2025 Plays & Fades for Week 7

Kyle Zeigler
2025 Plays & Fades for Week 7

Welcome to my 2025 Plays & Fades for Week 7!

We are back for another round of Plays and Fades for Week 7. Can you believe we are already approaching the halfway point of the fantasy football season? Make sure to keep an eye on bye weeks, especially if you are streaming tight ends. Get out ahead of it and grab one off waivers with a good matchup.

Also, don’t overlook bye weeks in trade talks. Trading a player who hasn’t had their bye for one who already has could give you a sneaky edge for the stretch run. Alright, let’s dive into this week’s Plays and Fades.

*** Stats courtesy of the good folks over at PFF, Fantasy Points Data Suite, FantasyData.com, and FTN Fantasy***

Quarterbacks

Play: Aaron Rodgers @ Cincinnati Bengals

• You can call him a dink-and-dunk passer, but he’s getting it done with 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Among all qualifying quarterbacks, Rodgers ranks 13th in yards per attempt with 7.4.

• The Bengals allow 270 passing yards per game. Despite currently being a QB2, there’s optimism for Rodgers given his upcoming schedule. He has a revenge game against Green Bay and a favorable matchup versus Indianapolis in the next few weeks. 

• Last week: Rodgers posted an efficient line vs. the Browns: 21/30, 235 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. He will look to build on this on the road in Cincinnati.

Play: Bo Nix Vs New York Giants

• He’s in a prime bounce-back spot after a dud last week in London. The Giants give up the fifth-most passing yards in the league, allowing 258 per game.

• He could take some deep shots in this game, averaging just over three per contest and ranking 10th in air yards.

• Last week: Nix struggled in London against the Jets, throwing just one touchdown with no interceptions, yet still finished as a front-end QB2.

Play: Jared Goff Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

• The Bucs allow the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing QBs, and now we get Goff at home, where he traditionally plays better. With all his weapons in a soft matchup, he’s set up for another multi-touchdown passing performance.

• Even though Jared Goff isn’t taking as many deep shots this season, he leads all QBs in touchdown passes and ranks QB9 in passing yards. He’s also QB7 in fantasy points per dropback, which more than makes up for his lack of rushing upside. I love Goff this week as a front-end QB1 with legit potential to finish as the overall QB1.

• Last week: Against the Chiefs in primetime on Monday Night Football, he threw two touchdowns and 203 yards, finishing as a QB2. He will look to climb back into QB1 range in this plus matchup.

Fade: Jaxson Dart @ Denver Broncos

• I’ll take the L from last week, where I faded Dart against the Eagles, but I’m not afraid to fade him again against Denver. I’m now 1-1 on fading Dart, with Week 5 being a successful sit. This is the tiebreaker game.

• The Broncos have faced several mobile quarterbacks this season, including Daniel Jones, Justin Herbert, and Jalen Hurts. Most recently, they faced Justin Fields, the league’s leading rusher among QBs. None of them did their damage on the ground; it was all through the air. Dart hasn’t thrown for more than 202 yards this year, so expect QB2-level production this week.

• Last week: Dart threw for just 195 yards and one touchdown, but his rushing ability continues to drive his fantasy upside. He added 58 yards and a score on the ground, finishing as the QB2 for the week.

Fade: Daniel Jones @ Los Angeles Chargers

• The Chargers have 14 sacks this season, ranking fifth in the league. They’ve allowed just over 21 points per game and only five passing touchdowns. Daniel Jones has played well, but expectations in this one should be tempered.

• The Colts run more than any team inside the 20. It makes sense with the current RB1 in fantasy, but it cuts into Daniel Jones’ chances. Start him as a backend QB1, but expect QB2 numbers.

• Last week: Daniel Jones delivered another impressive fantasy outing. He threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, while adding a rushing score to finish as the QB3 on the week.

