Here we are in Week 7 of the NFL season and like each week before it there are plenty of fantasy injuries to discuss so let’s just cut to the chase and focus on those key players you may have lost or are looking for an update on as we head into the waiver period.
Saquon Barkley , RB NYG – At last check there was a chance that Barkley could return in Week 7 as the Giants face the Cardinals. As of now that status still remains up in the air but he is pretty much now on the original timeline that was stated after he first hurt his ankle. Fantasy owners should stay diligent and possibly take a look at Javorius Allen who the Giants just signed this past week.
Alvin Kamara , RB NO – Kamara was questionable to play during Week 6 but was able to suit up and seemed OK. He is again dealing with an injury that will have him limited for the majority of the week at practice and at last report he said he was hopeful to be ready to play this upcoming week as the Saints face off against the Bears on Sunday.
Will Dissly , TE SEA – It certainly did not look good for Dissly during the Seahawks win on Sunday over the Browns as they lost their starting tight end with what is being reported as a season ending achilles injury. The Seahawks just last week signed Luke Wilson to be their back up tight end but now he will be thrusted into the starting spot unless the Seahawks make a move.
Amari Cooper , WR DAL – Cooper suffered what is being described as a “quad contusion” against the Jets that forced him to miss nearly all of Sunday’s contest. Right now his status for Week 7 is up in the air and things are not looking good for Cooper to suit up. If Cooper sits then we look at Michael Gallup moving into the starting role with Randall Cobb again seeing a boost in production.
Emmanuel Sanders , WR DEN – Sanders suffered a leg injury during Sunday’s game that forced him from most of the team’s contest. Sander’s doesn’t seem to think the injury is too severe and is hopeful to play in Week 7 however in Week 7 the Broncos are playing the Thursday night game against the Chiefs and short weeks are usually no friend to the banged up. If he sits we need to take a hard look at DaeSean Hamilton .
Josh Gordon , WR NE – Gordon has been a bit banged up for a few weeks now but on Monday he was not spotted at practice which is what raised some red flags. The Patriots do not play until Monday night so there is still plenty of time for Gordon to get some work in. Another thing to note is that Phillip Dorsett did return to Patriots practice today so it’s possible Gordon gets a week off with Dorsett seemingly back healthy.
Baker Mayfield , QB CLE – If you were watching Sunday’s game between the Seahawks and Browns then you would have seen the Mayfield was in serious pain at various times throughout the game and even at one point was forced back into the locker room, though he did not miss any snaps. It’s looking like a hip injury but Mayfield was able to play through the issue and should seemingly be OK, especially with the Browns on a bye in Week 7.
Geronimo Allison , WR GB – The Packers are already thin at wide receiver so it was a tough loss to see Allison suffer from a tough but also incidental, hit to the helmet on Monday night that had him down and out for a bit before eventually being forced back into the locker room with a concussion. With Davante Adams still dealing with his foot injury the last thing Green Bay needs is to be down yet another established receiver in Allison but as of now he is still in the leagues concussion protocol and that is going to keep him off the field.
Ito Smith , RB ATL – Smith suffered a hamstring injury during Week 6 and this is news as the Falcons head into their Week 7 match up against the Rams. The Smith news isn’t so much as an update on his fantasy value as it is that of Devonta Freeman who figures to see a much larger share if Smith is unable to go.
Christian Kirk , WR ARI – Kirk has now missed two straight weeks due to an ankle injury and his current status for Week 7 is considered questionable. If Kirk can get on the field for the Cardinals he will do so with an amazing fantasy match up as the Cardinals face the woeful New York Giants defense.
Player News
Browns will not exercise Kenny Pickett’s fifth-year option.
Well, yeah, the idea of paying Kenny Pickett $22.1 million to play quarterback in 2026 is laughable. Pickett is now part of a four-headed battle in training camp between himself, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, and Joe Flacco to make the Browns. We’ll see if Pickett makes the roster, but it may be more about how well the rookies play than anything he does in camp or the preseason.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said he expects Mark Andrews to remain with the Ravens.
We’re losing a staple of the on-again/off-again veteran tight end trade market posts this offseason. DeCosta said this after Day 2 of the draft, implying that the Ravens likely would only have moved on from Andrews if they received more than a Day 3 pick. Andrews can continue to be penciled in as a mid-range TE1 in fantasy drafts now that we know for certain he’s attached to Lamar Jackson for another season.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia believes Dalton Kincaid can be a “post-hype sleeper” for the Bills in 2025.
It’s certainly more of an opinion than a fact, but Buscaglia writes that Kincaid “can be the single-most important key to giving the Bills a different element to their game.” Perhaps more notable is the fact that Kincaid is healthy after dealing with “ill-timed injuries” last season, which includes but are perhaps not limited to a knee injury that led to him missing four regular season games. Kincaid caught 73 passes for 673 and two touchdowns as a rookie in 2023, but was limited to just 44-448-2 across 13 games last season. Kincaid was selected 25th overall by the Bills two seasons ago and will hopefully have more to offer in his third season. A more reliable role could have him on the fantasy radar as a low-end TE1 after he ranked 11th amongst TE in points as a rookie.
Giants signed WR Antwane Wells.
Reunited with Jaxson Dart! Wells (6’1/201) is a fifth-year senior with stops at three college programs. He began at James Madison, catching 83 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore. Transferring to South Carolina before his junior year, Wells tallied 68 receptions for 928 yards and six scores before playing just three games his fourth year. He transferred to Ole Miss for a final 28-catch, 553-yard season with six touchdowns. With 19.8 yards per reception last season, Wells showed strong vertical ability. He lacks clean routes and his production dwindled in his final college years, but Wells has a good frame and the physicality to contribute at the end of a pass-catching rotation in the NFL.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper believes Quentin Johnston will “have to earn his roster spot” in training camp.
Popper has Tre Harris starting alongside Mike Williams and Ladd McConkey in three-wide sets, bringing up the possibility of moving KeAndre Lambert-Smith on to the field when they “need more speed.” None of this sets up especially well for Johnston, the last pick of the Tom Telesco regime. He improved last year with a 55/711/8 receiving line, but he may be fighting for one of the last spots on the roster this year if everyone makes it through training camp without an injury. Harris getting early buzz as a starter is interesting too, though we expect the Chargers to run plenty of two-wide sets.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports for Bengals RB Chris Evans will participate in Broncos minicamp on a tryout basis.
A former sixth-round pick of the 2021 draft class, Evans missed all of the 2024 season due to a torn patellar tendon. Pelissero reports Evans is “full-go now,” as the former Michigan man looks to earn a chance to compete for a 53-man roster spot this offseason. Evans has seen light work as a pro, rushing just 19 times for 89 scoreless yards in his career while adding another 19 catches for 188 yards and three scores. He also has experience as a kick returner (14 career kick returns), which could increase his chances at earning a longer look.