Michael Penix Jr. and Geno Smith are two quarterbacks I didn't expect to have any interest in starting in one-quarterback leagues this season, but both could be needed in Week 7. Both have matchups that could lead to quality production.
Let's start with Penix, who just had his best game of the season in Week 6 against the Bears with 29.1 Fantasy points. He was chasing points in the second half, and that helped Penix throw a season-high 33 passes. He completed 19 for 225 yards and three touchdowns, and he could face a similar situation in Week 7 against San Francisco.
The 49ers are No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, but Jacoby Brissett in Week 3 and Jayden Daniels in Week 6 each scored at least 25 Fantasy points against San Francisco. I'd love to see Penix in a shootout with Brock Purdy, and I like Penix as a low-end No. 1 option in Week 7.
Smith has scored more than 20 Fantasy points just once this season, and he's been under 14 points in three consecutive games against Chicago, Cleveland and New England. But he faces Miami in Week 7, and the Dolphins are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
Four quarterbacks this season have scored at least 19.8 Fantasy points against Miami, including Kirk Cousins, Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, and Smith should be in that range in Week 7. Like Penix, Smith should be considered a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in this matchup.
Neither quarterback should be considered a must-start option in most leagues. But with Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Jayden Daniels and Justin Herbert on bye, Fantasy managers might need replacements. And Penix and Smith are sleepers to consider in Week 7.
QBs to Start
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Jordan Love
QB
GB
Green Bay
• #10
Age: 27 • Experience: 7 yrs.
Love had a solid performance as the Start of the Week in Week 6 against Dallas with 22.2 Fantasy points, and he's now reached that total in three of his past four games. He attempted 41 passes against the Cowboys, and he's now scored at least 20 Fantasy points in 20 of 31 career games when he has at least 30 attempts. Love should be throwing a lot again in Week 7 at Detroit, and the Lions are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. All five quarterbacks this season against Detroit -- Tyler Shough, Josh Allen, Geno Smith, Bryce Young and Jacoby Brissett -- have scored at least 25.5 Fantasy points. Love also averaged 26.9 Fantasy points against the Lions in two games in 2025.
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Jared Goff
QB
DET
Detroit
• #16
Age: 32 • Experience: 11 year
Goff comes off his bye in Week 6 hoping to continue his streak of scoring at least 20.4 Fantasy points, which he's done in all five games this season. He's scored at least 23.4 Fantasy points in each of the past three seasons coming off a bye. And in his past three home games against Green Bay he's scored at least 22.2 Fantasy points. The Packers are No. 5 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Carson Wentz (25.2) is the lone passer with more than 20 points. But keep in mind that Green Bay has also faced Geno Smith, Michael Penix Jr., Jalon Daniels and the combination of Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum. Now, the Packers did limit Dak Prescott to 13.1 Fantasy points in Week 6, but I still love Goff in this spot.
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C.J. Stroud
QB
HOU
Houston
• #7
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Stroud is back to performing like he did as a rookie -- if not better. He's scored at least 22.9 Fantasy points in three games in a row coming into Week 7 against the Giants, and he has at least 20.5 Fantasy points in all four games with Nico Collins on the field. Stroud just had his best game of the season in Week 6 at Jacksonville in London in the first outing with Marvin Harrison Jr., and the Texans are expected to get Tank Dell (knee) back against New York. The Giants are No. 7 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Matthew Stafford, Jayden Daniels and Tyler Shough each had at least 32.3 Fantasy points against this defense in three of the past five games. I expect Stroud to stay hot in this matchup at home.
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Bryce Young
QB
CAR
Carolina
• #9
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs.
Young has scored at least 23.8 Fantasy points in all but one game this season, and he has passed for at least 281 yards in every outing this year. According to Pro Football Focus, Young joined Aaron Rodgers (2011), Drew Brees (2013) and Peyton Manning (2013) as the only four quarterbacks in the past 15 years to throw for at least 280 yards and one touchdown in each of their team's first five games of a season. This won't be an easy matchup since Tampa Bay has held Joe Burrow, Jordan Love and Dak Prescott to 17.1 Fantasy points or less, and only Deshaun Watson in Week 2 and Aaron Rodgers in Week 6 scored at least 20 Fantasy points against the Buccaneers. But I'm still starting Young with confidence in Week 7, and he has scored at least 20.5 Fantasy points in four straight games against Tampa Bay dating back to 2024.
