Start Jalen Royals or Darius Cooper? Week 7

Our Week 7 call

Start Jalen Royals over Darius Cooper in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Jalen Royals at 5.8 points and Darius Cooper at 4.7, a gap of 1.1. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Darius Cooper this week yet, so his 4.7 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 5 (3.8 and 5.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 7 player market is posted for Darius Cooper yet. His market-based projections were 3.8 and 5.6 points in Weeks 4 and 5, an average of 4.7, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

The market-based projection for Darius Cooper is 0.2 touchdowns (13 market sources).

Player markets imply 5.8 fantasy points for Jalen Royals, with 100 percent of the markets a WR needs posted.

The market-based projection for Jalen Royals is 21 receiving yards, 2-3 receptions and 0.2 touchdowns (11, 12 and 12 market sources).

That puts Jalen Royals 1.1 points ahead of Darius Cooper on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Darius Cooper and PHI host DAL on Monday at 8:15 PM ET.

DAL allowed 36.2 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 7th most in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 169 yards and a touchdown a game against DAL.

Jalen Royals and KC visit SEA on Sunday at 8:20 PM ET.

SEA allowed 22.7 fantasy points a game to WRs this season over 6 games, the 2nd fewest in the league.

Receivers caught passes for 101 yards and 0.7 touchdowns a game against SEA.

By points allowed to the position, Darius Cooper has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Darius Cooper is not on the injury report.

Jalen Royals is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Darius Cooper played 52 percent of PHI snaps, drew 8 percent of the targets, earned 12 percent of the air yards and had 9 percent of the red zone chances.

Darius Cooper, Week 3 against CHI: 5 of 50 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Darius Cooper, Week 4 against LAR: 55 of 61 snaps, 7 targets and 3 catches for 33 yards, 2 touchdowns.

Darius Cooper, Week 5 against JAX: 53 of 62 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 71 yards, 1 touchdown.

Darius Cooper, Week 6 against CAR: 39 of 64 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 9 yards.

Through Week 6, Jalen Royals played 42 percent of KC snaps, drew 7 percent of the targets, earned 6 percent of the air yards and had 4 percent of the red zone chances.

Jalen Royals, Week 2 against IND: 12 of 80 snaps, 2 targets and 2 catches for 6 yards, 1 touchdown.

Jalen Royals, Week 3 against MIA: 10 of 52 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 11 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 4 against LV: 38 of 60 snaps, 2 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Jalen Royals, Week 6 against LAC: 45 of 61 snaps, 4 targets and 2 catches for 24 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Darius Cooper played 13 games for PHI and scored 18.2 PPR points, 1.4 a game.

He caught 9 of 11 targets for 92 yards and 0 touchdowns, with 0 red zone targets and 70 air yards.

He was on the field for 19 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Jalen Royals played 7 games for KC and scored 2.4 PPR points, 0.3 a game.

He caught 2 of 3 targets for 4 yards and 0 touchdowns, with 0 red zone targets and 0 air yards.

He was on the field for 9 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

• Start Adonai Mitchell over Darius Cooper.
• Start Brycen Tremayne over Darius Cooper.
• Start Darius Cooper over Calvin Ridley.
• Start Adonai Mitchell over Jalen Royals.
• Start Jalen Royals over Brycen Tremayne.
• Start Cooper Kupp over Jalen Royals.