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Quarterback
Start of the Week: Jared Goff (v TB)
Goff was robbed of a touchdown catch last Sunday night, but he still had a solid game with 16.82 fantasy points in what wasn’t the best outing for Detroit’s offense. Now, the Lions will return home for a possible shootout versus the Buccaneers, and Goff has averaged 315.7 passing yards per game in three matchups versus Tampa Bay over the past two years (including playoffs). The Bucs are expected to be healthier at cornerback on Monday night, but Goff should still put up big numbers as a top-five option for Week 7.
Start: Bo Nix (v NYG)
Nix appeared to be on his way to a huge game last Sunday in London based on how Denver started in the first half—but he had just 10 pass attempts over the final 30 minutes and was impacted by questionable play-calling in what turned out to be just a 13-11 victory. The Giants are playing confident football on both sides of the ball, but I would think Sean Payton will be more willing to unleash Nix for the entire game based on how last week went, and he should be used as a runner, too. I’d recommend buying low on Nix as a QB1.
Start: Caleb Williams (v NO)
There are still strides to make for Williams playing on schedule in Ben Johnson’s offense, but he showed his dual-threat ability last week with a rushing touchdown and remained willing to uncork the deep ball. New Orleans was just hit by a downfield aerial assault from the Patriots in Week 6, so look for Williams to test them early and often throwing to Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and others. Especially with stars Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson on a bye, Williams is at least a top-eight option this week.
Start: Aaron Rodgers (@ CIN)
Rodgers has been terrific through a tougher schedule for the Steelers in terms of opposing pass defenses, and Thursday night will be a much easier draw for him versus a Cincinnati defense that ranks towards the bottom of the league in most passing measures—including the second-most yards per game allowed (258.5). Plus, it’s worth noting that Rodgers has an unbelievable 42:5 touchdown-interception ratio on Thursday games throughout his career; I don’t see the Bengals being able to cool him off throwing to DK Metcalf and the tight ends (not to mention Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell), so Rodgers is a high-end QB2.
Sit of the Week: Sam Darnold (v HOU)
Since a quiet opener, Darnold has thrown for 278.2 yards per game with an 11:3 touchdown-interception ratio, and he’s sort of flying under the radar as a possible QB1 the rest of the way. For this week, though, Houston is an extremely stingy pass defense with a 3:5 touchdown-interception ratio allowed on the season, and they had the bye week to prepare for Klint Kubiak’s offense. I would avoid Darnold for the late Monday night kickoff.
Sit: Tua Tagovailoa (@ CLE)
The Browns have had some holes in coverage with Martin Emerson Jr. (Achilles) out for the year, and the first game with Tyson Campbell wasn’t great as he struggled versus DK Metcalf. However, Myles Garrett and the defensive line was far too quiet in last week’s loss, and I’d be concerned about the Miami offensive line holding up in pass protection on Sunday. If they can’t keep Tagovailoa clean, it could be a very long day for the Dolphins and fantasy owners who started him as a streaming option.
Sit: Jaxson Dart (@ DEN)
Dart running at the level he has with 10.0 attempts per game and 54+ rushing yards in all three starts could lead to lineup consideration in any matchup—but Denver will be the best defense he’s faced in his young career. If we just focus on the past two weeks, the Broncos have limited Jalen Hurts (two carries for three yards) and Justin Fields (seven carries for 31 yards) as arguably the top rushing threats at the position, so I’d avoid Dart with the expectation that Denver will put an end to any rushing damage from the position if it hurts them early.
Sit: C.J. Stroud (@ SEA)
We’ll have to see about the status of Devon Witherspoon (knee), Riq Woolen (concussion), and Julian Love (hamstring) as starters on the backend for Seattle—but if they all play, Stroud won’t be in the best spot to pick up where he left off prior to the bye with 244 yards and four touchdowns through the air versus a depleted Baltimore defense. Even with the injuries last week, the Seahawks still held Jacksonville to a season-low 12 points, and Mike Macdonald might know how to defend Stroud after matching up against him as Michigan defensive coordinator in 2021.
Running Back
Start of the Week: Quinshon Judkins (v MIA)
Last week showed the risk for a talented player like Judkins in a poor situation, as Cleveland threw the ball 52 times compared to just 12 carries for their star runner. And the game was close enough that the Browns certainly didn’t need to abandon the run, but hopefully the team is at least smart enough (after a week of reflecting) to realize their best chance of winning is by playing through Judkins. If they can get back to that, look for him to have a monster performance against a bottom-ranked Miami run defense that has allowed Rico Dowdle (234 total yards and a touchdown) and Kimani Vidal (138 total yards and a touchdown) go off in back-to-back weeks.
Start: Jaylen Warren (@ CIN)
Warren returned to a more even backfield split with Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson coming out of the bye, but Cincinnati feels like an opponent he could rip as both a runner and receiver on Thursday night. Overall, the Bengals have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs (29.7) this season—including an insane 30.8+ fantasy points in each of the past five weeks. Warren should be in lineups as a borderline RB1/RB2 in a divisional matchup as the Steelers hope to get to 5-1.
