Monday NFL Roundup: Week 7

You can't describe it, but you know it when you see it.

We've reached the most difficult part of the fantasy football season.

The Death Rattle.

The fresh excitement of the opening season is gone. The adrenaline rush is over. Optimism about slow starts has run dry.

It is easy to feel beaten down. People unplug. They do not go quietly. Each year, negativity soars in this window. The weather changes. Moods with it. Pushing out pain is one way people seek to cope.

We have a long way to go.

Some teams hit every move correctly. Others were a complete miss. If this were easy, it would not be nearly as fun.

What can we do?

Don't be a jerk. Even when it feels like you've fallen into the middle of the jerkiest jerk stores. Being a jerk to someone else only perpetuates the jerk cycle.

Have grace. No one is trying to make mistakes on purpose. Often, it is the exact opposite. People are aware of their errors. Likely way more than we realize, or could ever make them aware of. People don't improve in environments that only point out errors. Rubbing someone's nose in a wrong call only creates an environment where people attempt to make safer calls.

Find joy. Even if fantasy football has you in the worst hole. Find joy. We started playing fantasy football for a reason. What was your reason? Remember it. Embrace it. Share it.

Seek alternatives. Perhaps you just play in one league. You drafted De'Von Achane and Saquon Barkley. Your friends roast you. It is not fun. There are alternatives. Miss out on Jahmyr Gibbs? Play DFS. Play Madden. Just watch football without stressing about the impending defeat.

Reframing. Maybe last place in your league has to spend 24 hours in a Waffle House eating Whaffles. Many stressed people would love 24 hours to reset. You may not win your league at 1-5, but you can still upset your league rival and mess with their seeding.

Fantasy football is a social game. It can be hard to talk to people. We have been given a gift. A means of connection. The best conversations can begin from uncomfortable situations.

We have only so many weeks left to enjoy the game we love.

Blind Resume

Through Week 6 of 2025, the NFL had 24 300-yard passing games and 44 total for the season. Through Sunday's games, we have 30. That doesn't include games like the Giants, where J.J. McCarthy and Jameis Winston combined for 377 yards.

Week 6 tied Weeks 2 and 3 for the lowest total, though Brock Purdy and Jayden Daniels can still extend the list.

Can you place this production?

Stats Of The Week

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans: 2 Receptions, 35 Receiving Yards, 1 Touchdown / 5,024 Career Receiving Yards

Kamara became the 6th player with 5,000+ career rushing yards and 5,000 career receiving yards in the Saints' wild win against the Giants. The others: Christian McCaffrey, Marshall Faulk, Tiki Barber, Marcus Allen, and Lenny Moore.

Kamara has 621 career receptions, three shy of LaDainian Tomlinson for the 4th-most by a running back all time.

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh: 2 Passing Touchdowns / 539 Career Passing Touchdowns

Rodgers engineered a comeback win over Tampa Bay to keep pace with Cleveland and Baltimore in the AFC North. He threw multiple touchdown passes for the fourth straight game, pushing his career total to 539 and tying Peyton Manning for third-most all time. Drew Brees has 571, while Tom Brady has the record of 649.

Ken Walker III, Kansas City: 128 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing Touchdowns / 665 Rushing Yards

Walker leads the NFL in rushing yards, beating Bijan Robinson by 24. He has also played one less game than most on the leaderboard. No player in NFL history has more rushing yards through their first five games with a franchise. Walker has the seventh-most rushing yards through a season's first five games and the most since DeMarco Murray, with 670 in 2014. Walker is currently on pace for 2,261.

Keenan Allen, Indianapolis: 8 Receptions, 82 Receiving Yards / 1,081 Career Receptions, 12,278 Career Yards

Allen passed Terrell Owens and Anquan Boldin, moving into 9th on the career reception list, in the surprising loss to the Titans. He needs 21 receptions to reach current fifth-place Marvin Harrison, though Travis Kelce has 19 more than Allen and is building on his total. He trails Jimmy Smith by 9 yards and Antonio Brown by 13 in career yardage.  Allen has been a dependable target in a Colts passing attack that lacks reliable options, making him more valuable in full PPR formats.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle: 12 Receptions, 134 Receiving Yards

Smith-Njigba topped 8 receptions and 120 yards for the 4th time in 2026 and the 10th time in 23 games since the start of 2025. Jerry Rice leads all time with 30 over his 303 career games.

