Start Darnell Washington or Eli Raridon? Week 7

Our Week 7 call

Start Darnell Washington over Eli Raridon in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Darnell Washington at 5.9 points and Eli Raridon at 3.6, a gap of 2.2. No player market is posted for Darnell Washington this week yet, so his 5.9 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 5 (5.6 and 6.2); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Eli Raridon this week yet, so his 3.6 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 5 (3.7 and 3.6); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 7 player market is posted for Darnell Washington yet. His market-based projections were 5.6 and 6.2 points in Weeks 4 and 5, an average of 5.9, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

No Week 7 player market is posted for Eli Raridon yet. His market-based projections were 3.7 and 3.6 points in Weeks 4 and 5, an average of 3.6, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

That puts Darnell Washington 2.2 points ahead of Eli Raridon on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Darnell Washington and PIT visit NO on Sunday at 9:30 AM ET.

NO allowed 16.7 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 5 games, the 7th most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 71 yards and 0.4 touchdowns a game against NO.

Eli Raridon and NE visit CHI on Thursday at 8:15 PM ET.

CHI allowed 7.7 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 5 games, the 3rd fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 41 yards and no touchdowns a game against CHI.

By points allowed to the position, Darnell Washington has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Darnell Washington is not on the injury report.

Eli Raridon is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 6, Darnell Washington played 65 percent of PIT snaps, drew 10 percent of the targets, earned 6 percent of the air yards and had 13 percent of the red zone chances.

Darnell Washington, Week 3 against CIN: 47 of 62 snaps, 4 targets and 3 catches for 67 yards.

Darnell Washington, Week 4 against CLE: 51 of 72 snaps, 5 targets and 3 catches for 27 yards, 1 touchdown.

Darnell Washington, Week 5 against IND: 38 of 60 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 12 yards.

Darnell Washington, Week 6 against TB: 6 targets and 4 catches for 25 yards, 1 touchdown.

Through Week 6, Eli Raridon played 49 percent of NE snaps, drew 8 percent of the targets, earned 7 percent of the air yards and had 10 percent of the red zone chances.

Eli Raridon, Week 2 against PIT: 11 of 55 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 30 yards.

Eli Raridon, Week 4 against BUF: 44 of 76 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 12 yards.

Eli Raridon, Week 5 against LV: 43 of 75 snaps, 5 targets and 5 catches for 57 yards.

Eli Raridon, Week 6 against NYJ: 3 targets and 1 catch for 11 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Darnell Washington played 16 games for PIT and scored 73.4 PPR points, 4.6 a game, finishing TE39.

He caught 31 of 43 targets for 364 yards and 1 touchdown, with 8 red zone targets and 135 air yards.

He was on the field for 57 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

• Start AJ Barner over Darnell Washington.
• Start Darnell Washington over Austin Hooper.
• Start Cade Otton over Darnell Washington.
• Start Eli Raridon over Austin Hooper.
• Start Eli Raridon over Cole Kmet.
• Start Eli Raridon over Davis Allen.