MIAMI, Oct. 17 (UPI) — Drake Maye and Sam Darnold are among my five must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 7.
Lamar Jackson leads my Top-20 quarterback rankings, which are below. Baker Mayfield, Jordan Love, Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels are among my other Top-5 plays. Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, C.J. Stroud and Brock Purdy round out my Top 10.
My Week 7 running back and wide receiver rankings remain available for your preparation. My free-agent targets article is available here.
My positional rankings will continue to be updated for developments, including injuries.
Mayfield, Goff and Andy Dalton join Maye and Darnold as my must-start options. Several streaming options also can be found within my rankings.
Each of my must-start options land inside the Top 14 of my quarterback rankings. Caleb Williams and Dak Prescott should be removed from lineups, as the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys serve Week 7 byes.
Baker Mayfield
Mayfield is among my must-start options for the second-consecutive week, despite another tough matchup. This week, Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the Baltimore Ravens, who have the top rush defense in the NFL, but allowed the most passing yards (298.2) per game through the first six weeks of the season.
Mayfield is the No. 2 fantasy football quarterback, on a points-per-game basis. The Buccaneers’ quarterback, who leads the NFL with 15 passing scores, accounted for at least three scores in each of his last three game.
That stretch included a 325-yard, four-score effort in Week 6 against a New Orleans Saints defense that entered the matchup with just one passing score allowed through their first five games.
Mayfield should shine again this week against a Ravens’ generous secondary that allowed 661 passing yards and seven touchdowns to quarterbacks over the last two weeks.
Expect at least 300 yards and multiple touchdown tosses from the rising star. He is my No. 2 option, but could end the week as the top fantasy football quarterback.
Jared Goff
Goff is the No. 10 quarterback in fantasy football. He averaged the sixth-most passing yards (266) per game so far this season. The Detroit Lions passer, who threw for 315 yards and three scores in Week 6, will face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7.
Like the Ravens, the Vikings own one of the top defenses, but are stronger at stopping the run. They allowed the second-fewest rushing yards, but surrendered the third-most passing yards through six weeks.
The Vikings allowed 633 passing yards and six scores to Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love in their last two games. Goff should eclipse 300 yards and throw for multiple scores in this NFC North division meeting. He is my No. 8 play.
Sam Darnold
Darnold will be on the other end of the Vikings-Lions matchup Sunday in Minneapolis. The Vikings quarterback will face a Lions defense that surrendered the fourth-fewest passing touchdowns, but allowed the sixth-most passing yards (265.6) per game to opposing quarterbacks so far this season.
Darnold totaled just 179 passing yards against a fierce New York Jets secondary in Week 5 and was on bye in Week 6. Look for the Vikings quarterback to log his most passing attempts of the season in this matchup, especially if injured starting running back Aaron Jones doesn’t play.
Darnold, my No. 11 option, is a fringe QB1 and a decent streaming option if your usual starter is Dak Prescott or Caleb Williams, who are on bye.
Drake Maye
Maye is another fringe QB1 this week. The New England Patriots rookie went off for 243 yards and three scores in his rookie debut in Week 6. This week, he’ll battle a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that allowed the most passing scores (2.3) and second-most passing yards (286.7) per game to opposing quarterbacks through six weeks.
That stretch included allowing multiple touchdown passes in each of their last four games. The Jaguars surrendered at least three passing scores in three of those meetings, including four-touchdown performances from Josh Allen and Caleb Williams.
Maye is a near lock for at least 250 yards and two scores in this great matchup Sunday in London. He is my No. 13 option.
Andy Dalton
Dalton lands at No. 14 in my Week 7 quarterback rankings. The Carolina Panthers veteran was a Top 15 play in Week 6, when he threw for 221 yards and two scores in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
That performance was Dalton’s third multiple-touchdown showing in four weeks. He should find the end zone multiple times again this week against a Washington Commanders defense that allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks through six weeks. They also tied for allowing the second-most passing scores (2.0) per game during that span.
The Commanders, who just lost star defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a season-ending injury, allowed 323 passing yards in Week 6. Dalton should air it out in this matchup, which oddsmakers expect to be the highest scoring game of Week 7 — with a 51.5-point total.
Week 7 fantasy football quarterback rankings
1. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens at TB
2. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. BAL
3. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers vs. HOU
4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. TEN
5. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders vs. CAR
6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles at NYG
7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals at CLE
8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions at MIN
9. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans at GB
10. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. KC
11. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings vs. DET
12. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets at PIT
13. Drake Maye, New England Patriots vs. JAX
14. Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers at WAS
15. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers at ARI
16. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs at SF
17. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons vs. SEA
18. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks at ATL
19. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. LAC
20. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos at NO
