Soppe’s Week 7 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game

This game of ours is one of very little separation, and that makes every decision critical. As much as I’d love to help each of you with your specific fantasy football questions (I’ll try — @KyleSoppePFN), that’s a big ask.

What I can give you, every single week, are my takes. My statistical-backed rankings are available, but you, the devoted fantasy manager, need more than simply a number next to a name. You need to know why I stand where I do, and that’s my goal with this novel.

If you have a question, hit me up on X, but my hope is that this extended piece will give you the insight you’re looking for without relying on me landing on your specific question before lineups lock.

You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready — this piece is me staying ready to help you win the week!

Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers | PIT (at CIN)

Aaron Rodgers stayed consistent, continuing his every-other-game pattern of multiple TD tosses.

The scores are always nice to get, but in this dink-and-dunk scheme, where’s the upside for a pocket-locked 41-year-old?

Realistically, there isn’t one. He’s yet to throw for 245 yards in a game and has one week of usability despite completing 68.8% of his attempts this season.

A plus matchup and a Hall of Fame name is an enticing combination, but I’m not going this way in single-quarterback leagues if I don’t have to.

Baker Mayfield | TB (at DET)

The smart kid in class is always going to end up with a good grade on a group project, right?

Even if surrounded by average (or worse) students, he/she won’t let the team fail. I know this not from experience of being that type of elevating talent, but from marrying that person (yes, we met during a group project in high school and only one of us targeted the group as an easy grade).

It worked for me, and it is working for any of you who made a commitment to Baker Mayfield this season.

Coming into the season, we thought this would be a loaded offense, but every week brings new obstacles. We had games with and without Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Bucky Irving.

None of it matters. Emeka Egbuka has been at the center of most of Mayfield’s production this season, but he was lost on Sunday, and it didn’t matter. Tez Johnson is the size of your average accountant, and Kam Johnson is a name I associate more with the National Basketball Association.

Doesn’t matter. They both scored, helping Mayfield clear 19 fantasy points for the fifth time in six weeks. I’d rather he not be forced to produce with one hand tied behind his back, but we are seeing him elevate talent weekly, and there are no signs of regression.

Last season, Mayfield had 12 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on balls thrown 3+ yards past the sticks. Through six weeks, his 74 such attempts this season have yielded nine scores and zero picks. He’s the George Pickens of quarterbacks, in that there is a direct correlation between confidence level and production.

As long as you believe that Mayfield would tell you to start him in fantasy, you start him in fantasy.

Bo Nix | DEN (vs NYG)

It was far from a masterpiece on Sunday morning for Bo Nix (19-of-30 for 174 yards and one TD against the Jets), but he reached 20 rushing yards for the fourth time in five games and got the Broncos their third straight victory.

Is there a path for him to regain his footing as a set-it-and-forget-it QB?

I think there is, but it’s far from a layup. I’m encouraged by his willingness to spread the ball around (six players had multiple receptions last week), along with the production he is capable of on the ground.

MORE: Free Fantasy Football Start/Sit Optimizer

The problem isn’t production windows; it’s consistency over 60 minutes. Nix didn’t have a single yard passing in the third quarter last week, and with multiple pass TDs in just one of his past four, the development as a passer isn’t getting us the numbers we need to make him a lineup lock.

I’m ranking Nix over the streamers of the week, but not by much until we see him produce through the air against a non-Bengals defense (190.2 passing yards per game this season when not playing Cincinnati).

Brock Purdy | SF (vs ATL)

Brock Purdy tried to return from this toe injury in Week 4 and lasted long enough to throw 38 passes, but the setback has sidelined him for every week since.

The raw talent on this roster has helped Purdy average north of 4,000 passing yards and 29 pass-plus-rush TDs over the previous two seasons. If the Injury Fairy sprinkles pixie dust on this organization, there is loads of fantasy potential to chase, and that’s why I think a player like Purdy needs to be held, but not played right now.

• Week 11 at Cardinals
• Week 12 vs. Panthers
• Week 15 vs. Titans
• Week 17 vs. Bears

He’s going to be on the QB1 radar with time and a little bit of health fortune. I’m not interested in playing a compromised version of him until we know that he’s far enough past this injury for it not to impact how he plays, and for that to be the case, I need proof.

I’m not playing Purdy in the week he returns, whenever that may be.

Bryce Young | CAR (at NYJ)

Getting Tetairoa McMillan the first two touchdowns of his career was good to see, but there’s nothing to see here.

In home games against the porous Dolphins and Cowboys over the past two weeks, Bryce Young was intercepted in both games and cleared 200 yards through the air in neither. He had a chance to prove himself as a viable streamer, and that opportunity is now gone.

Young ran for 40 yards in the season opener against the Jags. But he’s picked up just 19 yards on the ground since, eliminating his chances of being even remotely interesting in streaming situations for standard-sized leagues.

C.J. Stroud | HOU (at SEA)

Before the bye, C.J. Stroud gave us his top two performances of the season. The numbers were nothing short of great (81.8% complete with six touchdowns and zero interceptions), but we do need to take into account the competition.

The first of those two games came against a then-winless Titans team that had allowed 74 points over the previous two weeks, and the second against a Ravens team that was one injury shy of lining up the janitor across from Nico Collins.

Stroud took care of the matchups he was supposed to, but we need at least one more data point before even suggesting that the rookie-season version of him is back in our lives.

This Seattle defense has looked good for most of this season, and I think this will be an interesting chess match. The Seahawks rarely blitz, but when they do, they rank among the best at creating chaos.

Do they ramp up the blitz rate against the weakness of this Houston team? My guess would be “yes,” and that comes with a wide range of outcomes.

If they get home, Stroud might not be a top 20 QB this week. If not, we are looking at a lot of Collins (36.1% blitzed target share), and that’s generally optimal.

The 24.4 rushing yards per game for Stroud is encouraging, and I’m optimistic that this game can be something of a turning point, but the responsible ranker in me has to consider both sides, and that means he’s sitting just outside of my top 12 for the week.

Caleb Williams | CHI (vs NO)

Caleb Williams continues to impress me, and I think the skill set is in place for him to threaten the top 7 at the position for sustained periods of time down the stretch of this season and over the course of the next handful of years.

For his career, Williams has a 21:3 TD/INT ratio from the pocket and routinely showcases the type of plus-athleticism that it takes to post impressive fantasy numbers. He got the touchdown rush on Monday night against the Commanders on a beautiful design, and that’s the other piece of this: Ben Johnson.

The stage is set for a top-5 performance this week, as the Saints have shown a few times already this season that they can do anything to slow mobile QBs. Chicago has a brutal schedule from the middle of November on, so there may be a sell-high window after Sunday, but for dynasty managers, I think you have the real deal.

Cameron Ward | TEN (vs NE)

Cam Ward is struggling right now, but it was never about 2025 for the Titans. He’s thrown 38+ passes in three of his past four games, and this is simply a trial-by-fire season now that the head coach has been canned.

What gets overlooked in the learning process is that learning what not to do is just as valuable as learning what works, sometimes more so.

I burned my hand on the stove when I was like six years old, and I haven’t made that mistake again, but I struggle to make a good chicken parmesan twice in a row. The struggles help provide bumpers to success, and that is what 2025 is for Ward.

Dynasty managers should sit tight and not worry about the two-touchdown-per-month pace that we’ve gotten from the former Hurricane thus far.

Carson Wentz | MIN (vs PHI)

Carson Wentz had multiple touchdown passes in two of three starts, but he also threw a pair of picks and was sacked 12 times.

We were under no illusion that he was going to win this job over a potential franchise quarterback in J.J. McCarthy. Still, we were cautiously optimistic that Kevin O’Connell could spin some magic and make him a viable option in the right spot should McCarthy struggle to get back on the field.

No dice.

I expect the kid back under center this week following the bye, but it doesn’t really matter for this conversation. Wentz can get Justin Jefferson the ball, and that’s great, but he’s not the type of QB I’m trusting with my fantasy fate, even if he were to sit atop this depth chart at another point in time this season.

Dak Prescott | DAL (vs WAS)

So, I guess all we had to do was get that pesky CeeDee Lamb guy off the field to unlock fantasy MVP status for Dak Prescott?

I’m kidding, but he has at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions in all three games in which his WR1 has been sidelined. On Sunday in Carolina, Prescott completed 8-of-11 passes with three touchdowns when throwing beyond the sticks, numbers that you’d assume would be at risk with Lamb out.

The Cowboys are Failing Dak Prescott

Dak’s MVP season is going to be wasted unless the Cowboys defense can get better.

Full Breakdown: https://t.co/3sGsCSSZIA pic.twitter.com/uZEFMMrjQl

— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) October 15, 2025

He is Joe Burrow from last season, and that means you’re starting him with the utmost confidence every week. Last season, he threw for 610 yards and eight scores against the Commanders across two games, and in six of his past eight games playing opposite the Washington franchise, he’s cleared 25 fantasy points.

Would I prefer Lamb return? Of course. Do I need it? The past data says no, not at all.

Daniel Jones | IND (at LAC)

Daniel Jones has multiple TD passes in consecutive games after going through all of September without a single such showing, and he continues to comfortably lead this offense that is showing no signs of slowing down.

He added his fourth rush TD of the season on Sunday against the Cardinals, and he’s going to need to keep giving you those short touchdowns to be a weekly asset.

As athletic as he is, he’s been more of a spot rusher (3.2 yards per carry), and the passing yardage totals aren’t reliable (under 230 in three of his past four).

Los Angeles has a strong defense, but it’s underwhelmed in consecutive weeks, and this Colts machine is the type that can extend those struggles. Tua Tagovailoa took Miami down the field when it mattered most last week, thriving in large part thanks to a consistently successful ground game.

Jonathan Taylor is as good a bet as any to put Jones in a similar spot, and that’s why I’ve got Jones labeled as a high-floor option, even if the fantasy isn’t elite.

Dillon Gabriel | CLE (vs MIA)

The Browns are letting Dillon Gabriel cut it loose, and I think that’s a logical strategy, but it doesn’t mean we have to be the least bit interested.

In his first career start, the former Duck averaged 5.8 yards per attempt against the Vikings, and this past week, 4.3 against the Steelers.

Obviously, this matchup is more favorable than those, and it stands to reason he will look better with time, but he doesn’t stretch the field or pick up those “free” points with his legs.

He’s basically Rodgers, and for most of his life, that would have been a tremendous compliment.

It’s not right now.

I like that he’s concentrating on targets (45.1% went to either Jerry Jeudy or Harold Fannin Jr.), but that’s more impactful for the names around him than for Gabriel himself.

Drake Maye | NE (at TEN)

Every week Drake Maye laces them up, I get a little more impressed.

In New Orleans last week, he had a 5-yard completion and a 20-yard run in the same game for the first time in his career. He didn’t throw a pick for a third straight game and has multiple TD passes in four of his past five.

What can’t baby Josh Allen do?

The advanced metrics are what I didn’t think would be at this level this season, let alone in October. For the season, he’s 39-of-52 for 440 yards and five touchdowns against the blitz, numbers that highlight his ability to diagnose and dominate.

The second-year QB is matchup-proof and a real threat to be a top-5 producer at the position for the remainder of the season (not that you need to be “matchup-proof” to beat the Titans, but I thought you could use the reassurance with some more difficult matchups on the horizon).

You’re welcome.

Geno Smith | LV (at KC)

Geno Smith has thrown more touchdown passes than interceptions just once this season, and that doesn’t even begin to detail the struggles.

He’s just 3-of-10 when throwing deep over the past three weeks and is close to useless when pressured (24.8 passer rating courtesy of five interceptions and zero touchdowns). Behind an iffy offensive line and facing a defense that will have its ears pinned back for most of the night, Smith finishing as a top 25 QB this week would be an accomplishment.

J.J. McCarthy | MIN (vs PHI)

J.J. McCarthy hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury in Week 2. While he has more interceptions than touchdowns on his 41 professional passes, there were some fantasy-friendly portions of what we saw before this extended absence.

Not only did he show confidence down the field (9.0 air yards per throw), but he made Justin Jefferson a priority (31.7% target share) and ran for 25 yards in both of his starts. The profile is encouraging, and while he doesn’t need to be rostered in one-QB leagues right now (there’s no way you’re playing him in any of the next three weeks), I’d encourage you to keep an open mind.

He gets to run through the NFC East to open up December (the Commanders in Week 14 before taking the show on the road for the next two weeks against the Cowboys and Giants), favorable spots at a very important time on the fantasy calendar.

There’s no action to take now, but if you told me that you planned to pick him up ahead of the Ravens matchup in Week 10 and wanted to go from there, I’d give it the green light.

Jacoby Brissett | ARI (vs GB)

Talk about a player put into a position to fail.

Backup quarterbacks are rarely in good spots, but facing a hot Colts team and losing your WR1 early (concussion) isn’t exactly ideal.

Jacoby Brissett was better than expected by a wide margin.

There were six different Cardinals with a 20+-yard reception on Sunday, and he loaded up Trey McBride with 28.2% of his targets. Brissett himself doesn’t need to be on your radar this weekend, should he get another start, but if that is the situation we find ourselves in, I don’t think you have to fear that your Cardinals are swimming upstream the same way the Bengals were when Jake Browning took over.

Jalen Hurts | PHI (at MIN)

I thought Jalen Hurts was average at best on Thursday night, and yet, he still gave his fantasy managers what they needed.

In every game this season, he has a rushing score OR multiple passing touchdowns, continuing to prove himself as one of the three players with the highest floor in our game.

The ceiling? That can be questioned. He’s run for a total of just 16 yards over the past two weeks and is averaging just 19.5 completions per game this season.

It’ll be OK.

The ability to produce impactful numbers on a “bad” day is more valuable than any upside limitations are harmful, and with him pacing for a third straight season of growth in red zone completion percentage, I’d venture to say that he is more valuable moving forward than he has been up to this point.

Hurts is precisely the type of profile you use when selling the “draft a QB early” draft strategy for 2023. Caleb Williams is going to have his spike weeks. Jordan Love can look like a game-changer at points, and Jared Goff, in the right spot, can look like an MVP candidate.

All of those things CAN happen, but they all cost you a few poor weeks to get there. Hurts offers a similar ceiling case, and you don’t have to suffer through the lost weeks to get there.

Jared Goff | DET (vs TB)

Jared Goff is going to do what Jared Goff is going to do.

It’s productive, but it’s not the most fantasy-friendly skill set.

Goff has completed north of 70% of his throws in five of six games and has multiple passing scores in three straight. He makes the right call on almost every snap, which is generally good for winning NFL games, but not great for us who live in the fantasy world.

The irony of a conservative QB (7.0 aDOT or less in every season with Detroit) leading a Dan Campbell team is not lost on me. It’s a yin-and-yang situation that works for this team.

There’s a chance he gets caught up in a shootout with Baker Mayfield this week, but what’s most likely is a low-possession game where Detroit’s offense is on the field for 35 minutes. That means a lot of the running backs and maybe another 200-2-0 type of line from Goff.

If that’s the case, he’s not worth starting in standard-sized leagues. The Bucs allow the sixth-most yards per deep completion this season, so if you told me that a single Goff bomb vaulted him from QB14 to QB9, I wouldn’t be shocked, but you’re playing him for the high floor and hoping that your skill position players do more of the heavy lifting.

Jaxson Dart | NYG (at DEN)

I’ll give you all the numbers you want in a second, but the calm maturity of Jaxson Dart is what jumps off the screen most at me. The athleticism is inspiring, but without the right mindset, it’s a useless weapon.

Within the pocket, outside the pocket, first-and-10, third-and-goal … nothing seems to have him off kilter. Those touch-anticipation throws are usually reserved for veterans who have made mistakes and learned from them. Dart is already doing it, and he’s doing it with what will likely be the worst set of pass catchers he sees for the foreseeable future.

Dart has at least 50 rushing yards and a passing touchdown while completing at least 65% of his passes in three straight games. He’s the third player with such a streak since 2000.

Not the third Giant. Not the third rookie.

The third player, joining 2019 Lamar Jackson and 2020 Kyler Murray.

The varied skill set is fantasy-friendly, and it’s clearly increasing New York’s win expectancy, making it something I think we can bank on. This is a tough matchup, but that opens the door for an increase in volume of opportunities to offset any decline in projected efficiency.

He falls just outside of my QB1 tier this week, but not by much. I’ll do a piece on it as we get closer, but how many QBs will you rank ahead of him for the Week 15-17 playoff run?

• Week 15 vs. Washington Commanders
• Week 16 vs. Minnesota Vikings
• Week 17 at Las Vegas Raiders

Jayden Daniels | WAS (at DAL)

The conditions were far from optimal on Monday night, and he was again without his WR1 in Terry McLaurin, but Jayden Daniels threw three touchdown passes and ran 10 times.

This is what elite fantasy assets do: they don’t take “no” for an answer.

Daniels was far from perfect in the loss to Chicago, but he gets it done for his fantasy managers in an awfully consistent manner.

Dallas “held” Bryce Young to 18.5 fantasy points last week, their best defensive showing in terms of QB points allowed this season (previous low: 24.3). With that sort of baked-in floor, I’m not sure how anyone besides Daniels sits atop the QB rankings for Week 7.

In 2024, 46.5% of his fantasy points against the ‘Boys came on the ground. I think he’s a better thrower of the ball today than he was last year, and you could certainly argue that there is more of a desire for him to use his legs.

We could be looking at a matchup-winning sort of week from the second-year star. Buckle up!

Joe Flacco | CIN (vs PIT)

Joe Flacco was traded five days before taking on Micah Parsons and a rested Pacers team in Lambeau.

I’m not exactly sure who he made angry to deserve that set of circumstances, but he did throw for 219 yards and two touchdowns without an interception — a stat line I think we have to label a success.

There’s no fantasy appeal here. At best, he can keep Ja’Marr Chase as a WR1 and Tee Higgins as viable weekly, but he struggled earlier this season with the Browns and doesn’t come with a fantasy-friendly skill set at this point in his career.

Jordan Love | GB (at ARI)

Jordan Love has finished better than QB17 just twice this season as he’s struggled to put everything together. In five games, he’s thrown multiple touchdowns three times, cleared 290 yards through the air twice, and run for north of 15 yards on three occasions.

All the skills seem to be there, and maybe this is one of the weeks he puts them all together (Daniel Jones and Bryce Young both finished with over 20 fantasy points against Arizona).

Love threw a bad interception on the first drive last week, but it was a mistake made out of aggression. I’d like to see more of that.

Not the mistake part, obviously, but the willingness to take a shot. His aDOT and deep pass rate are both down this year from last, a confusing development given Jayden Reed is sidelined and Matthew Golden was drafted in the first round.

If we are going to unlock Love as a weekly threat to the top 12, I think the coaching staff has to embolden him and encourage him to take some swings.

The running game will make him dangerous (8.9 YPA with four touchdowns in play-action spots this season), and with a little more upside through the air, I’m hopeful that Love can hit his stride over the next month in time for a pair of Chicago games that come in December.

Justin Fields | NYJ (vs CAR)

The Broncos’ defense is tough (though we did see a mobile QB hang at least 19.5 fantasy points on them in two of their first five games), and playing in London can be difficult, but what we saw Sunday morning is a reminder that, despite the upside that comes with his athleticism, Justin Fields will carry an ultra-low floor until he irons out the passing thing.

Early on, the Jets had six points on the board, and their QB had … wait for it … fewer passing yards than you.

New York showed zero confidence in their offense, and that was telling. I’m not hesitating to start Fields in this great matchup, where his WR1 doesn’t figure to be locked up in quite the same way, and there should be more success on the ground to help open up throwing lanes.

That said, it’s important not to give Fields the same type of ceiling expectations that the other mobile QBs come with. The numbers on the ground are a cheat code, but rarely are they enough by themselves to support a top 10 signal-caller.

