Do you know what’s great about fantasy football? That J.J. McCarthy can be a punchline one week and an intriguing waiver addition the next.
We are nothing as a people and a culture if not for redemption stories.
Young players often need a few seasons to get their bearings in the NFL. And sometimes a change of scenery can improve a player’s outlook. (Hello, Marvin Harrison Jr.)
There may yet be redemption for fantasy managers guilty of missteps in their drafts, and shrewd waiver maneuvering is a good way to be redeemed.
Let’s take a look at some players who could bolster your roster as we head into Week 7.
(And thanks as always to PFF’s Nate Jahnke for the snap and route data.)
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice: Week 7
Week 7 Waiver Grade: D
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings: Week 7
Note: Players chosen based upon having early-week consensus roster percent below 50%.
(Rostership percentages are based on Yahoo leagues; Recommended FAAB bids are based on a $100 budget.)
Running Backs
Jonah Coleman (RB – DEN): 29% Rostered
Next Opponents: @ARI, KC, @CAR
True Value: $4
Desperate Need: $8
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: Heading into Week 3, Jonah Coleman was a hot waiver pickup because it seemed as if J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey might both miss their next game with hamstring injuries, leaving Coleman with a lead-back role. It turned out Coleman had a high-ankle sprain that led to a stint on injured reserve (IR), while Dobbins and Harvey both played in Week 3.
Fantasy football can be a mischievous imp.
Coleman is eligible to come off IR this week and is expected to suit up for the Broncos’ Week 7 game against the Cardinals. He won’t command the sort of hefty FAAB bids he drew in Week 3, but Coleman is still worth your attention.
The Broncos’ offense is stuck in the mud. Denver has averaged 196 yards of offense over its last two games and has exceeded 300 yards of offense in a game only once this season. QB Bo Nix bears a large share of the blame, but Dobbins is averaging 3.3 yards per carry, while Harvey is averaging 3.9.
The Denver offense could use a spark, and perhaps Coleman could provide it. The rookie from Washington had a strong training camp and looked good in Week 2, when he had 10-39-1 rushing and 3-19-0 receiving against the Jaguars, who have the NFL’s best run defense by virtually any statistical measure. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that the Broncos rolled up a season-high 392 yards of offense against the Jags that week with Coleman prominently involved.
Although he has the straight-line speed of a tight end, the 5-8, 220-pound Coleman is hard to tackle, has good rushing instincts, is an able pass catcher, and is regarded as a good pass blocker.
Coleman has been out of sight, out of mind during his stay on IR. This is a good chance to acquire a talented young RB who has a chance to have an impactful role for a team in desperate need of an offensive catalyst.
Kendre Miller (RB – NO): 34% Rostered
Next Opponents: PIT, BYE, CLE
True Value: $3
Desperate Need: $6
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: Kendre Miller is in a New Orleans backfield committee that also includes Alvin Kamara and CJ Donaldson. Miller plays almost exclusively on early downs, and on Sunday he had a team-high 20 carries for 70 yards. He also had two catches on two targets, but those receptions gained zero yards.
The Saints’ running game has been ineffective, partly due to subpar offensive line play. Miller is averaging 3.1 yards per carry.
But rushing volume is valuable — especially during the bye weeks — and Miller has logged 30 carries over the last two weeks. Kamara is dealing with a back injury. Travis Etienne (hamstring) is eligible to come off IR in Week 9. Until Etienne is back, Miller should continue to get decent, flex-level rushing volume. It helps that Saints head coach and playcaller Kellen Moore runs his offense at a fast pace.
A tricky but playable matchup against the Steelers awaits Miller this week, and then the Saints are on bye in Week 8.
Miller is no backfield savior, but he could be a useful depth piece until Etienne comes back and clogs the New Orleans backfield.
Jaleel McLaughlin (RB – CLE): 10% Rostered
Next Opponents: @TEN, @PIT, @NO
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Whatever fantasy value Jaleel McLaughlin has is fragile and probably won’t be long-lasting.
Quinshon Judkins missed Week 6 with an ankle injury. The Browns’ other second-year running back, Dylan Sampson, has been out with a knee injury since Week 1, but he was back at practice last week and could be on the verge of a return.
With Judkins and Sampson out, McLaughlin played 61.9% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps in Week 6 and had 9-41-0 rushing and 4-14-0 on four targets.
If Judkins is back this week, McLaughlin’s fantasy value turns to dust. Even if Judkins and Sampson both remain out, McLaughlin would probably cede some early-down work in Week 7 to Audric Estime, who had a 30.2% snap share in Week 6 and had 9-19-1 rushing, getting a carry on nearly half of his 19 snaps.
Still, we have to mention McLaughlin as a waiver possibility in case he once again operates as Cleveland’s lead back in Week 7. If he does, a matchup against the Titans would make McLaughlin a top-30 RB option in another four-team bye week.
