Start Drew Sample or Jonnu Smith? Week 7

Our Week 7 call

Start Jonnu Smith over Drew Sample in Week 7.

Market-based projections have Jonnu Smith at 2.3 points and Drew Sample at 2.2, a gap of 0.0. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. No player market is posted for Jonnu Smith this week yet, so his 2.3 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4, 5 and 6 (2.1, 2.8 and 1.9); the call is rebuilt when his market posts. No player market is posted for Drew Sample this week yet, so his 2.2 is the average of his market-based projections in Weeks 4 and 5 (2.7 and 1.7); the call is rebuilt when his market posts.

What the market projects

No Week 7 player market is posted for Drew Sample yet. His market-based projections were 2.7 and 1.7 points in Weeks 4 and 5, an average of 2.2, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

No Week 7 player market is posted for Jonnu Smith yet. His market-based projections were 2.1, 2.8 and 1.9 points in Weeks 4, 5 and 6, an average of 2.3, which stands in until his Week 7 market posts.

The market-based projection for Jonnu Smith is 0.1 touchdowns (12 market sources).

That puts Jonnu Smith 0.0 points ahead of Drew Sample on these projections.

Week 7 matchups

Drew Sample and CIN visit BAL on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.

BAL allowed 10.5 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 6 games, the 8th fewest in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 36 yards and 0-1 touchdowns a game against BAL.

Jonnu Smith and GB visit DET on Sunday at 4:25 PM ET.

DET allowed 31.9 fantasy points a game to TEs this season over 5 games, the most in the league.

Tight ends caught passes for 109 yards and 1.8 touchdowns a game against DET.

By points allowed to the position, Jonnu Smith has the softer matchup.

Injury status

Drew Sample is not on the injury report.

Jonnu Smith is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 7

Through Week 5, Drew Sample played 50 percent of CIN snaps, drew 3 percent of the targets, earned 0 percent of the air yards and had 2 percent of the red zone chances.

Drew Sample, Week 2 against HOU: 36 of 60 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Drew Sample, Week 3 against PIT: 29 of 57 snaps, 2 targets and 1 catch for 0 yards.

Drew Sample, Week 4 against JAX: 20 of 76 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Drew Sample, Week 5 against MIA: 34 of 65 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 5 yards.

Through Week 6, Jonnu Smith played 28 percent of GB snaps, drew 3 percent of the targets, earned 3 percent of the air yards and had 2 percent of the red zone chances.

Jonnu Smith, Week 3 against ATL: 22 of 66 snaps, 3 targets and 2 catches for 16 yards.

Jonnu Smith, Week 4 against TB: 13 of 60 snaps, 1 target and 1 catch for 19 yards.

Jonnu Smith, Week 5 against CHI: 21 of 61 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Jonnu Smith, Week 6 against DAL: 9 of 75 snaps, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Drew Sample played 17 games for CIN and scored 31.9 PPR points, 1.9 a game, finishing TE64.

He caught 15 of 20 targets for 106 yards and 1 touchdown, with 1 red zone target and -3 air yards.

He was on the field for 52 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

In 2025, Jonnu Smith played 17 games for PIT and scored 85.2 PPR points, 5.0 a game, finishing TE35.

He caught 38 of 54 targets for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 7 red zone targets and 43 air yards.

He was on the field for 53 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 7 calls

• Start Drew Sample over Daniel Bellinger.
• Start Davis Allen over Drew Sample.
• Start Elijah Higgins over Drew Sample.
• Start Austin Hooper over Jonnu Smith.
• Start Cole Kmet over Jonnu Smith.
• Start Davis Allen over Jonnu Smith.