Fade: Matthew Stafford @ Jacksonville Jaguars (London, England)

• Welcome to the fade list, Matt. I could see this totally burning me, but without Puka Nacua, who is likely out due to an ankle injury, he’ll be severely hampered at WR, especially if Tutu Atwell misses the game as well.

• He’s been sensational, leading the league in passing yards, so starting him makes total sense, especially with the Jaguars being a plus matchup. As for Stafford, when I say fade, I mean I’d expect below his averages of 280 passing yards and two touchdowns per game. That’s still a solid outing, but don’t expect another 300-yard performance.

• Last week: Stafford had by far his worst game of the season, throwing for 181 yards with one touchdown to Tyler Higbee and no interceptions. He’ll look to rebound in London without his top wide receiver.

Running Backs

Play: Isaiah Pacheco Vs Las Vegas Raiders

• If you’ve held onto him this long, I think something’s brewing with Isaiah Pacheco. I’m ready to start him as a flex after his biggest workload yet, averaging 4.3 yards per carry.

• Over the last three games, Pacheco has averaged 4.8 yards per carry, and his snap share has jumped from 35.7% in Week 4 to 75.8% this past week. I view him as a strong buy-low candidate as well.

• Last week: He had 12 carries for 51 yards and no score, but ran with purpose like he always does. He’s slowly seeing more opportunities in the Chiefs’ offense, making him one to watch going forward.

Play: J.K. Dobbins Vs New York Giants

• The Giants are giving up 128.8 rushing yards per game, ranking 23rd in the league. After a rough game in London, Dobbins is in an excellent spot for a bounce-back at home against the G-Men.

• Six games in, Harvey leads as the team’s primary receiving back (49 routes to Dobbins’ 38), while Dobbins continues to control the ground game with a 52.5% rush share compared to Harvey’s 21.8%. Tyler Badie still has a role in the offense, impacting Harvey’s usage. 

• Last week: Dobbins couldn’t find any running room, posting 40 yards on 14 carries with a long of eight. It was his first game outside RB2 range, and he’s a good bet to bounce back this week.

Play: Rachaad White @ Detroit Lions

• Despite the Lions’ formidable run-stopping defense, I still think Rachaad White is a play, especially with Bucky Irving likely still out. The Lions are also banged up, more so in the secondary as well. Brian Branch, the starting safety, is suspended for this game for unsportsmanlike conduct at the end of the game last week.

• All of White’s touchdowns this year have come from inside the 20. Even with a heavy passing game script, he should still have chances to extend his red-zone touchdown streak.

• Last week: A very nice fantasy day where he took 17 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers. He also chipped in three catches for 21 yards, adding to his total where he finished as a back-end RB1.

Fade: Tony Pollard Vs New England Patriots

• With four back-end RB2 finishes, he hasn’t really taken a strong hold in the RB room, averaging 3.9 YPC on the season. It just seems like the Titans are going to shift gears and give Spears more of a run since returning from IR. 

• Although the sample is small, there are encouraging signs for Spears. He’s averaged 5.0 yards per carry since returning, and his snap share jumped from 26.2% to 59.3% last week. Avoid Pollard as Spears is looking like the RB to own in Tennessee.

• Last week: The arrow may be pointing down on Pollard, as he managed just 34 yards on 10 carries with no touchdowns.

Fade: Chase Brown Vs Pittsburgh Steelers

• Although the Steelers have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards this season, don’t let the numbers fool you. Over the last three games, they’ve given up the second-fewest rushing yards and haven’t allowed a touchdown on the ground.

• Chase Brown has arguably been one of the biggest disappointments among running backs this season. He currently sits as the RB30 in fantasy scoring, just ahead of players like Rhamondre Stevenson, Justice Hill, Kareem Hunt, and Nick Chubb, nowhere near where he was drafted. 

• Last week: Brown managed 42 yards on nine carries against Green Bay’s stout run defense. The question is how the team will function with Joe Flacco settling in at quarterback, though early signs look promising.

