The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 7
Week 7 is where the contenders start separating from the pack. The strong teams are adapting, the smart managers are making moves, and the rest? Well, they are hoping for miracles. If you’re reading this article, congrats — you’re not that manager. This week’s matchups are stacked with chances to win big: new stars stepping up, easy defenses to exploit, and breakout studs ready to pop off. The Ballers are here to break it all down and hook you up with the best players to start to secure another W. Let’s dive into their Week 7 Starts of the Week!
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Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB –Justin Herbert vs Colts
Andy’s betting on Big Herbs to bounce back in a big way. He hasn’t finished inside the top 10 since Week 3, but this matchup screams get-right game. Indoors in a dome showdown against Daniel Jones, the game carries a 48.5-point total with the Chargers favored by 1.5. L.A. remains one of the most pass-heavy teams in football, ranking 3rd in Pass Rate Over Expectation, and opponents are airing it out against Indy at the 2nd-highest rate in the league (64%). With the Colts ranking 26th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs, everything lines up for Herbert to deliver a vintage performance.
RB – Quinshon Judkins vs Dolphins
Most Touches in 1st 5 Career Games by Day 2 RB over the last decade
113- Kareem Hunt
107- Dalvin Cook
93- Quinshon Judkins
89- Jonathan Taylor
78- Joe Mixon— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) October 14, 2025
Judkins might have stumbled last week in Pittsburgh, but the usage remains elite. Andy’s trusting the workload. Over the past month, Judkins has handled a massive 34% of his team’s total rush attempts and targets. That’s true bell-cow usage. And now? Judkins gets the dream matchup. Miami’s defense has been absolutely bleeding production to running backs, giving up 134 rushing yards per game. That’s DEAD LAST in the NFL. Rico Dowdle and Kimani Vidal had huge games against the Dolphins in back-to-back weeks. Now it’s Judkin’s turn. Everything points to a bounce-back RB1 performance from Judkins in Week 7.
WR – Courtland Sutton vs Giants
Andy’s sticking with Sutton despite the London letdown. One bad game overseas doesn’t erase what’s been a rock-solid start for Sutton. He’s been a top 20 WR in four of his first five games and continues to be Bo Nix‘s go-to guy. He owns a 26% first-read target share and accounts for 30% of the team’s receiving yards, clear alpha numbers in this offense. Now back on home soil, Sutton’s matchup against a Giants defense that ranks 26th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs is the perfect bounce-back opportunity. Andy says get him into your lineups.
TE – Mason Taylor vs Panthers
Andy’s calling his shot with the rookie TE out of New York — sorry Mike, he’s stealing your guy this week. With Garrett Wilson and Josh Reynolds both sidelined, someone’s got to catch passes, right? Sure, Justin Fields finishing with -10 net passing yards last week doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, but this matchup against Carolina should be much smoother sailing. The Panthers rank dead last in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs, and Taylor’s quietly been a staple in this offense all season. He’s rocking an 18% target share, an 83% snap rate (3rd among rookie TEs behind only Bowers and LaPorta), and has already logged 478 routes run — 5th most among all TEs. On a 17-game pace, that’s about 60 receptions, a mark only six rookie TEs have hit in the last 20 years. Volume, talent, and matchup all line up perfectly for Taylor.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB –Jared Goff vs Buccaneers
Jason’s rolling with The Dome-anator under the Monday Night lights. The Lions boast the highest implied team total of the week (29 points) in a game with a juicy 52.5 over/under, and Goff’s efficiency should shine indoors. Tampa Bay’s defense continues to be a pass funnel. They’re 26th in yards per attempt allowed, forcing teams to beat them through the air. Expect him to pick apart the Bucs and deliver top-10 fantasy numbers.
RB- Jaylen Warren @ Bengals
Warren returned from injury and the Steelers’ Week 5 bye to face Cleveland’s brutal defense… yet still averaged 4.8 yards per touch on 53% of snaps. Now he gets a massive matchup upgrade. Cincinnati’s run defense has been downright dreadful, ranking 29th in rushing yards allowed per game, 30th in yards before contact allowed, and dead last in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. With his dual-threat usage and efficiency, Warren’s primed to shred the Bengals and remind everyone why he’s the heartbeat of this backfield.
