NFL 2025 Week 7: Best/Worst Matchups By Positions

Welcome to Week 7 of the NFL 2025. There is an early International game, the Los Angeles Rams and the Jacksonville Jaguars, so get your players in early and be on a Puka Nacua watch, will he or won’t he play? And there are two teams on a bye, the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills, so take Josh Allen and Derrick Henry out of your lineups.

Now, let’s get with the players who are actually playing and see where the best and worst matchups by position are for Week 7 in the NFL.

NFL 2025 Week 7: Best/Worst Quarterback Matchup

Week 7 Best Quarterback Matchup: Drake Maye @ Tennessee Titans+6.5, 42.5 o/u

This isn’t about the Titans’ defense allowing 209.7 passing yards per game. It isn’t really about the Titans’ defense allowing Kyler Murray 220 passing yards and Geno Smith passing for 174 passing yards.

Nor is it necessarily about Maye passing for 261 passing yards and three passing touchdowns last week against the New Orleans Saints. This was after he led the Patriots to an upset of the Buffalo Bills by staying clean with zero interceptions, and going 22-for-30 and 273 yards.

No friends, this is about Mike Vrabel returning to Tennessee with a superior team, a superior quarterback, and making a point.

Week 7 Worst Quarterback Matchup: Jaxson Dart @ Denver Broncos -7.5, 40.5

It’s not just the altitude. The Broncos’ defense leads the league in sacks (30), pressure percentage (46.1%), red zone defense, and are second in scoring defense.

Dart’s path to winning includes his ability to scramble. He has 58, 55, and 54 rushing yards in his last three games. Except for Justin Fields, who rushed for 31 yards last week, the Broncos’ defense has not allowed a quarterback to rush for more than 10 yards.

Dart will have better matchups, just not this week.

NFL 2025 Week 7: Best/Worst Running Back Matchup

Week 7 Best Running Back Matchup: Quinshon Judkins v Miami Dolphin+2.5, 37.5

Yes, I am returning to the scene of the crime, but with better results. Last week’s results for Judkins was an AFC North battle anomaly. Fortunately, the Browns are back home, and the Miami Dolphins have been the “get right” defense for running backs in their last two games.

Last week, Los Angeles Chargers’ backup Kimani Vidal averaged 6.9 yards per carry and rushed for 124 yards on 18 carries against the Dolphins. The week prior, Rico Dowdle averaged nine yards a carry and ran for 206 yards on 23 carries.

Look for Judkins to once again be the workhorse in this matchup.

Week 7 Worst Running Back Matchup: Kenneth Walker @ Seattle Seahawks -3.5, 41.5

The Seahawks’ defense is allowing the fifth fewest fantasy points per game (13.0) to the running back position. Last week, Jacksonville Jaguars’ Travis Etienne only managed 23 yards with a 2.3 average against them. The week prior, Kareem Hunt had 49 yards on seven carries, while week five saw Arizona Cardinals’ Trey Benson limited to 35 yards on eight carries.

And then there is the maddening running back-by-committee that the Seahawks are currently utilizing. Walker currently has a 43.6% snap share, and Zach Charbonnet has a 54.1% snap share. Last week, Walker had 10 carries and one target, to Charbonnet’s 12 carries and one target.

It’s not the worst running back matchup, just the most frustratingly indecisive one.

NFL 2025 Week 7: Best/Worst Wide Receiver Matchup

Week 7 Best Wide Receiver Matchup: Rome Odunze v New Orleans Saints +5.5, 46.5 o/u

Odunze and Caleb Williams have found a connection. Odunze has a 33.7% first read target rate, a 25.3% target rate, and is on the field for 91.9% snap share. He is also fourth in deep targets (11) and fifth in total touchdowns (5). But the most important stat for this game is that Odunze spends 68.8% of his time on the perimeter, and the Saints have given up the 10th most fantasy points to wide receivers (20.7) and the third most to those on the perimeter.

Week 7 Worst Wide Receiver Matchup: A.J. Brown @ Minnesota Vikings +1.5, 43.5 o/u

Even though he is on the field for 95.8% snap share, Brown has only 25 receptions on 45 targets in six games. He has one receiving touchdown and is averaging 45.7 receiving yards per game.

Now the Eagles will go up against a Brian Flores defense that is coming off their bye week. The Vikings’ defense has only allowed two receiving touchdowns and is yielding the fewest fantasy points to the wide receiver position (10.6).

NFL 2025 Week 7: Best/Worst Tight End Matchup

Week 7 Best Tight End Matchup: Mason Taylor v Carolina Panthers -1.5, 41.5

I know it is getting harder to trust anyone on the New York Jets, but hear me out on this one. Garrett Wilson is out indefinitely. That leaves a 34.8% target share and 9.3 targets per game up for grabs. Enter Taylor, who was on the field for 90% of the offensive snaps last week.

It also helps that the Panthers’ defense has allowed the most receiving yards (74) and the second most fantasy points per game (10.2) to the tight end position.

NFL 7 Worst Tight End Matchup: A.J. Barner v Houston Texans +3.5, 40.5

Barner has been a pleasant fantasy delight in a shallow tight end pool. He has a 71.9% route participation and 11.2% on first read targets. He has accumulated four touchdowns in six games and had 71 receiving yards last week and two touchdowns and 53 receiving yards the week prior.

Now he will go against a Texans defense that is coming off a bye, getting healthier, and has given up the sixth fewest fantasy points to the tight end position (4.0).

NFL 2025 Week 7

This is an intriguing week for best and worst results. There are coaches’ revenge games, Vrabel at Tennessee, and Dennis Allen playing in New Orleans. Some games are expected to be blowouts: Washington at Dallas, and the Colts at the Chargers.

But as we know, predicting outcomes is nebulous at best. I mean, Steelers at Cincinnati, a 43.5 prediction turns into a 66-point game where both 40-year-old quarterbacks aired it out.

This just goes to say, best and worst a statistical categories, just remember we are dealing with humans who have (ahem) motivations of their own.

Good luck and play nice.