With the Panthers this week and the Bengals on deck, it’s easy to see a situation where the steam behind Fields’ stock picks back up. I’d be fine with riding the wave and cashing this chip in before the Week 9 bye (games against the Browns, Patriots, Ravens, and Falcons loom post-bye, all of which could be reasonably tough spots if those units are healthy).

Fields is a rare athlete, but his mean production projection is rather ordinary and comes with an outcomes range that is difficult to swallow.

Justin Herbert | LAC (vs IND)

Justin Herbert is playing mature football, and that’s what Jim Harbaugh wants. The high-end fantasy production will follow with time; that’s something we have to have faith in.

Even without Quentin Johnston at his disposal, Herbert completed over three-quarters of his passes for a second straight contest. Sometimes these plus-plus matchups (at MIA) can give us some misleading stats, but I think this sticks.

Over the past two weeks, he’s completed 50% of his out-of-pocket passes with three touchdowns. In September, he completed 38.9% of his passes in those situations, resulting in two scores.

Over the past month, we’ve been getting passing production OR rushing production from Herbert. The ability to do both is all we can ask for, and I trust that, with time, we will get more instances where all of his skills are on display in the same game.

Kyler Murray | ARI (vs GB)

Kyler Murray played in every game last season after dealing with the injury bug for the previous two (19 games played and 15 missed), but he sat last week, and this foot sprain doesn’t sound like the type of thing that a mobile QB recovers from in a hurry.

With Arizona going on bye next week and an extra day of prep ahead of their Monday night showdown with the Cowboys in Week 9, my reflex is to have your secondary option ready this week and hope for the best as we get into November.

The problem is that “the best” hasn’t been all that good for fantasy managers. Murray’s best weekly finish this season is QB14, and he’s on a career-low pace in terms of yards per completion.

RELATED: Fantasy Football Cut List Week 7: Kyler Murray, Tyrone Tracy, Brandon Aiyuk, and Others

The rushing numbers have been stable (25+ in all five of his starts), but without much passing upside (two multi-TD games with a 220-yard ceiling), he’s little better than replacement level at this point.

The looming matchup with the Cowboys will be interesting if we assume he’s back, but the schedule stiffens after that, making Nov. 4 potentially “sell Kyler Murray day” should he look the part the night prior.

Mac Jones | SF (vs ATL)

I don’t want to say that the clock struck midnight on Mac Jones over the weekend because he still threw for 347 yards against the Buccaneers, but he didn’t account for a touchdown, threw a pair of picks, and lost 51 yards via six sacks.

I can’t really put all the blame at his feet; he’s working with a backup cast and doing the best he can, but when Jake Tonges is consistently a featured part of your attack, there’s some downside to consider.

What Jones could do in this spot intrigues me should he get two valuable pieces back (George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall), though that remains to be seen, and it’s just as likely that Brock Purdy (toe) returns to start for this team.

I love that Jones funneled 24 of 37 targets (64.9%) to his three primary weapons, and that five different players had catches of more than 15 yards. He’s done enough, along with the scheming excellence of Kyle Shanahan, to be worthy of your consideration when he gets a chance, but I’m only going this direction this week if he has more in the way of reinforcements.

Matthew Stafford | LAR (at JAX)

If you removed clocks, we’d struggle to tell time, so with Puka Nacua compromised, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Matthew Stafford struggled to make the most of a seemingly perfect matchup.

Los Angeles was unable to stay on the field (under 23 minutes of possession), and that’s always going to kill the upside of a pocket-locked signal caller.

Stafford did what you’d expect and funneled 34.6% of his targets to Davante Adams, but this isn’t peak Adams, and without much depth around him, failure at this level (181 pass yards after throwing for 389 last week against a better defense) was likely to happen.

We will see about the status of Nacua for the London game this week, but I’m not the least bit tempted to call Stafford’s number regardless. Allen is on bye, and so is Lamar Jackson, but you’ve been filling the Jackson void for each of the past two weeks.

The streaming options are weak this week, but Aaron Rodgers (at CIN) or even C.J. Stroud (at SEA) coming off the bye could be sold to me.

Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at SF)

This is part of the developmental process.

Michael Penix looks a lot like Cam Ward when I turn on the TV, in that there are some plays made at a high level and others missed without much reason.

I thought he showed well for himself in the upset of the Bills last week, but it didn’t really pay off in fantasy points (250 pass yards, one TD, 6 rushing yards).

He was what the Falcons needed, and he continues to load up his talented teammates with as much usage as they can handle. That’s the path to success for Atlanta, but not us.

Penix has just one game with multiple touchdown passes this season and has a total of 16 rushing yards over his past four. Steps are being taken, and that’s good for the long-term fantasy picture.

Patrick Mahomes | KC (vs LV)

Patrick Mahomes played 16 games last season and totaled 42.7 points with his legs: through six weeks this season, he has 46.2.

Oh, and he has eight touchdowns against just one interception over the past three weeks.

Did I mention he gets his WR1 back from suspension this week? Or that he averages 23.4 fantasy points per game over his career against the Raiders with a 33:5 TD/INT rate in those 14 games?

Whether you want to rank him as QB1, QB2, or QB3 for the week, he’s nothing short of an elite option and projects to be considered as such for the remainder of the season.

It’s possible that the return of Rashee Rice, along with the commitment to Isiah Pacheco, could result in his rushing numbers coming back to Earth over the next two months, but he’s got room to spare.

Mahomes is the best quarterback in the game, and while he hasn’t been considered the best fantasy QB for a few years, that narrative could flip as soon as this week.

Sam Darnold | SEA (vs HOU)

Sam Darnold is one of those QBs whose play works better for his NFL team than fantasy ones, but we did see some marrying of the two worlds last weekend against the Jags as he turned 16 completions into 295 yards and a pair of scores.

This was the fourth time in six weeks that he failed to complete more than 18 passes, and with just seven rush attempts this season, there’s essentially no room for error if you’re counting on him.

The Texans have dismantled QBs this season, but that’s as much a product of who they’ve played. I don’t think they are the ’85 Bears, but they are solid and have had an extra week to prepare for a passing attack that is pretty straightforward.

This is a tough week for the middle-tier QBs, so if you have to go this direction, I think you could do worse. The truly forward-thinking plan here might be for QB streamers to add and keep him this week.

Yes, the bye hits you in Week 8, but there are Arizona and Tennessee matchups in November, in addition to a game in Carolina when your fantasy league champion is being decided in Week 17.

Spencer Rattler | NO (at CHI)

Spencer Rattler is playing above my personal expectations.

Rattler doesn’t matter for anything but two-QB leagues.

Both things can be true, and I believe that’s the case.

He’s completed 71.3% of his passes with just one interception over the past five weeks. He hasn’t thrown for 225 yards in a game this season, but he has 20+ rushing yards and zero turnovers in back-to-back-to-back contests.

If you play in a very deep league and roster Josh Allen, Rattler might be the best option on your waiver wire, and I think he can do enough to keep you competitive in this spot.

Trevor Lawrence | JAX (vs LAR)

Trevor Lawrence ran for multiple scores in Week 5 and threw for multiple touchdowns on Sunday against a tough Seahawks defense (his second such game of the season).

It would appear that he is starting to develop a connection with Brian Thomas (8-90-1 on 10 targets), and that has to be the case if he’s going to provide us with streaming value the rest of the way.

I wouldn’t be inclined to go this direction this week in a tough matchup while abroad, but there are three favorable matchups in November, and that’ll hold value as injuries at the position continue to pile up.

Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)

He’s not getting much help, but where would Tua Tagovailoa’s stat lines be if Darren Waller were still rapping to earn paychecks?

His three interceptions on Sunday nearly equaled his season total prior (four), but Jaylen Waddle did hand one to the Chargers. It doesn’t really matter how it happens, but this was the fourth time this season that Tagovailoa failed to reach 210 passing yards, and with zero rushing equity, he’s not near fantasy radars.

The game scripts should help artificially inflate his value over time, but we are well past the point of assuming that at this point. I’m in no hurry to start anyone besides the running backs on either side from this game.

Running Backs

Aaron Jones Sr. | MIN (vs PHI)

Aaron Jones has missed the required time after the hamstring injury landed him on IR following the Week 2 loss to the Falcons, and that means he is likely to make this backfield the type of mess we’d rather not deal with.

The 30-year-old Jones wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire pre-injury (13 carries for 46 yards), but he did have a 27-yard touchdown reception in Week 1, and that part of his role is likely waiting for him when he is physically ready.

For my money, Jordan Mason is the running back in Minnesota you want the rest of the way. But I do expect the work to be distributed in a reasonably even fashion in the short term (Mason fumbling in consecutive games certainly helps lend credence to that idea).

Jones has finished at least 10% below his fantasy expectations in four of his past five games and has a PFSN Elusive Rating that has been stuck in reverse for a few years now. Mason is likely to handle the valuable carries, while Jones is the featured RB in the passing game.

The latter could be enough to help him post flex-worthy numbers in a matchup we expect them to be trailing for, but it’s very much a role that carries a wide range of weekly outcomes, and that’s the last thing we want.

Alvin Kamara | NO (at CHI)

Alvin Kamara caught five passes against the Patriots last week, and that allowed him to pull another underwhelming game on the ground out of the flames for PPR managers (under 3.5 yards per carry in three of his past four).

For the season, he’s averaging under a yard per carry before contact, which means what we’ve seen thus far is likely what we’ll see moving forward, as this offensive line is struggling. The passing game isn’t exactly backing defenses off the line of scrimmage.

Kamara hasn’t had a 25-yard run since September … of 2022. The 84.6% catch rate this season is great, but it’s needed. If his efficiency (or volume, for that matter) drops off in any regard, this 30-year-old will be sitting outside of my top 30 at the position.

Ashton Jeanty | LV (at KC)

Ashton Jeanty has more targets and as many catches in October as he did in September.

That’s not a Jeanty note so much as it is a highlight of some scheme incompetence early on, but it seems to have been righted, and with Vegas playing with a positive game script last week against the Titans, they showed us why they picked Jeanty sixth overall.

25 touches.

That’s all we want. We know that there are limitations up and down this roster. Just give the kid as many opportunities as you can and let the chips fall where they may.

I’ve got Jeanty as a low-end RB1 for the remainder of the season, and it’s a good thing we’ve seen his role in the passing game expand lately, as they are a double-digit-point underdog in this spot.

We saw the Raiders struggle to compete with the Colts two weeks ago, and in that spot, Jeanty ran 14 times while seeing seven targets. I think we see something similar against the reigning AFC champs, and that’s enough for him to slide inside my top 15 at the position.

Bam Knight | ARI (vs GB)

Adam Schefter planted the Bam Knight seed early on Sunday, and he was right. Knight held a slim snap and touch edge over Michael Carter, scoring 12.4 PPR points in the loss at Indianapolis.

The short touchdown made the difference in what was an inefficient afternoon. He out-snapped Carter 10-6 inside the Colts’ 20-yard line, giving us reasonable hope that these short scoring opportunities are going to be his moving forward.

That said, this team only picked up 88 yards on 24 rush attempts and didn’t have a carry gain more than 12 yards. Carter ran a route on 62.5% of his offensive snaps (Knight: 38.2%), and if you think this game plays out as the sportsbooks are forecasting, the script may favor Carter in comeback mode.

I have Knight over Carter by a handful of spots for the bump in scoring equity, but neither is inside of my top 30 at the position in a tough matchup.

Bhayshul Tuten | JAX (vs LAR)

Confirmation bias can be a helluva drug.

Bhayshul Tuten was one of the big risers during the summer, and that hype didn’t slow when Jacksonville worked to get him dangerous touches earlier in the season.

He paid them off with touchdowns in Weeks 2 and 3, but even with Tank Bigsby since being traded to Philadelphia, the rookie hasn’t seen his role expand in the slightest.

The rookie hasn’t reached a 26% snap share in a single game this season and was on the field for just 14.7% of the Seahawks’ offensive snaps in Week 6. I don’t think the draft picks were wrong to highlight the former Hokie; there’s certainly some burst to his profile, but he’s not in a position to return any standalone value.

RELATED: Free Fantasy Waiver Wire Tool

Travis Etienne hasn’t been great of late as the lead man in this backfield, and that calls into question just how much value Tuten would realistically have if he fell into the lead role.

I still think he’s a reasonable hold, though you have to have enough bench spots to be able to swallow a player that isn’t going to have any flex appeal unless an injury were to occur ahead of him.

Bijan Robinson | ATL (at SF)

There are three instances this season in which a player has 140+ rushing yards and 5+ targets: Bijan Robinson is responsible for two of them.

The first was the Week 2 beatdown of the Vikings, and the second was on Monday night against the Bills, a sparkling performance highlighted by an 81-yard touchdown run. Robinson has a 25-yard touch and five targets in every game this season, a role/skill set combination that is as close to bulletproof as it gets.

He’s a highlight waiting to happen: this game is appointment viewing on Sunday night, as we will have one of the best running backs in recent memory on the field essentially at all times.

Blake Corum | LAR (at JAX)

Blake Corum is nursing an ankle injury that he suffered in Week 6, though it doesn’t sound like the type of situation that is going to cost him game time. In his second season, the former Wolverine has worked himself into a role that sees him handling 5-10 touches weekly, a role that isn’t enough to hold value by itself, but makes it clear that he is the next man up should something happen to Kyren Williams.

Maybe this coaching staff gets creative should they be asked to move the ball without Nacua for an extended period of time, but outside of a significant injury, Corum is nothing more than a bench filler that can’t help your team in his current role.

Braelon Allen | NYJ (vs CAR)

A “pretty serious” knee injury landed Braelon Allen on IR ahead of Week 5, and it’s generally believed that we are looking at an absence that extends well beyond the required four weeks.

Isaiah Davis is the new Breece Hall handcuff to make sure is rostered, though his path to value hinges entirely on the health of RB1. That said, if Hall were to go down, the Jets have December dates with the Dolphins and Saints, matchups that will require us to start whoever is atop this depth chart then.

Breece Hall | NYJ (vs CAR)

Breece Hall had nowhere to go, as expected, against the Broncos in London last week, but that’s not what has me sweating.

Zero targets?

He had seen 5+ targets in three straight games prior, so I’m not fully panicked, but the passing floor for a Justin Fields-led offense is so low every week.

That fear will impact my ranking most weeks, but not this one. I like New York to get their first win of the season, and even if you don’t, the idea of a tight game should have Hall in the range of the 22 carries that he saw last week.

If you’re telling me a human on this planet projects that sort of volume against the 2022 Panthers, I’m telling you we are looking at a flex. Hall is better than most in this world at running the ball, and, therefore, he cracks my top 20, even without a touchdown on his resume this season.

Bucky Irving | TB (at DET)

That’s now consecutive missed games for Bucky Irving (shoulder), and it’ll be three straight after Todd Bowles made it clear on Monday that this week wasn’t on the table for a return to action.

Maybe next week?

Not only is next week a soft landing spot (at NO), but you get the extended recovery window that comes with a Week 9 bye.

Rachaad White and Sean Tucker are the fill-in options, both of whom should be long gone from your waiver wire. I wouldn’t advise doing anything drastic, even if it feels like your season is spiraling without your RB1. Irving is a special talent and is capable of making up for lost time once the Bucs are comfortable in activating him.

Cam Skattebo | NYG (at DEN)

Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Clayton Kershaw.

Some guys just love to play the game at a contagious level, and Cam Skattebo is working on putting his name on that list. From the trash talk to the handsprings, I’m here for all of it.

This season, 74.5% of his rushing yards have come after contact, and this battering ram has soft hands that have hauled in 20-of-24 targets this season.

Outside of the ability to play this style for four months, what hole is there to poke in this profile?

The rookie is a fluid pass catcher and already one of the five most difficult tackles in the league. Even better, the Giants are motivated to see what they have in this rookie class as they attempt to build a contender around Jaxson Dart.

I absolutely LOVE the way Cam Skattebo runs. No one can stop this guy #Giants pic.twitter.com/i0lLBjskaB

— Parker Talks Football (@ParkerTalksFB) October 15, 2025

The Broncos have had issues with Taylor (29.5 PPR points) and Omarion Hampton (24.9) as focal points of physical run games … I’d say Skattebo qualifies as such.

Until otherwise noted, Tyrone Tracy isn’t a threat to do anything but keep the rookie fresh. Skattebo is a top 20 running back moving forward, and you can feel great about him fighting for every inch in the way you want your players to.

Chase Brown | CIN (vs PIT)

Chase Brown’s fantasy stock gained steam as the draft process drew to a close this summer, and if you were able to avoid this landmine, more power to you … the best pick you made might be the one you didn’t make.

Brown is averaging 2.7 yards per carry, and you know it’s bad when he picks up 13 yards on a single play and you hold onto it for dear hope.

The origin of these struggles isn’t rocket science. Brown is running into a loaded box on 32% more of his carries than he did last season, and his yards per catch are down 23.9%.

Awful defenses always put their offense at risk of inefficiency because they can become so predictable. Joe Burrow, at the peak of his powers, kept opponents honest, allowing Brown to thrive.

Remove the wrong Jenga piece (Burrow), and a beautiful structure crumbles.

This offense is rubble, and Joe Flacco isn’t the way to rebuild it. He has just three red zone touches during this four-game losing streak, and the lack of per-opportunity has a player once viewed as a top 24 player in all of fantasy sitting outside of my top 24 at the position in Week 7.

Christian McCaffrey | SF (vs ATL)

Robinson technically pulled ahead of Christian McCaffrey for RB1 honors through six weeks in terms of PPR PPG.

“Technically pulled ahead.”

The fact that it’s that tight is insane to me. Robinson is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, while McCaffrey is at 3.1 and has not had a rush of more than 15 yards this season. I can’t imagine the rushing numbers getting worse, and the fact that he can improve dramatically is difficult to comprehend.

CMC scored his first rushing touchdown of the season over the weekend against the Buccaneers (he’s scored in four of his past five games) and is pacing for 130 receptions.

We are spoiled to have these two stars sharing a field this week.

Chuba Hubbard | CAR (at NYJ)

Chuba Hubbard had a total of two missed games over the two seasons prior, but this calf injury has now cost him consecutive games. Without him touching the practice field at all ahead of Week 6, it’s hard to imagine him returning to bellcow status in the short term.

Hubbard averaged 16.5 touches per game in September, a decline from the 19.5 he handled last season, but still more than enough work to make him a lineup staple.

At least, it was.

Courtesy of a receiving TD in both games, Hubbard was an RB1 in each of the first two weeks this season, but he hadn’t produced even RB2 numbers in the two games before this missed time.

Raw volume is a floor elevator, until it isn’t. Given the limitations of this passing game, Hubbard needs to excel at running through contact, as defenses are inclined to crowd the line of scrimmage.

Last season, Hubbard was great at that (3.46 yards per carry after contact), but that was well ahead of his previous career high (2.87,) and he’s struggled to get anywhere close to that level of success so far this season (2.57).

READ MORE: Chuba Hubbard Injury Update: What’s the Latest on the Panthers RB, and Will He Play in Week 7?

Rico Dowdle is deserving of more work, and I’m not sure how much usage Hubbard has to share before we label him as more of a liability than an asset.

Should he be cleared this weekend, I’ll have him labeled as a viable flex, not because I’m overly confident in him, but because this is a rare spot where game script shouldn’t work away from this run game.

D’Andre Swift | CHI (vs NO)

The 55-yard touchdown reception took D’Andre Swift’s day on Monday from good to great, the third time he has scored in four weeks and the second 40+ yard reception this season.

Yards Per Carry Before First Contact

• Week 3 vs. Dallas: -0.08
• Week 4 at Las Vegas: 0.71
• Week 6 at Washington: 4.71

It truly is amazing what happens when you give an above-average running back a chance to succeed.

