Fantasy football is basically just controlled chaos. Honestly, if you've been playing this season, you know that the "expert" consensus usually lasts about twelve minutes into the Thursday night game before everything goes sideways. This year has been a masterclass in that. We’re heading into late October 2025, and the quarterback landscape is unrecognizable compared to what we drafted back in August.
Josh Allen and the Bills are on a bye. Lamar Jackson is nursing a hamstring and won’t be suiting up for the Ravens' off-week anyway. If you're a manager who relied on those two, you're likely staring at a waiver wire that looks like a 2021 draft repeat.
The fantasy football qb rankings week 7 are all about chasing the "shootout" potential. We have two games this week with projected totals over 50 points, and if you aren't starting a quarterback from those games, you're probably overthinking it. It’s not just about who’s "good" at football anymore. It’s about who is playing against a secondary that has essentially checked out for the season.
The Smash Starts: Ride the Division Rivalries
Jayden Daniels is currently the most terrifying player in fantasy. He’s the QB22 on the season only because he missed a couple of games, but when he's on the field, he's a cheat code. This week, the Commanders are heading to Arlington to face a Dallas Cowboys defense that is actively falling apart.
Dallas is giving up 26 points per game to opposing quarterbacks. That is three full points higher than any other team in the league. Think about that. Even a mediocre quarterback would be a top-10 play against them. Daniels isn't mediocre. He’s getting Terry McLaurin back from a quad injury, and he’s facing a Trevon Diggs-less secondary because the Cowboys' star corner is stuck in concussion protocol.
🔗 Read more: Liverpool FC Chelsea FC: Why This Grudge Match Still Hits Different
On the other side of that same game, Dak Prescott is a locked-in top-three option. The Commanders' defense isn't exactly a brick wall, and this game has a 55-point total. You start everyone in this game. Period.
Patrick Mahomes is also finally back to being "Fantasy Mahomes." He’s the QB1 overall right now, sitting 11 points ahead of the idle Josh Allen. He plays the Raiders this week. Las Vegas is a mess, and Mahomes has historically treated them like a scout team. He’s the safest floor in the league right now, especially with his sudden willingness to use his legs near the goal line, having notched four rushing scores already.
The New Elite: Drake Maye and the Year 2 Leap
It’s time to stop calling Drake Maye a "sleeper." He’s not sleeping. He’s wide awake and destroying people.
Maye is currently the QB5 in our fantasy football qb rankings week 7. Most people expected him to be a project, but under Mike Vrabel’s leadership in New England, he’s become an MVP candidate. He is averaging over 20 points per game and leads the NFL in passer rating on throws over 20 air yards. This week he gets the Tennessee Titans.
💡 You might also like: NFL Football Teams in Order: Why Most Fans Get the Hierarchy Wrong
The Titans are, quite frankly, the worst team in the NFL. They don’t pressure the quarterback—ranking sixth-lowest in pressure rate—and Maye is the fourth-best quarterback in the league when throwing from a clean pocket. If the Titans can keep this even remotely competitive, Maye is going to clear 25 fantasy points easily. He's developed this weirdly perfect chemistry with Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte that makes the New England offense look like the 2007 version.
Mid-Tier Options and Sneaky Streamers
If you can't get your hands on the elite names, you have to look at the Detroit-Tampa Bay matchup. This is the other 50-point total on the slate.
- Baker Mayfield (Buccaneers vs. Lions): Baker is a Tier 1 play this week. He has 12 passing touchdowns and only one interception through six games. The Lions' secondary is banged up, with Kerby Joseph and Terrion Arnold already ruled out.
- Jared Goff (Lions vs. Buccaneers): Goff at home in a dome is a different beast. Tampa Bay has allowed a top-12 fantasy QB finish in four of their six games. He’s the perfect high-upside play if you're an underdog this week.
- Justin Fields (Jets vs. Panthers): This is the ultimate "nerves of steel" play. No Garrett Wilson (knee) means Fields has to do it himself. Luckily, he’s playing Carolina. The Panthers have the lowest pressure rate in the league. Fields with time to run is a top-10 fantasy asset every single time.
The "Danger Zone" Benchings
You’ve gotta be careful with C.J. Stroud this week. I know, it sounds like heresy. But the Texans' offensive line is currently the worst-ranked unit in the league for pass protection. They’re traveling to Seattle to face a Seahawks defense that just humiliated the Jaguars' front seven.
Sam Darnold—who is actually having a career year in Seattle—is a much better play than Stroud in that specific game. Stroud is likely to be under duress all night. Unless he can pull off some magic with Tank Dell, his ceiling is capped.
📖 Related: Why Your 1 Arm Pull Up Progression Isn't Working (And How to Fix It)
Then there’s the Giants situation. Jaxson Dart has been a fun story, but he’s heading into a buzzsaw in Denver. The Broncos' defense is a top-five unit and they play the most man coverage in the league. For a rookie quarterback, that’s a nightmare scenario. Pat Surtain II is going to be glued to whatever receiver Dart tries to target. Sit him.
Final Insights for Your Week 7 Lineup
The bye weeks are starting to bite hard, but this is where you win your league. Don't just look at the names; look at the volume and the defensive injuries.
- Check the weather in Chicago: The Saints vs. Bears game is expected to be wet and slick. This is why the Bears ruled out Grady Jarrett. It’s also why you might want to fade Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams slightly in favor of their running backs.
- Monitor Kyler Murray: He’s officially questionable with a foot injury. If he can't go, Jacoby Brissett gets the nod against Green Bay. That’s a massive downgrade for the entire Arizona offense.
- Trust the rushing floor: In a week where passing efficiency might be wonky due to injuries to WRs like Mike Evans (hamstring) and Terry McLaurin (quad), quarterbacks who run (Daniels, Hurts, Fields) become gold.
Your next move should be checking the inactive list exactly 90 minutes before the 1:00 PM ET kickoffs. If Kyler Murray is out, you need to pivot to a high-upside streamer like Aaron Rodgers, who is facing a Cincinnati defense that has been a sieve all year. Don't let a "Questionable" tag ruin your season—have your backup plan ready on the bench now.