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Andy's potential Week 7 busts, fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for players who may disappoint. You should consider benching these players in Week 7.
Every week, many "must-start" players fall short of expectations. In Week 6, several high-end options like Jahmyr Gibbs and Garrett Wilson were unable to produce as elite fantasy options.
While it is very hard to sit your top players, navigating your FLEX spots is crucial to sealing your victory. In this weekly piece, we look at five players you should look to find pivot options for, due to their difficult matchups.
Who should fantasy managers bench in Week 7? Let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Potential Fantasy Football Lineup Busts
Sam Darnold (SEA) vs. HOU
Sam Darnold has been a reliable streaming option through the opening month and has even entered low-end QB1 conversation. In each of his last two games, Darnold has averaged a stellar 28.1 PPR points per game with 318 passing yards per game and a 6:1 TD:INT.
However, in Week 7, it may be best to pivot to another streaming option at the QB position. Darnold and the Seahawks will face a potent Houston defense coming off a bye. Through six weeks, the Texans have allowed the fewest PPR points to opposing QBs. While Darnold has enough talent to push for mid-end QB2 upside, he will have a tough challenge to repeat another 25+ PPR point outing.
Touchdown JSN! 61 yards.
SEAvsJAX on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2RqhCoOuX4
— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025
Travis Etienne Jr. (JAC) vs. LAR (London)
Travis Etienne is coming off a disappointing Week 6 showing and may be best to leave the bench in Week 7. In their loss to the Seahawks, Etienne was held in check, totaling just 27 yards on the ground. In fact, this was his second-straight game in which he fell under the double-digit PPR points.
Through Weeks 1 through 4, Etienne averaged a strong 16.6 PPR points per game. Given his recent struggles, Etienne may be in store for another moderate showing, facing the Los Angeles Rams, who have allowed the fewest PPR points to opposing RBS this season.
While he should maintain a relatively high floor due to his volume, his upside will be significantly capped in this matchup.
Bam Knight (ARI) vs. GB
After Michael Carter led the attack in Week 5, many expect him to remain in this role in Week 6. However, shortly before the game, reports suggested that Bam Knight has taken the lead job, which would push Carter to the RB2 spot. While both running backs ended up closely splitting the carries, Knight was able to tally a touchdown in his second-straight contest.
However, the manager relying on Knight as a FLEX play should look elsewhere. His touchdown streak will likely come to an end facing a tough Green Bay rushing defense. While they have struggled to defend the pass, they have allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs this season. He profiles as a desperation FLEX option with minimal upside.
Bam Knight Sees 11 Carries and Finds Pay Dirt in Week 6 https://t.co/drVmuQe4Ni
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 13, 2025
Jakobi Meyers (LV) at KC
After showing a strong connection with Geno Smith through the opening weeks, Meyers has hit a bit of a slump. In each of his past three games, Meyers has averaged just four catches per game with an underwhelming 33.7 yards per game. During this stretch, he is seeing just 5.7 targets per game, which is a stark drop from the 8.7 he saw in each of the first three games.
The Raiders' passing game may continue to struggle facing a Kansas City secondary that has surrendered the eighth-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs.
T.J. Hockenson (MIN) vs. PHI
This week's tight end to "start with caution" is T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings. Hockenson has had an inconsistent tsart ot the campaign as he has only tallied double-digit PPR points once through five games. The veteran tight end has only seen more than five targets in two games and caught fewer than five passes in all but two.
With Jordan Addison back in action, Hockenson is falling to the No. 3 spot in the passing attack. As a result, managers should instead pivot to upside streaming options like Harold Fannin Jr. or Mason Taylor, as Hockenson will face the Eagles, who have allowed the third-fewest PPR points to opposing TEs this season.
Read more player news and updates for Week 7
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 7 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Sam Darnold, Bam Knight, Jakobi Meyers, and T.J. Hockenson. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 7. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 7 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Sam Darnold, Bam Knight, Jakobi Meyers, and T.J. Hockenson. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 7.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 7 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 7 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 7 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 7 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Sam Darnold, Bam Knight, Jakobi Meyers, and T.J. Hockenson compared to others:
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