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Danny Boily looks at fantasy football landmines, busts, and avoids for Week 7 of 2025. Given these fantasy situations, consider benching these players.
We are deep enough into the 2025 season that the initial hype has faded, and cold, hard data dictates success. Week 7 marks the third week of bye-week attrition, but with only two teams—Baltimore and Buffalo—sitting out, the waiver wire is relatively stocked compared to the six-team bloodbath looming next week. Now is the time for strategic precision.
This week is defined not just by who is available, but by the rapidly approaching NFL trade deadline on November 4. Fantasy managers must view their roster through two lenses: immediate weekly output and long-term asset value. The fantasy impact of a mid-season move, like the offensive rejuvenation we saw after the Joe Flacco trade, proves that a single transaction can make or break a position group.
The players highlighted here—our Week 7 Landmines—are highly-ranked players whose current statistical profile or brutal matchup indicates they are poised to underdeliver. A high consensus ranking provides perceived safety, but ignoring the contextual red flags is how championships are lost. If you have a viable alternative on your bench, use it. Your week-winning edge lies in avoiding these duds.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) rankings
- Quarterback (QB) rankings
- Tight end (TE) rankings
- Defense (D/ST) rankings
- Kicker (K) rankings
- FLEX rankings
- Dynasty rankings
Trevor Lawrence, QB, vs. Los Angeles Rams
Trevor Lawrence, the current QB14 (18.28 average fantasy points), has successfully shepherded the Jaguars to a 4-2 start under new coach Liam Coen, but his personal fantasy output is built on an unsustainable foundation. Despite throwing for two touchdowns and 258 yards last week, the team only scored 12 points, illustrating a concerning struggle to maximize offensive drives.
Lawrence's individual efficiency numbers are a red flag, with a 6.4 Yards Per Attempt and a 61.3% Completion Percentage that rank surprisingly low among starting quarterbacks. He has also tossed five interceptions already this year, limiting his floor. His 95 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns have papered over some of the passing deficiencies, but relying on rushing scores is pure gambling.
The Rams' defense presents a suffocating challenge. They rank sixth in the NFL, allowing just 14.27 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and have only surrendered seven passing touchdowns all season. As a unit, they are third in the league in scoring defense (18.3 points allowed per game) and third in Defense Red Zone TD Rate (44.4%), ensuring that scoring opportunities will be hard-earned, if they materialize at all.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, vs. Houston Texans
Kenneth Walker III has been the definition of underperforming draft capital, settling in as the RB21 with a meager 10.75 average fantasy points. While his 4.7 Yards Per Carry average is solid, his role has been dramatically compromised, destroying his ceiling and floor.
The split backfield reality is the core issue: Walker’s snap percentage (42%) is now slightly lower than backup Zach Charbonnet’s (44.6%), turning him into a committee back with only eight receptions and 61 receiving yards. This severely limits his touch volume and forces him to be hyper-efficient against a defense that offers no such generosity.
The Texans' defense is an immovable object for the running back position, ranking ninth in the NFL by allowing just 19.04 fantasy points per game to the position. They are a defensive powerhouse, leading the league by allowing just 12.2 points per game, and rank seventh in both rushing yards allowed (90.6 per game) and rushing touchdowns allowed (five). Walker simply doesn't command the volume necessary to break through a defense this stingy.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Michael Pittman Jr.’s status as the WR17 (11.22 average fantasy points) is a statistical mirage, dangerously inflated by a high touchdown rate (four TDs on only two end-zone targets). The week-to-week reality is inconsistent production: he owns just 293 receiving yards on 38 targets (4.8 per game), highlighted by a catastrophic two-catch, 20-yard, three-target outing last week.
The Chargers' defense is a pass-defense juggernaut, presenting a severe threat to Pittman’s already precarious output. They rank third in the NFL by allowing a mere 26.20 fantasy points per game to wide receivers, and third with only five passing touchdowns allowed all season.
The Chargers are elite in all critical areas, ranking sixth in total touchdowns allowed (12) and holding the second-best Red Zone Defense (42.9% Defense Red Zone TD Rate). The combined pressure from their pass rush (eighth with 16 sacks) and suffocating secondary means Pittman’s 20.2% Target Share will be challenged on every route, making his touchdown dependency a major liability in Week 7.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, vs. Philadelphia Eagles
T.J. Hockenson is a prime example of a big-name tight end whose production has completely abandoned him, ranking as the TE22 with a paltry 6.16 average fantasy points. His season has yielded only 19 receptions for 153 yards and one touchdown, severely limiting his margin for error in a tough matchup.
The situation is made significantly worse by the injury to J.J. McCarthy, which forces the team to start Carson Wentz. While Wentz has historically funneled targets to the tight end (often leading the league in TE target percentage), his 2025 play with the Vikings has lacked the offensive efficiency to lift Hockenson above 50 receiving yards in any contest.
Hockenson’s Week 7 draw against the Philadelphia Eagles is the worst possible scenario for a tight end struggling with volume. The Eagles rank third in the NFL, allowing an average of just 7.30 fantasy points per game to the position. They have only allowed seven total touchdowns all season, tied for fourth in the NFL, and their red zone defense, while not elite, is still strong enough to limit a player with only one end-zone target on the season.
Tony Pollard, FLEX, vs. New England Patriots
Tony Pollard is the definition of a collapsing fantasy asset, checking in as the FLEX 51 with a meager 10.27 average fantasy points. He is burdened by a Titans offense that is fundamentally broken, ranking 31st in scoring (13.8 points per game) and 31st in rushing yards (81.8 per game).
Pollard’s own efficiency is alarming, sporting a career-low 3.9 Yards Per Carry with two fumbles. His usage has also diminished in the passing game, where he averages only 2.3 targets per game (11 receptions, 79 yards), removing the essential safety net in unfavorable game scripts.
The New England Patriots' defense is a nightmare for struggling runners. They rank sixth in the NFL in fantasy points allowed to running backs (17.88 per game), fourth in rushing yards allowed (83.5 per game), and fifth in rushing touchdowns allowed (three). Against a defense that specializes in forcing negative plays and locking down the red zone, Pollard's outlook is grim. He lacks the team context, efficiency, and receiving floor to be anything more than a desperation bench stash.
really nice cut by Tony Pollard pic.twitter.com/1YIkwqViKc
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 23, 2025
Final Thoughts
As we move into Week 7, the key to success is viewing your roster not just as a collection of talent, but as a strategic portfolio. The trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and the ability to accurately forecast a player's immediate volatility is your most valuable asset. If a star player is facing a brutal matchup that will inevitably depress their score, their trade value is temporarily maximized right now, before the inevitable floor game.
Use the floor projections here to decide not only who to sit, but who to sell. This is the last stop before the trade market explodes, so be proactive, trust the data, and make moves that insulate your roster from future landmines.
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