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Colston Loveland Comes Alive Ahead of Week 7 Clash
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland looks to build on a season-high output from his last time out in an intriguing matchup with the visiting New England Patriots. Loveland rewarded owners who stayed true to him with a 6/65/1 line (seven targets) against the Falcons in Week 6. It was a much-needed performance, as he'd largely underwhelmed in 2026. The 22-year-old will face a much tougher matchup on paper this Thursday against a New England defense that has yielded the seventh-fewest PPR points to tight ends through six weeks. Even still, head coach Ben Johnson has designed creative play calls, and quarterback Caleb Williams was locked in in his first appearance back from a lingering hamstring issue. After a bit of early-season turmoil, the Bears' offense is ascending ahead of a pivotal matchup on Thursday Night Football. Loveland is RotoBaller's PPR TE10 for the outing.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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Saquon Barkley Expected to Practice Thursday, In Line to Play Week 7
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is expected to return to practice today, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, which would put the star running back in line to play on Monday against the Cowboys. Barkley missed the last two games for the Eagles, with Dameon Pierce taking most of the workload after injuries to Will Shipley (foot) and Tank Bigsby (core). If Barkley is ready to return, he would step right back into a favorable matchup against the Cowboys, who have been one of the top-10 most favorable matchups for running backs this season. Barkley's name has been floated in trade rumors this week as well, and if all goes well in practice, he should have a chance to show that he's healthy with a big game on the Monday Night Football stage in Week 7.
Source: Mike Garafolo
Source: Mike Garafolo
D'Andre Swift Primed to Deliver RB1 Value Against Pats?
Chicago Bears running back D'Andre Swift offers a strong fantasy floor for this week's home game against the New England Patriots. The seventh-year pro didn't find much success on the ground against the Falcons in his last outing (16 carries for 44 yards). However, he scored twice and added value in his second straight four-catch appearance (five targets). Swift's usage is exceptional, and his six rushing scores so far put him well on pace to beat the previous season-high of nine he set a year ago. Unfortunately, he'll get a New England defense this Thursday night that's been formidable in all phases in 2026. Over six weeks, the unit has allowed the ninth-fewest rushing yards per game (91.8). While the Patriots are a scary matchup, the 27-year-old's involvement in the passing game should sustain his fantasy output, even if he struggles to find room on the ground again. Swift ranks as RotoBaller's PPR RB11.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Luther Burden III A Borderline WR2 Vs. New England
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III and the Bears host the Patriots in Week 7 on Thursday Night Football. Burden is coming off a strong showing last week, when Caleb Williams returned from his hamstring injury and was very efficient. Burden caught all eight of his targets for a season-high 95 yards, although he didn't get into the end zone. The Patriots' secondary has been solid when healthy this season, allowing only two wide receiver touchdowns in the last three weeks. Burden is still a low-end WR2 this week, checking in as the No. 22 WR in RotoBaller's Week 7 rankings. He has emerged as the Bears' top receiver this season, leading the team in catches, targets, and receiving yards. He has shown a solid rapport with Williams and is a strong option to have in your lineup this week, especially if he's in your FLEX or third WR slot.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Caleb Williams A Strong Starter in Most Leagues on Thursday
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams looked sharp in his return from a hamstring injury last week against the Falcons. He was very efficient, completing 30 of 36 pass attempts for 305 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and zero interceptions. He didn't run quite as much or as effectively as he did in Week 1, but he was very effective in the pocket. Williams and the Bears are facing the Patriots on Thursday Night Football of Week 7, and the Patriots have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs this season. However, since the game is expected to be a high-scoring contest with plenty of points for both sides, Williams brings a very high ceiling. He is ranked as RotoBaller's No. 7 QB this week, making him a strong start this week in almost all formats.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
NFL to Investigate Jordan Elliot Incident, Could Face Suspension
Free-agent defensive tackle Jordan Elliot could face a suspension from the NFL, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, after he brought a gun into the Tennessee Titans' training facility last Thursday. The Titans released the former third-round pick earlier this week, but coach Robert Saleh passionately defended his former player, clarifying that the incident was "a call for help more than a criminal act." Elliot could serve any suspension as a free agent. The seven-year veteran joined the Titans after spending two seasons with Saleh in San Francisco. Before leaving the team, he appeared in five games this season with one start, registering 11 tackles
Source: Adam Schefter
Source: Adam Schefter