He has gone over 100 yards in 5 of 6 games. His 17-game pace is 2,031 yards. He is the 13th player in NFL history with 2,500+ yards in a 23-game span. Tyreek Hill was the last to do so, in 2023.

Travis Hunter, Jacksonville: 1 Interception, 1 Receiving Touchdown

Hunter became the first player since Brian Dawkins in 2002 to record an interception and a receiving touchdown in the same game. This has actually happened frequently in NFL/AFL history, 181 times in total, but Hunter, Dawkins, and Roy Green in 1981 are the only players to do it since 1966.

Deep Waiver Wire Names To Know

DWWNTK often features players who may not appear in waiver wire content, filling the gaps. The top names will be rostered in most leagues, especially early in the season, but still merit mention. Recommendations for actions follow.

• Shallow Leagues - Start 2 running backs, 2-3 wide receivers, 1 flex, 5-6 bench size.
• Deep Leagues - Start 8-9 "Flex" positions, 10+ bench size.
• Managed - Start / Sit decisions made by manager.
• Bestball - Leagues that play the best score weekly, increasing value for volatile start / sit players.

The Names to Know

• WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans - If Tyson is on your league waiver and you have wondered when to add him, do it now. Reports indicate he is traveling with the team to France for their Week 7 game. Week 6 was the win the Saints needed to stay in the NFC South race, and they sit one win back of Carolina. Devaughn Vele and Juwan Johnson are beginning to stack poor performances. They are backups. The Saints need to add reinforcements. Add in shallow leagues.

• WR Omar Cooper Jr., NY Jets - Cooper had a disappointing preseason before a Week 1 injury landed him on IR. That may have sent him to waivers in leagues without IR designations. He returned Week 6 and made an immediate impact, leading the team in targets. Adonai Mitchell's return is still unknown, but Cooper flashed and should be added in all leagues. Add in all leagues.

• QB J.J. McCarthy, NY Giants - The call to the bullpen came as the Giants offense stalled, going from a 10-0 lead to trailing 34-10 in 25 minutes of game action. McCarthy looked lively, leading the comeback with 243 passing yards in just over a quarter. The Giants are his team until his play dictates a move. He supported Malik Nabers and Isaiah Likely late, his most important job for our fantasy purposes. Add in all Superflex formats. 

• WR Ja'Kobi Lane, Baltimore - Rashod Bateman left early with an injury while Lane returned from a Week 1 IR stint. Devontez Walker led in snaps, but Lane flashed the promise that made him a summer camp headliner. Bateman has been in trade rumors the last week; expect Lane to emerge as the receiver complement opposite Zay Flowers. Add in all formats. 

• WR Konata Mumpfield, LA Rams - Davante Adams pulled up late with a leg injury in the Rams' loss to Arizona. Mumpfield has started when either Adams or Puka Nacua has missed time and is expected to back up that role. We have seen Adams disappear in game plans that hyper-focus on Nacua; Mumpfield certainly is not going to swing that, but this still holds the potential for high-end offensive production. If we get news that Adams's injury is significant, Mumpfield is a high-priority add. Add in shallow leagues, dependent on Adams news.

• RB Dameon Pierce, Philadelphia - Pierce continued a trend of solid performances for a volume-based back who is faded for ability. We are not here to play NFL scout and general manager. Volume running backs tend to be fantasy-relevant. Pierce got nearly all of it. Jalen Hurts was placed on IR with a blood clot, but the rest of the NFC East came back to the Eagles despite a 2-4 start. Week 7 starts a season-defining stretch: Dallas, Washington, and the Giants before a Week 10 bye. With all the injuries, we need to watch how aggressively the team pushes Saquon Barkley back into the lineup. The Dallas matchup is a Monday Night game; add Pierce in all formats, but watch Barkley's availability. Add in all leagues.

