CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, and 2 Other Must-Start Quarterbacks in Week 7 Fantasy Football
We continuously battle tough start-sit decisions in fantasy football. It can be a mindbender. Who has the best matchup? Who is injured? Who is hurt? What is their form? Our brains scramble with the process, but that is where I come in to help. The following four quarterbacks should start in Week 7, with the rationale below.
CJ Stroud
In three games this season, Stroud has thrown for over 300 yards, which often offers a bonus in certain league scoring formats. In five of six games, Stroud has passed for at least 261 yards. He is the QB6 in fantasy football and aims to stay up top amid the trade of Marvin Harrison Jr. and the IR return of Tank Dell.
Stroud currently ranks 5th in PFF Passing Grade and 11th in EPA per Dropback. His volume and efficiency together make Stroud a weekly must-start until proven otherwise.
Jordan Love
The Detroit Lions will come to battle Love this week, which is good news for Love owners. Through five games, the Lions rank dead last in Fantasy Points Allowed to Quarterbacks. They are 28th in Defensive Pass EPA Allowed per Play.
Love has mostly benefited from this scheme, which ranks third in the NFL in pass rate at 65.6%. The expectation is that Josh Jacobs' return will also help this offense, which struggles to run the ball. If they can pound the rock better, it will be a net gain for Love through more time of possession and further scoring chances.
Jared Goff
The Lions are averaging 32.8 points per game. Including the Ben Johnson era, this may be Detroit's strongest offense ever.
Over five games, Goff has benefited from Detroit's offensive success, ranking QB2 in fantasy football on a points-per-game basis. He is being started below 75% in fantasy football, and as far as I am concerned, that figure should be at 100%. Detroit shows absolutely nothing that tells me Goff is a sit candidate. They are good enough to trump his zero rushing upside.
Bryce Young
Young is the QB4 in fantasy football, and through five games, I think the sample size is enough to call it legitimate. Young has scored less than 19.8 fantasy points in only one game. He has yet to attempt fewer than 36 passes in a game or complete fewer than 20.
Four times, Young has passed for at least 2 touchdowns. He has failed to pass for one touchdown in zero games.
The Buccaneers are decent against quarterbacks; that is fair. But a 13th-best ranking in Fantasy Points Allowed to Quarterbacks and a 6th-best ranking in Defensive Pass EPA Allowed per Play aren't strong enough to deter a Young start. Slot him in and keep rolling toward victory.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.