Shough. He has been solid most weeks for the Saints and the quarterback position is thin right now. If you have another strong option, though, I could see sitting him against the Steelers. The defense has allowed just one quarterback to beat them for more than 12.9 fantasy points, and they have posted the fifth-lowest EPA per game to the position after the first six weeks of action.

Sam Darnold vs. Chiefs (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): Simply put, Darnold has been brutal this year. Aside from a big game against a bad Washington defense, he hasn’t scored more than 13.3 points in any other game. In fact, he has been held under 12 points three times, including in each of his last two games. The Chiefs have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game and the seventh-fewest EPA to quarterbacks, so Darnold should remain on the bench.

Jacoby Brissett vs. Broncos (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Brissett, listed as a sit last week, posted just 6.9 fantasy points in the Cardinals' win over the Rams. He has been held under 11 fantasy points in half of his starts, and he’s averaging just 15.2 points per game for the season. The Broncos defense has some injuries, but it has held Darnold, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence to fewer than 12 fantasy points in earlier matchups. I’d keep Brissett sidelined in one-quarterback leagues.

Daniel Jones at Vikings (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Fantasy managers desperate for a quarterback in Week 7 can’t be so desperate as to start this Colts QB. He has failed to score more than 13.8 fantasy points in any of his first six games, and he’s 27th in fantasy points scored per game among quarterbacks. This week’s opponent, the Vikings, have allowed the fewest fantasy points and the lowest EPA per game to quarterbacks, so Jones isn’t a viable option in any format.

More Sits

• Malik Willis at Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
• Michael Penix Jr. vs. 49ers (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Deshaun Watson at Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)