The Saints are a middle-of-the-pack run defense in terms of success rate, and that probably means that Monday’s level of success on the ground doesn’t stick (14 carries for 108 yards), but with 3+ targets in every game, I think the floor is high enough to start him weekly without much thought.

I have Swift ranked ahead of J.K. Dobbins (vs. NYG) and Kimani Vidal (vs. IND) if you’re looking to stack up the RB2s for Week 7.

David Montgomery | DET (vs TB)

Nope, I didn’t have “Lions trying to get David Montgomery a touchdown pass in consecutive weeks” on my Bingo card, but here we are. It got called back against the Chiefs (almost like Goff isn’t up to date with the rules of being in motion), but the fact that they are willing to be creative gives me more hope than some of the recent usage stuff does.

Sans a blowout of Cincinnati, Monty hasn’t cleared 12 carries in a game this season, and there’s really no reason to call his number in the passing game when you have access to Jahmyr Gibbs (six targets over the past five weeks).

We saw the juice he still has in the explosion effort against the Ravens, and we know he’s a drive finisher, but there is no denying that the development of Gibbs into a well-rounded option has come at the expense of Detroit’s RB2.

Even with a lower floor/ceiling combination than he had in the Ben Johnson scheme, this is a starting-level profile. The loss in Kansas City last week was the first time this season that he didn’t get multiple red-zone touches: you’re chasing scores to a degree, but there aren’t five situations in which I’d rather do it.

De’Von Achane | MIA (at CLE)

De’Von Achane is a special player, and special players find a way to make the most out of an iffy situation.

Things aren’t going great in Miami these days, but their lead back hasn’t been held under 16.1 PPR points once this season, and he’s managed to produce over expectations in five of six. Against a good Chargers defense last week, he took a carry 49 yards to the house and scored a second time on a quick four-yard sweep.

He outruns angles, and I’m not sure how you stop that from happening.

The versatile skill set (6+ targets in four of his past five) makes him close to bust-proof, even against a defense that has yet to allow a running back to reach 18 points. Can Achane be the first?

I’d bet slightly on the under, but we are talking about the difference between ranking him RB7 and RB11. You’re locking him into your redraft lineup without a second thought, and if he projects to be an ownership casualty in DFS due to those around him gaining steam, I wouldn’t blame you for going that direction.

Hassan Haskins | LAC (vs IND)

We will always have the prep process for last week.

Following the Omarion Hampton injury, we weren’t sure where the touches would go. A lot of us put in bids on both theoretical replacements, not sure who we really wanted, but knowing there was value to chase as part of a potent offense.

I’ll give you one guess as to which one your humble narrator ended up with in most cases.

Ugh.

Kiman Vidal tripled up Hassan Haskins in touches against the Dolphins, and with him racking up 138 yards of offense, this went from an unknown committee to a clear-cut situation in the span of four quarters.

Holding onto Haskins is still the play, if for no other reason than Vidal doesn’t have experience at the top of an NFL depth chart. But he’s ranked comfortably outside my top 30 at the position, and I’d actively look for other options.

This 6’2″, 228-pound back got one of the nine red zone touches between these two backs.

You hate to see it, and if your roster suffered as a result, I was right there with you on Sunday.

Isiah Pacheco | KC (vs LV)

Is this the spot?

Could we finally be at the spot?

Neither Isiah Pacheco nor Kareem Hunt was required to do much in the Week 4 demolition of the decimated Ravens, but since then?

• Pacheco, Week 5: 61.9% snap share, 28 routes
  • Hunt, Week 5: 33.3% snap share, 8 routes
• Pacheco, Week 6: 77.4% snap share, 29 routes
  • Hunt, Week 6: 29% snap share, 7 routes

For the first time, this doesn’t look anything like a committee. Hunt seemed to be dealing with a minor injury at points on Sunday night. Still, the Chiefs see what we, the fans, see: a hard-running Pacheco that seems to be completely recovered from the injury that cost him the majority of last regular season.

Could a matchup with the eighth-worst post-contact defense be the spot where we get a stat line that is in line with what we expected entering last season, when he was viewed as a fringe RB1?

I think it’s possible. I have Pacheco ranked as a top 20 option at the position, while Hunt falls behind both New England RBs. I’m going to be a weekly early instead of late: I don’t have the time on Pacheco rosters to burn a potential breakout spot – those teams are on life support as it is.

J.K. Dobbins | DEN (vs NYG)

There’s no competition in this Denver backfield, and that’s what has J.K. Dobbins locked into lineups despite averaging just 3.4 yards per carry thus far in October and having seen no more than two targets in a game this season.

Without the safety blanket of passing-game involvement, I worry about Dobbins in a spot like this where the defensive front is more the strength than the secondary. That said, he’s averaging more than 15 carries per game, and in a spot where we expect the Broncos to score in the mid-20s, if not higher, he’s still a viable RB2 in all formats.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt | WAS (at DAL)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt entered MNF coming off of easily the most impressive game of his season (14-111-2 against the Chargers with five runs of 10+ yards), but he couldn’t carry over the magic in a seemingly good spot against the Bears (17 carries for 61 yards).

Jayden Daniels carried 10 times, and that’ll cut into the value of the rookie back any time it happens. That said, all other Commanders totaled just four rush attempts, solidifying our belief that Croskey-Merritt is an unquestioned bellcow.

His hard-running style (better than average after contact on 73.3% of his carries this season) gives him a Pacheco-like trajectory, a style that I like in this offense.

You play all your players against the Cowboys because that’s the rules, though I think you’re playing Croskey-Merritt in any matchup moving forward.

Jahmyr Gibbs | DET (vs TB)

Am I annoyed that Jahmyr Gibbs doesn’t have more than two targets in three straight games?

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t, but that really is a first-world problem.

Gibbs has seized control of this backfield, carrying the ball at least 15 times in three of his past four games. While the target count has been down recently, his 92% catch rate helps mitigate those worries, and the elite efficiency is what gives him a realistic path to being the top-scoring running back in any given week.

Tampa Bay owns a top-10 run defense, but its strengths are up the middle, and Gibbs can make those field-flipping plays when ushered outside.

I downgrade most backs when facing the Bucs; Gibbs isn’t “most backs”.

Javonte Williams | DAL (vs WAS)

Javonte Williams had easily his worst rushing performance of the season over the weekend, against the Panthers no less, but he was able to save the day with five catches.

You could point to those five catches (eight targets) doing next to no damage (five yards) and I’d tell you that you’re right.

And I don’t care.

PPR scoring is the default across the industry, and those five “useless” receptions are essentially just as valuable as a touchdown.

It’s the third time this season he’s caught at least a handful of passes, and he’s had a rush TD in the games when that hasn’t been the case. Williams entered 2022 viewed as a disappointing former second-round pick, and now he’s a lineup staple that his fantasy teams can’t live without.

Consider this your weekly reminder not to stay married to preseason takes too long. I put as much work into this stuff as anyone, and I’ve been guilty of holding onto months of research for far too long.

Learn from me. Be better than me.

Jaydon Blue | DAL (vs WAS)

With Miles Sanders (ankle) done for the season, loaded fantasy teams can bring Jaydon Blue on board as a luxury add, but it’s nothing more than a low-end contingent play.

Javonte Williams continues to thrive in the bellcow role and held a 45-5 snap edge over the talented rookie in Week 6’s loss in Carolina. Blue has picked up seven yards on his seven carries this season and has yet to earn a target.

The 149th overall pick in this past draft might turn into something with time, and who knows, maybe he’d succeed if given the opportunity this season: he’s just not going to get that opportunity barring an injury.

Jaylen Warren | PIT (at CIN)

When Najee Harris left this backfield, I left my mind open to just about anything when it came to the role of Jaylen Warren.

I didn’t see him being a version of Harris with Kenneth Gainwell basically filling his previous role.

Warren is the unquestioned top ball carrier on this team, but with Gainwell recording three times as many receptions as him on Sunday, the duality that we thought would be his in 2022 really isn’t there.

Now, he has caught multiple passes in all four of his games, so let’s not make this a Derrick Henry situation, though it is clear that Aaron Rodgers is comfortable with Gainwell, and that shaves a few points off the ceiling of their RB1.

You’re starting Warren and feel great about him in a spot like this where the game script should work in his favor (my RB15), but you need to have your eyes wide open about the long-term risk in this less-than-perfect profile, especially if you think this 4-1 record comes with some smoke-and-mirrors to it.

Jeremy McNichols | WAS (at DAL)

Jeremy McNichols matched a season high with a 33.3% snap share, and he got his hands on the ball just five times.

He’s run at least a dozen routes in four of six games, and that gives him the potential to wedge his way into the box score due to Jacory Croskey-Merritt’s limitations as a pass catcher (eight targets this season). That said, we can’t get there if his carry count is capped at a ceiling of four.

McNichols isn’t a must-roster player now, but given this matchup, there’s a pathway to him being a popular waiver add this time next week, so scooping him for free now and seeing where things go is a reasonable plan of attack.

Jonathan Taylor | IND (at LAC)

Six players in all of 2024 had 4+ games with at least 17 carries and four targets.

Taylor has done it four times in four weeks.

With another touchdown (eight for the season) and 137 scrimmage yards (750 this year), JT continues to make the special performance look ordinary.

The volume is unmatched, the efficiency tough to comprehend (5.2 yards per carry with a 90.9% catch rate), and the consistency is on another level (90.4% gain rate despite everyone knowing what is coming).

Every running back is at risk of getting injured, and Taylor is no exception (16 missed games from 2022-24). If that happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, he might be the most popular player on fantasy champions this season and the driving force behind the most surprising team in the sport.

Jordan Mason | MIN (vs PHI)

Personally, I believe that Jordan Mason can play at a high level and should be given the keys to this backfield on a full-time basis, even with Aaron Jones eligible to return this week, but what I think couldn’t matter less.

Mason put the ball on the ground in both away games before the Week 6 bye, cutting Minnesota’s first drive against the Browns short and seeing Zavier Scott open the next drive as the lead back.

The Vikings did go back to Mason, starting the second half with him, a decision he paid off with a three-yard touchdown, but the fact remains that he’s giving the team a reason to doubt him, and we’ve seen in a few situations the less explosive veteran back default into the lead role (cough, cough … Rhamondre Stevenson … Nick Chubb … cough, cough).

I’m assuming Jones is activated this week and Mason is in a dead-even split.

Gross.

He doesn’t have a 15+-yard gain in consecutive games, and if the touch expectation is going to shrink from 16-18 to 13-15, his status as an RB2 is on thin ice at best. If you need to flex him, I think you’re chasing a touchdown, as the 3+ target role that we’ve seen him hold recently is likely going back to Jones in relatively short order.

Josh Jacobs | GB (at ARI)

There are running backs in the league, heck, within this division with a higher weekly ceiling than Josh Jacobs, but when it comes to knowing what you’re signing up for weekly, few elite options offer a more narrow range of outcomes than Green Bay’s RB1.

Jacobs has 20-26 touches in every game this season and has scored 22 times in 22 games with the Packers. Everything this offense wants to do is centered around No. 8, and he paid off that single-digit number by looking awfully fluid in space as a pass catcher as he hauled in 4+ passes with a 25+ yard gain for the third consecutive game.

In an era of specialists and committees, Jacobs is going to bring his lunchpail to work every week and give you exactly what you’re expecting. I’d expect more of the same this weekend against a Cardinals defense that has already allowed north of 23 PPR points to running backs in this mold (Christian McCaffrey in Week 3 and Taylor over the weekend).

Kaleb Johnson | PIT (at CIN)

Kaleb Johnson got a little run in Week 4 with Jaylen Warren (knee) inactive, but the 22 yards he picked up on six carries are not likely enough to earn him anything close to a viable role when this backfield is at full strength.

Had Kenneth Gainwell fallen on his face in Ireland, maybe you could have talked me into stashing the rookie and hoping for contingent value in an offense that plays very conservatively, thus elevating the potential of their running backs.

That didn’t happen.

Johnson’s name might be one to keep in mind in dynasty formats, but in redraft leagues, his early-season struggles relegate him to waiver-wire fodder. He played just 11 snaps on Sunday and was very much an afterthought in the passing game (two routes compared to 13 for Warren and 12 for Gainwell).

Kareem Hunt | KC (vs LV)

Kareem Hunt’s calling card was versatility and value. He hasn’t been a high-touch player at any point this season (7-14 in all six weeks), but he was getting the red zone work and had a resume that made him a good fit out of the backfield with Patrick Mahomes.

Easy come, easy go.

Isiah Pacheco’s role showed signs of expanding in Week 5, and in Week 6, he out-touched Hunt 4-1 in the red zone and ran more routes (22) than Hunt had snaps (18).

I’m not ready to call this a bellcow situation, but we are certainly trending in that direction. Hunt played 41.7% of Kansas City’s offensive snaps in September, but that rate has dropped to 31.2% thus far in October.

You’re not playing Hunt as it is, and he could be played off of the “must roster” tier if these trends continue.

Kenneth Gainwell | PIT (at CIN)

Kenneth Gainwell had the massive Week 4 in place of Jaylen Warren, but as expected, he was back in a complementary role coming out of the bye, playing two snaps for every three that the starter handled.

His role has him carrying the rock 4-7 times per game, which isn’t enough to pique our interest, but the team-high six receptions against the Browns last weekend are enough to draw our attention.

Gainwell has a track record of fluidity in the pass game, and he did rack up nine targets in the first two weeks this season. We know that this offense is designed to hit quickly, and in that vein, this skill set has the potential to hold standalone value when the right game script emerges.

I don’t expect that to be the case against a struggling Bengals team, but Pittsburgh does have games against the Bills, Ravens, and Lions over the final month of the fantasy season.

Gainwell is outside of my top 35 at the position this week, though he is the type of player I’m stashing with the understanding that he could bail me out of a tough spot when it matters most.

Kenneth Walker III | SEA (vs HOU)

I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Kenneth Walker III is terrifying.

If you are facing him in fantasy or bet against Seattle, you’re immediately uncomfortable when No. 9 gets his hands on the ball.

I live in a bubble, but this seems to be a pretty widely agreed-upon take. It’s just not what this coaching staff is looking for, and until that changes, labeling him as anything more than a flex play is irresponsible.

Walker played a season-low 33.3% of the offensive snaps last week in the win over the Jaguars, and even when running well, hasn’t reached a 52% share this year.

There’s certainly a boom/bust nature to his game (39.8% of his carries have either failed to get past the line of scrimmage or resulted in a 10+ yard gain), but isn’t that the nature of the game today?

He’d be terrible in the three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust era, but with Sam Darnold threatening defenses on every dropback, wouldn’t some home run-hitting potential by his side be a savvy move?

I could regurgitate an updated version of the numbers that I use in this space weekly, though we know my spewing fixes nothing. Seattle is committed to this committee, and that means Zach Charbonnet (one of 60 carries this season has gained more than eight yards) is going to get enough work to make starting Walker uncomfortable.

Kimani Vidal | LAC (vs IND)

The Chargers gave Kimani Vidal the first carry of their win over the Dolphins last week, the first since the Omarion Hampton injury, and the pride of Troy gave them no reason to pivot (21 touches for 138 yards and a touchdown).

When all was said and done, he more than tripled the snap share of Hassan Haskins and got eight red zone touches. Just like that, the committee thoughts are gone, and Vidal vaults into the top 20 at the position.

Indianapolis has the fourth-worst run defense in terms of RB yards per carry gained before contact this season, and we know that Vidal offers value in the pass game (92 collegiate receptions).

Asking him to repeat his success from Sunday in the perfect matchup isn’t wise, but why can’t he turn 17 touches into double-digit fantasy points with the upside for more? I’d rather go this direction than mess with the situations in New England or Seattle.

Kyren Williams | LAR (at JAX)

This offense is at risk if we assume Nacua sits (17 points against the gutted Ravens last week was proof of that). But we know that Kyren Williams will get his 15+ touches while being heavily featured in scoring situations, and that’s plenty to lock him into lineups.

He’s scored four times over the past four weeks and has had multiple receptions in five straight. The explosive plays may be few and far between, but Williams is picking up at least five yards on 41.1% of his carries this season, up from 36.4% in 2021, and enough to help him have access to an elevated floor.

He’s one of the least likely backs in my top 15 this week to give us a top-3 week, but the role in the red zone and my confidence in Matthew Stafford efficiently moving this offense give him a better chance to finish with a top-20 week than most in this tier.

Michael Carter | ARI (vs GB)

We liked James Conner because he was consistent, and the idea behind Trey Benson was volume-based. With both of them out of the mix and Murray banged up, there’s no reason to jam any running back from Arizona into your lineup.

Week 6 Running Back Resumes

• Bam Knight: 48.6% snaps, 12 touches, 12.4 FP
• Carter: 42.9% snaps, 11 touches, 8.4 FP
• Emari Demercado: 4.3% snaps, 1 touch, 0.1 FP

I have Knight ranked over Carter (3-1 red zone touch edge last week, in addition to a reasonable snaps edge in running spots), but neither ranks as a top 30 back for me this weekend against a Packers defense that surrendered just 55 rushing yards last week to the Bengals.

Miles Sanders | DAL (vs WAS)

Miles Sanders will miss the remainder of the season (ankle/knee). The veteran back was averaging just seven touches per game, so this injury doesn’t do much to the value of Javonte Williams, as his status as a “bellcow” hasn’t been in question at any point this season.

That said, this does make the handcuff situation in Dallas awfully clean: it’s Jaydon Blue and Jaydon Blue only. The fifth-round pick projects similarly to Sanders, but the versatility he showed at Texas last season (23.9% of his touches came as a pass catcher) makes him an interesting add with flex levels of contingent value in this pass-heavy system.

Nick Chubb | HOU (at SEA)

Two chunk-play touchdowns this season are why I believe that Nick Chubb still garners interest from the Texans and fantasy managers, but it certainly feels as if he is on borrowed time.

Houston went back to the veteran in Week 5, even after a strong showing from rookie Woody Marks, and a 27-yard touchdown, which was otherwise an awfully ordinary game in a great spot in Baltimore (10 carries for 34 yards and zero receptions).

Entering the Week 6 bye, there were 43 running backs with at least 30 rushing attempts, and none of them saw a higher percentage of their rushing yards come before contact (45%) than Chubb (league average: 26.4%). That’s an alarming stat for two reasons: (1) he’s not creating much for himself, and (2) this offensive line isn’t any good.

The 29-year-old has over 1,500 touches on his NFL resume, and while he’s shown slightly more burst at times this season than I expected, I still don’t think he’s a viable fantasy option long-term.

Even in playing ahead of Marks for the vast majority of Houston’s first five games, Chubb has yet to clear 13 rushing attempts and has caught just seven passes. He deserves a roster spot because he’s a good bet for 10-12 touches, and that’s not available on most waiver wires, but asking him to be a starter for you on any sort of consistent basis, no matter the matchup, is a step I’m not willing to take.

Ollie Gordon II | MIA (at CLE)

Ollie Gordon was clearly frustrated with his -2 yards of offense in Week 5’s loss to the Panthers, so he decided to come out in Week 6 and make things right against the Chargers.

Three touches for two yards.

Phew, now we are back even for the month. I’d hate to have that hovering over the head of the rookie.

Miami has pigeonhole their grinding back into a role that sees him top out at 26.4% of the snaps (Week 5). This offense is loaded with upside, but what little explosion they have comes from De’Von Achane (TD in five of six weeks), thus making it hard to get the sixth-round pick on the field.

If you’ve reserved this spot on your roster for a pure handcuff and there aren’t any other options on the wire, holding out hope for an injury is fine. Outside of that specific situation, there’s no need to keep rostering Gordon: this isn’t the type of offense I want to bank on to bail me out if I’m forced to use my reserves.

