O-Line Rankings and Matchups to Exploit: Week 7

Oct 15, 2025

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Evaluating offensive line play regarding its effect on fantasy football output has been a stone unturned throughout our game within a game. Here at 4for4, we’re dedicated to looking at fantasy pieces from all angles, including an offensive line's positive and negative impact on that team’s fantasy assets.

Below, I’m going to be digging into specific weekly matchups between offensive lines and the opposing defense's aFPA —one of the many useful tools available to us here at 4for4. Many sites publish raw fantasy points allowed by position, but 4for4 goes a step further and adjusts those numbers for a defense’s relative year-to-date schedule strength. These numbers will continue to strengthen through more data points as the season progresses and, when compared to a team’s advantages within the trenches, will expose fantasy pieces we may not have otherwise considered

Editor's Note: Check out the complete set of Week 7 rankings here.

Let’s begin by diving into the passing game to see what offensive line/defense matchups we can exploit.

Favorable Quarterback Matchups

Quarterback Matchups
O-Line Ranking	Team	Opponent	aFPA	Difference
11	WAS	DAL	32	21
4	DET	TB	22	18
10	TB	DET	24	14
6	LAR	JAX	20	14
12	DAL	WAS	26	14
16	PIT	CIN	28	12
17	CHI	NO	25	8
22	NO	CHI	29	7
1	DEN	NYG	7	6
9	ATL	SF	13	4
15	GB	ARI	18	3
2	IND	LAC	4	2
8	PHI	MIN	10	2
18	ARI	GB	19	1
5	KC	LVR	6	1
19	BAL	BYE	19	0
3	BUF	BYE	3	0
31	CLE	MIA	30	-1
25	LAC	IND	23	-2
23	CAR	NYJ	21	-2
7	SF	ATL	3	-4
14	JAX	LAR	9	-5
32	CIN	PIT	27	-5
13	NE	TEN	5	-8
27	TEN	NE	17	-10
26	NYJ	CAR	14	-12
20	MIN	PHI	8	-12
30	HOU	SEA	16	-14
28	MIA	CLE	11	-17
29	LVR	KC	12	-17
21	SEA	HOU	1	-20
24	NYG	DEN	2	-22

Lions vs. Buccaneers

Both of these offenses actually have great matchups, so let’s just hit on each of the respective trenches in this likely shootout.

Starting with Detroit, the Lions have been playing without left tackle Taylor Decker while the long-time vet has been sidelined, but they’ve still managed to keep their adjusted sack rate (5.6%) and QB pressure rate (33.2%) afloat in the top-8 across the league. Decker would be a welcome return while the team is running out Dan Skipper, but with their bye week approaching, it seems more likely that they keep him on the sidelines. While the Bucs’ defensive line is mostly intact (outside of Calijah Kancey), the secondary could be missing Zyon McCollum, Benjamin Morrison, and Christian Izien; all pieces that would be desperately missed if the pass rush can’t get Jared Goff off his spot.

Flipping to when the Buccaneers have the ball, Detroit looks like they will be without much of their secondary as well, with Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, and Avonte Maddox all looking like they’ll be making a Week 9 return. After allowing 8.5 YPA and 0.20 EPA per target to opposing wide receivers through the first month of the season, those numbers have jumped to 9.6 YPA and 0.37 EPA/target over these last two weeks, and one of those games was against Jake Browning. It’s fair to assume Baker Mayfield will have some success in this situation.

What is more of a question mark is who exactly will take advantage of this matchup, and that may all come down to your preference/risk tolerance. While Amon-Ra St. Brown/Jameson Williams/Sam LaPorta are easy clicks on one hand, it’ll take more of a leap of faith to trust Tez Johnson or Kameron Johnson on the other. Sterling Shepard is my preferred Tampa Bay option as a low-end WR3 with some upside for more, while Cade Otton is an intriguing TE streamer as the team continues to deal with blows to the WR depth chart.

Rams @ Jaguars

The Rams found themselves in these digital pages last week in what we were hoping would be a decent matchup, and honestly, they kinda fell flat. The Baltimore Ravens defense had arguably their best game of the season —though it still ended in a 3-17 loss— and it certainly didn’t help that Puka Nacua left the field early. However, the L.A. pass protection still held up well, limiting the pressure rate on Matthew Stafford to a palatable 31.0% rate. We’ll see if right tackle Rob Havenstein returns from an ankle injury ahead of this matchup, but Warren McClendon faired well in Week 6, delivering a clean sheet (zero sacks/hurries/pressures) in a nice bounce-back performance.

Nacua’s status in this one is still up in the air, but if he suits up, he’ll be in fantasy lineups, so we can skip over him in deciding who would take advantage of a favorable matchup. Davante Adams is a must-play regardless of his teammate’s status, but would receive a noticeable boost without fantasy’s WR1. Behind that pair of studs, I’m of the belief that sophomore Jordan Whittington would be the biggest beneficiary if Nacua misses this week. He doesn’t offer the same type of speed that the diminutive Tutu Atwell does, but he has the size to handle some of the over-the-middle work that Nacua thrives in, making him an interesting dart throw WR4.

