Welcome to Week 7 of the 2026 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Replacing Davante Adams
- Replacing Terry McLaurin
- Starters Returning to Work
- DeVonta Smith's Value Without Jalen Hurts
Let's roll...
Matt Waldman: Pick the player most likely to deliver enhanced fantasy value for a starting lineup with Davante Adams missing the next 6-11 weeks due to his hamstring surgery.
Who is your choice from this list?
Meng Song: Can I cheat and say that Terrance Ferguson will be the best fantasy pickup following Adams' injury?
Waldman: Sure, good choice in the spirit of the question.
Song: Ferguson is eligible to return from IR in Week 8 and could possibly return in the next few weeks. We got a glimpse of what the talented sophomore tight end can do in Week 2 against the Giants, so expect McVay to continue leaning into 12 and 13 personnel once his tight end room is fully healthy again.
The Rams rank fourth in targets to the tight end position through six weeks, and they had the fifth-most targets to tight ends last season. More importantly, Ferguson led all tight ends in deep targets last year, even as a rookie, despite playing on just 39 percent of snaps. A healthy Ferguson is the second-most talented pass-catcher on the roster behind only Puka Nacua, so expect his rest-of-season target share and usage to reflect that.
Corey Spala: Meng makes a great point about Terrance Ferguson's potential. It should be noted that Ferguson may not be expected back so soon.
I'd like Tyler Higbee to continue his resurgence this season, even with Ferguson returning. In Week 6, Higbee had a 78 percent route share while fellow tight end Colby Parkinson had a 53 percent route share.
The Rams can have multiple tight ends on the field, especially when there are multiple positions within the position. Ferguson can operate more as a receiver and Higbee as the de facto tight end.
This may allow the running backs to get an added boost to their reception total. However, this seems like a tricky situation to truly identify which individual player will benefit the most. Another outcome would be the Rams trading for Jerry Jeudy.
Maurile Tremblay: If you need immediate help, Konata Mumpfield is the short-term fix. But over the entire span of Adams' absence, Terrance Ferguson is my selection.
When the Rams lose a star wide receiver, they switch to their three-tight-end package, and Ferguson is the Rams' best receiving tight end when he's healthy. As Meng mentioned, in Week 2 with Puka Nacua out, the Rams went heavy, and Ferguson finished second on the team in catches and scored a touchdown.
With Adams gone, Ferguson becomes the second receiving option behind Nacua. There are only a handful of tight ends in the league who rank that high in their team's pecking order.
The risk with Ferguson is that we don't know exactly when he'll return from his ankle injury. He's eligible to be activated from IR in Week 8, and that seems like a decent bet, but it's not guaranteed.