Omarion Hampton | LAC (vs IND)

Week 6 was the first with Omarion Hampston on injured reserve, but reports surfaced over the weekend that the expectation is for the rookie to require more than the minimum four-week stint on the shelf.

Kimani Vidal looked the part of a fantasy asset on Sunday, and even if that remains the case for the entirety of Hampton’s absence, it’s difficult to see a true change at the top of this depth chart when everyone is healthy.

Hampton is a priority IR stash: the role is there, and a Dallas matchup awaits in Week 16 for those with winning records that have an eye on the postseason.

Quinshon Judkins | CLE (vs MIA)

Quinshon Judkins impressed from the jump, but last week was a reminder of just how hard it is for rookies to overcome circumstance.

After tearing up the Vikings for 128 yards on 24 touches in London, Judkins was unable to get anything going against the Steelers (12 carries for 36 yards, and he failed to catch his lone target).

He’s yet to average over a yard per carry before contact, and in this low-octane Dillon Gabriel attack, I can’t imagine that opposing defenses are going to back off the line of scrimmage any time soon.

This is as good a bounce-back spot as there is (Miami allows the fifth-most yards per carry before contact to opposing running backs this season), and we do have a month of positive returns before last week’s dud.

Judkins is a low-end RB1 for me and is likely to garner plenty of attention in the DFS streets this weekend.

Rachaad White | TB (at DET)

We know exactly what Rachaad White is, and with that comes clarity.

We know that he is better suited as a pass catcher than a pure runner, but we also know, after logging 31 carries over the past two weeks while filling in for Bucky Irving (shoulder), that he’s going to be used heavily.

Tampa Bay figures to continue to run him into the back of the offensive line for the same reason that a fastball pitcher mixes in the occasional changeup.

Everyone knows what the Bucs want to do, but the Baker Mayfield experience can’t take place without at least the thought of balance. White has picked up just 3.5 yards per carry in his two games as the bellcow, but he has caught all seven of his targets, and that’s the place where his value emerges.

This offense is as injured as any in the league, and White is one of the five most likely to get 15 carries and five targets in Week 7. I can’t promise you that it’ll be pretty, but he’s the short-yardage option with savvy as a route runner in a top-10 offense.

You’re taking it week by week, but I feel fine about labeling White as a PPR RB2 in what could be the most entertaining game of the week.

Rhamondre Stevenson | NE (at TEN)

Are we really victory-lapping a week without a fumble for Rhamondre Stevenson?

If so, yippee!

Forgive me if I set the bar a bit higher.

The veteran back, for reasons unknown, continues to sit atop this depth chart. His next 8+ yard gain in October will be his first, and he’s yet to reach 55 yards on the ground in a game this season.

I truly think the Patriots are limiting some of Maye’s developmental potential by not giving the explosive TreVeyon Henderson a chance to earn more work. Still, because they are winning games, it’s hard to envision much changing.

Stevenson is a lead back, for now, in the NFL, and that means you roster him, but there’s no way to feel great about starting him, no matter the matchup, after turning 20 carries over the past two weeks into 32 yards.

New England has rattled off three wins, and their only lineup lock is their quarterback.

Rico Dowdle | CAR (at NYJ)

Dowdle was like a UFC fighter after the Week 5 headline-grabbing stat line against the Dolphins: he seemed to care more about his next fight than the monster accomplishment (206 rush yards) he was fresh off of.

That “next fight” was with his former employer, and he posted a nearly identical stat line against them. Some called him brash for warning the Cowboys, but today, we just call him accurate.

He became the sixth player over the past decade with multiple 230+ yard games. Not the sixth to do it in consecutive weeks, the sixth with 2+ games like that in any capacity over that stretch.

As you’d expect, the others on that list are fantasy royalty: Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Julio Jones, and Ja’Marr Chase.

Hubbard’s absence (calf) is what has paved the way for this explosion, and while he didn’t practice last week, his status is TBD for this week.

I can’t imagine you take Dowdle completely off the field should the presumed starter return, but he’s also not going to get the elite volume that has allowed him to pile up these gaudy numbers. Denver running backs turned 17 carries into just 44 yards against these Jets last week, making a true committee in a limited offense a tough sell.

This is a situation to watch closely. If either RB projects to get the bulk of the work (via injury or reported usage patterns), you can pencil them in for top-20 production and feel good about it, but without that, you’re splitting a small pie, and that’s not how I like to live.

RJ Harvey | DEN (vs NYG)

We can like the idea of RJ Harvey all we want, but Sunday was just another game where his snap share fell into that 27-32% bucket, and that’s not nearly enough usage to warrant our attention.

His versatility (3+ catches in four straight) and résumé of volume (225+ carries in each of his final two seasons at UCF) make him a handcuff that I love having stashed, but it comes with the understanding that his value is strictly contingent on the health of JK Dobbins.

Saquon Barkley | PHI (at MIN)

I didn’t have “Saquon Barkley getting game scripted out of a game against the Giants” on my Week 6 bingo card, but that’s why they play the games.

Barkley looked poised for a 2024-type explosive game, picking up 31 yards on his first two carries and looking like a bully in the process.

He ran 10 times for 27 yards the rest of the way.

There’s nothing actionable to do here. Barkley has caught multiple passes in every game this season and remains the only running back this team has any interest in getting involved (AJ Dillon had three touches last week and managed to lose a fumble on the low usage).

RELATED: Why Did Saquon Barkley Leave the Giants? Revisiting the Dramatic Breakup and the RB’s Decision to Join the Eagles

His yards per carry before contact are down 62.1%, and that’s fueling the lack of explosive plays. We are talking about a player who seemed to have a 50-yard touchdown every other week last season who doesn’t have a single 20-yard rush through six weeks.

I’ll buy some regression on that front, but not this much. The usage in the passing game (19 catches in six games this season after catching 33 in 16 last regular season) has me staying the course, especially after seeing a few glimpses of him getting loose last week.

It’s been a grind, but I think you stick it out, and I think you’ll be rewarded in doing so.

Sean Tucker | TB (at DET)

Sean Tucker caught three balls in the Week 5 win in Seattle and scored over the weekend against the 49ers, but make no mistake about it: this is not a committee filling in for Bucky Irving.

Week 5 Participation Report

• White: 81% snaps, 24 routes, 18 touches
• Tucker: 20.7% snaps, 7 routes, 6 touches

Week 6 Participation Report

• White: 78% snaps, 19 routes, 20 touches
• Tucker: 22% snaps, 3 routes, 6 touches

Given that Irving was ruled out a week early for this game, you could justify rostering Tucker for one more week as a contingent value play for Week 8, but with the bye after that, things look bleak. Should White make it through this week unscathed, you can pretty safely move on from what was a logical add of Tucker.

Tony Pollard | TEN (vs NE)

The committee seems to be inevitable in Tennessee, and with Tony Pollard really doing nothing to prevent that train of thought (3.9 yards per carry), it’s hard to envision any member of this offense providing value moving forward.

In Week 6, Tyjae Spears’ second game of the season, Pollard was on the field for just 42.4% of the offensive snaps, and that rate fell to 39.3% when they were trailing.

Spoiler alert: We expect this team to be playing from behind for the majority of most games.

Pollard was the lead man for the first month of the season and was unable to post a single top-15 showing at the position. Now, in a time share and a tough matchup, he’s the type of player I’m looking to replace, if at all possible, in all formats.

Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX (vs LAR)

Travis Etienne holds the lead back duties for one of the more surprising teams of the season, but it’s hard to feel great about plugging him in with anything more than low-end RB2 expectations.

The past two matchups have been tough (Chiefs and Seahawks), I’ll grant you that, but 31 touches for 113 yards, no touchdowns, and no 10-yard gains?

The Rams are the seventh-best YPC run defense against running backs this season, and, given that Jacksonville at least flirted with the idea of a committee approach early last week by handing the ball to a different RB on each of their first three attempts, the ceiling doesn’t feel nearly as high as it did just a few weeks ago.

A 15-18 touch role is hard to find and, for now, that much appears to be safe for Etienne, thus keeping him in lineups. That said, this is lining up to be more of a “you got what you paid for” type of season than the season-altering type.

TreVeyon Henderson | NE (at TEN)

For the third time this season, TreVeyon was on the field for under 30% of New England’s offensive snaps, and for the fourth time, Rhamondre Stevenson didn’t fumble.

That’s just not a great combination of events for those of us begging for the former Buckeye to be unleashed. I’m not giving up on the long-term hope, but we are well past the days of considering him for starting lineups.

Maybe this cushy matchup is his breakout spot. It could happen. That said, it would appear obvious that Stevenson will get the bulk of the work, so in order for Henderson to take advantage of this great matchup, we need the starter to first fail in it.

Hold and bench.

I hate these situations.

Trey Benson | ARI (vs GB)

We knew there was a knee thing bugging Trey Benson coming out of Week 4, but we got news last Wednesday that arthroscopic surgery was required and that a trip to IR was the team’s decision.

Initial reporting has Benson potentially returning when in Week 10 against the Seahawks, good news for those who hoped that, following the James Conner injury, they had a bellcow at a bargain.

Game script factored in, but he wasn’t used in the same dominating fashion that Conner was, more serving as the plus-side of a low-end committee than a true feature back.

That’s about what I’m expecting when he comes back, though this window does give Michael Carter a good chance to prove capable of handling more two-down work, including a juicy matchup in Week 9 with the Cowboys.

Prior to landing on IR, Benson had back-to-back 13-touch efforts, both coming in losses. The volume isn’t going to overwhelm, though I do think he’s the favorite to end this season with the lead role in an above-average offense that will benefit from a game against the Bengals in Week 17.

I’m holding and considering a low-ball trade offer, should the manager with Benson be fighting to keep their season on track.

Tyjae Spears | TEN (vs NE)

Spears needs to be taken more seriously than he’s being given credit for.

The former third-round pick has shown sparks during his 2+ seasons in the NFL and saw his snap share last week more than double (59.3%) from his season debut.

The game script surprisingly worked in his favor against Vegas in Week 6, but how many wins do you think this team finishes with in 2025?

Spears has one more season on his rookie deal before Tennessee has to make a decision, so why not see how he meshes with Cam Ward? Tony Pollard remains my favorite to lead this backfield in opportunities for Week 7, but his grip on that label is far from firm, and I could see it flip following the Week 10 bye, if not sooner.

We aren’t looking at a flexy player … yet.

Tyler Allgeier | ATL (at SF)

I continue to say it: Tyler Allgeier is one of the 32 best running backs in the sport.

That opinion doesn’t really matter with Bijan Robinson on the same roster, but he’s the type of handcuff I like to roster, knowing I’m starting him should an injury occur.

The 21-yard touchdown on the first drive last week came in part because Bijan Robinson was in motion and required attention, but he followed the blocks and cashed in because that’s what good running backs do.

He’s been handed the ball 10+ times in four of five games this season and is someone I’d entertain flexing if you’re stuck with only boom/bust receiver types.

The 3.5 yards per carry this season is a bit misleading: he’s run into a loaded box on 49.1% of his carries because when he’s in the game (and Robinson is out), there’s less guesswork that goes into what play type is coming.

I think that would change if he ends up with the RB1 role at any point this season, and that’s why I’d rank him as an RB2 in almost any matchup.

As long as Robinson is active and making defenders look silly, Allgeier will sit outside of my top 30 at the position: there’s nothing he can do to earn a greater role within a week.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. | NYG (at DEN)

You can blame Tyrone Tracy for working his way back from injury, but this wasn’t a committee in any meaningful sense last week, and I can’t imagine that changes in a meaningful way any time soon.

Cam Skattebo ran for three scores in the upset win over Philadelphia and had three times as many carries as Tracy had rushing yards. For the game, the rookie out-snapped Tracy 48-20, and, when watching the game, it felt like even more.

Skattebo had an 8-1 first-half touch edge and saw the snap advantage increase as the game wore on. The problem is less about how well the kid is running and more that his skill set is game-script agnostic. He’s acquitted himself just as well as a maniac between the tackles as he has as a pass catcher in space, leaving little room for Tracy to weasel away touches.

I want another week for verification purposes, but we are awfully close to viewing Tracy, the preseason starter, as a handcuff option. Given Skattebo’s style, that role holds some value — just not weekly value — while he’s healthy.

Woody Marks | HOU (at SEA)

Well, this is awkward.

We all assumed that Marks was the RB1 in Houston after a strong showing against the Titans in Week 4 (21 touches for 119 yards and two scores), where he played 12 more snaps than Nick Chubb and seized the opportunity.

But in Week 5, it was something of a split that even leaned in the direction of the veteran early (8-4 carry edge in Chubb’s favor in the first half) before the 44-10 win over the Ravens got out of hand (neither RB played even 38% of the Texans’ offensive snaps when all was said and done).

This veteran deference thing is real with some coaching staffs, and while I’m not punting away my Marks stock, I’m certainly not confident that he is going to sit atop this depth chart coming out of the bye.

This feels a lot like New England. That is, a situation where I feel confident in who will be getting the bulk of the work in December, but I’m not exactly sure when we see things flip. Marks is a clear hold at the moment, but he’s just as clearly a bench player given that we don’t have any assurance he’ll touch the ball 10 times this week.

Zach Charbonnet | SEA (vs HOU)

Zach Charbonnet handled five of Seattle’s first seven running back carries on Sunday in Jacksonville and played a season-high 61.1% of offensive snaps.

4.7 PPR points.

It feels inevitable that Kenneth Walker will take over the lead role in this offense (Charbonnet doesn’t have a 10-yard run in four of his five games this season), but in a very New Englandly type of rotation, I refuse to bet against stubborn head coaches.

This isn’t a good spot, though we know Charbonnet is going to get his 12-14 touches. You’re chasing a touchdown in playing him, but there are worse ways to do that than with a player who seems to have the unconditional loyalty of his coaches.

Wide Receivers

A.J. Brown | PHI (at MIN)

Five straight games with 8+ targets matches the second-longest streak of A.J. Brown’s time with the Eagles … we have one touchdown and 53.2 yards per game to show for that volume?

There were engagement concerns in the Week 5 loss to the Broncos, but I thought things looked better on Thursday night; it didn’t really matter.

His six catches for 80 yards against the Giants were a win given what we’ve seen this season, so maybe it’s a start. He’s still a near-impossible matchup who has cleared 90 air yards in four straight contests: on the surface, that’s something I want to buy.

That said, he’s been held without an end-zone target in five of six weeks, and that’s resulted in him producing 22.8% below expectations (2-24: +33.2%).

In the scope of Week 7, I’m cautiously optimistic. The Vikings are as aggressive as any team, and Philadelphia gets an extended workweek to scheme against them. The Eagles haven’t been an oft-blitzed team this year, but Brown has turned 16 such targets into an 11-167-1 stat line.

I’m looking for Brown to get on track this week, look good against these same Giants next week, and re-earn our trust ahead of the Week 9 bye.

Adam Thielen | MIN (vs PHI)

Adam Thielen was traded to the Vikings to add something to their locker room and maybe a little on-field production early, while Jordan Addison was suspended.

Well, the latter is over, and the former is nice for this team, but meaningless to us. The veteran receiver wasn’t targeted on any of his 11 routes in Week 5 against the Browns prior to the bye and has played under 22% of the offensive snaps since Addison returned.

Thielen is on fantasy rosters for one reason right now, and it’s because his name is known. Don’t make that mistake. There are a dozen players on your waiver wire right now that offer a more favorable range of outcomes moving forward.

Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET (vs TB)

Amon-Ra St. Brown might have the highest floor of any receiver in the game today. He’s caught at least seven passes in five straight contests

He’s sacrificed a little depth of target for an increased share of the pie in this post-Ben Johnson era, and it looks good on him. What specifically has me enthralled and believing this could be fantasy’s WR1 the rest of the way is that he’s been targeted on 46.2% of his red zone routes, a significant spike from the 33% rate a season ago.

You never want to put the cart before the horse, but a third season with over 1,200 receiving yards and at least 10 TD receptions is a good bet, and that’ll put him easily in the first round of 2026 redrafts (yes, I have a few teams that are dead, and I’ve begun looking ahead, sue me).

Brandon Aiyuk | SF (vs ATL)

The 49ers were hoping for a mid-October return for Brandon Aiyuk, a former first-round pick who had ranked 11th in the NFL with 2,357 yards from the start of 2022 to the end of 2023, but that now sounds like a pipe dream with his status being labeled as “not close” in the middle of last week.

By getting some clarity on the health front in the first half of August, we were at least able to enter drafts with some sort of plan. Aiyuk is hanging out on your IR slot for the time being, meaning that he is not costing you a roster spot and thus isn’t taking much win equity off of your plate early on.

In a perfect world, his injury recovery would have taken us past the San Francisco bye week, but it doesn’t (Week 14 bye). That said, a fully functional Aiyuk coming down the stretch for an offense that needs an alpha WR in a favorable stretch (Titans, Colts, and Bears in Weeks 15-17) could be the piece that swings your fantasy postseason.

This injury was priced into Aiyuk’s cost at your draft, so there’s no point in trying to trade for him now. But what if his manager starts slow? What if panic mode sets in before we have a definitive return date?

I’m making a mental note of who has Aiyuk rostered and tracking their status, preparing to pounce should the losses pile up. We are nearing the point in the process where a low-ball offer could be mutually beneficial, so keep your head on a swivel!

Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX (vs LAR)

Some people are concerned about whether a groundhog will see its shadow, while others watch patiently for their second-round pick to score a touchdown.

Those of us who fall into the latter bucket were finally satisfied over the weekend, as Seattle’s offense treated Brian Thomas Jr. in a similar fashion to Trevor Lawrence for chunks of this season and completely ignored him.

When it works in this direction, it’s a big gain for us (21-yard touchdown). This was his second double-digit target effort of the season, and he’s now totaled 170 receiving yards in October (September: 164).

The production was better, but the role? Not so much. He’s been in that 23-24% target-share range for three straight weeks, and the aDOT has been consistent; he just happened to turn it into fantasy points in this spot.

I don’t think we are out of the woods at all, and I’m not sure I’ll buy it until we see some consistency from Lawrence. Thomas is the only Jaguar pass-catcher I’m interested in at this point, and he’s a viable flex, but not the lineup lock we drafted him to be after he exploded in the second half of his rookie year.

Calvin Ridley | TEN (vs NE)

Before getting fired, Brian Callahan said Calvin Ridley couldn’t run following his second-quarter hamstring injury last week.

That’s not great.

Either part of that sentence.

Not being able to move is a problem, but so is the firing of a coach who would be more inclined to focus on a veteran in an effort to keep his job short-term than on an interim coach.

It’s been all or nothing for Ridley with Cam Akers this season (18.1 yards per catch, 45.7% catch rate), a role that carries a ton of risk as it is, and now, I can’t imagine being tempted to go this direction.

Elijah Cooks is the rookie who has the most to gain, while Van Jefferson led this team in receiving yards and targets in the 20-10 loss to the Raiders. We could argue over which Titans are poised to peak in the second half of this tanked season, but we’d be largely chasing our tails: if you can get away with rostering no one attached to this organization, your team is likely better off for it.

CeeDee Lamb | DAL (vs WAS)

Reporting over the weekend labeled this week as a potential return for CeeDee Lamb, and that makes sense for a receiver who missed Weeks 4-6 and wasn’t placed on IR.

George Pickens and Jake Ferguson have been fantasy lineup staples in the absence of the All-Pro, something I expect to continue to be the case. Lamb earned 13 targets in Week 1 and 11 in Week 2: his volume will limit the quantity that his teammates see, but the attention he draws should increase the quality.

There should be zero hesitation in going right back to your first-overall pick this week, assuming he checks the required health boxes. Lamb’s most recent double-digit reception game came in this matchup, and while using that as an expectation is probably a little optimistic after a month of missed time, this team isn’t motivated to rush him back and not use him.

