Quarterback remains the deepest position in fantasy football heading into Week 7 . That's even true with a handful of teams on a bye every week.
Fantasy football managers are lucky that the position won't be too badly impacted by absences in Week 7. Tua Tagovailoa and Derek Carr remain out of action, while Dak Prescott and Caleb Williams will be on bye for the week.
Despite that, there will be plenty of startable players at the position. There are so many good options that some players normally considered automatic starts could be benched in favor of streamers in more favorable matchups.
It may not be sexy to play Kirk Cousins over Joe Burrow , but that may be a sound strategy in Week 7.
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Here's a breakdown of the quarterbacks to trust and fade in Week 7 of the fantasy football season.
Fantasy football start 'em: Week 7 QBs
Mayfield has been excellent to start the 2024 NFL season. He leads the NFL with 15 passing touchdowns and has completed 70.9 percent of his passes while leading the Buccaneers to a 4-2 record.
The Ravens may not sound like the best matchup, but they have allowed at least 253 passing yards and two touchdowns to quarterbacks in three of their last four games. That includes a 371-yard, five-touchdown performance against Joe Burrow. Mayfield can similarly take advantage of Baltimore's leaky secondary with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and should have the volume needed to be a top-10 fantasy quarterback once again.
Cousins isn't going to have 509 yards and four touchdowns every week as he did in Week 5, but he can be trusted as a QB1 in favorable matchups. The Seahawks qualify as one.
Seattle allowed an average of 132.3 passing yards and one total passing touchdown in their first three games; those numbers have ballooned to 257.7 passing yards per game and eight total passing touchdowns in three games since, giving him a high ceiling in what could be a high-scoring game.
Smith continues to confound fantasy owners by posting exactly one passing touchdown every game. That said, he could break out of that streak in a solid Week 7 matchup against a Falcons team that has surrendered multiple touchdowns to quarterbacks in three of its last four games.
Add in that Smith leads the NFL in pass attempts (251), completions (173), and passing yards (1,778), and he is a high-floor bye-week fill-in who could be an ideal fill-in for Prescott or Williams.
Maye could be a worthwhile gamble if you're feeling bold or are simply looking for a DFS sleeper or SuperFlex option. He logged three touchdowns in his first start for the Patriots, struggling at times against a Houston Texans defense that gets a lot of pressure but flashing his high-end potential at other points.
Maye gets a much more forgiving matchup in Week 7 against a Jaguars team that allows the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. They are the only team to allow 14 passing touchdowns through the season's first six weeks, so Maye could have another multi-touchdown outing in London.
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Fantasy football sit 'em: Week 7 QBs
Many are second-guessing Burrow's must-start status after he generated just one touchdown against the New York Giants , and rightfully so. The Giants got plenty of pressure on the star quarterback, preventing him from making the downfield plays to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins that most are accustomed to seeing.
Cleveland could pose a similar issue. They don't have the same type of interior pass-rushing threats as the Giants, but Myles Garrett is one of the best edge rushers in the NFL and has routinely bothered Burrow when the two have faced off during their careers. That's why the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft has completed just 61.2 percent of his passes for 835 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions in his last four games against Browns.
Add in that Garrett will largely be facing off against rookie tackle Amarius Mims , who struggled against Azeez Ojulari and the Giants, and this seems like a good spot to fade Burrow.
Goff has been excellent for the Lions in his last two starts, completing 83.7 percent of his passes for 607 yards and five touchdowns. Detroit's explosive offense will put Goff in consideration for a starting role each week, but he probably isn't a top-15 play in Week 7.
The Vikings have allowed 263 passing yards per game — third-most in the NFL — but have allowed just eight total touchdowns to quarterbacks this season in five games. That makes this seem like a tough matchup for Goff, especially since the Lions tend to skew run-heavy in goal-to-go situations with the David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs tandem.
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Fields is always in the running to be a QB1 because of his rushing ability. That said, his floor may be lower than usual in his Week 7 matchup against a strong Jets defense that just limited Josh Allen to 18 rushing yards in Jeff Ulbrich's debut as head coach.
The Jets have allowed just 15.3 rushing yards per game to quarterbacks this season, so it's probably best not to trust Fields in Week 7. He has more favorable streaming matchups in Weeks 8 and 9 against the Giants and Washington Commanders but may cede his starting job to Russell Wilson . All told, this is a quarterback situation to avoid.
Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'ems, Week 7
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here's who to start and who to sit in Week 7 .
→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 7 with start 'em, sit 'em advice for wideouts .
→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here's who you should start and sit in Week 7 .
→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent's offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 7 .
→ Kickers are people, too: Here are some of the most clutch kickers to have on your fantasy team in Week 7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em quarterbacks: Week 7 fantasy football
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