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHC): 5% Rostered
Next Opponents: NE, @SEA, TB
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: With Kyle Monangai sidelined by turf toe for a second straight week, Roschon Johnson once again backed up starting RB D’Andre Swift in Week 6 and had 13-51-1 rushing and 2-34-0 receiving on two targets against the Falcons.
Monangai could miss another week or two. It would be a stretch to project Johnson for another 15 touches against the Patriots in Week 7. The Bears ran 77 offensive plays and held the ball for just over 40 minutes of clock time in their Week 6 win over the Falcons, which pumped up Johnson’s workload.
Still, the Bears have one of the better rushing attacks in the league, and Johnson might be flex-worthy in deeper leagues this week with four teams on bye.
Bam Knight (RB – ARI): 0% Rostered
Next Opponents: DEN, @DAL, @SEA
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Bam Knight had 15-80-0 rushing and 2-18-0 on two targets for the Cardinals in their Week 6 upset of the Rams.
It was an unexpectedly run-friendly game script for the Cardinals, with Arizona running 72 offensive plays, and Knight and Tyler Allgeier combining for 33 carries. Allgeier out-snapped Knight 40-32.
Whatever fantasy value Knight has most likely evaporates as soon as rookie RB Jeremiyah Love returns from an ankle injury — and that could happen this week.
But if Love misses another game, Knight could be a flex option against a Broncos defense that has had trouble tackling and has given up 26.0 half-point PPR fantasy points per game to RBs.
Running Back Stash Candidates
Chiefs rookie Emmett Johnson is a dual run-catch threat who would inherit a big workload in a top offense if anything happened to Kenneth Walker III. Johnson is rostered in only 23% of Yahoo leagues.
Samaje Perine is unlikely to take Chase Brown‘s starting job in Cincinnati, but it was eye-opening when Perine out-carried Brown 14-13 in the Bengals’ Week 5 win over the Dolphins. Perine was also more effective with his carries in that game, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, while Brown averaged 3.0. Perine is one of the more essential handcuff RBs, and we can’t completely discount the possibility that he turns the Bengals’ backfield into a timeshare.
Week 6 was a good reminder that Brian Robinson Jr.‘s stand-alone value is fragile. After averaging 10.2 carries over his first five games, Robinson had just two carries for one yard Sunday against the Bears. Atlanta fell into a deep hole against Chicago, and a negative game script is not Robinson’s friend. But Robinson remains one of the top handcuff RBs in fantasy football as an insurance policy for Bijan Robinson investors.
Ashton Jeanty has been banged up all season. If Jeanty were to miss any time, rookie Mike Washington Jr. would assume a big workload for Las Vegas. A fourth-round pick out of Arkansas, the 6-1, 223-pound Washington is a size-speed freak who clocked a 4.33 at the scouting combine.
Ollie Gordon has seized command of Miami’s lead-back role, but we shouldn’t completely dismiss the possibility that Jaylen Wright plays a fantasy-relevant role at some point. Last season, it was often hard to discern whether Gordon or Wright was the top backup to De’Von Achane. It’s clear that Gordon is ahead of Wright on the depth chart now, but it’s worth keeping the speedy Wright on the radar and perhaps claiming him if you have a roster spot to spare.
Wide Receivers
Germie Bernard (WR – PIT): 50% Rostered
Next Opponents: CLE, BYE, @CIN
True Value: $10
Desperate Need: $18
Budget-Minded: $6
Analysis: This article usually doesn’t include players who are rostered in 50% or more of Yahoo leagues, but we’re making an exception for Germie Bernard, who’s rostered in exactly 50% of Yahoo leagues.
If Bernard is unrostered in one of your leagues, there’s a good chance it’s a shallow league with 10 or fewer teams or extremely short benches. Even if it’s that type of a league, Bernard should be rostered.
Injuries to WRs Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson have thrust Bernard into a substantial role, and the second-round rookie appears ready for it. In the Steelers’ 26-19 victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday, Bernard had 11-87-1 on 12 targets. He had a 27.3% target share in that contest.
The second-round rookie is going to be ranked inside the top 25 at receiver this week. If Bernard remains unrostered in your league, fix that.
Jordyn Tyson (WR – NO): 48% Rostered
Next Opponents: PIT, BYE, CLE
True Value: $6
Desperate Need: $12
Budget-Minded: $3
Analysis: Jordyn Tyson has been on IR with a hamstring injury and could be back as early as this week. The more likely scenario is that he returns in Week 9, after the Saints’ Week 8 bye.
Tyson was the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft, and some draft analysts believe he’s the most talented receiver in the rookie class. Tyson had a strong training camp before injuring his hamstring in a joint practice with the Jaguars. Durability was the biggest knock on Tyson coming out of college, since he had missed games with a variety of ailments.
The Saints have a high-volume passing game, and if Tyson can stay healthy, he could shine alongside star WR Chris Olave.
Tyson will only get more expensive once he’s back. This might be your last chance to get him at a reasonable price.
Omar Cooper Jr. (WR – NYJ): 4% Rostered
Next Opponents: MIA, LV, @KC
True Value: $3
Desperate Need: $6
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: In his first NFL game, Omar Cooper Jr. played just five offensive snaps and had a 30-yard catch on his only target before sustaining a high-ankle sprain that landed him on IR.
