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Who Should I Start for Week 7? Fantasy Football outlooks for Omar Cooper Jr., Denzel Boston, Carnell Tate, Jordan Addison, Rico Dowdle, Tee Higgins, Ja'Kobi Lane, DeVonta Smith, Ryan Flournoy.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 7 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Omar Cooper Jr., Denzel Boston, Carnell Tate, Jordan Addison, Rico Dowdle, Tee Higgins, Ja'Kobi Lane, DeVonta Smith, and Ryan Flournoy. However, don't worry; we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 7. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 7 of the 2026 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 7 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 7:
DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) was absent from the portion of Friday's practice open to reporters, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, a bad sign ahead of Monday night's Week 7 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. McLane said he got the sense on Thursday that Smith and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) would not play on Monday night.
Smith missed Thursday's session too. The 27-year-old returned from a two-game absence against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 and drew 14 targets, catching seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. That showed how much Philadelphia's passing attack leans on him, especially with Tanner McKee under center.
Now, one week later, the same hamstring is keeping him off the practice field. If Saturday's final injury report leaves his status unclear, have a replacement ready.
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Wide receiver Jordan Addison is a boom-or-bust fantasy option when his Minnesota Vikings take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7. The good news is that Addison did not appear on the Vikings' final injury report after missing the team's win in New Orleans with a hamstring ailment, and the speedster will see a favorable matchup against an Indianapolis defense that has struggled in almost every way.
The Colts have allowed points at the third-highest rate in the league, forced turnovers at the lowest rate, and pressured the quarterback less often than any other team in the NFL.
The bigger issue for managers who roster Addison is that his volume has been difficult to predict, as he, quarterback Kyler Murray, and top receiver Justin Jefferson have been on the field together for less than a full quarter this season. Always a deep threat, but on an offense that has struggled most of the year, Addison is a WR4 candidate reliant upon a few home run swings. He's RotoBaller's No. 40 wide receiver this week.
Ryan Flournoy, Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy has seen his fantasy production increase in each of the last three weeks, putting him on the fantasy football radar as a potential WR3/flex streamer going forward. The Cowboys haven't played great this season, but their passing game has been a bright spot with its ability to support three fantasy-relevant receivers.
Flournoy has been able to rack up 36.7 PPR points over his last three games despite consistently operating behind both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. With that in mind, the 26-year-old is a safe bet to finish as a top-48 fantasy receiver every week, and his upside is even higher if Lamb or Pickens miss time or if the Cowboys have a favorable matchup.
Managers in all 12+ team leagues should look to add Flournoy off waivers, especially as bye weeks and injuries continue to mount at the wide receiver position across the NFL.
Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans
Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate leads the Tennessee Titans in targets (44), receptions (29) and receiving yards (344) in the passing game, and he has scored one touchdown. The No. 4 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft recorded six receptions (on seven targets) for 70 yards (11.7 yards per catch) and his first-career touchdown in a 26-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6.
The win was the first of the year for the Titans. Tate is beginning to ascend as he gets more comfortable in his first year in the NFL, and he is operating as the clear No. 1 option for quarterback Cam Ward in the passing game. Tate has a Week 7 matchup against the Cleveland Browns and ranks as RotoBaller's No. 27 wideout. He can safely be placed into your fantasy football lineups.
Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (knee) is listed as questionable to play in Week 7's matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Dowdle was limited in all three days of practice this week due to an apparent knee injury, despite not appearing to be injured in the 26-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.
Last week, Dowdle returned from a toe injury that cost him three games, had seven carries for 40 yards, and added three receptions for nine yards. While Jaylen Warren has firmly cemented himself as the lead back in this offense, Dowdle, if healthy, will still have a role, even after Warren's elite production in Dowdle's absence.
Fantasy managers should monitor the team's Saturday elevations and Dowdle's status on Sunday morning, especially in a weaker matchup against the struggling Saints run defense.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 7 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Omar Cooper Jr., Denzel Boston, Carnell Tate, Jordan Addison, Rico Dowdle, Tee Higgins, Ja'Kobi Lane, DeVonta Smith, Ryan Flournoy. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 (2026)? 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 7 for Omar Cooper Jr., Denzel Boston, Carnell Tate, Jordan Addison, Rico Dowdle, Tee Higgins, Ja'Kobi Lane, DeVonta Smith, Ryan Flournoy.
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