Jump to a matchupDetroit Lions (4–1) at Minnesota Vikings (5–0)Houston Texans (5–1) at Green Bay Packers (4–2)Seattle Seahawks (3–3) at Atlanta Falcons (4–2)Kansas City Chiefs (5–0) at San Francisco 49ers (3–3)Baltimore Ravens (4–2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4–2)
Week 7 in the NFL might make up for the many one-sided games that took place last week.
There are a handful of toss-ups, including a Super Bowl rematch, a first-place showdown in the NFC North, and a few intriguing interconference games.
The San Francisco 49ers have shaken off a slow start to the season and are getting closer to full strength as they get ready to host the Kansas City Chiefs, the team that defeated the 49ers in two Super Bowls the past five seasons.
But 49ers vs. Chiefs might not be the best game on the Week 7 schedule—just don’t tell Taylor Swift fans that. The Detroit Lions travel to Minneapolis to face the Minnesota Vikings with first place on the line in the division and the conference. The undefeated Vikings, who are coming off a bye week, aren’t new to facing top competition after beating the 49ers, Houston Texans, and Green Bay Packers earlier this season. This will be the Lions’ first game without edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who sustained a season-ending leg injury last week.
The battle between the Texans and Packers could be as good as the two games mentioned above. The Texans lead the AFC South and recently welcomed back Joe Mixon, who ran for 102 yards against the New England Patriots after missing the prior three games. The Packers are chasing the Lions and Vikings in the division, but they could have the most complete roster in the NFC, with Jordan Love leading a high-scoring offense, and a defense that has generated a league-high 17 takeaways.
We’ll also keep tabs on the intriguing Monday night clash between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons. Here’s everything you need to know about the five best games of Week 7, including Gilberto Manzano’s key matchups, Matt Verderame’s key stats, Michael Fabiano’s who to start and who to sit in fantasy, Jennifer Piacenti’s best bets and Conor Orr’s prediction for each game.
Start ’em/Sit ’em | MMQB Staff Picks | NFL Betting Picks
SUNDAYDetroit Lions (4–1) at Minnesota Vikings (5–0)
When/TV: 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Spread: Vikings -1.5 (over/under 49.5)
Matchup to watch: Lions WR Jameson Williams vs. S Camryn Bynum. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for his aggressive blitz calls, but that could backfire against the speedy Williams. It will be up to Bynum to help his cornerbacks in case Williams breaks free downfield. Williams is averaging 22.8 yards per reception and has three receiving touchdowns. —
Key stat: Which team can handle the blitz? Minnesota ranks second in blitz percentage while Detroit is sixth. And, now, without Aidan Hutchinson for the remainder of the season, that number might increase for the Lions. —
Start ’em/sit ’em: Williams has been mostly consistent for fantasy managers, scoring 14-plus points in four of his five games. He’s scored 33.7 points in his past two games, and he’s done that despite seeing just six targets. I’d keep him in lineups in what could be a shootout against a defense allowing the most points per game to wideouts. —
Best bet: Justin Jefferson over 92.5 receiving yards (-115). Jefferson is averaging 90 receiving yards per game this season, and the Lions have allowed an average of 211 yards per game to opposing wideouts. Jefferson will get at least half of those. —
SI’s pick:Lions. The Vikings can’t finish the season undefeated, and this is a weak reasoning for copping out and not picking them against the Lions but it’s the reason I’m using nonetheless. I think, at least for one week, Detroit will still be buoyed by the throttling of Dallas and will be able to maintain possession against an excellent Vikings defense, edging them in a close one. —