Cooper came off IR in Week 6 and had 6-103-1 on seven targets. His touchdown came on a 48-yard bomb. Cooper also had another touchdown negated by a dubious offensive pass interference penalty called against Jets WR Tim Patrick.
The 30th overall pick in this year’s draft, Cooper is a hard-nosed gamer who has good hands and is dangerous after the catch. He can also line up either outside or inside. (Cooper played in the slot on Sunday when the Jets used three-receiver sets.)
Cooper probably isn’t going to challenge Garrett Wilson‘s alpha receiver status on the Jets anytime soon, but he can be an effective No. 2 or No. 3.
Although the Jets could Adonai Mitchell back from a finger injury in a week or two, Cooper could be a solution for WR-needy fantasy teams. He has playable matchups against the Dolphins and Raiders the next two weeks.
Keenan Allen (WR – IND): 47% Rostered
Next Opponents: @MIN, @JAX, DAL
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Over his last three games, Keenan Allen has 19 catches for 190 yards on 29 targets. The 34-year-old Allen has drawn 11 more targets than fellow Colts WR Josh Downs over that stretch.
TE Tyler Warren missed the Colts’ Week 6 game against the Titans with a groin injury, and his absence might have contributed to Allen’s big target total. But Allen has become an important component in the Indy passing attack.
Allen has a nightmare matchup with the Vikings this week, but then he gets matchups with the pass-funnel Jacksonville defense and a Dallas defense that by most statistical measures has been the worst in the league.
It might be worth picking up Allen now, letting him ride your bench in Week 7, and then starting him in Weeks 8-9.
Tre Tucker (WR – LV): 45% Rostered
Next Opponents: LAR, @NYJ, @SF
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: Tre Tucker will draw waiver attention this week after putting up 5-97-2 on seven targets against the Bills in Week 6.
Tucker has had a couple of splashy games, including a 5-119-1 performance against the Chargers in Week 2. But his floor has been surprisingly sturdy. Tucker has caught at least four passes and has topped 40 receiving yards in five consecutive games.
The Rams present a tough matchup in Week 7, but Tucker is nevertheless playable in a four-team bye week.
Jakobi Meyers (WR – JAX): 47% Rostered
Next Opponents: BYE, IND, @BAL
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Jakobi Meyers is now being rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues, and he probably won’t be a popular waiver claim this week with the Jaguars on bye following their two-week residency in London.
A dependable eighth-year veteran, Meyers has 20-285-2 this season on 28 targets. Meyers had 5-83-0 on 10 targets against the Texans in Week 6, with season highs in targets and receiving yardage.
Parker Washington has become the Jaguars’ clear No. 1 receiver, but Meyers is No. 2 ahead of the disappointing Brian Thomas. That’s not a bad role when your quarterback is Trevor Lawrence and your playcaller is Liam Coen.
Meyers could be a useful depth piece if you don’t mind adding a receiver who isn’t playing this week.
Jaylin Noel (WR – HOU): 7% Rostered
Next Opponents: NYG, BYE, @LAC
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $3
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Second-year WR Jaylin Noel had the first 100-yard game of his career on Sunday, catching 4-of-4 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars in London. Noel had a 13-yard touchdown on Sunday and has scored a TD in each of his last two games.
The arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. via trade complicates the target outlook for Noel. Harrison played with Texans QB C.J. Stroud at Ohio State, so they have some chemistry. The Texans’ Nico Collins is often a target hog, of course. Xavier Hutchinson is also involved, and Tank Dell could return this week from the catastrophic knee injury he sustained in December 2024.
But Noel figures to remain the Texans’ primary slot receiver even after Dell comes back. A third-round pick out of Iowa State in 2025, Noel is an exceptional athlete who clocked a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and had a vertical jump of 41 1/2 inches.
Over his last three games, Noel has caught 12-of-12 targets for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He would have to grow his target share to become consistently fantasy-relevant, but Noel is an ascending player worth rostering in case he’s on the verge of a breakthrough.
Ja’Kobi Lane (WR – BAL): 12% Rostered
Next Opponents: CIN, @BUF, JAX
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $3
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Promising rookie Ja’Kobi Lane returned from a wrist injury Sunday and had 4-40-0 on five targets.
A third-round pick from USC, Lane was a standout in training camp. Longtime Ravens beat writer Jamison Henley wrote that in his 27 years of covering the team, Lane had one of the best performances he had seen from any Baltimore rookie.
In his first game back from injury, Lane played 54.4% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps, finishing third in WR targets behind Zay Flowers and Devontez Walker. Flowers is the unquestioned No. 1 receiver in Baltimore. Walker, despite his 37 offensive snaps in Week 6, had zero catches on two targets.
Rashod Bateman injured his shoulder on Sunday. If Bateman misses time, Lane will be assured of being on the field in three-receiver sets, and it probably won’t take much for Lane to pass Walker on the depth chart, based on how much buzz there was about Lane this summer.
