Week 7 of the NFL season is already here, and with it comes a bye week for six teams. Teams idle this week include Dallas, one of the best fantasy defense performers of the year thus far, and the Jets, who are owned in 62% of leagues. Popular units like Kansas City and Philadelphia also face tough Week 7 matchups, so the streamer market should be as hot as ever this week.
That said, here are our favorite D/ST streaming options available on the Week 7 Waiver Wire.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (47% ROSTERED ON YAHOO!)
AT CHICAGO BEARS | 1 PM
We chose the Raiders last week as well, and they rewarded us by holding New England’s stagnant offense to 17 points with four sacks, an interception, and a safety to finish with nine fantasy points on the day. Vegas’ defense has put up 21 points over the past two games, and once again, the Raiders find themselves in a matchup that they can take advantage of.
The Raiders will face a Bears team that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing defenses — and that’s when they were healthy. Justin Fields injured his thumb in Week 6 and is doubtful to play this week, which would turn the reigns over to DII rookie Tyson Bagent or interception king Nathan Peterman on Sunday.
The Bears were starting to turn a corner offensively to the point that I wouldn’t have loved this matchup as much, but with Fields likely out, Maxx Crosby and company should go nuts on a Bears unit that’s allowed 25 sacks through six games, third-most in the league.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (31%)
AT NEW YORK GIANTS | 1 PM
You might now be asking — if Chicago has allowed the third-most sacks in the league this year, who is No. 1 and No. 2? That would be the teams of this Week 7 matchup, as the Washington Commanders travel to MetLife to face the Giants.
Daniel Jones said this week that his neck feels “a lot better” and he’s hoping to suit up this week, but that may not be in New York’s best interest against Washington, who’s tied for sixth in the league with 19 sacks on the year. Oh, and they boast a fearsome defensive front, led by Chase Young, Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Montez Sweat.
New York’s offensive line has been one of the worst units in all of football this year, regardless of who’s under center. Their insane sack total is why they’ve yielded the most points to fantasy defenses despite only turning the ball over eight times. Factor in that Washington sits at 3-3 and would love a division win heading into a matchup with Philadelphia next week, and the Commanders are looking like a prime streaming option for Week 7.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (30%)
VS ATLANTA FALCONS | 1 PM
Coming off a frustrating home loss to Detroit, the Bucs still find themselves in first place in the NFC South at 3-2. And similar to Washington, Tampa would love a divisional victory this week as they head to Buffalo for a tough road matchup in Week 8. In their way stands the Atlanta Falcons, who’ve given up the 6th-most points to fantasy defenses and are tied for seventh with ten giveaways.
The Bucs didn’t show a ton defensively last week, holding Detroit to 20 points while coming away with only three sacks and no turnovers. But before that, they averaged 11 fantasy points per game in four games leading into their bye week. Their defense matches the Falcons’ offense, as they’re tied-seventh with ten takeaways and have allowed just 17.6 points per game on the year.
Atlanta’s offense shows flashes sometimes, but overall, they’re a below-average unit that’s 29th in the league in scoring and doesn’t scare me a bit.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Cleveland Browns (28%): Cleveland’s ownership dropped with a bye and a matchup with San Francisco, but they proved their worth against the NFC’s best and now face Gardner Minshew and the Colts in Week 7.
Los Angeles Rams (14%): The Rams are trying to keep up in a competitive NFC West, and will host a Steelers offense that’s scored less than 16 points per game in 2023.
New York Giants (2%): The Giants made Josh Allen look human last week, and now host division rival Washington, who’s given up a league-high 34 sacks this year.
