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Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Steelers vs. Bengals Week 7 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Chase Brown, Jaylen Warren, DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, more.
Welcome to our Thursday Night Football start/sit chart for Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season. Below you will find our start/sit matchups chart for all players in the SNF game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Chase Brown, DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers, Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Flacco, and Jonnu Smith. Which Steelers and Bengals players should you start or sit in Week 7?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 7, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 7, RotoBallers!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Pittsburgh Steelers Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
| Pittsburgh Steelers, DEF | Start | 123.3 | @ CIN |
| DK Metcalf, WR | Start | 113 | @ CIN |
| Aaron Rodgers, QB | Start | 112.9 | @ CIN |
| Jaylen Warren, RB | Start | 111.9 | @ CIN |
| Kenneth Gainwell, RB | Risky Start | 109.3 | @ CIN |
| Jonnu Smith, TE | Risky Start | 105 | @ CIN |
| Chris Boswell, K | Risky Start | 102.2 | @ CIN |
| Pat Freiermuth, TE | Sit | 101.4 | @ CIN |
| Darnell Washington, TE | Sit | 101.3 | @ CIN |
| Roman Wilson, WR | Sit | 97.5 | @ CIN |
| Kaleb Johnson, RB | Sit | 96.8 | @ CIN |
| Scotty Miller, WR | Sit | 94.7 | @ CIN |
Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren returned from a knee injury in Week 6 and is set to be heavily featured against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Cincinnati has given up 10 total touchdowns to opposing running backs this season, tied for the most in the NFL. The Bengals have also allowed a running back to eclipse 85 scrimmage yards in every game this year.
While Warren will cede some opportunities to Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson, he remains the most likely of the trio to reach that mark. With his ability to contribute both on the ground and as a weapon for Aaron Rodgers in the passing game, Warren profiles as an RB2 with plenty of upside on Thursday night.
DK Metcalf, WR, Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has found the end zone in four consecutive games and should remain a strong fantasy option against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Though they've been more vulnerable on the ground than through the air, the Bengals have still allowed the 12th-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts.
With fellow receiver Calvin Austin III (shoulder) set to miss a second straight contest, Metcalf should once again command a healthy target share from quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who looked his way nine times last week. Fantasy managers who have been counting on Metcalf can confidently deploy him as a WR2 on Thursday Night Football.
Cincinnati Bengals Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Game Matchup |
| Ja'Marr Chase, WR | Start | 117.4 | vs. PIT |
| Chase Brown, RB | Risky Start | 108.9 | vs. PIT |
| Tee Higgins, WR | Risky Start | 108.6 | vs. PIT |
| Joe Flacco, QB | Risky Start | 105.7 | vs. PIT |
| Noah Fant, TE | Risky Start | 102.1 | vs. PIT |
| Andrei Iosivas, WR | Sit | 101.8 | vs. PIT |
| Drew Sample, TE | Sit | 96.6 | vs. PIT |
| Samaje Perine, RB | Sit | 96.3 | vs. PIT |
| Cincinnati Bengals, DEF | Sit | 92.3 | vs. PIT |
| Evan McPherson, K | Sit | 90.9 | vs. PIT |
| Jake Browning, QB | Sit | 89 | vs. PIT |
Joe Flacco, QB, Bengals
Veteran quarterback Joe Flacco posted a solid performance in his first game as the starter for the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6. After being acquired by Cincinnati from the Cleveland Browns early last week, Flacco completed 29 of 46 pass attempts for 219 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in a difficult matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
The 40-year-old will have another short week of preparation in Week 7 as Cincinnati will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. Flacco's propensity for high passing volume, coupled with the Bengals' elite-level talent at the wide receiver position, gives the veteran signal-caller some fantasy appeal in two-quarterback formats.
Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had a solid game in Week 6, his first game playing alongside new Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco. Faced with a tough matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Chase finished Week 6 with 10 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. The 25-year-old now has 42 catches for 468 yards and four touchdowns on 57 targets through his first six games of 2025.
After a couple of down games immediately following the Bengals' loss of starting quarterback Joe Burrow (toe), Chase has bounced back over the past two weeks. He remains a clear must-start fantasy wide receiver heading into a Week 7 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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 Chase Brown, DK Metcalf, Tee Higgins, Jaylen Warren, Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers, Ja'Marr Chase, Joe Flacco, and Jonnu Smith. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 7.
Week 7 Player Decisions. 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.
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, 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:
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