Andy Borregales Still Worth Avoiding in Week 7
New England Patriots kicker Andy Borregales is not a reliable fantasy football option for Thursday's Week 7 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Borregales is coming off a solid game in which he made two field goals, but he also missed an extra point attempt. He has been held to single-digit fantasy points in every game this season, and he ranks as the overall K25 in scoring this year. To make matters worse, Borregales gets a very tough matchup in Week 7. The Bears have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to kickers in 2026, and they limited Falcons kicker Nick Folk to just one extra point and zero field goals last Sunday. The Patriots' upward-trending offense seems likely to get into scoring position often, but Borregales' track record and the tougher matchup will keep him off the fantasy radar in most leagues. As it stands, he ranks as the #20 kicker in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 7.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
New England Patriots Defense Not Worth Streaming in Week 7
The New England Patriots D/ST has been a top-10 unit in fantasy football this season, but they can be avoided in most leagues ahead of Week 7 against the Chicago Bears. New England is significantly banged up on the defensive side of the ball, with cornerbacks Carlton Davis (neck), Channing Canada (hamstring), and Karon Prunty (hamstring) all ruled out. Meanwhile, talented safeties Kevin Byard (chest) and Craig Woodson (shoulder) are both questionable, and the same goes for linebacker Christian Elliss (chest). A banged-up Patriots defense could certainly prevail in a softer matchup, but the unit will have a tougher test this week in the form of the Bears, who are led by MVP candidate Caleb Williams and most recently dropped 31 points on the Falcons. Managers who already have the Patriots D/ST on their roster should feel okay about deploying them this week, since the gap between New England and the top streaming defense won't be too large. However, if the Patriots are currently on waivers, they're probably not worth picking up to stream for this week. As it stands, the Patriots D/ST ranks #14 in RotoBaller's latest fantasy football rankings for Week 7.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry a Fringe Fantasy Starter for Week 7
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry has strung together three impressive performances, putting him back in the mix as a fantasy-relevant option for Week 7 against the Chicago Bears. Henry has scored a touchdown in back-to-back games, and he has double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in three consecutive weeks. The veteran seems to have turned a corner around the same time that quarterback Drake Maye did, although it's worth noting that the 31-year-old tight end is still somewhat touchdown-dependent in fantasy football. This week's matchup isn't particularly favorable, either, as the Bears have surrendered the third-fewest receptions, 12th-fewest receiving yards, 10th-fewest touchdowns, and 12th-fewest fantasy points to tight ends in 2026. All things considered, Henry enters Thursday Night Football as the overall TE13 in RotoBaller's latest PPR rankings for fantasy football.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hot Stretch Vaults DeMario Douglas Into WR3 Conversation for Week 7
New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas has emerged as a legitimate WR3/flex option in fantasy football for Thursday's Week 7 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Douglas had a relatively quiet start to the season, but recent injuries to Mack Hollins (calf) and Romeo Doubs (shoulder) have allowed him to break out in a huge way. Over the last two weeks, he has exploded for 13 targets, 11 catches, 151 yards, and three touchdowns. It's a small sample size, but he ranks as the WR5 in PPR scoring during that two-week window. Douglas should remain one of Drake Maye's favorite targets in Week 7 with Hollins and Doubs both on IR. AJ Brown is presumably the alpha receiver here, but even he is at risk of getting outperformed by Douglas after dropping three of his 10 targets last Sunday. Douglas, meanwhile, caught seven of the eight passes thrown his way and proved himself as a reliable target all over the field. He has jumped all the way up to WR34 in RotoBaller's latest Week 7 fantasy football rankings, making him a very strong candidate to start for managers in 12+ team leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
A.J. Brown Looks to Shake Off Major Drops Issue
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown has top-10 upside in fantasy football, but he'll first need to show a little more reliability in the passing game. Brown returned from a four-week injury-related absence last Sunday and had three dropped passes (plus a muffed onside kick recovery attempt) against the Jets. Drops have been a factor for Brown throughout his career, but this was easily one of the worst performances of his career in that regard. He will look to turn things around with a much more reliable performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 7. Fortunately for Brown, this is a relatively favorable matchup, as the Bears have allowed the 11th-most receiving yards, ninth-most receiving touchdowns, and 13th-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2026. Brown will also have a little less competition for targets after Romeo Doubs (shoulder) was placed on injured reserve, although volume was never really a major concern for the alpha receiver, especially after he was targeted 10 times in Week 6. Brown is a high-end WR2 for now, but his track record makes it clear that he has WR1 upside and could return to top-12 territory on a weekly basis if he strings together a couple of strong outings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rhamondre Stevenson Needs His Receiving Workload to Rebound