Chris Godwin | TB (at DET)

The fibula fracture last season was gruesome, and that’s why we were all so glad to see 29-year-old Chris Godwin back on the field in Week 4, earning 10 targets against the Eagles in his season debut.

A week later, it was four targets, and last week, a DNP (fibula).

This is obviously tough to see for a player who worked so hard to get back on the field, but I can’t help but speculate that the team could be regretting using him as a full-go in his season debut and that the result forecasts a cautious approach moving forward.

READ MORE: Chris Godwin Injury Update: What’s the Latest on the Buccaneers WR, and Will He Play in Week 7?

The Bucs travel to New Orleans next weekend before going on their bye in Week 9, meaning that you’re more likely than not betting on Godwin until Week 10 (vs. NE) at the earliest, considering that he was ruled out this week before Tampa Bay even hit the practice field.

There are valuable targets to earn and an ultra-favorable playoff schedule to entice: Godwin needs to remain rostered, even if the outlook is cloudy at best right now.

Chris Olave | NO (at CHI)

Chris Olave saw his 10+ targets as per usual, the first of which went for 53 yards.

If that’s all you knew about the game, you’d assume he was one of the 10 most valuable receivers in the game for the week, right?

You’re assured volume and one huge play, so surely we are looking at 20+ PPR points and the type of week that swings matchups, right?

Nope. He averaged a tick over a PPR point per target after that splash play, and while it was his best outing of the season, that’s damning with faint praise to some degree.

Olave is a weekly starter, and I like this matchup against a shaky defense on short rest, but the ceiling isn’t all that high given the limitations of this offense. Chicago has been victimized by high-volume receivers this season, but that volume has primarily come from a more reliable arm.

If Olave can repeat his 15.8 points from this week, you’re thrilled. Realistically, you’ll take anything in the 13-17 point range. It’s not fun and rarely pretty, but it’s lineup-worthy.

Christian Kirk | HOU (at SEA)

The thought of Christian Kirk makes sense, but I’m just not sure the practical version of him will live up to it.

An experienced slot man, complementing Collins in an offense that has protection problems, should be giving us high-end volume. But eight targets on 40 routes over his past two games isn’t really moving the needle, given that none of those looks carry a ton of upside (one came 15+ yards downfield and zero have come in the red zone).

I think you hold Kirk, knowing exactly what he is. He’s an efficient player in a flawed offense, with a safe role, albeit one that won’t swing your matchup in a significant way. This is the type of profile I don’t mind stashing for when injuries/byes ravage my starting lineup, but it’s also one I’m not looking to play otherwise.

Kirk checks in outside of my top 35 at the position this week, and that’ll be the case more often than not until we see more of the offense being funneled through him.

Cooper Kupp | SEA (vs HOU)

Cooper Kupp had his longest catch of the season AND scored on a different play.

He still didn’t finish the week as a top 20 performer at the position.

Sam Darnold is playing at a high level, and it’s because he’s comfortable giving Jaxon Smith-Njigba every chance to thrive. This team looks good, but they are doing it without a WR2 that is close to fantasy lineups, and I’m not sure that changes as the season wears on for the 32-year-old.

That’s now three times in six weeks in which Kupp has failed to earn more than three looks, and that’s not going to get it done. Kupp can be rostered, but he doesn’t need to be, and you’d have a real hard time selling me as a part of your flex conversation.

Courtland Sutton | DEN (vs NYG)

I’m not sweating it.

Courtland Sutton had as many catches as the Jets had safeties in London last week, a game that most of us would like to forget. The stinker was Sutton’s second dud of the year, but he’s cleared 60 receiving yards in each of the other four, scoring in three of them.

I have concerns about Nix’s consistency as a passer, and while that limits my optimism for this offense as a whole, Sutton is more often than not immune.

The G-men have allowed a receiver to score at least 18 PPR points in five of six weeks, and I like Sutton’s chances to make it six of seven. Opponents have completed half of their deep pass attempts against New York through six weeks, and while Marvin Mims is a threat to see some of those looks, the vast majority of those high-impact targets go to their WR1, and that’s enough to have him labeled as a low-end WR2.

Darius Slayton | NYG (at DEN)

Darius Slayton (hamstring) sat out Thursday night’s win over the Eagles, just his third missed game over the past 3+ seasons.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey showed a proof of concept for the Slayton role (34-yard reception and a 30.8% target share), but did he do it maybe too well?

If Dart is comfortable with a player he worked with plenty this offseason, what exactly is left for a player like Slayton, who is limited as a target earner in the first place?

At best, we are talking about a fringy bye-week filler, and with a lingering soft tissue issue, I’ll pass for now. I’ll leave the light on as this season wears on and we get more data points on this offensive structure, but Slayton’s profile isn’t one I land on often, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Darnell Mooney | ATL (at SF)

Darnell Mooney has turned 16 targets into just 79 yards (zero touchdowns) this season, a profile I’m not interested in waiting on.

The sixth-year receiver continues to deal with a hamstring injury that he suffered back in Week 4 (Week 5 bye and a DNP in Week 6), a red flag for players with a clear path to production, not to mention a shaky WR2 in an offense that can be sporadic under Penix.

I’m not ruling out the idea that Mooney carves out a role that has him earning 5-7 targets weekly, but as it stands now, I’ll let someone else worry about his health.

Suppose there is an opportunity to make an add in the coming weeks, great. If not, I don’t think I’m losing my league because I was slow to act on Atlanta’s WR2.

Davante Adams | LAR (at JAX)

The Davante Adams situation could be one of the more interesting for Week 7, with Nacua’s status (foot) trending in the wrong direction for this London game ahead of the Week 8 bye.

On one hand, it’s easy to look at the target distribution from the first six weeks and pencil in Adams for a vintage performance. This season, the Nacua/Adams duo has combined for 57.6% of Los Angeles’ receptions and 60.1% of receiving yards. Even if you transfer one-third of the potentially vacated production to the WR2 in town, you end up with an overwhelmingly optimistic projection.

In theory, I could see doing that, but that’s not the approach I’m taking. Adams isn’t the player he once was, and the 47.3% catch rate is a clear indication of that. He’s settled into a more vertical role. While part of that could be the desire to leverage his playmaking abilities, I’m not ruling out the possibility that it’s the only way the 32-year-old can win these days, with quick-twitch routes less of an advantage.

If that’s the case, the increase in defensive attention figures to impact his fantasy stock more than an extra target or two.

We are picking nits. Three big-play receivers have cleared 22 PPR points against the Jags (Ja’Marr Chase, Collins, and Smith-Njigba), and Adams could, of course, add his name to that list. The former Packer has seen multiple end-zone targets in three of the past five weeks and is one of two players with a 20+ yard reception in all six weeks (the other: George Pickens).

Adams is a starter in all formats, whether Nacua suits up or not. That’s not the argument. I’m more saying that he doesn’t turn into an All-Pro should the best receiver in the sport be sidelined.

Deebo Samuel Sr. | WAS (at DAL)

I think it’s safe to say that we were all expecting more from Deebo Samuel on Monday night against the Bears.

Five targets, four catches, 15 yards, and a rushing attempt that lost a yard.

It was the third time in five weeks that the experienced receiver failed to average more than a yard per target, and it would appear that the coaching staff is noticing.

Chris Moore came out of nowhere to lead this team in receiving yards (46) and score, while Luke McCaffrey continues to make the most of his limited opportunities (33-yard TD, though this one was more of a defensive issue than anything he did right).

With Terry McLaurin on the mend and a running game that Washington appears confident in, there is a real risk that Samuel’s run to open this season proves to be the outlier, not the norm.

Both of his 100-yard games last season came before the middle of October, and he reached 25 receiving yards just in his final seven games with the Niners. I’m not yet projecting a cliff drop, but I am alerting you to the possibility that you might not have the weekly asset you thought you did as recently as seven days ago.

DeMario Douglas | NE (at TEN)

DeMario Douglas entered Week 6 averaging under 10 yards per catch, but because this is Drake Maye’s world and we are all just living in it, he was on the right side of a 53-yard touchdown (40 air yards).

The highlight was fun (12.3-point play for a player who had 16.4 points through five weeks), but that’s all it was. Outside of the splash play, he caught just two passes against the Saints and still has just 10 catches on his resume this season.

If I’m trying to get exposure to this offense, it’s through a player I believe has more scoring equity, like Hunter Henry or Kayshon Boutte.

DeVonta Smith | PHI (at MIN)

If Jalen Hurts puts a throw in the zip code of a wide-open DeVonta Smith, he rips off an 89-yard touchdown, and we are having a conversation about who the WR1 is in Philly.

Instead, he finishes with 49 yards, the fifth time in six weeks he failed to clear 60 yards. I like the player, but what we have gotten to this point feels spot-on for what we can expect moving forward.

• Week 3: 9 targets and a TD
• Week 4: 2 targets
• Week 5: 10 targets and 114 yards
• Week 6: 4 targets

He’s spending slightly more time in the slot this season than last, but his aDOT is also up by 8%, and those aren’t two stats that tend to move in the same direction. He’s going to be more efficient than Brown on fewer targets, and if Goedert continues to be used in close and Saquon Barkley’s role in the passing game sticks, this is going to be a frustrating final two months for Smith managers.

You’re flexing him every week (35 catches on 44 blitzed targets since last season with five scores), understanding that you need to swallow the duds to leave yourself open to the big games. Not all fantasy teams are built for such a player, and if that’s the case, I’d be open to trading him for a Jakobi Meyers type that theoretically comes with a more narrow range of weekly outcomes.

DJ Moore | CHI (vs NO)

DJ Moore was hospitalized after Monday night’s win for “precautionary medical attention,” and given the resources NFL teams have at their home base, the fact that they felt it necessary to get the star WR treatment so quickly is concerning.

Any loss for Moore would be Luther Burden’s gain in fantasy, and even if he’s labeled as fine for this week, he hasn’t earned more than six looks in a game this season. The Saints allow the sixth-most yards after the catch to the receiver position, a strong spot for Moore if he can give it a go.

He’ll be flirting with my top 30 at the position if every health box is checked (he hasn’t sat out a game since 2020), but with the bye behind them, Chicago may take the cautious approach here.

DK Metcalf | PIT (at CIN)

That’s consecutive WR1 finishes for DK Metcalf around the Week 5 bye, and while I’m generally not buying him long-term, I do think he keeps the good times rolling in this ultra-favorable spot.

This season, no team blitzes less often than the Bengals, and when Aaron Rodgers has time to read a defense, he tends to favor his 6’4″ tank of a WR1.

Go figure.

Through six weeks, 38.2% of his non-blitzed targets have been directed toward Metcalf (blitzed: 24.5%). The anti-Metcalf argument stems from a lack of per-target upside, and I’ll stand on that soapbox after we get past this matchup … it doesn’t hold water in a spot against a bad defense where we can pencil him in for 8-10 looks.

The 25-yard touchdown against the Browns last week was seemingly a month in the making. All the film showed shallow crossing routes for Metcalf: the plan being to have Rodgers hit him in stride and let him dance.

The touchdown on Sunday leveraged that tendency into a double move and an easy score. Combine that design with a sideline dime, and it’s very clear that the future Hall of Fame QB implicitly trusts his WR1.

Come back next week when I suggest selling high, but for Week 7, I’m in!

Dontayvion Wicks | GB (at ARI)

Dontayvion Wicks is battling an ankle injury, which should be enough for you to move on.

I understand the “but it could be anyone at any time in Green Bay” stance, but it’s been more like “it could be anyone besides Wicks at any time in Green Bay” this season.

The 24-year-old has caught more than two passes in a game just once this season, and we are removed from the 14.9 yards per catch he averaged as a rookie (10.6 last season and 10.8 so far in 2022).

With Jayden Reed inching toward a return, Christian Watson hitting the practice field, and this run game getting into a rhythm against the Bengals last week, any window for Wicks to carve out a consistent role seems to be a thing of the past.

The waiver wire may be bare, and that simply being on the field for a top-10 offense is your angle. If that’s the case, fine. Otherwise, I think you’re clear to move on and chase other developmental projects.

Drake London | ATL (at SF)

Through five games, Drake London has more catches (34) than any of his teammates have targets, and Darnell Mooney, who has missed 40% of Atlanta’s games this season, remains second on the target leaderboard when it comes to Falcon WRs.

Penix is far from a polished prospect. Still, he seems keenly aware that getting the ball to his high-pedigree teammates is a good way to make a living, and he’s executing (London, Robinson, and Kyle Pitts have accounted for 69.6% of Atlanta targets).

London has earned 10+ targets three times this season, and his monster game on Monday night (10-158-1) grows if a touchdown at the end of the first half doesn’t come off the board.

The 49ers’ defense is playing well above expectations this season, but they’ve allowed a receiver to clear 15 PPR points in four of six games, and even if Mooney were to return to action, there’s not much debating as to who the most likely player on this team is to check that box.

London is a top 10 play for me this week and not far off of that for the second half of the season as a whole.

Emeka Egbuka | TB (at DET)

If only we had known that wide receivers in Tampa Bay were contagious before putting all our hopes and dreams in Emeka Egbuka.

The outstanding rookie suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter last week and is expected to be sidelined for some time. The Bucs get the Saints next week before going on bye in Week 9; we don’t yet have a Week 10 target return date, but it’s easy to see a path to that.

Tez and Kameron Johnson are the names to know in this offense if you want a piece of the Baker Mayfield for MVP campaign, especially indoors in a potentially offensively charged contest.

It’s a little hard to imagine, but if the manager with Egbuka has a losing record, why not start a trade conversation? If that’s the case, the rest of the roster is likely depleted, giving you the ability to swoop in with a volume deal that lands you an elite asset who closes the fantasy season with the Panthers and Dolphins in Weeks 16-17.

Garrett Wilson | NYJ (vs CAR)

A matchup with Patrick Surtain II is a tough way to spend your London vacation, and playing with Justin Fields on one of those days isn’t exactly fun either.

Garrett Wilson saw a 50% target share, and you’ll take that every day of the week. Yes, it resulted in just 4.3 PPR points, but process-wise, you made a very reasonable call.

It happens, and it’ll happen again to this sporadic offense.

Even in what can be an awfully low-volume offense, Wilson has earned at least eight targets in every game this season, volume that gets an elite talent like this into starting lineups.

The per-target upside is capped in a significant way (we are more than 10 months removed from his last 35+ yard reception), but he’s not being pushed for opportunities, and with his pedigree, that’s enough for me to lock him in weekly when healthy.

That’s not the case right now, as this hyperextended knee could cost Wilson the rest of October.

All reports indicate he avoided serious injury, so don’t do anything drastic. If anything, this injury could be a blessing in disguise … you can now cross “watch Jets circus” off your to-do list.

George Pickens | DAL (vs WAS)

Five straight games with a touchdown, four this season with 9+ targets, three with 120+ air yards, two with over 3.0 yards per route, and a hurdle to make the season-ending highlight reel.

George Pickens is a confidence-driven receiver who is currently convinced that he is the best player in the world.

I’m not ready to go quite that far, but for him to function at the peak of his powers, he needs to believe it. Lamb could return this week, and that’ll likely dent the production, but the vertical role is pretty clearly a role he’s comfortable in and one that Dak Prescott approves of.

If Lamb returns, maybe Pickens falls from WR9 to WR17 in our rankings, but in the scheme of things, that doesn’t matter. You’re playing him and loving the profit you’re getting from your strong value selection this summer.

Ja’Marr Chase | CIN (vs PIT)

As expected, the Bengals didn’t hesitate to cut Flacco loose in his team debut. The defense is always going to be a liability, and given the money they spent on their playmakers, why not at least try to compete that way?

The veteran QB chucked the ball 45 times as part of a game plan he hardly knew, making it very understandable as to why 50% of his throws would be directed towards either Chase or Tee Higgins.

It was far from an efficient afternoon in Lambeau (4.9 yards per pass), but if Chase and Higgins are going to combine for 20 targets, all should be OK in our fantasy world.

There wasn’t a 20-yard play to be had in this offense on Sunday, and that makes the volume a requirement more than a nice-to-have. But I think it sticks. Chase isn’t likely to have a week where he finishes as the top scorer at the position, but the floor is higher now than it was two weeks ago, and that’s comforting enough to trust arguably the best in the game.

Jakobi Meyers | LV (at KC)

Jakobi Meyers came blazing out of the gates this season, but as the Geno Smith express has taken a turn for the worse, his WR1 has found it impossible to succeed (four straight weeks finishing outside of the top 36 at the position).

I wish I could sell you on optimism, but with a declining slot rate and relatively few scoring opportunities, I really can’t. He benefited early from the threat of Brock Bowers, so maybe there’s a thread to pull there when the second-year tight end is deemed healthy, but are we confident that happens any time soon?

I prefer Meyers to Tre Tucker, but the gap is closing, and neither projects as a starter in the short term for me.

Jalen Coker | CAR (at NYJ)

Jalen Coker is nearing his season debut (quad), but he wasn’t quite ready on Sunday after a week of practice.

In reading the tea leaves from last week, a return to action this weekend seems plenty logical. There’s nothing actionable to do just yet, but the WR2 role in this offense is wide open, and with the Bills/Packers up next, you have to think some pass-heavy scripts are awaiting the Panthers.

At the very least, monitor this situation. Carolina is motivated to see what they have in their young players, and with a matchup against the Saints in Week 15, there’s a world in which a player like Coker could matter during the first week of your playoffs.

Jameson Williams | DET (vs TB)

I think we are getting there.

Over the past two weeks, Jameson Williams has had a 4.9-yard aDOT. No, I don’t think it’s optimal to make this burner only a short-range target, but I know it’s not optimal to have him exclusively running go routes like he was prior (25.9 aDOT in Weeks 2-4).

We took a punch in the face in Week 5, but Williams cashed in on this route against the Chiefs on Sunday night (66 yards and a touchdown), and I think we see more of that moving forward. He was targeted on three of Goff’s first seven passes, and that’s the type of script we love to see as a role evolves.

The entire summer was devoted to hyping up Williams as a versatile receiver, and if this is the beginning of us getting to see it on a full-time basis, I’m ready to push my chips in on him.

Jauan Jennings | SF (vs ATL)

Do we really know what a healthy Jauan Jennings looks like?

He’s been battling rib and ankle injuries for a month now, and while he’s taken the field twice over that stretch, he’s produced under a half-yard per route and has been a shell of himself.

I’m done guessing.

There are situations where I’ll jump the line and be early, but this isn’t one, given the lingering nature of these ailments. When this roster is whole, are we sure that there is a fantasy-viable role for Jennings to step into?

Ricky Pearsall is going to be tasked with stretching the field, and that opens up the short passing game. That’s good for Jennings’ profile, but with George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey soaking up those looks in bulk, I have Jennings looking at more of a five-target type of role, and that’s a low-end flex at best in a Brock Purdy-led offense.

Injuries could continue to vault Jennings into a reasonable role this week, but the Falcons are the best YAC defense against opposing wide receivers this season. Should Pearsall sit, I’ll end up ranking Jennings and Kendrick Bourne in the same tier, one that sits just outside the top 30 at the position.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA (vs HOU)

The game just looks easy for some of the greats, and so far this season, that’s been the case for Smith-Njigba.

He’s scored in three of four games (in the one he didn’t, he provided the game-breaking play) and has 8+ grabs on four occasions. On Sunday, he was the only Seahawk with a catch on the first three drives (four for 56), and that somehow isn’t even what has impressed me most.

JSN averaged 10.0 yards per catch as a rookie and 11.3 last season. This year, he’s up to 16.6 thanks to a splash play every single week (36+ yard reception in all six games). He’s pacing to accomplish the rare feat of increasing his big-play profile without compromising his catch rate (75% catch).

