NFL Fantasy 2026 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks for Week 7
As always, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is geared toward helping fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. You won’t see “start Jahmyr Gibbs” here. Instead, I'm exploring the players closer to the perceived fringe and aiming to optimize your lineup for a win each week. Importantly, the new “Start of the Week” and “Sit of the Week” are the calls I have deemed the most notable in each category, not necessarily the most essential players to start or sit.
Also, you’ll see quite a few references in this year’s column to NFL Pro, spotlighting insights provided through Next Gen Stats data dashboards, matchup evaluations, All-22 film and the uniquely trained Fantasy AI Assistant. You can get access to all of those tools yourself with an NFL+ Premium subscription!
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X (@MattOkada) or Instagram (@mattokadaNFL) and hit me with your questions, congratulations or complaints throughout the year.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Armed with what has quietly become one of the league’s best WR duos in Christian Watson and Matthew Golden, Love has now topped 18 fantasy points in four of six games, including 45.52 over the last two contests combined. He ranks third in passing yards (1,684) and has accounted for multiple touchdowns in every game. And while his analytical statistics haven’t been elite, the Lions' defense might offer some help in that regard. Detroit ranks dead last in pass yards allowed per game and EPA/dropback on deep throws (1.41), while Love leads the league in attempts of 20-plus air yards (32). He should connect downfield several times en route to a high-end QB1 finish in Week 7.
Notable starts
Several factors have resulted in Prescott’s recent slump, including some bad luck, but I foresee a turnaround in a matchup with a battered Eagles defense. Philly has allowed 19-plus fantasy points to four of the last five QBs its faced. Prescott will make it five of six.
Stroud has started flashing the stardom that earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023, throwing for 920 yards, six TDs and one INT since Nico Collins’ return in Week 4. Plus, the Giants have allowed 59.22 fantasy points to Jayden Daniels and Tyler Shough the last two weeks.
Murray had increased his fantasy output in each successive game entering the bye -- with a season-high 51 rushing yards and 18.26 fantasy points against the Saints in Week 5 -- and Indy has allowed 22-plus fantasy points to three of the four legitimate fantasy starters it has faced (which excludes Washington’s backups and Cam Ward).
Cousins has become a near-weekly resident of this column and has proceeded to score at least 18.5 fantasy points in four of the last five weeks. He’s playing excellent football and is a QB1 against the injury-plagued Rams with multiple mainstays at QB on bye.
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Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
Sitting the QB10 in points per game, who sports a 5-0 record and a 103.1 passer rating, might seem a little harebrained, but hear me out. After topping 21 fantasy points twice to start the year, Mahomes hasn’t scored more than 17 in a game since and is coming off a season-low 10.48 against the Chargers (without a TD pass). The potential return of Rashee Rice in Week 7 could help, but facing the Seahawks' defense will not. Seattle is allowing league-lows in passing yards per game (156.8), yards per attempt (5.2) and yards after catch per game (81.7), which is where 62.4% of Mahomes’ production has come in 2026 (third-highest for any QB).
Notable sits
After averaging 300.8 passing yards per game through Week 4, Shough has thrown for just 240 the past two weeks combined and the touchdowns have been too volatile to trust. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh has held five of the six QBs it's faced to fewer than 13 fantasy points, although it’s not a star-studded list.
Darnold has almost reached the point where his terrible play makes him too obvious to crack this column, as he's posted 10.21 fantasy PPG over the last three weeks, with three TDs and five INTs. So here’s one last reminder: he’s so unplayable against a staunch Chiefs defense that I’d rather stream Tanner McKee against Dallas.
Speaking of guys I’d bench for the Eagles backup, Jones is arguably QB28 out of 28 starters in Week 7. He hasn’t hit 14 fantasy points once and the Vikings' defense is the toughest matchup in fantasy. Don’t play Danny Pennies even in 2QB leagues.