Lane’s Week 6 numbers might have looked even better if Lamar Jackson had played, but Jackson’s ankle injury forced the Ravens to play Tyler Huntley at quarterback in a 13-10 loss to the Browns. Jackson is likely to return this week.
Lane is a good speculative addition.
Keon Coleman (WR – BUF): 31% Rostered
Next Opponents: BYE, BAL, @MIN
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $3
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: There’s a good chance DJ Moore will be back from his shoulder injury when the Bills emerge from their Week 7 bye, but Keon Coleman could still be fantasy-relevant upon Moore’s return.
Maybe this isn’t a true third-year breakout for Coleman, but it’s been at least a slight breakthrough for him. Coleman has scored a touchdown in three consecutive games. He has caught 79.2% of his 24 targets and is averaging 11.8 yards per target.
With the Bills on bye this week, you can probably acquire Coleman with a $1 or $2 bid and hope that this really is a third-year breakout and it’s just getting started.
Kendrick Bourne (WR – ARI): 19% Rostered
Next Opponents: DEN, @DAL, @SEA
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: With Marvin Harrison Jr. deactivated for the Cardinals’ Week 5 game and traded away to Houston before their Week 6 game, Kendrick Bourne has had 10-117-0 on 16 targets the last two weeks.
Now the No. 2 receiver for the pass-heavy Cardinals, Bourne can be a useful asset, particularly in PPR leagues. With 22 touchdowns in 133 career games, Bourne has never been a prolific TD scorer. But reception volume should keep Bourne fantasy viable. It’s worth noting, however, that the Cardinals frequently used 13 personnel on Sunday, with three tight ends and only one receiver on the field.
Bourne’s matchup against Denver this week is no picnic, but then he gets a fantastic matchup against the Cowboys and their asbestos pass defense in Week 8.
Adonai Mitchell (WR – NYJ): 15% Rostered
Next Opponents: MIA, LV, @KC
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Adonai Mitchell showed a spark early this season with 3-60-0 against the Titans in Week 1 and 6-63-0 on 12 targets against the Packers in Week 2, but a finger injury has kept Mitchell sidelined for the last four weeks.
Mitchell is likely to be back either this week or next. His impending return might have been more eagerly anticipated by waiver shoppers were it not for a dazzling Week 6 performance by rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr., who came off IR and had 6-103-1 on seven targets against the Patriots.
Mitchell might be worth a speculative addition, but keep the FAAB bids small.
Christian Kirk (WR – SF): 4% Rostered
Next Opponents: @ATL, BYE, LV
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: With Mike Evans leaving Monday night’s game with a foot injury, Deebo Samuel out with a hamstring injury and promising rookie De’Zhaun Stribling not expected to return from an ankle injury until the latter part of November, Christian Kirk could play a meaningful short-term role for the 49ers..
Kirk strained his calf on the first day of San Francisco’s training camp and has been on IR. He has been designated to return from IR, and if he doesn’t make his return against the Commanders on Monday night, he’ll almost certainly suit up against the Falcons in Week 7.
Since his 1,100-yard season with the Jaguars in 2022 and a productive but injury-shortened campaign with the Jags in 2023, Kirk hasn’t done much. He had 27-379-1 over eight games with Jacksonville in 2024 and 28-239-1 over 13 games with the Texans last year. Kirk averaged just 4.6 yards per target and 0.90 yards per route run in 2025.
Kirk, who turns 30 next month, could have a substantial role in one of the most efficient passing attacks in the league this week when the 49ers face a pass-funnel Falcons defense.
DeMario Douglas (WR – NE): 8% Rostered
Next Opponents: @CHI, @MIA, GB
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: A.J. Brown returned from a high-ankle sprain on Sunday, but DeMario Douglas was the Patriots’ most impactful pass catcher in Week 6, finishing with 7-86-1 on eight targets. Douglas has 151 receiving yards and three touchdowns over his last two games.
Brown’s return might have been a blemish on the near-term fantasy value of Douglas, but Romeo Doubs sustained a shoulder injury Sunday while hauling in a long TD pass from Drake Maye, and if Doubs misses time, Douglas could have low-level flex value during a run of favorable matchups against the Bears, Dolphins and Packers.
Wide Receiver Stash Candidates
The Dolphins have a league-low 849 passing yards and two touchdown passes through five games, but they have an intriguing pair of rookie receivers in Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas. Bell, who has an appealing combination of size (6-2, 228) and speed, might have been a first-round pick instead of a late third-rounder had he not torn his ACL last November while playing for Louisville. Douglas, a third-round pick from Texas Tech, was a standout in training camp and had 5-94-0 in Week 1 before sustaining an ankle injury in Week 2 that landed him on IR. He is expected to return this week as the Dolphins emerge from a Week 6 bye. Bell and Douglas are intriguing talents who might be worth stashing in case the Dolphins’ passing game starts to show a pulse.
