Fantasy Football Week 7 Quarterback Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford, Bo Nix, and More

When Sam Darnold had his best year as a pro last season, it was easy to think that it was only because he joined the perfect offensive ecosystem in Minnesota. Everything was in place to help him succeed.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell was a highly regarded play caller, the offensive line ranked in the top 10 in both pass blocking and run blocking, and he had one of the best receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson. Even as Darnold set career highs in passing yards (4,319), yards per attempt (7.9), and touchdowns (35), it was easy to be skeptical.

Well, he has looked even better early in 2025, as Darnold is completing over 70% of his passes and is on pace for many of the same numbers with better efficiency. His hot performance has him sitting as QB11 and firmly on the fantasy radar, and owners are taking notice.

Let's look at Darnold and five quarterbacks who he has been matched up with often on the FantasySP start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise to identify the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.

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Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks vs. Houston Texans

Darnold is averaging 256.8 passing yards per game, just a hair more than last year. If we take out a quiet Week 1, Darnold would actually be at 278.2 yards per game and a QB6 fantasy ranking; he has been on fire since that opening game.

The matchups probably had something to do with that as well. Darnold faced the tough 49ers in Week 1 (a team that was close to full strength as opposed to the injury-ravaged group they have now), then he saw Steelers, Saints, Cardinals, Bucs, and Jaguars. Arizona ranks a little above average against the pass, but that group otherwise consists of poor pass defenses that have only looked middling at best.

This is one of the toughest matchups around for a quarterback, as the Texans have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. In five games, Matthew Stafford is the only one to reach 225 passing yards against Houston, and they have given up just three passing touchdowns.

The Texans also haven't allowed quarterbacks to run much, though that's not a part of Darnold's game, so it doesn't factor in much here. Instead, this is just a really tough pass defense going against one of the best statistical quarterbacks of the early season.

Darnold is a strong fantasy player many weeks, but he doesn't have as high of a ceiling or floor as the guys who run the ball often, leaving him outside the top options. With a tougher matchup, that means it's probably better to keep him on the bench this week.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Los Angeles Rams (in London)

Even as the Jaguars are having a successful season at 4-2, the passing game hasn't been there. Lawrence is completing just 61% of his passes for 6.3 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. That's not good enough in real life or fantasy.

The Rams have allowed the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per week to quarterbacks. They are a good, deep defensive team with a lot of talent on the D-line that helps everything else. I'm not excited to go against the Rams with any fantasy players.

Advice: Start Sam Darnold over Trevor Lawrence. I don't love either guy because of the bad matchups, but Darnold has been the much superior player this year.

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants

Nix was drafted as a fringe weekly fantasy starter this year, just after those top guys who are in lineups every week. He has been below that level, ranking as QB13. Nix is on pace for fewer passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns than in 2024.

The Giants are right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt and fantasy points per game allowed to quarterbacks. Specific to what Nix does best, New York has held down QB rushing, allowing just 24 yards per game on the ground to quarterbacks and one touchdown.

Advice: Start Bo Nix over Sam Darnold. Darnold has been the better player, but Nix has the much better matchup here and adds more with his legs that Darnold never will.

Michael Penix, Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers

Penix has been very average by many measures, averaging 233.6 passing yards per game on 7.4 per attempt with four touchdowns and three interceptions. That also hints at below average, but Penix has been good enough to at least approximate the middle.

He isn't a strong fantasy player; Penix ranks outside the top 25 QBs, though he has had his bye. Penix doesn't run much and doesn't rack up passing stats, leaving him without many paths to big fantasy production.

The 49ers are right near the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points per game given up to quarterbacks. They ranked much better a few weeks back, but injuries have again taken a toll on San Francisco, and they are now without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the rest of the season, among others. This is probably a middling defense now.

Advice: Start Sam Darnold over Michael Penix. The latter has a better matchup, but Darnold is such a better fantasy player than Penix that he gets the nod here.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams @ Jacksonville Jaguars

After dominating much of the season, Stafford finally had a quiet game last week against Baltimore when everyone was expecting big things. He still ranks as QB10, but it will be tough for Stafford to sustain much higher because he doesn't ever run the ball.

Jacksonville has allowed the 13th-most yards per pass attempt and the ninth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They started off a little better, but the Jags have been beaten up by passing games recently, giving up 307.3 passing yards per game over the past three weeks.

Advice: Start Matthew Stafford over Sam Darnold. Stafford clearly has the better matchup and better outlook in Week 7.

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans @ Seattle Seahawks

Opposing Darnold is Stroud, who has been efficient but at a low volume most of this season. While he is completing nearly 71% of his passes, Stroud is averaging just 215.2 passing yards per game with eight touchdowns. He also runs a modest amount, averaging 24.4 yards per game on the ground this year.

Seattle has allowed the 11th-fewest yards per pass attempt and the 13th-most fantasy points per game to QBs, sitting near the middle overall. They have a lot of talent on defense but also a few holes that bring down the unit, leaving them vulnerable at times.

Advice: This is a tough one. Darnold is the better quarterback but also has the tougher matchup, leaving this as a 50/50 call. I'll say to start Sam Darnold over C.J. Stroud, but it's super close.