Week 7 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Smartest Matchups to Exploit, Sleeper Plays and More (2024)

Jayden Daniels has the potential to put up one of the biggest fantasy football scores of the 2024 NFL season in Week 7.

Daniels and the Washington Commanders go up against the Carolina Panthers in one of the biggest mismatches on the slate.

Carolina has allowed at least 34 points in each of its last three games and was gashed for over 400 total yards by the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals.

The Panthers are also one of the worst teams against the run, so Daniels has the opportunity to exploit every angle of the matchup.

Carolina is one of a few teams that seem destined to give up high fantasy scores from every week until the end of the regular season. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Cleveland Browns fall into that category as well.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Jayden Daniels (vs. CAR), Joe Burrow (at CLE), Baker Mayfield (vs. BAL)

Sit 'Em: Daniel Jones (vs. PHI), Kyler Murray (vs. LAC), Jordan Love (vs. GB)

Running Back

Start 'Em: Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier (vs. SEA), Jaylen Wright (at IND), Austin Ekeler (vs. CAR)

Sit 'Em: David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs (vs. MIN), Aaron Jones (at DET), Breece Hall (at PIT)

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em; Terry McLaurin (vs. CAR), Tee Higgins (at CLE), Courtland Sutton (at NO)

Sit 'Em: Khalil Shakir (vs. TEN), Josh Downs (vs. MIA), Jakobi Meyers (at LAR)

Tight End

Start 'Em: Cade Otton (vs. BAL), Zach Ertz (vs. CAR), Kyle Pitts (vs. SEA)

Sit 'Em: Dalton Kincaid (vs. TEN), Tucker Kraft (vs. HOU), Brock Bowers (at LAR)

Washington Commanders vs. Carolina Panthers

Carolina allows the eighth-most passing yards, second-most rushing yards and fourth-most total yards to opponents.

The Panthers' defense should be taken advantage of once again in Week 7 by the Commanders.

Jayden Daniels should feast in every which way on Carolina. The quarterback should thrive in the air with Terry McLaurin and Co., and he could put up a high rushing-yard total as well.

Daniels' ground production will be affected by whether Brian Robinson Jr. plays after he missed Week 6 with a knee injury.

At minimum, Daniels and McLaurin should have a good day against the Panthers. Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz and Jeremy McNichols could be contenders for top sleeper plays because of the matchup.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns

The Cincinnati Bengals finally created some momentum for themselves with Sunday night's win over the New York Giants.

The Bengals have a favorable Week 7 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, who have become a top contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

Cincinnati's defense should have a high start percentage in Week 7 because of all the sack potential against Deshaun Watson.

Joe Burrow's health hasn't been a problem for Cincinnati this season, and he will be expected to put up strong numbers against the Browns defense.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have the potential to put up even better numbers than A.J, Brown and DeVonta Smith did against the Browns in Week 6. Brown and Smith each had at least 60 yards and a touchdown catch.

Drake Maye and Demario Douglas

The New England Patriots' matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars sets up nicely for Drake Maye and Demario Douglas.

Douglas was Maye's top target in the quarterback's first start in Week 6 with 92 yards and a touchdown on nine targets.

The rookie quarterback threw for over 200 yards against the Houston Texans, and while the turnovers need to be worked on, he displayed some positive signs against a tough defense.

Jacksonville just let Caleb Williams throw all over its defense in London in Week 6, so there's a chance Maye can do the same thing at Wembley Stadium in the English capital.

It may be too early for some fantasy players to start Maye in just his second NFL start, but the matchup is there for the taking, and Douglas could be a smart pickup for flex positions.

Bo Nix

Bo Nix has the potential to begin Week 7 with a strong passing game against the New Orleans Saints.

New Orleans heads into Thursday night with the third-worst passing defense in the NFL and it just was gashed for over 50 points by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Nix has produced over 200 passing yards and two touchdowns in each of his last two starts for the Denver Broncos.

The rookie signal-caller is starting to come into his own, and the matchup is there for him to have a breakout game on the national stage.

Courtland Sutton seems a must-start in the matchup, but look out for Devaughn Vele as a sleeper pick as well. He had four catches on six targets for 78 yards in Week 6.