At this point, even some regression wouldn’t remove Smith-Njigba from the top 10 at the position moving forward.

Jayden Higgins | HOU (at SEA)

Jayden Higgins has nearly doubled up fellow rookie Jaylin Noel in snaps played this season, but that doesn’t mean he’s even remotely close to the redraft radar.

For dynasty managers, it’s interesting that he’s being prioritized over Noel, but with 10 targets in five games, there’s nothing to see here.

Should Collins or Christian Kirk get injured, we can have that conversation, but this isn’t the type of situation you need to get ahead of.

Jayden Reed | GB (at ARI)

Jayden Reed underwent foot and clavicle surgeries in the middle of September, and the first half of November has remained the target ever since.

Green Bay’s presumed WR1 scored in Week 1 and was injured on a play in Week 2 that was inches from being a score. It’s only a six-target sample, so do with it what you will, but three came 15+ yards downfield (a sub-30% rate in each of his first two seasons).

My thought is that the team was aware of what Tucker Kraft could do in the short receiving game, and the speed of Matthew Golden was anything but a secret, thus opening up Reed to expand his route tree a bit. That’s how he can become a weekly fantasy asset, but he needs to prove himself healthy before anything.

The Packers play the Bears twice in December, matchups that give Reed the potential to crack my top 24 in those impact weeks, should his usage trend in the direction we saw out of the gates.

Jaylen Waddle | MIA (at CLE)

In the last two weeks of Hill’s season, Jaylen Waddle’s aDOT was 6.4 yards.

Since: 14.9.

That’s not a problem if you trust the quarterback, but I’m personally not there, and that opens up a wide range of weekly outcomes, especially in a matchup like this outside of the picturesque conditions that come for the ‘Fins when they play at home.

We did see DK Metcalf score on a double move against these Browns on Sunday, but you’re grasping for straws a bit if you want to compare the way he threatens a defense to how Waddle does.

All of the juice may have been squeezed out of the Waddle orange. He’s caught 12 of 17 targets over the two weeks post-Hill, a level of efficiency that, given the deep nature of his looks, is above expectation.

I don’t think he’s falling completely out of your PPR lineup, but I’d be surprised if he cleared 15 points for a third straight contest.

Jaylin Noel | HOU (at SEA)

During the preseason, there was hope that one of the young receivers in Houston would carve out a meaningful role, but those hopes are very much in the rearview mirror at this point.

Jaylin Noel is pretty clearly a WR5 in an offense that doesn’t always elevate its WR1. His 25.6% snap share has yielded just seven targets this season, which makes him a player we need to see signs of life before blindly assuming he’ll keep it up.

A dozen receivers are staring at you from the waiver wire with a more straightforward path to opportunity: don’t be too proud to revisit a preseason take.

Jerry Jeudy | CLE (vs MIA)

I could tell you that Jerry Jeudy has been inefficient this season, and that’d be accurate. That said, I majored in math, not English … I don’t know a word stronger than “inefficient,” so I’m going to use numbers to highlight just how bad things are in Cleveland these days and why you can’t lock him into lineups.

• At this pace, he needs 198 more targets this season to reach his 2024 yardage total
• In Week 6, he had the fewest receiving yards for a player with 12+ targets in a game this season
• It’s been over 300 days since his last TD
• He has under a 50% catch rate on balls thrown under and over 15 yards

There’s a chance he’s your most viable flex option, but I’d caution against looking at the matchup and feeling obligated to play Jeudy. He’s a fringe top 30 WR for me this week, and I don’t think things will improve much for the remainder of 2022.

Jordan Addison | MIN (vs PHI)

It feels like a while ago now, but remember Week 5?

We woke up early to watch the Vikings in London, only to see Jordan Addison not on the field at all. Those of us who flexed him mourned losing our week before having breakfast: it really was quite the buzzkill before most Sundays even get started.

But after the first quarter, he began seeing the field at his normal rate, and before you know it, he’s hauling in a contested touchdown with 25 seconds left to give the Vikings the win over a stingy Browns team.

As it turns out, it was a disciplinary thing that held him out early, and while I’d prefer my fantasy players stay out of that sort of trouble, his play on the field was encouraging (five catches for 41 yards and the touchdown on six targets).

During the final three quarters of that victory, he led the Vikings in targets, and while I don’t think he’s any sort of threat to Justin Jefferson’s role as the WR1, let’s not forget that this man has proven himself as a touchdown maker.

Most TD receptions by an NFC North player (first 34 career games since 2000):

• Addison (20)
• Justin Jefferson, Greg Jennings, and Roy Williams (19)
• Calvin Johnson and Sam LaPorta (17)
• Kenny Golladay and Jayden Reed (15)

The off-the-field behavior has been sporadic, while the on-the-field stuff has been anything but. His per-target production in two games this season, yardage-wise, is a minor red flag (outside of an 81-yard grab where the Steelers apparently thought he was still suspended, he’s turned 13 targets into just 74 yards), but that’s nitpicking given the QB situation.

Addison is a plenty viable weekly flex based on touchdown equity alone, never mind the potential for a 23-year-old to develop further and find his groove after missing the first three weeks.

Josh Downs | IND (at LAC)

It’s hard to call a 42-yard performance against the Cardinals a breakout, but Josh Downs scored his first touchdown of the season, capitalizing on his first three red zone touches of the season.

He led the Colts in receptions (six) and the receivers in targets, seeing his expected point production improve for a third consecutive week.

I’m not saying Downs is a PPR start this week or that he has a very clear path to earn such a label, but if you are buying what Indianapolis is selling, there’s no reason he can’t have a midseason run in line with what Michael Pittman did to open the season.

Downs isn’t going to win you your league with some sort of extreme spike in the second half of the season, but it wouldn’t shock me at all for him to emerge as a reasonable flex option down the stretch, and that holds value as the playoffs near.

Justin Jefferson | MIN (vs PHI)

Sometimes it just feels like the difficulty settings aren’t turned up high enough when Justin Jefferson is on the field.

From athletic plays to graceful toe taps, he does it all, and the situation doesn’t matter. First-year QB? Veteran with flaws? Tough matchup? Double coverage? None of it matters.

The play action passing game for the Vikings will be prevalent on early downs and the #Eagles defense has to be prepared for the deep out or comeback form Justin Jefferson against off zone coverage.

Jefferson always sells the route flawlessly. pic.twitter.com/2nqlDoIjIl

— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) October 15, 2025

He’s hit 75+ receiving yards in four straight despite all sorts of moving pieces around him, and while he hasn’t found the end zone in any of those games, it feels close to inevitable.

Through five games, his red zone target rate is only 15.4%. He’s been north of 23% in each of the past four seasons, and I’m plenty comfortable in writing this as a result of a small sample. Once the valuable looks return, Jefferson will again be in the mix for the best fantasy receiver in the game.

Kayshon Boutte | NE (at TEN)

You don’t come to PFSN for me to tell you that Boutte had a big day against the Saints. Or that New Orleans is terrible, and that resulted in some inflated numbers.

You know those things. You know that we are not expecting Boutte to go 5-93-2 every week moving forward.

What you might be less aware of, however, is the thread to pull.

This was Boutte’s second big effort of the season, and he’s much more involved when opponents struggle to create pressure around Maye.

Through six weeks, he owns a 7% pressured target share and a 15.4% non-pressured target share. Those numbers aren’t overwhelming in either split, but if you are going to roll the dice, it needs to be in a spot where you expect the second-year signal caller to be kept clear.

Remaining New England schedule:

• Titans: 24th in pressure rate
• Browns: 15th
• Falcons: 10th
• Buccaneers: 6th
• Jets: 31st
• Bengals: 28th
• Giants: 18th
• Bills: 2nd
• Ravens: 30th
• Jets: 31st

Boutte’s two big games this season came against the Raiders (23rd) and Saints (27th). I think this may be more than just a flash in the pan, but you need to be thoughtful in your use.

Keenan Allen | LAC (vs IND)

In a great spot against the Dolphins with Quentin Johnston sidelined, Keenan Allen set season lows in catches, targets, and yards.

He ran hot early this season in terms of touchdowns, but he’s yet to reach 70 receiving yards in a game this season, and that creates a low floor if the end zone targets aren’t adding up. Allen is going to continue to be very valuable for the Bolts (41.2% of his targets have come on third down), but with Ladd McConkey seeming to get on track and Johnston, when healthy, holding a unique role, he’s my WR3 of this trio, and it’s not terribly close.

As for Week 7, he’s hovering around WR30, a range that includes the Packers’ and 49ers’ receiver crapshoots.

Kendrick Bourne | SF (vs ATL)

After totaling 87 yards in September, Kendrick Bourne has opened October with a pair of 142-yard performances on the road, first against the Rams and on Sunday opposite the Bucs.

His size makes him a threat to high point any pass, and his ability to do so is certainly why he’s been on the field more with Ricky Pearsall (knee) sidelined, but the profile, for these two weeks at least, has some teeth to it.

The three deep catches are what you’d expect, but he also has a play with 15+ YAC yards in both contests. Bourne has never been a featured player in this league (career high: 55 catches with New England in 2021), and I’m not sold that he’ll get extended opportunities when this offense is remotely close to full, but we aren’t there right now.

For me, he’s keeping Pearsall’s spot in the rankings warm until otherwise noted. The Falcons’ defense has been stout this season, but Bourne is a part of a Shanahan offense that gets the benefit of playing a team on short rest.

If you’re stuck in an uncomfortable spot, I prefer Bourne to all healthy Buccaneer WRs and Jakobi Meyers, players that I’ve seen penciled in ahead of him across the industry so far.

Ladd McConkey | LAC (vs IND)

This is a results-oriented business.

It just is. I’d love to fight that, but at best your fantasy season consists of 17 matchups, which means we have to weigh what has actually happened just as much as what “should” have happened.

That’s a little in the weeds, but it’s to say that Ladd McConkey has scored in consecutive games, and that has his managers feeling good. It’s reassuring to see 100 yards next to his name in Miami last week, and I get it.

I’m pro-McConkey.

My stance is that not much has changed. His aDOT over the past two weeks is essentially in line with what we saw in September, as is his slot usage. He’s simply run hot after running ice cold earlier in the season.

The Quentin Johnston injury opened up a target share spike last week, and even then, are you looking at his day the same way if not for a miraculous play by Justin Herbert that ended up being a 42-yard catch-and-run for McConkey?

Probably not.

We overrated him coming into the season and course-corrected too fast after the early struggles. Over the past three weeks, he’s been in the WR20 range, and I think that’s about right moving forward.

I think there’s a real chance he’s the top Charger pass catcher in total the rest of the way, but there are going to be ups and downs due to the depth of this roster.

If I told you that over the next two months you’d get two duds, two top-15s, and a handful of finishes in the 16-30 range … would you take it?

I think that’s what we are looking at. If you remove the superhero that is Nacua from the WR numbers against the Colts, they profile as a pretty stingy group (Troy Franklin is the only other WR against them with a notable performance).

Some of that is schedule, granted, but if they can control tempo, this could be the type of low-possession game where only one Charger WR is deserving of being trusted.

How lucky do you feel?

Luther Burden III | CHI (vs NO)

Burden earned a target on 30.8% of his routes on Monday night coming out of the bye, a figure that by itself would suggest buying, but that’s kind of like a kid telling his parents that he only missed three questions on a test.

You’re missing an important detail.

You’re repeating the grade if that test only had six questions, and I’m repeating my skepticism on Burden because he only ran 13 routes (Rome Odunze, Moore, and Olamide Zaccheaus all ran 25+).

The coaching staff doesn’t trust the rookie to do anything outside of running routes, and while that is what pays the fantasy bills, it hints at the team not loving the development process up to this point.

Burden ran a route on each of his snaps, while the three receivers ahead of him were all on the field for 50+ offensive snaps in the win over the Commanders. Before you can sell me on him being anything but roster depth, he needs to unseat a journeyman in Zaccheaus and earn the well-rounded trust of his coaches.

If we get this in a soft matchup, we can have a different discussion next week, but for now, there’s not enough in this profile to encourage me.

Malik Nabers | NYG (at DEN)

A casual reminder that Malik Nabers’ second season is over after suffering a Week 4 torn ACL.

The hope is that, with this injury occurring in September, his prep process for 2026 isn’t delayed, and if Dart proves himself as the franchise QB, Nabers could push for first-round value in redraft formats this summer.

If you play in a dynasty league, I’d offer full price right now, hoping that the managers with him rostered view this as part of a title window and that you can leverage that optimism to pry away one of the five best long-term investments you can make.

Marquise Brown | KC (vs LV)

Hollywood Brown had been quiet, though, in the first five weeks this season before turning two of his four targets against the Lions on Sunday night into scores.

Week 1 was effective (10 catches for 99 yards), but that was more the result of him filling the Xavier Worthy feature role after their WR1 left after three snaps.

In terms of the Hollywood Brown “role”, Sunday was the first time it really paid off, and even then, he’s yet to reach 50 yards in that spot.

I said it last week, and I’m saying it louder this week after the 20.5 PPR outburst: I’m selling to the highest bidder. I don’t care if I don’t think I’m getting great value; this is a chip I want to cash in before it’s too late, and if that means taking $0.80 on perceived value, I’m good with it.

In terms of aDOT, Andy Reid has been shifting Brown’s role all over the place, which suggests he is still searching for a spot for him to impact this offense, with Rashee Rice now back and Worthy healthy.

Mahomes is comfortable targeting both running backs, and obviously, Travis Kelce still exists, so where exactly is Brown getting enough looks to make him a top 30 receiver?

Or top 40?

Move him before the window closes. I beg of you.

Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI (vs GB)

Concussion symptoms led to Marvin Harrison Jr.’s early departure over the weekend, and with Arizona’s bye in Week 8, I’m tentatively making other plans for this weekend.

The Cards’ WR1 had been useful in three of the first five weeks this season, and while the yardage totals are spotty, he showed signs of turning a corner with Murray.

Now we have injuries on both sides to navigate, which makes this a situation I’d rather not invest in if I can help it. Harrison has a TD or a 30+ yard reception in four of five weeks with Murray under center, and that makes him a low-end WR2 moving forward when both parts of that tandem are on the field.

Should Harrison play without Murray this weekend, he’ll be ranked as nothing more than a low-end WR3: think Tee Higgins in the Jake Browning era.

Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN (vs NYG)

Bo Nix took a deep shot at Marvin Mims early, but it was more of a way to tell the defense he was looking in that direction.

The burner was bracketed the entire way and never really had a chance to make the grab, and that’s been the story of this season so far for Mims (16 catches on 24 targets in six games). I like the fact that they’ve handed him the rock in three consecutive games, but right now, we are looking at a boom/bust player without any proof of concept on the boom side.

You’re chasing a single splash play if you run Mims out there this week, and if you’re managing a beat-up roster, there’s some appeal in that for an offense that we expect to be productive.

That said, I don’t have him ranked among the top 40 receivers, and I can’t imagine that will change anytime soon, given his skill set and the up-and-down nature of the Bo Nix experience in Year 2.

Matthew Golden | GB (at ARI)

Old man Kyle has recently been informed that “Golden” is the name of a K-pop song that is hot right now, and I’m here to tell you, as a 35-year-old, number-crunching, sports-obsessed introvert, that the song slaps and ranks ahead of Golden in my evolving list of golds:

1. Gold medal
2. “Golden”
3. Matthew Golden
4. Goldfish, the thing that swims

1,304. Goldfish, the snack

Why did this catchy song surpass the Packers’ rookie, you ask?

Google it. I can’t stop humming it. But for the receiver, the fact that we are six weeks (five games) into his career and 54.2% of his receiving yards have come on three catches is concerning, especially when it’s highly debatable if one of them was even intended for him.

I love that he’s recorded multiple rushing attempts in three of the past four games, as that’s at least proof that this coaching staff likes their first-round pick, but given the route tree he’s running, I think we need them to love what he brings to the table.

Not “like” it.

The Cardinals rank 29th in blitz rate this season, so if you told me that Golden was afforded the time to beat the deep, I’d believe you, but it’s a play for the more risk-averse managers out there.

He’s a less proven Williams or Rashid Shaheed with better QB play. However you want to label him, he’s sitting outside my top 35 at the position until we see more targets his way.

Michael Pittman Jr. | IND (at LAC)

We thought the Arizona matchup would help Michael Pittman extend his strong production, but he turned 27 routes into just three targets and four PPR points, easily his worst showing of the season.

The fact that we have four touchdowns from a traditionally low-upside receiver that has been held without a red zone target in four of six weeks is a red flag, as if the fact that Josh Downs finished Sunday with twice as many catches as Pittman had targets.

I’m still ranking him as the WR1 in Indy, though my confidence that that label carries weekly value is fading a bit. Tyler Lockett has established himself as an alpha target earner, and we know that Taylor is going to get his 20 touches every week, thus requiring a receiver to really exploit a matchup to earn volume.

The Chargers have allowed over 15 PPR points to a receiver in consecutive games and four times this season: I don’t think Pittman gets there, but I think he has the best chance to, and that puts him on flex radars in PPR formats.

There are some injuries to consider in terms of the league-wide rankings, but Pittman will check in around WR30 when things kick off.

Mike Evans | TB (at DET)

Mike Evans suffered what Todd Bowles labeled as a “low-grade” hamstring injury in Week 3, and while that sounds good, let’s not forget that this is a 32-year-old receiver who is in the process of seeing Egbuka replace him.

Obviously, not all hope is lost. Evans still has plenty of juice (27 targets earned in his three games) and when at full strength, he stands to slide into the back-end of my WR2 rankings, especially with Chris Godwin struggling to near full strength and Bucky Irving also battling to get on the field.

There are some instances where a productive player goes down with an injury, and I’ll encourage you to buy at a discount. Opportunities like this present themselves all the time as a fantasy manager is holding a distressed asset because of their standing in your league and is looking, for lack of a better way to say it, to make a bad deal. To take pennies now for a dollar in the future.

This isn’t that.

READ MORE: Mike Evans Injury Update: How Long Will Fantasy Managers Be Without the Buccaneers WR?

Evans missed three games a season ago, and these soft-tissue injuries always carry an aggravation risk. We haven’t seen the future Hall of Famer reach 60 receiving yards in a game this season, and I’m not sure that changes in a meaningful way when he returns to the field.

Assuming he sits this week, you’ll be able to free up a roster spot by using your IR, and that’s fine. Just be careful in assuming that you’re getting a difference-maker when he returns to your lineup.

Nico Collins | HOU (at SEA)

I’ll admit I was probably too bullish this summer in ranking Collins as my top player at the position. Still, we are getting some breadcrumbs, and if the good vibes entering the bye (consecutive wins after the 0-3 start) sustain, it’s easy to see him producing top 10 numbers moving forward.

The walking mismatch has scored in three of his past four games and has a 29+ yard reception in each of those contests. If it feels like Collins has been prioritized more recently, it’s because he has, seeing his target percentage trend toward his 2021 mark of 28.3% over the past month (26.5%) after a dud in the season opener.

If Week 5’s game against Baltimore had been remotely competitive, I think more people would be on the “Collins could still be a league winner” train with me. His 4-52-1 stat line was fine, but he only played 54.5% of the snaps because nothing more was required.

The schedule isn’t great over the next two months, but if Collins can stay healthy, he does draw the Cardinals and Raiders, both at home, in Weeks 15-16 as you look to advance in your fantasy playoffs. With the bye now behind him, it might not be a bad idea to send out a trade offer that values him as a top 15 receiver and bank on getting top 10 (or better) production the rest of the way.

Pat Bryant | DEN (vs NYG)

Pat Bryant recorded an 11-yard catch on Denver’s second drive last week in London, and while the early involvement is good to see, it wasn’t predictive of a role expansion.