Start: Jordan Mason (v PHI)
I would assume Jalen Carter (heel) will return on Sunday for the Eagles, but the run defense has been an issue with him in the lineup—allowing 134.3 yards per game (sixth worst) and 4.7 yards per carry (ninth worst). While the easy fix would seem to be playing Nakobe Dean, there isn’t much reason to believe that will be the case after he didn’t play a single defensive snap in his season debut; so, with another powerful runner in Mason (who is rested off the bye) set to challenge Philadelphia this week, it’ll take a substantial turnaround to slow him down as an RB2 option after getting bullied by Cam Skattebo in Week 6.
Start: Rhamondre Stevenson (@ TEN)
Speaking of getting bullied, there is no doubt that Mike Vrabel wants to dominate his former team when the Patriots head to Tennessee this weekend—which should mean a heavy dose of Stevenson. New England’s starter didn’t find much room to run last week in New Orleans (13 carries for 18 yards), but he played a season-high 71.9% of the offensive snaps and will now face a Titans defense that has allowed the most rushing touchdowns in the league (11, with no other team allowing double-digit scores through six weeks). I like Stevenson more than usual as a low-end RB2/FLEX option.
Sit of the Week: Chase Brown (v PIT)
The Browns didn’t test Pittsburgh’s run defense enough last week, but the group was undoubtedly stout—and I don’t think Cincinnati will test them much at all with Brown averaging just 2.7 yards per carry on the season. In the first game with Joe Flacco under center, Brown saw a season-low 11 touches, and it’s notable that Samaje Perine handled a season-high eight touches (which might have had to do with him being trusted in pass protection with a new quarterback). If Brown doesn’t break a long run or do more damage through the air, he’ll likely disappoint again this week.
Sit: Rachaad White (@ DET)
White has always been productive as the lead back for Tampa Bay in his career, and the past two weeks have been no different with 18.6 fantasy points per game. That said, he’s not an absolute must-start in my opinion, as three rushing touchdowns have boosted him, and White will now face an excellent Detroit run defense that is set to see star defensive tackle Alim McNeill (knee) make his season debut on Monday night. With performances of 10 touches for 38 scoreless yards and 11 touches for 23 scoreless yards versus the Lions over the past two years, White barely cracks the top 20 at running back.
Sit: Nick Chubb (@ SEA)
I really like what we’ve seen from Chubb with 4.3 yards per carry against a not-so-easy schedule, but Seattle will be perhaps the toughest matchup yet—as they rank No. 2 in rushing yards allowed per game (79.0), No. 2 in yards per carry allowed (3.3), and have allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns in the league (two). In general, the Seahawks have been much better attacked by enemy backs through the air, so Chubb should be downgraded deeper into the FLEX ranks for Week 7.
Sit: Zach Charbonnet (v HOU)
On the other side of Texans-Seahawks, it’s a similar story for Charbonnet—who was leaned on last week with 12 carries (compared to 10 for Kenneth Walker III) but might take more of a backseat on Monday night as Seattle tries to create explosive plays from the ground game. If so, Charbonnet could be reliant on finding the end zone like Derrick Henry a couple of weeks ago when the Texans limited him to 15 carries for 33 yards and a score.
Wide Receiver
Start of the Week: Rashee Rice (v LV)
I assume most Rice owners were quick to insert him into lineups with the six-game suspension to begin the season now concluded—but anyone with skepticism should be happy to hear the Chiefs will immediately feature him on Sunday. We believe Rice should be a rest-of-season WR1 considering his combination of talent and how good the Kansas City offense has looked recently, and he was a force in three healthy games last year with lines of 7/103, 5/75/1, and 12/110/1. You can start him as a top-10 option versus an overmatched Las Vegas secondary.
Start: Jameson Williams (v TB)
Williams carries a lower floor than you’d like because of all the firepower for Detroit, but he had a strong touchdown grab last Sunday night—totaling six receptions for 66 yards on seven targets. Opportunity is really the only question mark for Jamo with 10.3 yards per target (after 11.0 yards per target in 2024), and I like him to be involved versus Tampa Bay after seeing 11 targets in last year’s matchup. Consider him an upside WR2 on Monday night.
Start: Kendrick Bourne (v ATL)
Ricky Pearsall (knee) and George Kittle (hamstring) could return this weekend, but Bourne’s production is impossible to ignore with exactly 142 receiving yards in back-to-back games—putting him on the FLEX radar whether it’s Brock Purdy (toe) or Mac Jones under center. Now, the connection with Jones would be preferable based on the chemistry they built dating back to their time together in New England, but Kyle Shanahan will still dial things up for Bourne either way, and the veteran could benefit from attention drawn by Kittle and Pearsall on Sunday night.