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson continues to operate as the No. 1 option out of the backfield, but fantasy managers will look for his receiving workload to bounce back in Week 7 against the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. Stevenson logged 14 carries last Sunday against the Jets, but he was a massive disappointment in fantasy football with just 36 rushing yards and zero receptions. Stevenson's PPR and half-PPR outlooks are highly dependent on him catching passes, and this was the first time in his career that he finished a game without a single target. Last week was presumably an outlier, and Stevenson's receiving workload should improve this week, although it's worth noting that the Bears have allowed the eighth-fewest receptions to running backs in 2026. The bottom line is that Stevenson has fringe top-24 appeal in fantasy football, but last week showed that he also possesses a lower floor.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
TreVeyon Henderson's Fantasy Stock Plummeting Ahead of Week 7
New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson has been one of the biggest busts in 2026 fantasy football drafts, and he can be avoided in most leagues ahead of his Week 7 matchup against the Chicago Bears. Outside of a solid Week 2 showing, Henderson has been held to fewer than 5.0 points (PPR) in every game so far. His snap share plummeted to 16% in Week 5, and it only increased to a meager 24% mark in Week 6. Although Henderson has been dealing with an ankle injury at times, it hasn't been enough to keep him from being active, and so it shouldn't be used as an excuse for his lackluster fantasy performance so far. Rhamondre Stevenson is clearly the primary running back in New England, and the Patriots even gave Corey Kiner a chance to prove himself with 17 carries (and an impressive 109 rushing yards) over the last two weeks. Henderson ranks outside the top 48 fantasy running backs for Week 7 against the Bears. He can be benched in 12+ team leagues and dropped to waivers in leagues with 10 or fewer teams.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Drake Maye Back in Must-Start Territory Against the Bears
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been playing at an elite level lately, and he will rank as a high-end QB1 for this week's matchup against the Chicago Bears. Maye opened the season with an ugly three-game start, but then he completely turned a corner and produced one of the best three-game stretches in recent NFL history. Over the last three weeks, he has 878 passing yards, 103 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns, and just two interceptions. Not only is he the undisputed QB1 from Weeks 4-6, but he is also the highest-scoring player in fantasy football during that three-game span, and the race is not particularly close. As long as Maye is playing at a high level, he should be started in 100% of fantasy football leagues. That remains the case for Thursday Night Football against the Bears, who have allowed the third-most rushing touchdowns and the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2026.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jalen Coker Continues to Fetch a Ton of Targets in Carolina
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker returned from a multi-week injury last Sunday, and he picked up right where he left off with 13 targets, six catches, and 97 receiving yards on a 75% snap share. Coker set a new career-high in targets, and if you exclude the one game this season where he missed time due to injury, he's averaging 10.3 targets, 100.3 yards, and 0.7 touchdowns per game. He ranks as the overall WR29 in PPR scoring so far, despite the fact that he has only played in three and a half games, while some other receivers have played in six. The fact of the matter is that the 24-year-old has been quite impressive this year, challenging former first-round pick Tetairoa McMillan for the title of most productive Panthers pass-catcher in fantasy football. It has been refreshing to see that both of these receivers can coexist as fantasy WR2 options, which is a sign that the Panthers' offense (and passing game in particular) is operating much better than it has in years past. We'll continue to trust Coker as a mid-to-low WR2 in future weeks, including Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Woody Marks Making Case to Remain in the Lead-Back Role
Houston Texans running back Woody Marks seems to have a very firm grasp on the No. 1 role out of the backfield. He has played at least 78% of the offensive snaps in each of the last two weeks, and he has produced at least 10.0 PPR points in both of those games, despite not scoring a touchdown. Although the larger role has been a direct result of David Montgomery (groin) being sidelined, we would not be surprised to see Marks hold on to his lead-back role even after Montgomery returns to action. In addition to handling 30 carries over the last two weeks, Marks has also taken on a larger role in the passing game with six catches for 48 receiving yards. Although he hasn't been a superstar by any means, he has represented a clear upgrade from Montgomery, who is averaging just 2.65 yards per carry and hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 1. Marks is a high-end RB3 with RB2 upside when Montgomery is active, and a pretty safe mid-to-low RB2 option even if Montgomery misses more time.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan Love Hitting His Stride Through Six Weeks
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is enjoying a fantastic breakout season in fantasy football. After finishing as QB15 or lower in back-to-back seasons, Love has bounced back as the overall QB6 through the first six weeks of the 2026 campaign. His big year has been fueled by an impressive scoring tendency, as he has now scored two total touchdowns in every game so far. He has consistently racked up passing yardage with Christian Watson and Matthew Golden at his disposal, and he has kept his turnover total at a modest level with four interceptions and one lost fumble so far. The 27-year-old has one of the safer floors among fantasy quarterbacks, solidifying his already impressive status as a mid-to-low QB1 option in most leagues. Love has proven to be somewhat of a steal in 2026 redraft leagues, and he should continue to perform at a high level with Watson and Golden at his disposal. The only new wrinkle to consider here is that running back Josh Jacobs returns in Week 7, which could prompt the Packers to run more than they did in weeks past. Still, we're not pivoting away from Love in any leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Samaje Perine Looking to Pick Up Where He Left Off
Cincinnati Bengals running back Samaje Perine totaled 14 carries, 68 rushing yards, two catches, 10 receiving yards, and one touchdown in the team's most recent game prior to the bye week. Now that the Bengals are returning to action in Week 7, he'll look to pick up where he left off with a similar role and volume share. It was surprising to see Perine pull ahead of Chase Brown in terms of workload, and while a similar outcome seems somewhat improbable for Week 7, momentum is certainly on Perine's side. The 31-year-old is averaging more than 4.0 yards per carry this season, and he has historically been a key contributor in the passing game. Perine doesn't need to have an every-down role to get on the fantasy radar, either. He played 51% of the snaps in Week 5 and was still able to produce 15.8 fantasy points in PPR leagues. He certainly has a lower floor than some of the other players in the RB3/flex range, but he has a chance to solidify himself as a weekly fantasy starter with another productive performance this week.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Blake Corum Puts Together a Touchdown Streak
Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum has scored a touchdown in each of his last two games, bumping him up to the RB28 spot in total PPR scoring this season. Corum has remained in the No. 2 running back role behind Kyren Williams, but that hasn't stopped him from carving out standalone value in PPR leagues, especially in the last two weeks. The bad news is that Corum has played more than one-third of the snaps in just one game this season, so even though he has been productive lately, he doesn't have the typical workload of a top-36 fantasy running back. Therefore, fantasy managers should want him to earn more snaps and more volume going forward, especially since his touchdown streak could come to an end any week. He's currently an RB3/flex in fantasy football, but his fantasy outlook remains very much dependent on scoring touchdowns.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ollie Gordon II Looks to Continue Ascending
Running back Ollie Gordon II looks to continue his role as the clear lead running back for the Miami Dolphins in the absence of De'Von Achane (knee), who is on injured reserve and is out for the remainder of the 2026 season due to a torn ACL. The Dolphins are coming off a bye week in Week 6, but in the two weeks prior, Gordon dominated Miami's backfield in offensive snaps played and rushing attempts. In Week 4 and Week 5, Gordon played 65 offensive snaps and rushed 27 times for 188 yards (6.96 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Additionally, in the Week 3 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, which was the game in which Achane exited with the injury, Gordon rushed 17 times for 41 yards (2.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown, while adding three receptions for 14 yards. Gordon has worked far ahead of fellow tailback Jaylen Wright, who has played just 21 offensive snaps over the past two games. Wright amassed just 11 rushes for 18 total yards (1.64 yards per carry) over those two games, and he is yet to record a reception or touchdown in 2026. Gordon is RotoBaller's No. 24 running back for a Week 7 matchup with the New York Jets and has RB2 or flex appeal.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Rookie Carnell Tate is the Clear No. 1 Option for Titans
Rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate leads the Tennessee Titans in targets (44), receptions (29) and receiving yards (344) in the passing game, and he has scored one touchdown. The No. 4 overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft recorded six receptions (on seven targets) for 70 yards (11.7 yards per catch) and his first-career touchdown in a 26-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6. The win was the first of the year for the Titans. Tate is beginning to ascend as he gets more comfortable in his first year in the NFL, and he is operating as the clear No. 1 option for quarterback Cam Ward in the passing game. Tate has a Week 7 matchup against the Cleveland Browns and ranks as RotoBaller's No. 27 wideout. He can safely be placed into your fantasy football lineups.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
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