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Dak Prescott
QB
DAL
Dallas
• #4
Age: 33 • Experience: 11 year
Prescott comes into Week 7 at Philadelphia on a two-game slump with 14.6 Fantasy points or less in each of his past two outings against Tampa Bay and Green Bay. The Eagles aren't the easiest of opponents, but every opposing quarterback this season aside from Matthew Stafford in Week 3 has scored at least 20.1 Fantasy points, including Jayden Daniels, Cam Ward, Case Keenum, Trevor Lawrence and Bryce Young. Stafford actually passed for 317 yards against Philadelphia, but he had no touchdowns and two interceptions. Prescott has scored at least 21.9 Fantasy points in six of his past seven games against the Eagles, including four games over that span with at least 31.1 points. He should end his slump in Week 7.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Kyler Murray
QB
MIN
Minnesota
• #1
Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs.
Jordan Addison (hamstring) and T.J. Hockenson (concussion) will hopefully play in Week 7 against the Colts, and I'm excited to see what Murray can do with his full complement of weapons. He had basically only Justin Jefferson in Week 5 at New Orleans, and Murray had his best game of the season with 20.3 Fantasy points, which included 51 rushing yards. Indianapolis has allowed three quarterbacks this season to score at least 26.9 Fantasy points, including Lamar Jackson in Week 1, Patrick Mahomes in Week 2 and Aaron Rodgers in Week 5. And Jackson and Marcus Mariota in Week 4 each ran for at least 35 yards. Murray has the chance to be a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 7 against the Colts, who will likely be without cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf).
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PIT
Pittsburgh
• #8
Age: 42 • Experience: 22 yrs.
Rodgers heads into Week 7 having scored at least 20.1 Fantasy points in four games in a row against Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay, and he should have another solid outing against the Saints in Paris. New Orleans has allowed at least 20 Fantasy points in three of the past four games against Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray and the combination of James Winston and J.J. McCarthy. Jared Goff also scored 20.4 Fantasy points against the Saints in Week 1, and I like Rodgers as a low-end starter in all leagues in this game.
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Kirk Cousins
QB
LV
Las Vegas
• #8
Age: 38 • Experience: 15 yrs.
Cousins scored 22.5 Fantasy points in Week 6 against Buffalo and has now scored at least 19.8 points in all but one game this season. This isn't an easy matchup against the Rams, but Los Angeles won't have defensive linemen Poona Ford (triceps) and Kobie Turner (groin) for this game, along with cornerback Trent McDuffie (groin) potentially out. The Rams have allowed three quarterbacks this season to score at least 27.1 Fantasy points -- Brock Purdy in Week 1, Bo Nix in Week 3 and Josh Allen in Week 5 -- and Cousins should have another solid outing in Week 7. He's worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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QBs to Sit
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KC
Kansas City
• #15
Age: 31 • Experience: 10 yrs.
The combination of Kenneth Walker III dominating again and potentially Rashee Rice (hamstring) being out in Week 6 led to Mahomes having his worst game of the season against the Chargers with 10.5 Fantasy points. We'll see if Rice can play in Week 7 at Seattle, but this is a revenge game for Walker, who should continue to be the focal point of the offense. Marcus Mariota in Week 3 and Brock Purdy in Week 5 are the lone quarterbacks with at least 20 Fantasy points against the Seahawks, and I'm not expecting Mahomes to have a big performance at Seattle, especially if Rice remains out. He's only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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ARI
Arizona
• #7
Age: 33 • Experience: 11 year
Brissett struggled in Week 6 at the Rams with 6.9 Fantasy points, and he's now scored 14.4 Fantasy points or less in three of his past five games. This should be another tough outing for him in Week 7 against Denver, and the Broncos have held Justin Herbert and Sam Darnold to 12.2 Fantasy points or less in each of the past two games. We'll see if cornerback Patrick Surtain II (ankle) and safety Talonoa Hufanga (ankle) can play for Denver in Week 7, but even if both remain out, I still expect Brissett to struggle against the Broncos at home. He's only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Sam Darnold
QB
SEA
Seattle
• #14
Age: 29 • Experience: 9 yrs.
Darnold is slumping heading into Week 7 against Kansas City, and he's only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. He has scored 17.3 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row against the Chargers, 49ers and Broncos, and it won't get any easier against the Chiefs, who are No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins in Week 4 is the lone quarterback with more than 13.4 Fantasy points against Kansas City, and I'm not expecting Darnold to end his slump in this matchup.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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Tyler Shough
QB
NO
New Orleans
• #6
Age: 27 • Experience: 2 yrs.
Shough had an excellent Fantasy outing in Week 6 at the Giants with 32.9 points, but it wasn't pretty how he got the job done. He was 16-of-30 passing for 144 yards, but he threw three touchdowns and added 32 rushing yards and a score. He might not be as fortunate in Week 7 against the Steelers in Paris. Pittsburgh is No. 4 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and only Joe Burrow in Week 3 has scored more than 14.9 Fantasy points against the Steelers. Since suffering a broken left hand in Week 4 against Atlanta, Shough is 32-of-55 passing for 240 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against Minnesota and the Giants. I'm not expecting him to have a strong outing in this matchup, and Shough is only worth starting in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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