FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: 5 Moves You Need to Make Ahead of Week 7 (Ep. 1771)

Hosts: Ryan & Tara Roberts
Date: October 14, 2025

Episode Overview

Ryan and Tara dive into the pivotal moves fantasy football managers should make before Week 7, focusing on critical players to buy, sell, or drop as the fantasy season nears its midpoint. With injuries mounting and league standings tightening, the hosts deliver actionable advice grounded in matchup analysis, team trends, and player roles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Buy: Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

[01:40] Tara Roberts

• Why Buy Evans? Injuries have gutted the Buccaneers' receiving corps, with Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving ruled out and Emeka Egbuka sidelined by a hamstring.
• Opportunity: “Buy on the injury here to try and play a little gamesmanship... Mike Evans is the person here who has the most likely chance of coming back sooner rather than later here.”
• Schedule Factor: Evans' early season “underwhelming” production was matchup-driven—he faced tough cornerbacks like A.J. Terrell (ATL), Derek Stingley (HOU), and Sauce Gardner (NYJ).
• Upside: With Mayfield playing surprisingly well (“potential MVP season”), Evans could return to alpha status as his health and matchups improve.
• Notable Quote:

  “We can take a chance here and buy in on the injury dip with Mike Evans.” (Tara Roberts, 03:38)

Usage Outlook When Everyone’s Healthy

[04:11] Tara Roberts

• If all receivers return, Godwin is likely the odd man out.
• Egbuka’s strong play could put him as the WR1, but Evans still holds immediate fantasy value.

  “Mecca is here to stay... Mike Evans is the one with the more immediate usage and then Mecca Buka is the one that probably has a little higher upside there over Evans.” (Tara Roberts, 04:38)

2. Buy: Travis Etienne (Jacksonville Jaguars)

[04:59] Tara Roberts

• Why Buy Etienne? Two down weeks due to tough matchups (KC and SEA, both strong vs. the run) make for a buy-low spot.
• Role Security: Despite rumors of other backs (e.g., Bashel Tootin) being involved, all snaps and carries strongly favor Etienne.
• Offense Summary: Uncertain if the “Jags big turnaround” is legit, but the system is favorable, and Etienne is the unquestioned lead back.
• Rest-of-Season Ranking:

  “He is top 15 for me. I still feel very confident in him.” (Tara Roberts, 06:35)

3. Sell: Jameson Williams (Detroit Lions)

[07:17] Tara Roberts

• Why Sell Williams? Despite a six-catch, 66-yard, 1 TD “boom” week, Williams is a classic boom/bust asset with a floor near zero (single-point games).
• Matchup Reliance: His “boom” games cluster only in very specific scenarios: either RBs are shut down or it’s a pass-heavy shootout.
• Consistency Issues:

  “There are only three matchups on the schedule for the remaining 10 games they’re going to kind of shape out in that scenario here. The floor is nasty for Jameson Williams, unfortunately.” (Tara Roberts, 08:26)

• Not Winning Weeks: Even in boom weeks (his best: 17.8, 15.6 half-PPR), he's not winning weeks single-handedly.
• Sell Rationale:

  “If I can't make a trade this time, I'm going to be looking to trade him the next time he has a boom week and...see if anybody's buying it to being long term.” (Ryan, 09:53)

4. Sell: Kimani Vidal (Los Angeles Chargers)

[10:20] Tara Roberts

• Why Sell Vidal? He just had a breakout (18 carries, 124 yards, TD) but circumstances are unstable:
  • Chargers may acquire another RB
  • Return of Amari Hampton looms
  • Unpredictable coaching decisions (“There’s no loyalty to these guys off the practice squad, unfortunately.”)
• Matchup Context: The blowup was against Miami's porous run defense.
• Summary Quote:

  “I have zero, and we have zero reason to trust the Chargers here, unfortunately...if you have the opportunity to sell him off to a running back needy team, you might want to do that.” (Tara Roberts, 11:48)

• Ryan Adds: Miami has “maybe the worst run defense in football,” so the performance might not repeat.

  “He rightfully took advantage...but I think, you know, the Miami defense makes a lot of running backs look awesome.” (Ryan, 12:34)

5. Drop: Jakobi Meyers (Seattle Seahawks)

[14:09] Tara Roberts

• Why Drop Meyers? Three straight games with under 10 points and no TDs all season. Geno Smith is regressing and backup is Kenny Pickett—no reason for QB optimism.
• Failed Opportunity:

  “We have had two straight games with no Brock Bowers...zero increase in production unfortunately from Meyers.” (Tara Roberts, 15:19)

• Peer Comparison: Even with Jameson Williams’s low floor, at least Williams gives “a little bit of something.” Meyers is providing nothing outside Week 1.
• Rest-of-Season Outlook:

  “The offense is bad. The ceiling doesn’t exist. It might just be time to move on.” (Tara Roberts, 15:39)

• Tucker Over Meyers? Tara and Ryan agree that Tucker (Seattle WR) is probably now more valuable.

  “On a weekly basis he should have been ranked significantly lower than where...at. And rest of season it needs to be lower too.” (Tara Roberts, 16:17)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gamesmanship on Injury Dips:

  “I know it might feel uncomfortable buying in on an injury, but we’ve got a mechanic Buka, who is getting his hamstring checked out... But generally speaking, when it comes to hamstring injuries, they're multiple weeks.” (Tara Roberts, 02:24)

• On Buying Etienne Despite Jags’ Flaws:

  “Do I buy into the Jags offense as a hole in their big turnaround...Probably not entirely, but it is a fantastic system here.” (Tara Roberts, 06:08)

• On Trusting the Chargers:

  “They did exactly opposite of what the reports were. So I'm not saying that he won’t have high upside if he remains the lead back...But can we really trust him?” (Tara Roberts, 11:07)

Summary Table: 5 Moves to Make Before Week 7

| Move | Player | Reason | Timestamp | |-------------|---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Buy | Mike Evans | WR usage to spike due to injuries; favorable schedule; Mayfield hot| 01:40 | | Buy | Travis Etienne | Still the clear RB1; two bad weeks just tough matchups; buy-low | 04:59 | | Sell | Jameson Williams | Boom/bust, little weekly upside; now’s the chance to sell | 07:17 | | Sell | Kimani Vidal | Unstable role; matchup-dependent breakout; Chargers may add RB | 10:20 | | Drop | Jakobi Meyers | Bad offense, no ceiling, failed to step up in opportunity | 14:09 |

Episode Timestamps for Key Segments

• Buy Mike Evans: 01:40–04:56
• Buy Travis Etienne: 04:59–06:39
• Sell Jameson Williams: 07:17–10:20
• Sell Kimani Vidal: 10:20–13:23
• Drop Jakobi Meyers: 14:09–16:27

Final Thoughts

Ryan and Tara encourage fantasy managers to capitalize on injury dips and short-term sell-high windows while cutting bait on nonproductive players before it's too late. Their advice is grounded in current team trends, usage charts, and matchup analysis, all delivered with candor, practical examples, and a league-winning focus.

For all rankings and up-to-date advice, visit fantasypros.com/rankings.