• RB Tyrone Tracy Jr., NY Giants - Cam Skattebo was benched and saw no opportunities. It didn't end well for the Giants; Najee Harris struggled and gave way to Tracy and Devin Singletary. Tracy has quietly been the best back after a publicly rough start to training camp. The public reaction may be bad enough to plug Skattebo back into the lead role, but forgive me for wanting to see more of Tracy. Add in deep leagues, shallow league adds if we see positive coach speak.

• RB Jawhar Jordan, Houston - Woody Marks saw a Bellcow role with David Montgomery out. This space predicted Jordan would step in as the backup, and he did. He made the most of his time, busting a beautiful cutback run for a touchdown. Jordan has produced when given opportunity; roster him as long as Montgomery is out. Add in all deep formats; injury watch list in shallow leagues.

• WR Jalen Brooks, Arizona - Kendrick Bourne and Brooks kept alternating as the offense leaned into multiple tight end sets after Marvin Harrison Jr.'s trade. Bourne led in targets, with 7 to Brooks' 3. Brooks delivered a phenomenal play over the middle to secure the late win. The Cardinals are likely to be in a position to play for 2027; we should expect Brooks' opportunities to keep growing in that environment. Add in deep leagues, watchlist in shallow leagues.

• RB Bam Knight, Arizona - The Cardinals have been cagey about Jeremiyah Love's health. With Love out of Week 6, they split their backfield evenly, with Knight seeing 17 opportunities to Tyler Allgeier's 19. Allgeier is likely rostered in most leagues, but Knight is the more explosive back. If Love hits IR, add Knight everywhere. Add in deep leagues; injury watch on Love.

• WR Keandre Lambert-Smith, LA Chargers - Ladd McConkey left with a head injury after just 8 snaps. Tre' Harris and Brenen Thompson were out. That left Lambert-Smith in a featured role with nine targets opposite Quentin Johnston. The Chargers offense is a mess, and throwing to a backup did not fix it. The Chargers have a needed bye in Week 7, giving the room a chance to reset, but Lambert-Smith needs monitoring unless the other receivers return. Add in deep leagues; watch list in shallow formats. 

• WR Savion Williams, Green Bay - Williams returned from his IR stint and immediately plugged in as the WR3. His usage mirrored Jayden Reed's role, with run-game involvement and schemed, after-the-catch opportunities. Green Bay's offense will likely shift with Josh Jacobs returning, but this role still has value given the team's pass volume. Add in deep leagues, watch list in shallow leagues, bestball bench piece who belongs on desperation streaming radars.

• RB Pierre Strong Jr., Green Bay - Strong took over when MarShawn Lloyd left with an injury. He won't get a similar featured role with Jacobs returning, but the Packers have used a pass-catching complement to save wear. Strong played well and showed he deserves a chance to support Jacobs. Add in all deep leagues, shallow watch list. 

• TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Dallas - Spann-Ford out-targeted Jake Ferguson, 5-to-4. Snaps were 42 for Ferguson, 36 for Spann-Ford. Spann-Ford is massive and a much better blocker than Ferguson. Spann-Ford is more of a red flag on Ferguson, though very deep leagues may warrant the attention. Add in the deepest leagues, monitor split moving forward.

• WR Jalen Royals, Kansas City - We answered 2026's "what does Kansas City look like without Rashee Rice?" Royals was the benefactor, with 74% of snaps. Andrew Armstrong was next at 69%. Cyrus Allen was a distant fourth at 15%. The offense centered on Xavier Worthy, Travis Kelce, and Ken Walker III, with each backup getting two targets. We have seen the Chiefs active in the midseason wide receiver trade market before; it would be surprising if they don't bring in another player soon.  Hold in the deepest leagues.

Spike Week

Production comes from the most unlikely places. Reading the matchup tea leaves can flip weekly outcomes. The Spike Week is the holy grail for large field tournaments. These signals can mean big things, or just a one-off blip because a safety took the wrong angle.

Players who crushed this week:

• QB: Tyler Shough, New Orleans - 27.0 Points
• QB: C.J. Stroud, Houston - 24.0
• QB: Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta - 23.1
• RB: Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville - 22.7 
• RB: Tyrone Tracy Jr., NY Giants - 17.5 
• RB: Roschon Johnson, Chicago - 13.5
• WR: Tre Tucker, Las Vegas - 24.2
• WR: Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh - 20.2 
• WR: Omar Cooper Jr., NY Jets - 19.3
• WR: Jaylin Noel, Houston - 18.7 
• WR: Jahan Dotson, Atlanta - 16.2
• WR: DeMario Douglas, New England - 16.1
• WR: Carnell Tate, Tennessee - 16.0
• WR: Travis Hunter, Jacksonville - 13.9
• TE: Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta - 20.5
• TE: Tommy Tremble, Carolina - 18.6
• TE: Foster Moreau, Houston - 13.7
• TE: Michael Mayer, Las Vegas - 13.0
• TE: Josh Cuevas, Baltimore - 12.4

Shough's yardage total did not bounce back, but three touchdown passes will push a player to the top of the fantasy list. The Saints got back on track in a big comeback win.

Penix played the second half while trailing, and Pitts benefited from multiple touchdowns late in that game, while Dotson has slowly increased his usage. Johnson was on the other side; he has been a solid replacement for Kyle Monangai.

Tuten's underlying usage suggests a big game was coming. We saw it in Week 6, though his underlying usage shifted away from that suggestion as Chris Rodriguez Jr. played more.

Tucker can have splash games, as the Bills blanketed Brock Bowers. He and Mayer were beneficiaries. The Raiders' passing attack looks consolidated on the three of them, absent a trade in the next couple of weeks.

Noel and Moreau play in a situation where a trade has already happened. Noel has been excellent for multiple weeks, and his game plays well with Nico Collins and Marvin Harrison Jr. Think Tank Dell next to Robert Woods and Noah Brown in Stroud's strong 2023 season.

Bernard, Cooper, Tate, and Cuevas remind us that rookies tend to emerge in the back half of the season.

The Landmine Lineup

We often focus on "Spike Weeks" in fantasy football. Explosive 30+ point-per-game performances that win weeks almost single-handedly. Dud lineups that sit at the other end of that spectrum. Every week, I will highlight the hypothetical Landmine Lineup. If you have started this lineup, message me, and I will feature your misfortune so we can find a way to brighten your week!

• QB: Bo Nix, Denver - 4.5 Points
• QB: Cam Ward, Tennessee - 7.8
• RB: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta - 6.3
• RB: Derrick Henry, Baltimore - 4.5
• RB: Najee Harris, NY Giants - 0.2 
• RB: Kaleb Johnson, Green Bay - (0.2)
• RB: Keaton Mitchell, LA Chargers - 0.4
• WR: Jaylen Waddle, Denver - 4.4
• WR: A.J. Brown, New England - 4.2
• WR: Courtland Sutton, Denver - 2.9
• WR: Makai Lemon, Philadelphia - 3.4
• WR: Dontayvion Wicks, Philadelphia - 3.4
• WR: Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville - 0.0
• WR: Efton Chism III, New England - 0.0
• TE: Juwan Johnson, New Orleans - 0.0
• TE: Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland - 1.4
• TE: Jake Ferguson, Dallas - 2.3

This week's lineup posted 45.5 points. 

Sean Payton hasn't instantly fixed Nix since taking over playcalling. Nix looks tentative and indecisive coming back from the foot injury suffered in the playoff win against Buffalo. Waddle and Sutton are vertical players. Nothing is giving them an opportunity.

Ward won! While the fantasy numbers weren't there, and haven't been, a win takes some pressure off Tennessee.

Somewhere, someone was facing Robinson and Henry and was sure they were going to lose. They wake up happy today. The Robinson and Henry managers will have plenty of happy days to come.

New York's backfield is a mess. Anyone's guess on Week 7 usage is the best we can do.

Johnson played only 4 snaps, even with Lloyd's injury. With Josh Jacobs expected back Week 7, it is safe to give up the dream and drop Johnson.

Mitchell drew the short straw in the weekly Chargers running back rotation. Playing any Chargers back is a low-upside, low-floor move.

The Eagles' offensive attack struggled for much of the day. Lemon and Wicks will be out there, but the entire attack will have a low floor.

Thomas sat the entire second half. Jacksonville has a Week 7 bye. It would be surprising if we see Thomas in a Jaguars uniform again.

Blind Resume Answer