Favorable Defensive Matchups

Browns vs. Dolphins

While it’s been incredibly relieving to see De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle rip off chunk gains in a post-Tyreek Hill world, it’s still not quite enough for us to avoid targeting D/STs when they welcome the Dolphins into town. A lot of that has to do with Tua Tagovailoa’s league-leading 11 turnover-worthy plays that have led to seven interceptions, and a 20.6% pressure-to-sack rate, which ranks 27th out of 33 qualifying quarterbacks. Many of those pressures have come from the middle of the line, where rookie Jonah Savaiinaea is having a difficult time getting his footing. Savaiinaea’s 95.0 pass-blocking efficiency metric ranks 56th out of 57 qualifying guards, with his 19 pressures allowed “leading” the league.

There is always the threat of Myles Garrett coming off the edge, regardless of how strong the opposing offensive line is, but DTs Maliek Collins (15% - 6th) and Mason Graham (13% - 11th) also rank in the top-20 in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate at the position. Cleveland is still only rostered in 43% of Yahoo leagues, if you missed out on a good unit through the waiver run.

Patriots @ Titans

Brian Callahan is out the door, and with him went Papa Bill Callahan, who was attempting the difficult job of turning around this Tennessee Titans offensive line over the last year and a half. In the last game of the Callahans’ tenure, the highly anticipated return of last year’s seventh-overall pick, JC Latham, turned into a disaster. Latham surrendered three of Cam Ward’s six sacks, driving the team’s adjusted sack rate to 11.1% (30th) and pressure rate up to 40.3% (23rd).

The return of Tyjae Spears to a higher snap rate added a little bit of a spark (5.6 yards/touch), but the Titans still sit at 27th in RB yards before contact (0.98), ahead of this matchup against a Patriots defense that ranks third in defensive adjusted line yards (3.65). Tennessee will also likely be operating without Calvin Ridley, one more reason why they are slated with an implied team total of 17.75, the third-lowest of the slate (if it doesn’t drop even more by game time).

Favorable Running Back Matchups

Running Back Matchups
O-Line Ranking	Team	Opponent	aFPA	Difference
1	DEN	NYG	24	23
11	WAS	DAL	31	20
5	KC	LVR	22	17
16	PIT	CIN	32	16
2	IND	LAC	18	16
13	NE	TEN	29	16
9	ATL	SF	21	12
4	DET	TB	16	12
8	PHI	MIN	19	11
15	GB	ARI	23	8
6	LAR	JAX	14	8
20	MIN	PHI	25	5
22	NO	CHI	26	4
12	DAL	WAS	13	1
19	BAL	BYE	19	0
3	BUF	BYE	3	0
10	TB	DET	9	-1
24	NYG	DEN	20	-4
31	CLE	MIA	27	-4
7	SF	ATL	2	-5
21	SEA	HOU	15	-6
14	JAX	LAR	4	-10
17	CHI	NO	7	-10
25	LAC	IND	11	-14
18	ARI	GB	3	-15
23	CAR	NYJ	8	-15
32	CIN	PIT	17	-15
29	LVR	KC	12	-17
26	NYJ	CAR	6	-20
30	HOU	SEA	10	-20
27	TEN	NE	5	-22
28	MIA	CLE	1	-27

Commanders @ Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys defense is now the 32nd-ranked unit in terms of schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to opposing offenses, including 32nd in QB and WR aFPA and 31st in RB aFPA, so you can really attack them any way you see fit. While I’m not going to talk you out of Commanders’ passing game options, their o-line has been more adept in run-blocking than pass protection through their first six games, ranking 11th in adjusted line yards (4.51) and eighth in RB yards before contact (1.78).

Jacory Croskey-Merritt is an obvious play here, but I’d be willing to fire Jeremy McNichols up as a FLEX option in most scenarios. While the latter is unlikely to take many meaningful early-down snaps away from JCM, we could see him pop into fantasy box scores as a pass-catcher in a game with a massive 55.5 total, particularly if Terry McLaurin is forced to miss another game.

Broncos vs. Giants

After a 19-opportunity, 98-yard game back in Week 4, we got the proverbial rug pulled out from under RJ Harvey. In the two games since, he has 13 opportunities for 55 total yards, continuing to cede snaps to whoever the RB3 is on that given week (Tyler Badie, Jaleel McLaughlin, etc.). It makes the rookie incredibly difficult to trust, even in what we see as a good spot for him to pop back into the fantasy consciousness. In positive news, he **is** seeing targets out of the backfield; his 0.39 targets per route run rank second (behind Brashard Smith, oddly enough) among the running back position over the last month. He’s simply not seeing the field enough, but continue to hold him through byes wherever possible.

Harvey is a temporary fade in standard-sized leagues, but J.K. Dobbins should be an easy click as an RB2 here in Week 7.

Running Backs with Bad Matchups

As opposed to breaking down every bad matchup through the rest of the slate, here are some running backs I’m looking to avoid because of their poor offensive line and/or the strong defensive fronts they will be facing: