Injuries & Opportunities - Week 7

5 Starts & 5 Sits - Week 6

Top-40 RB Rankings - Week 6

Fantasy Football Adds - Week 7

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Colton Peters
NFL

Just an overall weird week of fantasy. I’m not really sure how else to put it. A lot of top-end players didn’t score much, while Carolina RB Rico Dowdle continues his quest to outproduce 2012 Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson, apparently.

This week also came with some injuries, like Rams WR Puka Nacua’s ankle, although he did return to the game. San Fran WR Jauan Jennings revealed that he’s been playing not only with broken ribs but also with both a high and low ankle sprain (seriously, what is going on in the 49ers medical room?). Browns TE David Njoku didn’t return for the second half due to an ankle injury, and Bucs rookie WR Emeka Egbuka exited the game and didn’t come back.

For additional potential Week 6 pickups, check out ASL's Chris Hexter's Injuries & Opportunities - Week 7 or ASL Founder Leonard LaPadula's Streamers For The Desperate - Week 7.

One more situation to monitor: it seems like Jets WR Garrett Wilson may be dealing with a nagging issue that could keep him out for a week or two. With that being said, I actually think there are some excellent options on the wire, so let’s jump right in.


Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold (35% Rostered, Yahoo)

Maybe this is just who Seattle QB Sam Darnold is—an outstanding, above-average quarterback. At this point, if you need a solid floor, this veteran signal-caller can provide it. Against a tough Jacksonville front, Darnold went 16/27 for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also carried Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba to a top-5 scoring performance.

Watching that game, I realized Darnold has a unique ability always to get the ball out, even when he’s just throwing it away. He barely takes sacks anymore, which is something we absolutely love for fantasy. PlayerProfiler has a cool metric called Money Throws, which evaluates QBs on completions of difficult passes that require exceptional athleticism and arm talent. Darnold ranks 3rd in the entire NFL, and he’s also top 5 in passing touchdowns. I don’t love the matchup with Houston this week, but right now, this is the safest 17–20 point floor you’re going to find.

Aaron Rodgers (18% Rostered, Yahoo)

Is it scary? Yes. But the 41-year-old Hall of Famer is showing he still has plenty left in the tank. Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers went 21/30 for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns against the best defense in the league, and that’s nothing to overlook. He has finished as a top quarterback twice this year, and the schedule ahead looks juicy with Cincinnati on deck.

Rodgers ranks number 2 in the entire NFL in red zone completion rate. With a running back room that is… interesting, to say the least, I expect the Rodgers-to-WR DK Metcalf connection to only grow around the goal line. I’ll also note that the Bengals rank inside the top 12 in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. For most, this game won’t even be on the main screen, but a Joe Flacco vs. Aaron Rodgers duel in 2025 might be exactly what your fantasy team needs.

Running Backs

Kimani Vidal (28% Rostered, Yahoo)

We weren’t sure whether it would be Chargers RBs Hassan Haskins or Kimani Vidal, but I think we got our answer. The Troy standout absolutely balled out this week and reminded everyone why he was one of the most productive college running backs in the country. He ran 18 times for 124 yards, averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per carry, and added another 14 yards through the air. For someone we weren’t even sure was the right pickup last week, that kind of performance is a massive statement.

What stood out most was his involvement in all phases. Four targets are exactly what you want to see from a young back trying to carve out a long-term role—especially with how often QB Justin Herbert is going to need to dump it off behind that offensive line. Vidal ran with confidence, balance, and patience, looking like a guy who wasn’t afraid of contact and clearly knew the offense inside and out.

With fellow RB Omarion Hampton still recovering, there’s a real chance Vidal continues to command lead-back volume for at least the next few weeks. The upcoming matchups against Indianapolis and Minnesota both look favorable, especially considering how generous both defenses have been to opposing backs. If he’s still sitting on your waiver wire, don’t overthink it—go scoop him up everywhere before the rest of your league figures out what’s happening.

Tyler Allgeier (1% Rostered, Yahoo)

Atlanta RB Tyler Allgeier is one of the most valuable handcuffs in all of fantasy and continues to quietly produce every time he’s given real work. Two weeks ago, he saw 16 carries, showing that the Falcons still trust him to handle a heavy load when needed.

Last night, RB Bijan Robinson had an all-time legendary performance, but what stood out most was how balanced and confident the Falcons' offense finally looked. If anything happens to Robinson, Allgeier would instantly step into a workload capable of winning fantasy championships.

Even in great matchups, if you need a desperation flex, Allgeier isn’t a bad play at all—he’s shown the ability to fall into the end zone and provide solid production even on limited touches. He got another 10 attempts last night and added a touchdown, further proving his reliability.

Additionally, the Falcons now rank second in the NFL in total run plays per game, which means opportunity will always be there. Don’t wait for the week Robinson goes down—stash Allgeier now before someone else does.

55% Discount – 1-year DFS Optimizer: Cutting edge features, multiple projections sources


Wide Receivers

Kendrick Bourne (33% Rostered, Yahoo)

I didn’t buy into the hype at first, but after the Jauan Jennings comment, I think San Fran WR Kendrick Bourne can truly be a difference-maker for your roster the rest of the season. If you missed it, Jennings said he’s been playing with five broken ribs and both a high and low ankle sprain. I don’t know what’s going on with that San Francisco medical department, but something is definitely off.

WR Brandon Aiyuk isn’t exactly dominating headlines, and WR Ricky Pearsall looks like he’s dealing with something that could continue to nag him. Bourne, on the other hand, is quietly becoming a reliable piece of this offense. Back-to-back weeks with nearly 15 fantasy points is something you can absolutely trust.

There are some tougher matchups ahead with the Falcons and Houston, but I still see Bourne as a player who has a legitimate chance to stay fantasy-relevant for the rest of the year.

Elic Ayomanor (22% Rostered, Yahoo)

I have to imagine that whoever the interim head coach of the Titans is has no choice but to make some changes, and one of the biggest should be getting the ball into the hands of their most athletic playmaker. With the injury to WR Calvin Ridley, there is legitimately nowhere else for the ball to go, and it feels like the offense is finally being forced to acknowledge that.

You should expect 7–10 targets per game from here on out as the team starts to design plays to get Ayomanor into space. QB Cam Ward has already shown that he trusts him through these first six weeks, and their connection should only get stronger with more reps. Even if the matchups ahead aren't ideal, this team is simply too bad to stay competitive without throwing often. There will be plenty of garbage time volume, and Ayomanor looks like the clear beneficiary.


Tight Ends

Harold Fannin (25% Rostered, Yahoo)

People forget that this guy was one of the most productive collegiate tight ends of all time. Fantasy experts have been split each week on which Cleveland tight end to start, but that picture is finally clearing up. With the ultra-athletic David Njoku injured, it looks like Fannin's time to shine.

Ten targets this week is outrageous for a tight end, and I don’t think that kind of volume is going away anytime soon. Do I love QB Dillon Gabriel? No. But as I said last week, he can be effective through the quick short game, and Fannin will be right in the middle of that action. This team desperately needs a big, athletic target—especially in the red zone—and Fannin fits that role perfectly. With a dream matchup against Miami coming up and a clear path to targets over the next few weeks, you can confidently pick up and play Fannin knowing he has a legit shot to be a consistent fantasy contributor.

AJ Barner (13% Rostered, Yahoo)

I liked Seahawks TE AJ Barner at Michigan, and I think he’s going to be a legit productive player at the NFL level. In these early games, we’ve already seen the flashes, and every week it looks like he’s getting more comfortable in the offense. QB Sam Darnold is going to spread the ball around, and between Barner, Horton, and of course, JSN, the future of the Seahawks offense looks extremely promising.

Barner already has four touchdowns, and the coaching staff is clearly making an effort to design red zone looks specifically for him. Out of all tight ends, he ranks 3rd in red zone target share and 5th in catchable target rate, which is everything you want to see for fantasy. If you’ve got a spot on your bench, this is a player you can stash and watch blossom into something special as he continues to gain trust and carve out a bigger role.