Start Colston Loveland or Darren Waller? Week 7

Updated Oct 20, 3:51 PM ET. Locks at kickoff, graded after. Week 8 answer posts Tuesday.

Start Colston Loveland over Darren Waller

Start

Colston Loveland

TE · CHI · vs NE

Market projects: 11.3; fantasy pts
NE D vs TE: 10.2; 7th fewest to TEs (2026)
Upside: High; 94 of 100 at TE
Snap share: 86%; Through Week 6
Target share: 15%; Through Week 6

Sit

Darren Waller

TE · CAR · vs TB

Market projects: 8.1; recent weeks avg
TB D vs TE: 15.7; 10th most to TEs (2026)
Upside: Rising; 67 of 100 at TE
Snap share: 46%; Through Week 6
Target share: 12%; Through Week 6

Should I drop Darren Waller for Colston Loveland?

Yes, on the rest of the season. Colston Loveland projects 91 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (9.1 a game over 10 games), Darren Waller 78 (7.1 a game over 11 games). For Week 7 the call starts Colston Loveland over Darren Waller.

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Our Week 7 call

Start Colston Loveland over Darren Waller in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Colston Loveland at 11.3 points and Darren Waller at 8.1, a gap of 3.2. No player market is posted for Darren Waller this week yet, so his 8.1 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 6 (9.7 and 6.5); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 11.3 fantasy points for Colston Loveland, with 100 percent of the markets a TE needs posted.

The market-based projection for Colston Loveland is 44 receiving yards, 4-5 receptions and 0.4 touchdowns (12, 11 and 13 market sources).

No Week 7 player market is posted for Darren Waller yet. His market-based projections were 9.7 and 6.5 points in Weeks 4 and 6, an average of 8.1, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

The market-based projection for Darren Waller is 0.3 touchdowns (3 market sources).

That puts Colston Loveland 3.2 points ahead of Darren Waller on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Colston Loveland and CHI host NE on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.

NE allowed 10.2 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 7th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 47 yards and 0.2 touchdowns a game against NE.

Darren Waller and CAR host TB on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

TB allowed 15.7 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 10th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 56 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against TB.

By points allowed to the position, Darren Waller has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Colston Loveland is not on the injury report.

Darren Waller is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Colston Loveland played 86 percent of CHI snaps, drew 15 percent of the targets, earned 13 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Colston Loveland, Week 3 against PHI: 57 of 72 snaps, 4 targets and 4 catches for 31 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 4 against NYJ: 86 of 93 snaps, 9 targets and 6 catches for 57 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 5 against GB: 55 of 69 snaps, 5 targets and 2 catches for 19 yards.

Colston Loveland, Week 6 against ATL: 68 of 77 snaps, 7 targets and 6 catches for 65 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 6, Darren Waller played 46 percent of CAR snaps, drew 12 percent of the targets, earned 10 percent of the air yards and had 8 percent of the red zone chances.

Darren Waller, Week 2 against ATL: 29 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 3 catches for 33 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Darren Waller, Week 3 against CLE: 39 of 77 snaps, 8 targets and 5 catches for 51 yards.

Darren Waller, Week 4 against DET: 40 of 75 snaps, 6 targets and 3 catches for 36 yards.

Darren Waller, Week 6 against PHI: 36 of 79 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Colston Loveland played 16 games for CHI and scored 165.1 PPR points, 10.3 a game, finishing TE12.

He caught 58 of 82 targets for 713 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 14 red zone targets and 463 air yards.

He was on the field for 63 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Darren Waller played 9 games for MIA and scored 88.7 PPR points, 9.9 a game, finishing TE33.

He caught 24 of 34 targets for 283 yards and 6 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 210 air yards.

He was on the field for 45 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

Locks at kickoff, graded after. When the start/sit engine grades week 7, the call and the result appear on the public record, wrong ones included.

Drop or keep

Should I drop Darren Waller for Colston Loveland?
Yes, on the rest of the season. Colston Loveland projects 91 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (9.1 a game over 10 games), Darren Waller 78 (7.1 a game over 11 games). For Week 7 the call starts Colston Loveland over Darren Waller.
Should I drop Colston Loveland for Darren Waller?
No. Keep Colston Loveland: he projects 91 market-implied PPR points from Week 7 through Week 17 (9.1 a game over 10 games), Darren Waller 78 (7.1 a game over 11 games). For Week 7 the call starts Colston Loveland over Darren Waller.