
Each week, I’ll be looking to spotlight players and defenses that I think have a strong matchup that should allow them to deliver above expectations. However, this is not intended as a blanket endorsement to play a fringe player ahead of an established stud—for example, even if I call out a plus matchup for Cam Ward, it doesn’t mean he should be played ahead of Josh Allen—so always consider your own lineup alternatives.
With that out of the way, let’s look at Week 7:
Stroud put together his best game of the season in Week 6, throwing for 312 yards and three TDs against a tough Jacksonville Jaguars defense. This week they face the New York Giants, who rank 26th against opposing QBs and just gave up three TD strikes to Tyler Shough. With the Texans trading for Marvin Harrison Jr. and Tank Dell returning from injury, Stroud suddenly has a wealth of options.
Whether it’s Jalon Daniels or a returning Baker Mayfield (thumb), Irving should be featured against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. The former Duck has topped 20 touches each of the past two weeks, and he averaged 78 yards rushing against Carolina last season. In 2026, the Panthers are allowing 137 yards and 1.2 TDs per game to the position.
As noted with Nix, this is as close to a “get right” game as Denver is likely to get this season. The offense has sputtered, and Waddle, their high-profile offseason addition, has finished with less than 25 yards in a game four times in six weeks. The Cardinals are giving up 153 yards per game to wideouts, and only the Buffalo Bills have allowed more TDs (10).
Kraft has taken a backseat to Golden and Watson through six games, but it could be his time to shine in Motown. The Lions have been by far the worst defense against tight ends, allowing the most receptions (51), yards (545), and TDs (9) to the position this year despite having played in only five games. This is an elite matchup for Kraft.
More must-reads:
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