Fade: Travis Etienne Vs Los Angeles Rams

• Travis Etienne is going to have his work cut out for him against this Rams front four. The Rams are stifling against RBs as they allow the second-fewest fantasy points to RBs.

• Even though he has a firm hold on the lead-back role with a 61.7% snap share, Jacksonville remains somewhat of a committee, with rookies Tuten and LeQuint Allen splitting the remaining 38.3%. 

• Last week: Etienne struggled on the ground, averaging 2.3 yards per carry for 27 yards on 12 attempts, but added four catches for 28 yards. He’ll aim for a bounce-back performance at home vs. the Rams.

Wide Receivers

Play: D.K. Metcalf @ Cincinnati Bengals

• Over the last four weeks, the Bengals’ defense has allowed the opposing number-one wide receiver to gain 75 or more yards in every game. That includes Justin Jefferson, Courtland Sutton, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Matthew Golden.

• After a slow start, D.K. Metcalf has strung together two top-10 WR finishes. On the team, he’s tied for first in receptions, first in targets and yards, and leads in first-read share with a strong 29.2%.

• Last week: D.K. Metcalf might be breaking out. He was WR5 against Minnesota in London before the bye, then followed it up with another stellar showing vs. the Browns, finishing WR7. Now has a juicy matchup with the Bengals.

Play: Courtland Sutton Vs New York Giants

• Courtland Sutton looks like he’s in a sweet spot for a bounce-back game. The Giants play the second-most-man coverage in the league, and Sutton thrives against it, ranking WR24 in fantasy points per route run versus man coverage.

•  He ranks top 20 among all wide receivers (minimum 100 routes run) in air yards, receiving first downs, and expected fantasy points.

• Last week: He and the Broncos offense looked sluggish, perhaps due to the trip to London, as Sutton caught just one pass on three targets for 17 yards. No concerns this week. Back at home, he’s a WR2 against the Giants.

Play: Jameson Williams Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• This game has the makings of a shootout where the Vegas betting line opened the game at 53.5 O/U total. The Lions are missing people in the secondary, and the Bucs allow the 10th most yards through the air.

• The Bucs rank 18th in fantasy points allowed to WRs, but if this game does turn into a shootout, Williams should see some opportunities and a few deep looks. Fire him up as a flex play with WR2 upside.

• Last week: Jamo had six catches on seven targets for 66 yards and a score against Kansas City on Monday Night Football. 

Fade: Wan’Dale Robinson @ Denver Broncos

• I don’t think Robinson can repeat last week’s performance against this Denver defense. Despite a 1.96 yards per route run against man coverage, he only has an 11.6% win rate. With the Broncos playing the most man coverage in the league, it looks as if it’ll be a long day for Wan’Dale Robinson.

• It also won’t help that he’ll be matched up on slot cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, who is allowing the 9th fewest coverage yards per snap this season, is graded as the 13th best graded cornerback in the NFL, per PFF, over the past three weeks, and is the 5th best graded cornerback playing in man coverage on the season, per PFF.

• Last week: He had a strong outing, catching six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles’ solid secondary. The question now is whether he can follow it up with another back-to-back top-12 WR finish.

Fade: DeVonta Smith @ Minnesota Vikings

• DeVonta Smith has clearly been a boom-or-bust receiver. Through six weeks, he’s either finished as a high-end WR2 or fallen entirely out of WR3 territory.

• I’m leaning toward a bust week for Smith, given the matchup with Minnesota, which ranks first in fewest fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. With trade rumors swirling around A.J. Brown, there’s also a chance the Eagles look to feature Brown more in this game.

• Last week: Smith had four catches for 49 yards on five targets against the Giants. Jalen Hurts missed him on a deep ball that could’ve gone for a touchdown, but that’s been the story lately for the Eagles quarterback.

