Our last-minute catch-up on Week 7: Big predictions, stat trends, fantasy sleepers

Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season is here, and our NFL analysts person you covered connected last-minute prep. Catch up connected everything earlier Sunday's action.

First, analytics writer Seth Walder breaks down 3 stat trends that could beryllium pivotal this weekend. Then phantasy shot writer Eric Moody runs done 5 players who are rostered successful nether 50% of ESPN phantasy shot leagues arsenic of Saturday and could beryllium started successful a jam. That's followed by NFL expert Matt Bowen predicting 3 perchance large surprises and sports betting expert Pamela Maldonado giving her favourite stake for Week 7.

What tin we expect successful a strength-on-strength matchup betwixt the Broncos' violative enactment and Giants' walk rush? Is determination phantasy upside for the Buccaneers' receiving core? Can Browns rookie moving backmost Quinshon Judkins unreserved for implicit 100 yards versus the Dolphins? And volition the Colts-Chargers matchup transcend its constituent total? Let's dive in.

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Stat trends | Fantasy sleepers
Potential surprises | Best bet

Walder: Three cardinal stat trends that could find Week 7 winners

Will the Lions beryllium capable to exploit Buccaneers LB SirVocea Dennis successful coverage?

I precise overmuch expect they volition connected Monday night. Dennis has allowed 1.9 yards per sum drawback this season, which is the worst among each linebackers with astatine slightest 100 sum snaps. Sometimes sum metrics tin beryllium fluky oregon misleading, but aft watching each people against Dennis, that is not the lawsuit here. Dennis has struggled successful coverage, and those plays are riddled with missed tackles successful space, too.

That's perfectly cleanable for the Lions, who already onslaught linebackers plenty. This season, 34% of Detroit's targets person been directed astatine linebackers, the third-highest successful the league per NFL Next Gen Stats. Running backmost Jahmyr Gibbs and choky extremity Sam LaPorta could person large receiving days.

Can the 49ers halt the Falcons' outside portion moving game?

Offensively, the 49ers are known arsenic an extracurricular portion team. But defensively, they've struggled to halt extracurricular portion runs this season, allowing 6.2 yards per transportation to opponents connected those plays. That isn't perfect for San Francisco this week, arsenic the lone squad that runs extracurricular portion much than the 49ers (57% of the time) is the Falcons (64%).

Atlanta besides happens to person Bijan Robinson, who is possibly the champion moving backmost successful the NFL close now. Add successful the information that the 49ers person to bash it without linebacker Fred Warner (ankle injury), and t...