At this stage of the 2025 NFL season, you need to start stacking wins or you’ll risk missing out on the fantasy playoffs. After six weeks, we have a strong sample size to analyze, as workloads, target shares, and other trends have been established across the league. With all of that in mind, here are my start/sit Week 7 fantasy football picks.
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em: Jared Goff (Lions) vs. Buccaneers
Goff hasn’t necessarily been the most inspiring fantasy quarterback through six weeks, but he leads one of the NFL’s best offensive units. As a result, the veteran maintains a solid week-to-week floor with a ridiculously high ceiling. It’s also worth noting that from a real-life perspective, Goff had a strong case in the MVP discussion before Detroit’s Week 6 loss in Kansas City.
The 30-year-old has now racked up an impressive 14 passing touchdowns, with only a pair of interceptions. This week, Goff draws a much more favorable matchup against a vulnerable Buccaneers secondary, despite their 5-1 record. Tampa Bay has surrendered the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing signal callers, setting the stage for a 20-plus point outing.
Sit ‘Em: Sam Darnold (Seahawks) vs. Texans
Darnold has found his groove in Seattle, recording consecutive 20-point fantasy performances against a pair of strong opponents. That said, while the matchup didn’t prove to be an issue over the last few weeks, I suspect that will finally be the case against Houston.
The Texans are holding opposing quarterbacks to an almost unfathomably low fantasy total, allowing fewer than 10 points to the position weekly. That number could appear deflated thanks to a pair of dominant showings against Cooper Rush and Cam Ward, but Demeco Ryans’ unit has also kept Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence and Matthew Stafford in check this year. I expect that trend to continue coming off the bye, which means it’s time to pivot off of Darnold.
Running Backs
Start ‘Em: Jaylen Warren (Steelers) at Bengals — Thursday Night Football
Warren received my “sit of the week” nod last Sunday against a stout Browns defense, and that proved to be the right call, as the dual-threat back finished shy of 10 PPR points. That said, I was encouraged by the quality of Warren’s touches. So much so that I’ve turned a 180 and am now declaring him my “start of the week” against the Bengals.
To be completely honest, this has more to do with Cincinnati’s atrocious run defense than Warren’s abilities. The Bengals allow the most fantasy points to opposing running backs in the entire league, also ranking bottom five in rushing yards surrendered. If Warren was capable of averaging 4.7 yards per carry against Cleveland, taking on the Bengals should be a breeze. Look for the 5’8 back to return to form on Thursday night.
Sit ‘Em: Travis Etienne (Jaguars) vs. Rams
After establishing himself as the undisputed bellcow in Jacksonville and scoring double-digit PPR points in four straight games to open the year, Etienne has failed to hit that mark in back-to-back outings. The former first-round pick tied for a season low in rushing attempts across both games against the Chiefs and Seahawks, also failing to make a real impact in the passing game.
It won’t get any easier for Etienne this week, either. We’re continuing to play the matchup game both ways, as the Rams allow the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs. Derrick Henry was finally able to break out against Sean McVay’s side last week, but they’ve held up well against Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley this season. Etienne should become the latest name added to that list following Sunday’s contest.
Check out all of my Week 7 RB start/sit picks here!
Wide Receivers
Start ‘Em: Chris Olave (Saints) at Bears
Don’t look now, but Chris Olave has racked up the second-most targets in the NFL through six weeks… somehow.
It actually checks out on paper. The Saints have been a surprisingly competitive squad despite their record, with Spencer Rattler playing above expectations. However, running the ball has been an issue, and they fall behind early in games consistently. Therefore, it makes sense that Rattler would be looking the way of his safety blanket often.
It’s just somewhat surprising that Olave has re-established his grip on that role. At only 25 years old, the Ohio State product showed significant flashes early into his career before his last few seasons were derailed by injuries. There were even discussions of him being one concussion away from being forced into a medical retirement. That’s why it’s been such a delightful surprise to see Olave return to playing high-level football. He’s only found the end zone once this year, but the ridiculous target volume has led to a tremendous fantasy floor. That should remain the case against a subpar Bears secondary, giving Olave strong WR2 value with upside.
Sit ‘Em: DeVonta Smith (Eagles) at Vikings
The roller coaster continues for Philly receivers in fantasy… and the Eagles in general.
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a team that was so utterly dominant the year prior devolve into the dysfunctional mess that Philadelphia is dealing with right now. The offensive struggles are right at the center of the mess, which has culminated in back-to-back brutal losses. A.J. Brown’s frustrations have been well-documented, but they also have another star wideout who simply isn’t getting the ball enough.
Smith has eclipsed the 19-point mark twice this season, but in every other outing, he’s failed to hit double digits. That type of volatility is wildly concerning, especially since the Eagles have to travel to Minnesota, where Brian Flores’ elite defense looms. Minnesota is allowing the fewest fantasy points to opposing receivers and the third-fewest passing yards per contest. All of that adds up to what will likely be another underwhelming day for Smith.
Check out all of my Week 7 start/sit WR picks here!
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Tight Ends
Start ‘Em: Mason Taylor (Jets) vs. Panthers
I’m willing to buy the dip on Taylor following his virtually non-existent performance against the Broncos. Prior to that outing, the rookie had improved every week, resulting in back-to-back games with at least seven targets and 11 fantasy points. Taylor is regularly involved in the offense, seeing a significant snap share as the clear top tight end. The LSU product just has to deal with the ups and downs of playing for a bad team, a situation that reared its ugly head last week.
This Sunday, he draws a much more favorable matchup against the Panthers, who give up the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. With Garrett Wilson banged up, Taylor could step into an even further expanded role in the passing game. All signs are pointing towards a strong bounce-back opportunity for the second-rounder.
Sit ‘Em: Theo Johnson (Giants) at Broncos
Week 6 looked like such a clear trap game for Johnson, yet so many fantasy managers fell for it. That’s what will happen when a guy scores three touchdowns in two games and serves as a new quarterback’s go-to red zone target.
To make matters worse, Johnson didn’t just fail to perform in a blowout loss against the defending champions. The Giants shocked the football world by pulling off the upset, and he was a non-factor in the effort. The second-year tight end saw just four targets, hauling in two of them for 27 yards. Now, he has to deal with a Broncos defense that allows the fourth-fewest points to his position. Fantasy players will need to pull a complete 180 and stash Johnson until he proves his value consistently.
Those are my start/sit Week 7 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more start/sit Week 7 positional analysis over the coming days.