Fade: Kendrick Bourne Vs Atlanta Falcons

• He deserves his flowers for stepping up when his teammates have gone down with injuries. He’s been red hot, finishing as a back-end WR1 in two straight weeks, and he hasn’t even needed a touchdown to do it.

• Head Coach Raheem Morris has his unit holding opposing offenses to just 20 points per game. It’s also one of the toughest matchups for wide receivers, allowing the fifth fewest fantasy points to the position. It doesn’t help his case that George Kittle is likely returning from his hamstring injury.

• Last week: Bourne torched the Buccaneers with nine targets, catching five passes for 142 yards and finishing as the WR11 for the week. He’s been on absolute fire and is a big reason the 49ers have managed to stay afloat through their recent injuries.

Tight Ends

Play: Zach Ertz @ Dallas Cowboys

• Zach Ertz is as steady as they come, where you can rely on him in your starting lineup, something you can’t say about most TEs. He’s currently TE12 in fantasy and now gets the Cowboys here in Week 7.

• I want any pass catchers in my lineup this week if they’re facing the Dallas Cowboys. They give up the most passing yards in the league, allowing 286 yards per game.

• Last week: Zach Ertz caught all six of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. He remains a reliable start and an excellent late-round TE option in fantasy drafts.

Play: Taysom Hill @ Chicago Bears

• It feels a bit risky to start Taysom Hill in his third game back since recovering from a torn ACL. He’s under a new coaching staff, so they may use him a little differently. Head Coach Kellen Moore, who is offensive-minded, has already put him at the quarterback position, where he ran in a one-yard touchdown.

• It’s a risk I’m willing to take because the tight end position is such a crapshoot outside the obvious plays. It’s an all-or-nothing situation where he could easily run a touchdown in, throw one, or even catch one. I like his ceiling.

• Last week: One rushing attempt for one yard and a touchdown. Such a Taysom Hill stat line as he gets his legs back underneath him. Despite the limited usage, it was still good enough to finish as a TE2 for the week. Oh, Taysom Hill.

Play: Kyle Pitts Sr @ San Francisco 49ers

• Let’s call Monday night against Buffalo a Drake London game. When a guy sees 16 targets and catches 10 of them for 158 yards, it’s just not going to be your night.

• Even after Drake London’s massive stat line, Pitts still ranks third on the team in yards, targets, receptions, and yards per route run. With the 49ers missing star linebacker Fred Warner for the season due to an ankle injury, look for Pitts to be much more involved than he was against Buffalo.

• Last week: Pitt’s worst game of the season came in prime time with only three catches for 18 yards against the Bills. He’ll look to erase this game from his memory when he hits the road to San Fran. 

Fade: Darren Waller @ Chicago Bears

• He’s unreliable. Despite scoring four touchdowns over the last three games, he’s managed just nine total catches in that span.

• Since Week 4, when he returned from a hip injury, Waller ranks fourth on the team in targets, fourth in receptions, and second in yards. He’s a risky TE start and very much touchdown dependent.

• Last week: The touchdown streak rolls on. Three games in a row since returning, but he only had two catches for 12 yards.

Fade: Juwan Johnson @ Chicago Bears

• Since the first three weeks of the season, when Johnson finished no worse than TE13, he’s really fallen off and hasn’t reached a TE2 finish since.

• I know the Saints may be easing Taysom Hill in, but it’s only a matter of time before he ramps up, further cutting into Juwan Johnson’s value. On top of that, the matchup against the Bears isn’t ideal for TEs, as they rank fourth-fewest in points allowed to the position.

• Last week: Johnson was only able to produce two catches for 15 yards. It was a fun ride while it lasted. If you had him, you’re probably back on the hunt for another gem.

Fade: George Kittle Vs Atlanta Falcons

• I probably won’t ever put George Kittle on the fades list again this season, so I’m taking my shot now. It’s his first game back from a hamstring injury in Week 1, so a limited snap count is likely.

• Besides likely being eased in, the Falcons’ defense is nothing to sneeze at against tight ends. In fact, they allow the fewest fantasy points to TEs of any team. Stream another tight end this week before bringing Kittle back.

• Last week: Returning from IR after missing the last five games.

D/ST

Play: New England Patriots @ Tennessee Titans

• I hope you held onto the Patriots defense last week, because this matchup doesn’t get any better. I expected a little more from them, but they still finished as the DST12 on the week

• The Patriots are middle of the pack in sacks, but this could be their best chance yet to pressure Cam Ward, who still leads the league in sacks allowed. Ward is also tied for the second-most turnovers, setting the stage for a potentially big day for defensive-minded Head Coach Mike Vrabel in a revenge game.

• Last week: I expected more from the Patriots’ defense last week, but they still finished 12th among all defenses. They recovered a fumble and held Spencer Rattler to just 227 passing yards.

Play: Seattle Seahawks Vs Houston Texans

• Just an absolute smash spot for the Seahawks’ front seven to tee off on C.J. Stroud. Seattle ranks second in the league in sacks, while Houston’s offensive line has allowed 12 through five games.

• The Texans average 21.6 points per game, but keep in mind they just put 44 on the Ravens before the bye week, which inflates that average a bit.

• Last week: The Seahawks’ defense finished fifth in fantasy scoring after sacking Trevor Lawrence seven times. I wouldn’t expect another seven-sack game, but they should still be able to rack up multiple in this matchup.

Play: Chicago Bears Vs New Orleans Saints

• Yes, Spencer Rattler has improved from week to week, but the Saints remain a team to target when streaming a defense. They allow the fourth-most QB pressures in the league, which creates opportunities for sacks and turnovers.

• In the last three weeks, the Bears’ defense has finished in the top 12 in fantasy, including a matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, who have been an offensive juggernaut even without CeeDee Lamb. Play the Bears here against the Saints as they look to stay in DST1 territory.

• Last week: The Bears’ defense limited Jayden Daniels to 211 passing yards, but he still threw three touchdowns. That said, Chicago controlled the ground game and won up front, snagging two fumble recoveries in the process.

Fade: Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns

•  The Dolphins’ defense has been struggling so badly lately that I’m not keen on them in this matchup against Dillon Gabriel and the Browns. Gabriel has actually played well, and he didn’t turn the ball over once last week against the Steelers despite throwing 52 times.

• Miami has allowed the most rushing yards in the league, the fourth most points, and the 13th most passing yards. One thing they have done well is recover fumbles. They have scooped up five this year; however, three of those came in a single game against the Jets.

• Last week: Miami allowed over 400 yards of total offense to the Chargers in a 29-27 loss. They have a better matchup this week against Cleveland, but I wouldn’t feel confident streaming them.

Fade: Minnesota Vikings Vs Philadelphia Eagles

• They do a good job of keeping everything in front of them and limiting their opponents to points. They only allow 19.4 points per game, but they don’t generate many turnovers.

• If you take away the five-turnover game they had against the Bengals, they would have only two turnovers on the season. Jalen Hurts doesn’t throw the ball that often, so I don’t see them as a worthy start against Philadelphia’s still potent offense.

• Last week: BYE

Fade: Houston Texans @ Seattle Seahawks

• The Texans are another team that is strong overall as a football defense, but not necessarily for fantasy purposes. Much like the Vikings, they keep opponents out of the end zone but don’t generate many turnovers.

• On the season, they have only generated three total turnovers and 12 sacks, which isn’t terrible through five games. The Seahawks have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL, so look for other options at team defense.

• Last week: BYE

Thank you for checking out my 2025 Plays & Fades for Week 7. I hope you found it helpful and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

To see more of our team’s weekly rankings, make sure to click here. Catch me live every Wednesday at 10 PM EST on the 4th and Frames podcast. Connect with me on Twitter/X @KZ1180. Best of luck in Week 7, and let’s get those wins!

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