Start: Tez Johnson (@ DET)
Mike Evans (hamstring) sounds like he has a good shot of returning this week, but Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring), and Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula) are all set to be out—opening the door for Johnson to again be a significant contributor. After hauling in all four of his targets for 59 yards two weeks ago, Tez caught a 45-yard touchdown last week in the win over San Francisco, so look for him to thrive as a big-play option versus a banged-up Detroit secondary.
Others: Marvin Mims Jr. (v NYG), Jordan Whittington (@ JAX)
Sit of the Week: Jaylen Waddle (@ CLE)
Waddle has proved himself as a No. 1 wide receiver with Tyreek Hill (knee) out for the year by going for lines of 6/110/1 and 6/95 over the past two weeks—but this weekend isn’t a favorable matchup for him as he draws coverage from Denzel Ward. Also, if the previously mentioned concern about Cleveland’s pass rush getting to Tua Tagovailoa comes to fruition, Waddle will have less of a chance to hit on a deep ball—so I’d view him as more of an upside FLEX for Sunday.
Sit: Tee Higgins (v PIT)
Higgins has had some huge games versus the Steelers throughout his career, but the Pittsburgh secondary is finally all healthy with Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey, and Darius Slay on the field—so the options are there to limit him. And with the Bengals facing another top pass rush, I’d expect Joe Flacco to get the ball out of his hands quickly again, which would obviously limit the downfield appeal for Higgins. He probably needs a touchdown to be a WR2 on Thursday night.
Sit: Jakobi Meyers (@ KC)
Trade rumors have picked up for Meyers, and he’s another pass-catcher that will face an opponent he’s done well against in his career. Still, the numbers have fallen off with between 30 and 39 receiving yards in each of the past three games (after 63+ yards in each of the first three games), and Meyers had yet to find the end zone this season. I’d rather go with an upside speedster like Hollywood Brown or Tez Johnson this week.
Sit: Wan’Dale Robinson (@ DEN)
Robinson had a couple of quiet games to begin the Jaxson Dart era, but he exploded last Thursday night with a 6/84/1 line versus a Philadelphia secondary that didn’t cover or tackle well. Unfortunately for those counting on him to have another big game, Robinson will be taking on a Denver defense that covers and tackles at an extremely high level—including in the slot with Ja’Quan McMillian and rookie Jahdae Barron combining to allow limited production. Even in full PPR leagues, you might have better options.
Others: Stefon Diggs (@ TEN), Travis Hunter (v LAR)
Tight End
Start: of the Week: Evan Engram (v NYG)
Engram has been more involved over the past couple of weeks with a combined nine receptions (on 12 targets), 82 total yards, and a touchdown in wins over the Eagles and Jets—prompting Bo Nix to talk him up as the two continue to build chemistry. This week, Engram will look to do damage versus his former team as the Giants come to town, and I think he’ll be a mismatch between the numbers after New York just allowed 21.5 fantasy points to Dallas Goedert.
Start: Darren Waller (@ CLE)
Waller was contained by Derwin James Jr. and the Chargers for most of last week, but he got loose for a go-ahead touchdown before Miami’s defense couldn’t hold the lead—and the 33-year-old has now found the end zone four times in three games. Cleveland has done a nice job versus top tight ends on the schedule with Sam LaPorta, Tucker Kraft, Mark Andrews, and T.J. Hockenson all having modest games and being held out of the end zone—but Waller is essentially a big wide receiver and was up to 69.5% of the snaps played in Week 6.
Start: Harold Fannin Jr. (v MIA)
We cautiously have David Njoku (knee) in the rankings right now after being banged up last week, but he missed practice to begin the week—potentially opening the door for Fannin to be featured again after seven receptions for 81 yards against Pittsburgh. Either way, Fannin should be a top-12 option at tight end, and he’d be a midrange TE1 with a high floor and ceiling if Njoku is out.
Sit of the Week: T.J. Hockenson (v PHI)
As expected, Hockenson’s value has been boosted with Carson Wentz under center—leading to solid lines of 5/49/1, 4/39, and 6/38 over the past three games. It sounds like Wentz will start again this week with J.J. McCarthy (ankle) still on the mend, but Philadelphia mostly containing tight ends has been a bright spot for them defensively. I would put Hockenson outside the top 15 at the position for the week.
Sit: Colston Loveland (v NO)
The hope was that Loveland would see increased involvement coming out of the bye week, especially with some extra time to rest after dealing with shoulder and hip injuries in the offseason. That wasn’t the case, though, as Loveland caught two passes for 11 yards and has been limited to five receptions for 54 yards on the season. Until we see more from the rookie, it’ll be difficult to trust him in lineups.
Sit: AJ Barner (v HOU)
The highly impressive start to the season for Barner continued last week with a 61-yard reception, and he now ranks as the overall TE10 in 0.5 PPR leagues—thanks in large part due to four touchdown catches. That said, the Texans have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends (6.5), so I’m expecting him to cool off. In a week with a few quality streaming types, I’d avoid Barner.