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers (QB – PIT): 42% Rostered
Next Opponents: @NO, CLE, BYE
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: Aaron Rodgers has thrown multiple passes in four straight games, and he’s thrown for 235 or more yards in four straight games. The 42-year-old QB has averaged 38.5 pass attempts per game over that stretch.
The old man is dealing.
Rodgers faces a mediocre Saints defense this week, then gets a rematch with the Browns. In Week 4, Rodgers was 22-of-40 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in Pittsburgh’s 27-24 road loss in Cleveland.
Rodgers is a fine streaming option for the next two weeks.
Michael Penix Jr. (QB – ATL): 15% Rostered
Next Opponents: SF, @TB, CIN
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: In a week where palatable streaming QB options are limited, Michael Penix Jr. is a solid option.
Penix has thrown for at least 223 yards in all four of his starts this season. After throwing a single TD pass in each of his first three games, he threw for three touchdowns vs. the Bears in Week 6.
Although he’s averaging a modest 16.4 fantasy points per start, Penix has been efficient, averaging 8.6 yards per pass attempt. The Falcons are never going to be pass-heavy when they have Bijan Robinson in the backfield, so Penix needs to be efficient to have any fantasy value.
Penix has a tricky matchup this week against a 49ers defense that has given up 6.1 yards per pass attempt and has allowed five TD passes over its first five games. But the 49ers also have the sort of high-powered offense that could force the Falcons into a shootout and pump up the pass volume for Penix.
You could also use Penix against a pass-funnel Buccaneers defense in Week 8 and against the Bengals in Week 9.
J.J. McCarthy (QB – NYG): 1% Rostered
Next Opponents: @HOU, BYE, @PHI
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: We have to acknowledge that J.J. McCarthy was a complete train wreck in Minnesota last season and that his splashy performance in relief of Jameis Winston in Week 6 could absolutely be fool’s gold.
But sometimes new surroundings can make all the difference, and McCarthy looked like a different player Sunday while almost leading the Giants to a miracle comeback against the Saints.
Last season, McCarthy seemed to want to rocket every throw — even the ones that called for touch. In Week 6, McCarthy looked like more than just a one-speed passer. On the Giants’ final drive of the game, McCarthy layered a beautiful throw to TE Isaiah Likely for a 20-yard completion. It was the kind of throw McCarthy seemed incapable of last year.
McCarthy completed 11-of-21 passes for 243 yards with one touchdown and one interception in less than one quarter of action. McCarthy entered the game with 11:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. McCarthy also reminded us that he’s a dangerous runner with a 28-yard scramble on his final drive.
Are we on the verge of a McCarthy revival? It’s fair to be skeptical. But it might be worth a buck or two to see if McCarthy can finally live up to his first-round draft pedigree.
As of Monday, Giants head coach John Harbaugh had not announced whether Winston or McCarthy would start in Week 8, but things seem to be trending toward a McCarthy takeover.
Geno Smith (QB – NYJ): 7% Rostered
Next Opponents: MIA, LV, @KC
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Geno Smith can be an effective quarterback if he has time to throw, and this week he faces a Miami defense that has recorded four sacks in five games and has generated a pressure rate of 18.4% — among the lowest in the league. The Dolphins also have an opponent passer rating of 115.0 — among the highest in the league.
Smith added another weapon to his arsenal in Week 6, with rookie Omar Cooper coming back from an ankle injury on Sunday and catching six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Smith is a solid matchup-based streamer for Week 6.
Tanner McKee (QB – PHI): 4% Rostered
Next Opponents: DAL, @WSH, NYG
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: The Eagles’ offense is in tatters, with Jalen Hurts out for the season with blood clots in his lungs, and the Philadelphia offensive line unrecognizable after being so good in recent years and now being so ineffective.
Making his first start of the season in place of Hurts, Tanner McKee was 26-of-45 for 215 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions against the Panthers on Sunday. He averaged just 4.8 yards per pass attempt.
While it’s hard to gin up any enthusiasm for McKee or the Eagles’ offense, a Week 7 matchup against the Cowboys could make McKee a low-level streaming option. The Dallas pass defense has been atrocious this season, allowing the most fantasy points to opposing QBs.
Quarterback Stash Candidates
We don’t know what the Raiders’ internal timetable is for the switch from veteran QB Kirk Cousins to No. 1 draft pick Fernando Mendoza, but it’s possible the team could make that change soon. For the Raiders, this season is all about the transition to Mendoza as the starter. Now that Las Vegas has lost three straight games, any pretense of playoff contention can be set aside. There’s no guarantee Mendoza will be a useful fantasy asset in his first handful of NFL starts, but he’ll have value in superflex leagues and perhaps in some deeper 1QB formats.
Tight Ends
Terrance Ferguson (TE – LAR): 13% Rostered
Next Opponents: @LV, LAC, @WSH
True Value: $6
Desperate Need: $12
Budget-Minded: $3
Analysis: Davante Adams ruptured his hamstring in the final minutes of the Rams’ Week 6 loss to the Cardinals. He is expected to miss 6-10 weeks. The Rams already use a ton of two- and three-TE sets. With Adams on the shelf, it’s a good bet that the Rams will lean hard into multiple tight end usage.