Sean Payton is clearly intrigued by the rookie, but he’s a part of a cluttered mess that leaves him off of redraft radars until proven otherwise. In the win over New York, Bryant was one of six Broncos to run 11-23 routes.

A big weapon like this in an offense that has largely lacked a Robin to Courtland Sutton’s Batman makes sense, but we are six weeks into the season and have no proof of concept when it comes to the rookie being counted on (six targets this season).

Many leagues have deep benches where you have the luxury of burning a spot. If that’s the case, I don’t mind going this direction as a long-term development play.

In leagues with tighter benches, I’m not waiting on Bryant when I could be rostering players with a higher usage expectation this week.

Puka Nacua | LAR (at JAX)

If you fly too close to the sun, sometimes you get burned.

Nacua has been fantasy’s best player this season, but there is no denying that, to make his style work, he puts his body on the line every time he is targeted.

We’ve seen him bloody and bruised, but he’s largely been like a prize fighter in that he’s always able to gut through things.

The body has limitations, and it would seem that this foot injury is going to get the best of the star for at least this week in London. With the bye up next, the 4-2 Rams are likely to play the long game with their difference maker, and I think that’s what we want: lose the Week 7 battle and hope to win the 2025 war.

Tutu Atwell is the target in town that gains the most value should Nacua sit, but you should have better options at the ready on your bench.

Let’s hope for the best.

Quentin Johnston | LAC (vs IND)

Quentin Johnston was fantasy’s 14th highest scoring player (PPR) across all formats in September. Still, he earned just four targets in the Week 5 loss to the Commanders (40 yards) and missed last week with a hamstring injury that lingered throughout the week.

Every receiver has slow weeks, so the limited production in Week 5 wasn’t a big deal in my eyes. That is, until I looked closer at it.

After posting an aDOT of 11+ yards in each of Los Angeles’ first four games, Johnston saw his rate drop to 6.3 yards.

Now, we are looking at a tiny, four-target sample size. I’m not making any drastic rankings movement based on it, but I’m flagging it for sure. Johnston can thrive in this offense when his strength as a vertical threat is magnified: Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen are my preferred options on those sub-10-yard routes.

If all health obstacles are cleared with confidence, Johnston will top my LAC WR list when this week kicks off, though I will say we are a week away from a similar role change, as I shake up the order in which I rank this trio.

The Bolts don’t have their bye until Week 12, so Johnston is going to have to work through this injury without the benefit of an extended break for the team. That’s worth noting because the Chargers host the Vikings to kick off Week 8, increasing the odds that this team gives Johnston a few extra days to get right before bringing him back for that game and thus giving him extra rest ahead of Week 9.

Rashee Rice | KC (vs LV)

Rashee Rice is set to return from his six-game suspension, and he’s certainly not low on confidence.

“Everybody’s gotta eat.”

Rice posted that on Twitter, and while I believe the sentiment, are we sure it’s accurate?

Might it just be him?

The expectation is for the Chiefs to roll this week, and in wins in which he’s run 20+ routes, Rice has averaged 18.9 PPR PPG for his career, catching 60 of 71 targets across those nine games (fantasy production: 41.1% over expectation).

We are talking about a receiver who could put up top 15, if not top 10, numbers the rest of the way. If you’re worried about a slow start, Rice scored in his first career NFL game and cleared 100 yards with a 33.3% target share in his first action of 2022.

All gas, no brakes.

Rashid Shaheed | NO (at CHI)

And that’s the life of a Shaheed manager:

• Week 5 vs. Giants: 5 targets (0 in the red zone), 4 catches, 80 air yards
• Week 6 vs. Patriots: 6 targets (0 in the red zone), 4 catches, 50 air yards

The role looks the same, but the first one came with 21.4 PPR points attached; the second, just 6.8.

Personally, I think this is a better player than his raw numbers suggest, but I can’t imagine that he gets a real chance to cash in on that potential anytime in 2023 with this Saints offense structured the way that it is.

We will see what next season holds (if they draft another QB, I guess that I’ll be higher on Shaheed than the industry norm), but for the remainder of this season, the Shaheed profile carries much more risk than reward potential.

Ricky Pearsall | SF (vs ATL)

There was some hope that Rickey Pearsall would return last week from this knee injury, but he never saw the practice field and missed a second consecutive game.

Generally speaking, I’ve been encouraged about what we’ve seen from the second-year playmaker. It’s only a month’s worth of data, but with a 15.9-yard aDOT and a 69% catch rate, there is upside very much worth exploring.

In 2024, only one player (Terry McLaurin) had an aDOT north of 13 yards and hauled in at least two-thirds of his targets. The efficient ways of Brock Purdy give Pearsall the potential to sustain that rare combination of upside and stability, thus making him a player I am inclined to rank as a viable flex option more often than not.

Of course, to do so, we need this roster to get close to full strength. I hope that we trend that direction this week, but given the multiple missed weeks, this is a situation you will want to track closely as the weekend approaches.

Rome Odunze | CHI (vs NO)

If the touchdown doesn’t get called back for illegal formation, you’re not reading this section, as Odunze would have scored for a fifth consecutive game and paid you off for starting him with confidence.

Instead, he finishes with his worst game of the season by 10 PPR points, and you’re looking for a pick-me-up.

I don’t see any real reason to worry. The target share fell a bit because Chicago thought it was a good idea to feature Olamide Zaccheaus (team-high six targets), and that almost cost them the game with a late drop.

The tight ends were essentially useless (11 yards on five targets), and DJ Moore finished with under 50 yards for a fourth consecutive game. You have the WR1 in a Ben Johnson offense, with a quarterback whose confidence is growing and a defense that struggles consistently.

Odunze is an unquestioned starter for the rest of the season across all formats and is a top-10 option for me this week in a great spot (New Orleans allows the 10th-most yards per deep pass and has seen the third-highest percentage of those chunk tries result in scores).

Romeo Doubs | GB (at ARI)

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Packers couldn’t care less about your fantasy team.

Unless you have Josh Jacobs, then I guess they care. They are a talented offense that is committed to the run, and that’s a problem when the receiver room is nothing short of a random number generator in terms of weekly production.

In the win over the Bengals last week, Romeo Doubs led the team in targets, Samori Toure in receiving yards, and Tucker Kraft was responsible for the only receiving touchdown.

It might be the exact same situation this weekend. Or completely different. Dontayvion Wicks has fallen out of favor a bit, but he’s not gone, and what happens when Jayden Reed comes back in less than a month?

This projects as another game where Green Bay’s rush total likely exceeds their pass total, and that means you can justify flexing Doubs or Toure, but there’s no way you’re going to feel great about it.

Arizona ranks slightly better against the deep pass (ninth fewest YPA) than at preventing red zone touchdowns (12th): that’s the logic I used to have Doubs ranked five spots ahead of Toure this week, but again, it’s hard to envision feeling good about any of these receivers in Week 7, Week 11, or Week 15.

You get the point.

Stefon Diggs | NE (at TEN)

After back-to-back 100-yard games, Stefon Diggs’ stat line fell flat against the Saints, earning just three targets and picking up 28 yards in the victory.

It’ll be OK.

You didn’t draft Diggs thinking you had a weekly asset, and you probably don’t, but he’s going to be in the mix, and as Drake Maye continues to improve exponentially, the door is certainly open for more.

The veteran wide receiver had a big catch late in the game taken off the board due to a questionable OPI call, and while the yards didn’t count, it was good to see Maye looking his way in a big spot.

Vintage Diggs probably never graces an NFL field again, but in this offense without a clear-cut top option, he’s got a chance to be a flex you feel reasonably good about consistently.

I’ll have him ranked higher when I project more volume for this passing game: they aren’t going to be seven-point road favorites too often.

Tee Higgins | CIN (vs PIT)

The Joe Flacco experience allowed Tee Higgins to set or match season highs in catches, targets, and yards.

That’s the good.

The bad? This offense is still broken. It’s just going to be a little less so with the veteran QB calling the shots. They turned 16 carries into 55 yards against the Packers, and without much depth to their production, defenses aren’t going to hesitate to speed up Flacco, forcing him to make quick decisions.

I don’t think this is the last time we see Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins post a combined 50% target share, only for both to fail to record a 20-yard catch.

Higgins is a WR3 and carries just as much downside weekly as upside (in this crazy 2022 season, that’s a step forward from what I said in this article two weeks ago).

Terry McLaurin | WAS (at DAL)

After multiple missed practice sessions during the week, Terry McLaurin (quad) missed his third straight game, and this is new territory for the former Buckeye (four straight seasons without a single DNP before this situation).

Without an injury track record, we really don’t have much of a blueprint for how to treat this. Deebo Samuel has stepped up in his absence, but this isn’t a very deep roster in terms of pass catchers, and after the 82-1,096-13 season in 2024, we know that Jayden Daniels is well-aware of McLaurin’s upside.

Outside of the injury and seemingly inevitable touchdown regression, there is one little part of his profile, through three games, that has me worried.

Short Target Rates

• Under 5 air yards, 2024: 21.4%
• Under 5 air yards, 2025: 5.9%

McLaurin doesn’t need those targets to be a viable fantasy receiver, but they help elevate his floor. It would certainly help his value in the short term if this injury limits his ability to get separation downfield.

I’m less worried about the target-sharing with Samuel than about the types of targets he’s sharing. This matchup is too good to pass on should he return, but if we continue to see a lack of usage when it comes to those layup targets, I’d consider the idea of parlaying a potential big game this week into a more stable top 20 WR.

Tetairoa McMillan | CAR (at NYJ)

Tetairoa McMillan scored the first two touchdowns of what will hopefully be a long and productive career last weekend against the Cowboys.

It was great to see a player who has been earning volume all season long (43 targets through five weeks before scoring twice on his five looks over the weekend), but context is king.

The 21-yard TD in the second quarter was an overreaction by the Dallas defense to a Bryce Young pump fake. Because that’s what this defense does, they guess, and we’ve seen the results of that.

Don’t get me wrong, no one is asking you to apologize for the fantasy points that McMillan gave you last week, but don’t confuse the multi-score performance as the start of an Emeka Egbuka-like run.

McMillan remains a low-end WR2 that is at the mercy of his unreliable situation. Despite the volume and physical tools, the rookie has just one 30+-yard reception, and that came in Week 2, his only game with 75+ receiving yards.

Tory Horton | SEA (vs HOU)

It’s easy to look at the Cooper Kupp tape and talk yourself into a promising rookie taking his WR2 role away, but it’s just not happening. Tory Horton was a high-volume receiver at Colorado State, but with nine catches on 99 routes as a pro, we don’t have any proof of concept at this level.

Kupp hasn’t exactly been productive, so the fact that Horton hasn’t emerged should be all redraft managers need to see. The veteran likely won’t be much worse moving forward, which means this version of the rookie is what we are stuck with for the remainder of 2022.

You can move on here. We will revisit things in August.

Travis Hunter | JAX (vs LAR)

I can post the participation report weekly, and I do, but this is a production-based business, and I can’t recommend adding Travis Hunter to your flex radar until we see something that changes.

Weekly Participation Report

• Week 1: 27 routes, 6 defensive snaps
• Week 2: 27 routes, 39 defensive snaps
• Week 3: 27 routes, 41 defensive snaps
• Week 4: 23 routes, 9 defensive snaps
• Week 5: 26 routes, 25 defensive snaps
• Week 6: 44 routes, 22 defensive snaps

Last weekend was encouraging, and the seven targets earned were his most since his debut. Still, the majority of his looks carry next to no upside and rely on his special athletic talents to generate any fantasy value.

He had the jump-ball win in Week 5 against the Chiefs, but outside of that, we are looking at 5.1 yards per target and an end zone once every three weeks.

It would take this offense clicking on all cylinders to provide that profile with enough opportunities to be interesting, and… well, I think we can agree that Trevor Lawrence isn’t exactly in the MVP conversation.

Hold him for the raw ability, but with the understanding that you’re assured of nothing weekly.

Tyreek Hill | MIA (at CLE)

Just a reminder that Tyreek Hill’s season is over and that there is no risk from moving on from him in redraft formats.

On Sept. 30, news surfaced that Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, has Week 1, 2026 as a “realistic goal” for his client, but I’d take that news for what it is: an optimistic view from someone financially invested in this situation.

The early medical reports sound relatively good (no nerve damage), but dynasty managers are wise to take a wait-and-see approach with this devastating injury.

Wan’Dale Robinson | NYG (at DEN)

There are a million things that have surprised me through six weeks of action, but Wan’Dale Robinson having a 20+ yard reception in four games (his total number of such contests last season) is right up there.

His aDOT is up 78.4% from last season, and you’d expect that to draw back his YAC data, but that is also on the rise (up 46.2% from 2021).

I’m not sure how much of this newfound skill we can project moving forward, but there is no denying that his ceiling is higher in the Jaxson Dart version of this offense. He’s seen 5-7-7 targets over the past three weeks, and I think he’ll continue to be efficient, something that puts him firmly on the PPR flex radar if this offense is going to develop with time.

Dart has shown a tendency to feature his RBs/TEs more than his WRs, which is concerning for Robinson’s value when Darius Slayton is active. That said, he’s pretty clearly the Giant pass catcher I want on my roster, even if it’s more for depth than a weekly starter.

Xavier Legette | CAR (at NYJ)

We got the perfect touchdown play in Week 5, but it’s pretty clear that play was the exception and not the rule.

Xavier Legette hasn’t done anything to earn more work in Jalen Coker’s absence (eight catches in his four games) and doesn’t seem poised in any way to break out in his second season.

His struggles are the gain of Coker, a player who has yet to fail this season. That’s not to say he won’t; this offense isn’t exactly a pyre fest for fantasy managers, but with not yet having played, he figures to get a shot to earn looks when deemed healthy.

I’m in no hurry to roster a secondary receiver in Carolina, but if I am, Coker is my guy over Legette.

Xavier Worthy | KC (vs LV)

Sunday night was an interesting one for Xavier Worthy, and while the touchdown saved you, the overall execution from Kansas City scared me a bit.

He was one of six Chiefs to see 2-4 targets in the win over the Lions, with everyone falling in line behind Travis Kelce (six catches for 78 yards on seven looks). And that’s the catch.

When Patrick Mahomes is playing at this level, he’s not forcing the issue on anyone. He completed all seven passes (102 yards, 2 TD) that he threw in the direction of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Hollywood Brown, so why not take it?

Worthy had a flip pass and a quick route into the flat (six-yard TD on fourth down) in addition to a pair of targets that came at least a dozen yards downfield. The versatility was a good reminder of what we saw down the stretch last season, but the indifference in getting him involved outside of those two short targets was a marginal red flag for me, with Rashee Rice set to return this weekend.

If we are to assume that Rice and Kelce account for, in the neighborhood of, 50% of targets in KC and Worthy isn’t going to be prioritized (Tyquan Thornton didn’t see a target on his 14 routes, and if he gets involved, that’s yet another mouth to feed), there is a low floor that I think most are going to overlook.

I’d take the temperature of the room. If Worthy is viewed as a set-it-and-forget-it top 20 player at the position, I’d at least listen to offers. The numbers moving forward might still be there, but I don’t think they come in the most consistent of ways, and a poorly timed dud could eliminate you from title contention.

Tight Ends

AJ Barner | SEA (vs HOU)

It’s been over a month since the last time a target to AJ Barner hit the ground, and he has a touchdown or a 20+ yard reception in five straight.

There are volume concerns, and that much is obvious. He’s cleared three targets in a game just once this season, and if not for an outlier 61-yard gain in Jacksonville last week, he would have been useless.

That said, Sam Darnold is playing at a high level right now, and streaming a tight end attached to that isn’t a terrible idea. I’m not committing to him long-term in any way (yet to run 25 routes in a game this season), but what is the tight end position but speed dating?

If you have him, I probably hold for this week and then cut ties to move on to the next TE with touchdown upside in Week 8 with Seattle going on bye.

Brock Bowers | LV (at KC)

The knee injury continues to nag Brock Bowers, and the Raiders are staying the course by not forcing a piece they view as part of their future into their lineup.

That’s probably the right move for the franchise, but it’s getting difficult for fantasy managers to swallow. With a Week 8 bye for a team with no real postseason aspirations, it seems very possible that the consensus TE1 from this summer misses another game this week.

I wish I could give you some savvy advice to get you out of this situation, but there’s only so much you can do. At this point, you’re pot-committed and can’t sell him for pennies on the dollar.

Bowers was targeted on 25% of his routes before the injury this season and 25.9% as a rookie. You’re not crazy to want to chase the ceiling … we just need him on the field, and it stands to reason that his return to performance is more likely to come in Week 9 than anything else.

Cade Otton | TB (at DET)

After a bunch of nothing in September, Cade Otton has recorded double-digit PPR points in back-to-back games as he takes advantage of his teammates dropping like flies.

Mayfield has put himself in the center of the MVP conversation, and that’s helping Otton’s move onto our radar. Still, if he regresses in the slightest OR reinforcements start to come for this offense, this Otton mini run of relevance will likely be a thing of the past.

Tampa Bay is going to be low on reliable pass catchers again this week, and that puts Otton on the TE1 radar. I’m just not confident he’ll stick around long-term.

Chig Okonkwo | TEN (vs NE)

Chig Okonkwo is a good reminder of just how little it takes to get our attention at the tight end position.

He’s reached 50 yards just once and plays for an offense that is rarely in the same zip code as the end zone, but because he has an athletic profile and has caught 4+ passes in four of the past five weeks, he’s always a part of the streaming questions I get entering the week.

There’s essentially zero upside to chase (no end zone targets this season and under 20 air yards in five of six games this season). But some fantasy managers are comfortable enough with the rest of their roster that 7-10 PPR points is a completely fine outcome.

Most of my teams don’t have that sort of luxury, but if yours do, this is a reasonable spot to look, especially with Calvin Ridley injured. Okonkwo has caught 10 of 11 targets on 54 routes this month: take it and move on.

If you’re willing to take on risk in the hopes of striking gold, there are a handful of options on your wire that I’d add ahead of Tennessee’s chain mover.

Cole Kmet | CHI (vs NO)

Is the writing on the wall?

Cole Kmet was technically on your TV screen more on Monday night, but not in a fantasy-friendly way. He ran a route on 36.7% of his snaps, a rate that fell well short of Colston Loveland’s (60%) as the rookie returned from a hip injury.

We haven’t gotten consistent production from the TE position in Chicago yet this season. But the scales seem to be tipping in favor of Loveland, making Kmet unrosterable in almost all formats.

Colston Loveland | CHI (vs NO)

Colston Loveland sat out Week 4 (hip), but walked right back into a split TE situation with Cole Kmet on Monday night, coming out of the bye.

In the win over the Commanders, he ran 15 routes to Kmet’s 11 despite being on the field for five fewer snaps. I think the Bears are showing their hand a bit (remember that the rookie saw three targets on six routes before the injury took him out in the last game we saw him) by wanting Loveland to be the guy.

That makes him the only TE in town worth rostering, but let’s not forget that Williams has two receivers we like and versatility out of the backfield. The second-year signal caller is averaging a respectable 235.8 passing yards per game, but that’s going to make it tough to feed everyone in this offense weekly.

Loveland is a sharp add now for those with roster space to stream another option. I’m not sold on him as a top-12 option for October, but as we near Thanksgiving, it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s where I rank him weekly as Chicago fully unleashes him over Kmet.

Dallas Goedert | PHI (at MIN)

Just like we all thought: this Philadelphia offense that lacks passing volume would stabilize the value of one pass catcher, and that pass catcher would be their 30-year-old tight end coming off of a three-season run that featured 15 missed games and a touchdown less than once a month.

That’s fantasy.

Dallas Goedert was clearly highlighted in the planned script on Thursday night, as he was responsible for five of Jalen Hurts’ first seven completions. That early surge resulted in his fifth touchdown in four weeks and led him to catching more balls in Week 6 than he did in his first three games back from the hamstring injury combined.