WR- Rashee Rice vs. Raiders
Jason’s planting his flag on the Chiefs’ returning playmaker Rashee Rice. After serving his suspension, Andy Reid says Rashee Rice has been “working like crazy“ to be ready, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Kansas City plans to “allocate a heavy workload“ to him right away. The setup couldn’t be better. The Chiefs lead the NFL in Pass Rate Over Expectation, and the Raiders’ secondary has been living in zone coverage — Cover 3 or 4 on 62% of snaps, second-most in the league. That’s key because before his injury last year, Rice was targeted on 43% of his routes against those same looks. With his elite zone-beating ability and immediate opportunity boost, Rice could reintroduce himself as Patrick Mahomes‘ go-to weapon in Week 7.
TE – George Kittle vs Falcons
With the 49ers’ pass-catchers banged up, Kittle walks into this one as San Francisco’s top receiving option. Don’t be fooled by Atlanta’s surface-level numbers against TE; they’ve faced a brutal non-gauntlet of names (Cade Otton, Tommy Tremble, Dawson Knox, and a ghost of T.J. Hockenson). When Kittle’s had Brock Purdy under center over the past three years, he has averaged 12.6 fantasy points and 66 receiving yards per game, elite production at the position. Expect the Niners to feed their star TE early and often, and for Kittle to remind everyone why he’s still one of the most dangerous weapons in football.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
QB – C.J. Stroud vs. Seahawks
Mike’s going back to the well with C.J. Stroud. He was Mike’s Start of the Week before the bye when he lit up the scoreboard as the QB4, throwing for 244 yards and four TDs. This year, Stroud’s quietly been one of the most efficient passers in football, completing 71% of his throws (tied for 6th-best in the league) while adding a career-high 3.6 rush attempts per game. The matchup is perfect for a big game from Stroud. Seattle’s secondary has crumbled over the past month, ranking 25th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs, 26th in passing yards allowed per game, and 25th in completion percentage allowed. Expect Stroud to stay hot and keep the Texans rolling through the air.
RB – Jordan Mason vs Eagles
Coming off the bye, Mason should continue to lead the backfield with Aaron Jones still sidelined, and his usage has been elite: he’s handled 31% of the team’s total rush attempts plus targets this season, a mark that screams “workhorse.“ The Eagles, once known for their front-seven dominance, have quietly become a run funnel, ranking 26th in rushing yards allowed, 31st in run-stuff rate, and 26th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to RBs. Just last week, Cam Skattebo carved them up for a huge game. If Mason maintains his workload, he’s got RB1 upside in this spot. Mike says start him with confidence.
WR – DK Metcalf @ Bengals
WR Leaders in Yards per Route Run Thru 6 Weeks (min. 75 routes)
4.61- Jaxon Smith-Njigba
3.54- Puka Nacua
2.93- Stefon Diggs
2.82- Tyreek Hill
2.79- Drake London
2.72- Justin Jefferson, DK Metcalf— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) October 14, 2025
Metcalf has found the end zone in four straight games, and no one has been able to handle his physicality at the line of scrimmage. Metcalf has been targeted on 51% of his routes —the highest rate in the NFL —and he’s still thriving, ranking tied for 5th in yards per route run (2.72). The Bengals’ secondary hasn’t stood a chance against alpha wideouts, sitting 30th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to WRs. With Metcalf’s dominance and Cincy’s inability to contain perimeter threats, this sets up for another big-time performance from the Steelers’ WR1 against a divisional matchup.
TE – Harold Fannin Jr. vs Dolphins
If you haven’t noticed, Harold Fannin Jr. has fully taken over as Cleveland’s starting TE, outpacing David Njoku in both usage and production. Over the past three weeks, he’s played 85%, 79%, and 80% of the snaps, while ranking tied for 4th in receptions and 6th in first-read targets among all TEs. That’s elite usage for the position. Now he draws a juicy matchup against Miami, who rank 26th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to TEs. The volume’s real, and the matchup couldn’t be better. Fannin’s a top-10 option this week.