Terrance Ferguson is on IR with an ankle injury but is eligible to come off in Week 8. Ferguson flashed his plus athleticism with 6-54-1 on nine targets against the Giants in Week 2. When Ferguson is back, there’s a good chance he’s the No. 2 target in the Rams’ passing game behind Puka Nacua. That’s a valuable role in an offense with Matthew Stafford at quarterback.
Big aggressively on Higbee this week if you’ve been looking for a long-term solution at the TE position.
Tyler Higbee (TE – LAR): 35% Rostered
Next Opponents: @LV, LAC, @WSH
True Value: $5
Desperate Need: $10
Budget-Minded: $2
Analysis: With Davante Adams expected to miss substantial time because of a hamstring injury, expected Rams head coach Sean McVay to lean hard on his tight ends. Terrance Ferguson is our favorite waiver target among the Rams’ TEs, but Tyler Higbee would be a fine consolation prize.
In 2025, the Rams’ tight ends combined for 150 targets, 103 catches, 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. We could see even better collective numbers for the Rams’ TEs this year with Adams out for so long.
Higbee had a relatively disappointing 4-22-0 stat line on four targets vs. the Cardinals in Week 6 after racking up 18-212-1 on 23 targets over his previous three games.
The Rams have a Week 7 matchup against a Raiders defense that has been getting worked over by tight ends this season. Higbee will be ranked in TE1 range this week. And even with fellow Rams TE Terrance Ferguson due to come off injured reserve in Week 8, Higbee should play a substantial role for the foreseeable future.
T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN): 33% Rostered
Next Opponents: IND, @DET, BUF
True Value: $2
Desperate Need: $4
Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: T.J. Hockenson sustained a concussion in Week 5, so you’ll want to check his status before bidding on him. But chances are he’ll be ready to go in Week 7 when the Vikings come out of their bye week.
Hockenson has an appealing Week 7 matchup against the Colts, who entered Week 6 having given up the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends. In Week 8, Hockenson gets an even better matchup against the Lions, who have allowed far and away the most fantasy points to TEs this year.
If you’re streaming tight ends, Hockenson should be able to more than adequately cover you at the position for the next two weeks.
Colby Parkinson (TE – LAR): 1% Rostered
Next Opponents: @LV, LAC, @WSH
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: As noted above, the injury to Davante Adams could lead to additional targets for the Rams’ tight ends.
Colby Parkinson played 12 fewer snaps and ran 10 fewer routes than Tyler Higbee in Week 6, but Parkinson had the better numbers, with 5-31-1 on six targets.
With Terrance Ferguson likely to return in Week 8, Parkinson will probably be third in the pass-catching pecking order among the Rams’ tight ends. Still, Parkinson could have streaming value in the coming weeks if Adams is out of the picture for a while.
Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT): 46% Rostered
Next Opponents: CLE, BYE, @CIN
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Pat Freiermuth has to share TE targets with Darnell Washington and hasn’t produced more than 46 receiving yards in a game this season, but he has four touchdowns and is averaging 3.5 catches per contest.
If you need to stream a tight end and don’t want to pay a lot for the privilege, spend a buck on Freiermuth and pray that he scores a touchdown against the Browns.
Michael Mayer (TE – LV): 8% Rostered
Next Opponents: LAR, @NYJ, @SF
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: The Raiders’ passing attack is unconventional in that the team’s No. 2 tight end is more fantasy-relevant than the No. 2 wide receiver.
Brock Bowers is not only the Raiders’ No. 1 tight end, but the No. 1 tight end in the entire NFL. To Michael Mayer‘s credit, he’s managing to thrive in Bowers’ shadow. Mayer actually outproduced Bowers in Week 6, with 7-95-0 on nine targets against the Bills. Bowers had 4-70-0 on nine targets.
Mayer is averaging 5.7 targets, 4.7 catches and 44.7 receiving yards per game. He’s playable in a pinch this week and can be a solid backup tight end in leagues where rostering more than one TE makes sense.
Defenses
Carolina Panthers: 21% Rostered
Next Opponents: TB, @GB, DEN
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Even with injury problems at cornerback, the Panthers’ defense proved in Week 6 that it could smother a lesser offense, limiting the Eagles to 14 points and 222 yards of offense.
This week, the Panthers face the Buccaneers, who have been starting undrafted rookie free agent Jalon Daniels at quarterback while Baker Mayfield recovers from a thumb injury. In three starts, Daniels has been sacked nine times and has thrown four interceptions.
Even if Mayfield returns this week, the Panthers will be in play as a streaming defense for Week 6.
New York Jets: 14% Rostered
Next Opponents: MIA, LV, @KC
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $2
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: The Jets have a sneaky-good defense. The Jets’ D has forced eight turnovers and recorded 17 sacks while holding three of its first six opponents to fewer than 200 yards of offense.