Ride the wave.

I’m not sold that Goedert is a Tier 2 tight end (for the record, Tier 1 is the elite and Tier 2 is the “must roster”), but you ride the wave. He’s getting there on volume in a low-volume offense (29% target share over the past two weeks, and for reference, Brock Bowers was at 25.8% last season), and that’s a tough math problem to count on.

This run of production has earned Goedert more leash than others in this range, but I’m not holding my breath on him sustaining weekly value.

If someone in your league sees him as such, I wouldn’t hesitate to cash in this chip.

Dalton Schultz | HOU (at SEA)

Before the bye, Dalton Schultz eclipsed 40 receiving yards for the first time this season with a 5-60-0 effort against what was left of the Ravens in a 44-10 runaway victory.

He can be an efficient player, and he showed a nose for the end zone before last season with 5+ scores in three straight, but I’m not in the business of betting on this Houston pass game more than I have to.

Even with exactly five catches (and six targets) in each of his past three games, Schultz has yet to crack the top 15 at the position in a week this season. He’s earned just four end zone looks over his past 25 games, and without high-end volume upside (3.6 catches per game since joining the Texans in 2023), there’s not a real path for him to generate interest from me every week.

Fine play, not a fantasy asset right now.

Darren Waller | MIA (at CLE)

This is the shakiest of all profiles, but it still gets home.

Darren Waller was pretty clearly written into the opening script with Tua Tagovailoa distributing two of his first three targets to the tight end.

And then, he ghosted him.

And not in a “it took me a while to respond to that text, sorry” sort of way. It was more of a “have a nice life” sort of ghosting situation with Waller going the next 50+ minutes of game time without a single look.

But he just can’t quit him.

With 46 seconds left in a one-score game, guess who is standing in the end zone?

Waller scored the go-ahead touchdown, and while Justin Herbert led a game-winning drive to ruin the plot line, the fact of the matter is that the once-retired tight end has scored four times in three weeks and has caught 83.3% of his targets.

We see tandems work together all offseason and struggle to develop this sort of chemistry, but it’s working. He only played a quarter of the snaps in his 2025 debut, but it rose to 60.4% in Week 5 and settled at 67.9% last week.

Cleveland hasn’t exactly played a murderer’s row of tight ends this season, but they have allowed over nine PPR points to a player at the position in four of six weeks and have allowed a touchdown on a league-high 80% of opponent red zone trips.

This game isn’t as easy as Waller makes it look, but the good vibes will hold for at least another week in an offense that lacks depth.

David Njoku | CLE (vs MIA)

David Njoku was being ushered off the field on Sunday about as often as my wife demands we stop for bathroom breaks during a car trip, but on his 24 routes run, Dillon Gabriel did throw him the ball six times.

The 5.8 PPR points were disappointing, but if he continues to earn targets at the rate he has in the two games that the rookie has started (one every 3.7 routes), we have an asset that is, relative to the rest of the position, reliable.

Harold Fannin led Cleveland in catches (seven) and receiving yards (81) in the loss, a further indicator of just how much Gabriel is leaning on the position.

I don’t make a habit of chasing TE tandems, but this is one spot where I think it’s in play. Cleveland lacks a WR2, and with Jerry Jeudy struggling in terms of efficiency, the easy-button targets that both of these athletic tight ends offer are appealing.

Assuming that Njoku plays, I’d have both ranked in the TE12-16 range, where streaming either is in play. If he sits, Fannin moves into the TE1 discussion.

Evan Engram | DEN (vs NYG)

Sean Payton is laying breadcrumbs, and I’ll scoop them up.

Evan Engram had three catches in the first quarter against the Jets last weekend. He followed it up with a rush and a reception in succession during the second quarter.

This is what we had dreamed of this offseason, and maybe it’s coming. I’m not fully ready to invest just yet (he had just one catch for the rest of the game and has yet to reach a 50% snap share), but there is at least positive momentum, and that’s worth a ton at this position.

Really cool seeing the #Broncos getting Evan Engram involved in the run game. His Fly Sweep was their second-longest rush of the game

And it now opens up new play variances for this offense off of this look#BroncosCountry @MileHighReport pic.twitter.com/ma17uxZ75N

— Ross (@Ross_MHR) October 15, 2025

I’m going to continue to rank Engram above the streaming tier and think it’s more likely that he elevates to the next tier up as opposed to falling back into the “how lucky do you feel” tier at the toughest position to feel good about in fantasy sports.

George Kittle | SF (vs ATL)

The top of the TE board has been brutal this season. Brock Bowers has been banged up, Trey McBride’s QB missed Week 6, and we haven’t seen George Kittle since the opener.

The latter could be rectified this week, as there is cautious optimism that we get San Francisco’s former All-Pro back from the hamstring injury that he suffered after turning 13 routes into 12.5 PPR points in the Week 1 win in Seattle.

Outside of “bad injury vibes” for the 49ers, I can’t imagine a world in which you’re not jumping at the opportunity to reinsert him into your lineup the second he’s deemed active. He set career highs in fantasy points over expectation, red-zone target rate, and PPR points per target in 2021, production levels I’d expect to return sooner rather than later.

Is there risk involved with betting on a tight end who is at less than full strength? Of course, but there’s more risk in betting on the inferior talent that you’ve been replacing him with over the past month-plus, so I’m not wasting time overthinking this one.

For those who celebrate, National Tight End Day occurs one week from Sunday.

Hunter Henry | NE (at TEN)

The Bills, the Packers, the banged-up 49ers. We’ve been going through the backfield committee revolution for a while now, and we are seeing more and more teams capable of winning games with a very democratic approach to target hierarchy.

The Patriots seem poised to join that list.

Hunter Henry has had his moments, but so has Kayshon Boutte. Stefon Diggs has looked like the prime version of himself for the better part of a month now, and the second you forget about DeMario Douglas, he’s burning you for a 53-yard score.

Drake Maye is progressing faster than even the most bullish of fans would have expected, and that’s kind of left the Pats in a weird spot: they have a QB ready to win now without a win-now supporting cast.

That’s not a bad problem to have, by the way. Not for New England, anyway. For us, it’s a pain. Maybe Diggs is the answer, but for now, the question of who the top target for Maye is changes weekly.

The wheel will land on Henry at times, but it just hasn’t lately (three straight games under five targets). If you want to hitch your TE wagon to Maye and stick out duds like Sunday (3-27-0 from Henry) in the hope that you’ll be there for the big games, I won’t say you’re crazy.

The problem is if you’re expecting more. I don’t expect any pass catcher in this offense to be consistent: that’s just an easier profile to deal with at the tight end position, where weekly production is hard to find outside of the top two tiers.

Ja’Tavion Sanders | CAR (at NYJ)

Ja’Tavion Sanders suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 3, and while he is trending close to returning (logged a full session on Thursday), he did miss another game last week.

The 22-year-old tight end sparked in Week 2 against the Cardinals with seven catches, but even that came in that chaotic comeback attempt where Bryce Young threw 30 (!) passes in the fourth quarter.

I continue to think there is something in this profile. The blend of size and athleticism is that of an asset in this league, especially for an offense that is theoretically in the process of building. His target share, albeit in a small sample, was improved last season, and that’s impressive with an aDOT that was up 25.4% from his rookie campaign.

Tetairoa McMillan is going to be the alpha target earner in this offense for years to come, but after that, we are looking at a lot of middling talents without much proof of concept in the target-earning department.

Sanders doesn’t need to be held onto in redraft leagues if he was ever on a roster in the first place. Maybe he can be a streaming option in the second half of this season, but we will address that when we see that he is fully healthy and involved.

Jake Ferguson | DAL (vs WAS)

Sometimes it’s less about quantity and more about quality.

Jake Ferguson saw just three targets, but he caught them all in the red zone and scored for a third consecutive week. Fantasy TE1 has run at least 28 routes in five of six games (the Week 5 blowout of the Jets being the lone exception), and that sample includes a stretch of time in which Lamb was healthy.

The star receiver could return to this high-flying attack this week, and it shouldn’t impact your usage of Ferguson in a season-long setting at all. You could argue that he becomes less attractive in a DFS setting, but even then, I’d take the other side: if you can get a low-owned elite at the position in a strong matchup, I think you do it.

I couldn’t be less concerned with the low target count from last week. Ferguson is a key member of this pass game, and with the defense showing no signs of improvement, there will continue to be targets to be earned in Big D.

Jake Tonges | SF (vs ATL)

There’s a real chance you couldn’t have told me if Jake Tonges was running to be mayor in Idaho or a pro athlete two months ago, and yet, for the past three weeks, he’s stabilized a spot on your fantasy roster.

I mean, it’s him, Jake Ferguson, and Tyler Higbee when it comes to listing the tight ends with 11+ PPR points in each of their past three games.

This is a crazy world.

He’s seen 23 passes thrown his way over this stretch and has made the most of them, but I don’t think there’s anything he could have done to have earned himself a role alongside George Kittle.

Reporting is cautiously optimistic around the former All-Pro, and if he does return this week, the Tonges experience is over. If you have the roster flexibility to hold onto him for the first game Kittle returns, I would, but I understand if you don’t.

Jonnu Smith | PIT (at CIN)

An ultra-conservative offense with limited depth at the receiver position should be a breeding ground for tight end production, but not all “shoulds” translate cleanly into fantasy production.

Steelers TE Data (Week 6)

• Smith: 69% snaps, 22 routes, 4 targets
• Darnell Washington: 79.3% snaps, 19 routes, 5 targets
• Pat Freiermuth: 36.2% snaps, 14 routes, 1 target

That might be the grossest three-way split at the position in recent memory. In any committee situation (RB, WR, or in this weird case, TE), I tend to lean toward the player who does something unique.

That’s often the chain-moving receiver (consistency) or the goal-line back (single-carry potential). In this situation, it’s really quite simple: Darnell Washington is bigger than the guys being asked to tackle him.

He’s caught three passes in consecutive games, and if the plan is to get the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands quickly, why not prioritize the 264-pound mountain of a man that has defenders making business decisions?

At the end of the day, I think that if a Pittsburgh tight end is the answer to your question, you’re asking the wrong question. But if you’re hellbent on exploiting this matchup, I’m taking advantage of the Bengals’ 31st-ranked YAC allowed and taking my chances with the bully on the playground.

Juwan Johnson | NO (at CHI)

Juwan Johnson is still out there plenty, but with 32 yards on his 50 routes since Taysom Hill was activated, I think it’s fair to tie a bow on this portion of the 2025 fantasy season.

With Chris Olave continuing to earn looks at an elite level and Hill playing almost exclusively in high-valued spots, the Johnson profile is as thin as a dozen other options on your wire. If you’re streaming the position, wanting to target the Bears on short rest is a perfectly reasonable idea. I’d rather look in the direction of the versatile Hill.

Kyle Pitts Sr. | ATL (at SF)

With under 40 receiving yards in three of his past four games, at this point, I’d love to tell you that Kyle Pitts is a TD-reliant tight end, but that’s like saying I’m a pickup basketball player who relies on his height.

I’m 5’10”. On a good day.

Pitts has played 66 games across his five seasons, earning 361 targets in the process and scoring just 11 times. If you’re waiting on a single target to get you 7-9 points, more often than not, you’re going to be waiting for all four quarters in that given week.

This, to me at least, looks different than Pitts’ tease runs of years past. His PPR points per target are trending toward a career high, and the efficiency is in a good spot to sustain, given his target diet.

• 2021: 11.2 aDOT
• 2022: 13.7 aDOT
• 2023: 12.0 aDOT
• 2024: 8.7 aDOT
• 2025: 4.9 aDOT

There’s a world in which he’s racking up 5+ catches a week, and that fuels double-digit PPR production every week.

I’m just not sure we are living in that world.

Mason Taylor | NYJ (vs CAR)

In the year 2025, every offense should have two pass catchers that are, at the very least, on our radar.

“Should.”

When Justin Fields struggles the way he did on Sunday in London, we are lucky to get a single teammate of his to pay off.

Mason Taylor is a talented rookie, but the combination of inexperience and a lack of offensive stability makes him a weekly dart throw.

There’s nothing wrong with that. He’s one of a half dozen TEs with this profile, but I do think there was the desire to elevate him into the top-12 conversation after consecutive games with 65+ receiving yards.

He’s not that. It’s not all his fault, but he shouldn’t be viewed as anything more than a streaming option.

Sam LaPorta | DET (vs TB)

Sam LaPorta has scored in consecutive weeks (19 touchdowns in 39 career games), and I worry less about his target ceiling than I do others at the position.

Of course, I’d love to see him clear six looks in a game, something he hasn’t done since Week 1, but the track record of efficiency is enough to make him a lineup lock, especially in a home game like this that carries shootout potential.

If you include the playoff loss, LaPorta has hauled in 39 of his past 47 targets, a success rate that looks more like my high school GPA than a catch percentage. Much like Travis Kelce in Kansas City, Detroit has dialed back his average depth of target (5.9 yards after posting 7.4 and 7.9 in his first two NFL seasons), and it’s helped stabilize his fantasy floor.

Don’t bemoan the target count; be happy you’re one of the five highest floors at the position.

T.J. Hockenson | MIN (vs PHI)

To say that T.J. Hockenson has underwhelmed up to this point would be a bit of an understatement. After being viewed as a strong Tier 2 option during the summer, his only top-15 finish at the position to date came during the one week he found the end zone (Week 3 vs. CIN).

That game included, he’s yet to hit 50 yards or notch a 15-yard reception this season. His predictive numbers suggest he is doing essentially what is expected with the opportunities he’s getting (1.3% below expectations is well within the range of acceptable outcomes); it’s just a quantity issue.

Entering this season, he’d never been targeted on fewer than 20% of his routes in a season, but through five games, he sits at 16.6%. I don’t think he’s lost his juice, and the changing nature of the QB position certainly factors in.

I want to believe that better days are ahead, but getting the defending Super Bowl champions when they, too, have had a long week of prep, doesn’t exactly look like much of a “get right” spot. Another 4-6 target game with 45 yards seems most likely, and without a ton of TD equity, he’s a fringe TE1 at best.

I’m still not selling my Hock stock until we get past the halfway mark. Give it some time post-bye to see if Kevin O’Connell can unlock him; I think he’s earned that level of trust.

Taysom Hill | NO (at CHI)

“Taysom Hill”

I don’t want to give bland advice (hit me up on X at KyleSoppePFN with your specific questions), but I get questions every week about which TE streamer has the most upside in a given slate, and “Taysom Hill” is likely going to be my answer.

He’s only run five routes total as he’s spent the last two weeks working into form, but he found the end zone with a direct snap last week, and the Saints continue to use him in exotic packages.

He’s the answer to that question, not because I think he’s any better than those around him on the waiver wire, but because he simply has more ways to produce for you. This New Orleans offense isn’t exactly functioning at a high level, leaving them open to all the crazy Hill-centric packages we’ve seen in the past.

There aren’t many of them weekly, but Hill is prioritized when New Orleans threatens the red zone, and in the game of chasing single plays that pay off, isn’t that what you want?

Theo Johnson | NYG (at DEN)

Theo Johnson was responsible for the first three touchdown passes of Jaxson Dart’s career, and that might one day be handy for a trivia question. But when it comes to the question of the TE position in fantasy football, he’s no different than the massive tier at the position that extends deep into the waiver wire.

He’s an ultra-athlete who has run at least 27 routes in five of six games, but that means there’s little room for his role to expand, a role that has seen him yet to reach 35 receiving yards.

You can chase a touchdown, and I wouldn’t blame you, but there are eight tight ends that I could say that about at this level. In spots like that, I try to take things two weeks at a time. That is, “who has the best two-week run of matchups that I can reasonably gamble on?”.

Johnson isn’t that, with the Broncos on tap this week and the Eagles rematch next. Maybe streaming Johnson makes sense after the Week 14 bye (Commanders, Vikings, and Raiders to close out the fantasy season), but that’s not a Week 7 conversation.

Travis Kelce | KC (vs LV)

Travis Kelce isn’t what he once was, but his connection with Patrick Mahomes is special, and his role in this offense is clear: post up and move the chains.

His aDOT is down 22.2% from a season ago, but there are like three tight ends in the sport that you want challenging defenses downfield anyway. Instead, he’s leveraging his experience to find holes, and that’s resulted in him catching 18 of 20 targets over the past three weeks.

I’d be surprised if he finishes any week moving forward as the top-scoring player at the position, but I won’t be at all shocked if he continues to post top 10s in two-thirds of his games, even with Rashee Rice back in the fold.

In 2024, across two games, Kelce recorded 25 targets, 158 yards, and a score against the Raiders. The volume is safe for him in most spots, and that’s been especially true against the Black and Silver, as he has earned at least seven looks in six straight matchups with the divisional foe.

Trey McBride | ARI (vs GB)

Trey McBride has earned at least seven targets in every game this season and has even scored twice over the past month. Bonus!

This Murray injury impacts the Cardinals in a huge way, obviously, but with a professional backup in Jacoby Brissett, I think McBride managers can sleep easily knowing that their guy is going to be given every chance to succeed (28.2% target share on Sunday).

There isn’t the type of separation he had hoped for at the top of the TE position, but McBride is giving you weekly volume that is hard to find, and it should pay off against a Packers team that hasn’t held a TE1 under nine PPR points this season (Tanner Hudson went for 11.0 against them in Week 6).

Tucker Kraft | GB (at ARI)

Tucker Kraft caught both of his targets over the weekend against the Bengals, a lack of volume that resulted from Green Bay never trailing and running the ball well (33 carries for 153 yards and two scores).

The two times he was given the chance to produce, he did. Gained 19 and 24 yards, the former being a fourth-quarter touchdown that all but iced the game. Kraft is a high-end athlete at the position, and that’s allowed him to have at least one 15+ yard reception in all five games this season, a trend I like to continue.

Jordan Love misfired on two of four passes thrown his way in Week 1, but he’s 16-of-18 going that direction since. While a different receiver seems to pop for this offense weekly, Kraft is the consistent option that fantasy managers can feel good about.

Tyler Warren | IND (at LAC)

That’s now two straight weeks with a TD catch, three with a touchdown from scrimmage, and four games this year with more than 60 receiving yards. We naturally pencil in a learning curve for college kids entering the pros, but if you watched these games without color, I’m not sure you’d be able to identify Warren’s Penn State tape from what he’s done 1.5 months into his pro career.

He’s the same versatile weapon he was at Happy Valley, and the Colts’ offense is thriving off of what the rookie brings to the table. The touchdown last week came when he positioned to block and then ran a slow drag route: I have no idea what you’re supposed to do to stop that.

He’s too big for cover guys and way too nimble for the bulky linebackers that are often asked to keep up with him. Warren is a walking mismatch and is positioned to be one of the storylines when this season is over, and you look back at your draft board to see how the champion built a winning roster.

Round 1 Picks With 60+ Receiving Yards in 4 of First 6 Games Since 2005

• Malik Nabers
• Ja’Marr Chase
• CeeDee Lamb
• Tetairoa McMillan
• Emeka Egbuka
• Warren

Zach Ertz | WAS (at DAL)

Coming off a thrilling two-week stretch that saw him average under a half-yard per route run, Ertz hauled in all six of his targets on Monday night against the Bears and finished with 16.3 PPR points.

You know what you’re doing here: chasing a touchdown. Your confidence in the veteran tight end has less to do with him and more with your point projection for the Commanders. In a week like this, where 30 points is very much on the table, Ertz slides in as a back-end TE1, understanding that the floor is a goose egg, just like it is for the six-or-so tight ends that he shares this tier with.

RELATED: Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer

For the season, 41% of his fantasy production has come from his touchdown receptions. He’ll be a top-12 option if he scores, not a top-20 guy if he doesn’t.

Welcome to the world of streaming the position.