The Jets get a Week 7 date with the Dolphins, who have committed eight turnovers and taken 14 sacks in five games. Miami is averaging 14.0 points per game.
Cleveland Browns: 19% Rostered
Next Opponents: @TEN, @PIT, @NO
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Since Week 2, the Browns have held opponents to 17.6 points a game. This week, they face the Titans, who are averaging 14.0 points and 236.3 yards of offense per game.
The Titans are a great target for streaming defenses, and the Cleveland D has become respectable.
Tennessee Titans: 2% Rostered
Next Opponents: CLE, @CIN, BYE
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: The Titans are showing some incremental defensive improvement under head coach Robert Saleh.
Tennessee has a Week 7 matchup against Cleveland and QB Deshaun Watson, who has been sacked a league-high 24 times in six games.
Dallas Cowboys: 15% Rostered
Next Opponents: @PHI, ARI, @IND
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: This might be a hard sell in light of how poorly the Dallas defense has played this season, but the attraction here is a Week 7 matchup with the Eagles.
Plagued by offensive line woes and forced to play without starting QB Jalen Hurts, who has a blood clot in his leg, the Eagles generated only 14 points and 222 yards of offense Sunday against a Carolina defense that isn’t regarded as fearsome.
If you’re pinching FAAB pennies and want to grab a streaming defense with a zero-dollar bid, consider the Cowboys.
Kickers
Evan McPherson (K – CIN): 35% Rostered
Next Opponents: @BAL, TEN, @ATL
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Evan McPherson is perfect on the season, having gone 10-for-10 on field goals and 14-of-14 on extra points. He’s averaging 10.8 fantasy points per game.
The Bengals have one of the more potent offenses in the league and are averaging 25.6 points per game, giving McPherson a sturdy floor.
Jake Bates (K – DET): 28% Rostered
Next Opponents: GB, MIN, @MIA
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: The biggest drawback to having Jake Bates as your fantasy kicker is that Lions head coach Dan Campbell is hyper-aggressive about going for it on fourth down, often eschewing field goal opportunities to go for seven points.
But Bates is a fine kicker with a powerful leg, and he’s tied to arguably the league’s most powerful offense. Bates is 8-of-8 on field goals and 20-of-20 on extra points.
Chris Boswell (K – PIT): 25% Rostered
Next Opponents: @NO, CLE, BYE
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Chris Boswell kicked a season-high four field goals Sunday in the Steelers’ 26-19 overtime win against the Buccaneers. Boswell hooked a 48-yarder wide on Sunday — his fourth missed field goal of the season. Still, he’s averaging 2.2 made FGs per game and is a perfect 12-of-12 on extra points this season.
Boswell faces the Saints this week in France. New Orleans is yielding 11.6 fantasy points per game to kickers.
Matt Gay (K – LV): 26% Rostered
Next Opponents: LAR, @NYJ, @SF
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Matt Gay just keeps putting up points. He kicked three more field goals and three more extra points in Week 6.
Gay is 14-of-15 on field goals and 14-of-14 on extra points this year. He’s averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game and will get a dome matchup this week against the Rams in Las Vegas.
Ryan Fitzgerald (K – CAR): 2% Rostered
Next Opponents: TB, @GB, DEN
True Value: $1
Desperate Need: $1
Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: Ryan Fitzgerald is 11-of-11 on field goals this season. He was 2-of-2 Sunday in Philadelphia, with one of his FGs coming from 52 yards. Fitzgerald had had trouble with extra points, however — he missed his fourth one of the season on Sunday and is 11-of-15 on PATs.
Fitzgerald is averaging 10.4 fantasy points per game. He has a Week 7 matchup against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the most fantasy points to kickers this season.
Fool’s Gold
Travis Hunter, the Jaguars’ full-time cornerback and part-time wide receiver, had his most impactful pass-catching performance of the season on Sunday, with 4-59-1 on four targets. The second overall pick of the 2025 draft, Hunter is immensely talented but simply doesn’t get enough offensive snaps to warrant a spot on your roster. Hunter did all that damage on only nine snaps in Week 6, and he now has six catches for the season.
Elevated from the Texans’ practice squad last week, Jawhar Jordan had a key 25-yard TD run in the Texans’ Week 6 victory over the Jaguars as part of a 6-43-1 rushing day. Jordan also added a seven-yard catch. Jordan played only 22.2% of Houston’s offensive snaps on Sunday, so you would have a hard time starting him with any confidence against the Giants in Week 7. The Texans are on bye in Week 8, and it’s possible RB David Montgomery returns from his groin injury in Week 9, at which point the Texans’ backfield presumably goes back to being a two-man platoon with Montgomery and Woody Marks. We don’t recommend adding Jordan.
Corey Kiner led the Patriots in Week 6 rushing yardage with 11-57-0 against the Jets. But it’s hard to project Kiner for a fantasy-relevant role in a backfield that also includes Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
Rashid Shaheed will draw some waiver interest after producing 5-66-0 on eight targets against the Broncos last Thursday night. But those eight targets were a season high for Shaheed, who hadn’t caught more than three passes or produced more than 35 receiving yards in any of his previous five games. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold threw 51 passes against the Broncos last week, and the unusually high pass volume inflated Shaheed’s stat line. Don’t chase the dragon here.
Tommy Tremble had a pair of TD catches for the Panthers on Sunday. Although Tremble led the Carolina tight ends in snaps, routes and targets in Week 6, Tremble is not worth your attention. He’s had 25 or fewer receiving yards in three of the Panthers’ first five games.
Drop Recommendations
Droppable
Romeo Doubs‘ fantasy value was already going to take a hit with A.J. Brown‘s Week 6 return from a high-ankle sprain, but then Doubs injured his shoulder Sunday while laying out for a TD catch. Doubs is now droppable.
Terry McLaurin went down with what appeared to be a major knee injury in the Commanders’ Monday-night loss to the 49ers. If the injury is indeed season-ending, McLaurin investors will sadly have to bid adieu to a terrific receiver.
After being drafted at an ADP of QB15, Bo Nix is averaging 13.6 fantasy points per game. He’s averaging 174.8 passing yards per game and 5.6 yards per attempt. And after averaging better than 20 rushing yards per game in each of his first two seasons, Nix is averaging 6.2 rushing yards per game in 2025. He can’t be trusted even in a favorable matchup against the Cardinals this week.
Tyjae Spears played 23.9% of the Titans’ offensive snaps in Week 6 and had two touches — one carry, one catch. There were times during the preseason and in the early weeks of the season when it seemed as if the Titans’ backfield might be a near-timeshare, with Tony Pollard as the 1A, Spears as the 1B. But Pollard is now clearly the lead back in Tennessee, and the Titans’ offense is so impotent that it’s not worth holding a backup RB on this team.
It was unclear as of this writing whether the Giants would start Jameis Winston or J.J. McCarthy at quarterback in Week 7. Winston was benched in the second half of the Giants’ Week 6 loss to the Saints after throwing two interceptions and taking four sacks, and McCarthy played well after coming in. Even if Winston gets the start this week, he’ll be in danger of being benched if he starts slowly. He’s no longer a viable option at quarterback.
Droppable With a Chance of Regret
Davante Adams is expected to miss 6-10 weeks with a ruptured hamstring. Even if Adams only missed six weeks, he would be returning in Week 13, and presumably he’d need a short ramp-up period before being back to normal usage. It seems unlikely that Adams would be back in time to help fantasy teams this season.
The only reason Mark Andrews lands in this category instead of the flat-out droppable category is because Lamar Jackson‘s absence might partially explain Andrews’ sickly 1-4-0 stat line from the Ravens’ Week 6 loss to the Browns. But Andrews hasn’t been good with Jackson either. Through six games, Andrews has 23-181-1 on 30 targets. The 31-year-old tight end is averaging 5.5 yards per target after averaging a career-low 6.0 yards per target last season. Clearly on a downward trajectory, Andrews is by no means a must-hold.
Titans slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson isn’t a big-play guy and has never scored many touchdowns, so he needs catch volume to be valuable. He’s averaging 6.2 targets, 4.2 catches and 33.0 yards per game for the Titans, whose passing game continues to sputter with QB Cam Ward at the helm. Robinson is averaging 7.9 yards per catch and 5.4 yards per target. What’s particularly damning is that Robinson had only 3-22-0 on seven targets Sunday against a Colts defense that had been giving up 118 receiving yards per game to slot receivers. Feel free to dump Robinson if you need to free up a roster spot.
There were reports Sunday morning that the Giants were going to reduce the role of Cam Skattebo in Week 6. Skattebo fumbled four times in his first five games. The Giants recovered the first three of those fumbles, but Skattebo committed a costly turnover late in the Giants’ Week 5 game against the Commanders. That fumble nearly turned a probable win into a loss, but the Commanders’ clock-management issues late in the game resulted in a tie. The Giants threw Skattebo into fumble jail. He played only six snaps Sunday against the Saints and did not have a touch. Devin Singletary played 31 snaps for the Giants, Tyrone Tracy played 29, and Najee Harris played 11. It’s possible Skattebo’s stay in fumble jail is a short one. But it’s also possible he’s paroled into a committee. It’s not as if Skattebo was providing a bounty of fantasy value as a lead back. He was RB24 in half-point PPR fantasy scoring through Week 5. But with Skattebo’s outlook now uncertain, it’s acceptable to part with the second-year RB.
Don’t Drop Yet
Josh Downs has been held to four or fewer catches and fewer than 50 receiving yards in three consecutive games, and he has a dreadful matchup with the Vikings coming up this week. But Downs is better than his numbers suggest, and he’s at least worth a roster spot, if not a place in your starting lineup.
Ladd McConkey hasn’t been a factor since Week 3, but a foot injury was largely to blame, and then McConkey played only eight snaps on Sunday before being concussed. Hold McConkey through the Chargers’ Week 7 bye and hope that better health returns him to more characteristic form.
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