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Chicago Bears D/ST a Fringey Stream Vs. Red-Hot Pats
The Chicago Bears D/ST won't have it easy against a surging New England Patriots offense on Thursday Night Football in Week 7. Chicago's defense has been up and down so far, but it has done well to limit points (sixth-fewest) and total yardage (seventh-fewest). Moreover, the team has recorded at least two sacks in each game and 17 tackles for loss over its last two. A few weeks ago, this matchup would have been far less intimidating, but third-year signal-caller Drake Maye has played much better football in his three recent appearances, posting a stellar 10:1 TD:INT ratio. To continue their defensive success, Chicago must stay stout against the run and not let Maye and the Pats' attack beat them deep. The Bears' unit ranks as RotoBaller's D/ST15 ahead of the critical primetime matchup.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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Cairo Santos a High-Floor Option for TNF
Chicago Bears placekicker Cairo Santos is a sturdy fantasy play in Week 7 as his team hosts the New England Patriots. Santos missed his third field goal of the campaign in last weekend's win over Atlanta. After the mediocre outing, the veteran has eight makes on 11 tries and has knocked down all 18 of his extra-point attempts. While Santos has a strong fantasy floor and is attached to an offense that should score a ton of points, he doesn't have the biggest leg. Furthermore, Chicago's efficiency can work against him, limiting his upside. All in all, the 34-year-old is a solid bet for owners in a pinch this Thursday, as New England's defense has been one of the more sound units this season, potentially leading to a few extra field goal attempts than usual for him. Santos is RotoBaller's K14 ahead of what projects to be an exciting matchup.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Roschon Johnson Offers Flex Appeal in Week 7
Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson could be a useful flex option in his team's Week 7 matchup against the visiting New England Patriots this Thursday. With backfield mate Kyle Monangai (thumb, toe) nursing multiple injuries, Johnson has stepped in nicely over the past few weeks. With Monangai set to miss time again, the latter offers some upside, even in an inauspicious spot. Across the two-game sample, the Texas native has racked up 125 yards from scrimmage and a rushing score (25 touches) on ~40% of snaps. There are risks, though: Johnson piled up five of his 13 totes in Week 6, salting away the clock in their win over Atlanta. Additionally, New England has been one of the sturdiest units against the run all season (91.8 yards per game). However, they're susceptible to RBs in the passing game, allowing 27 receptions through six games. Johnson is RotoBaller's PPR RB32 for the outing.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Zay Flowers Drawing Plenty of Targets in Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers is off to a strong start to the season, even though he missed a game with an injury and has been without QB Lamar Jackson (ankle) for his last two contests. Flowers is up to 42 targets in his five games this year and has 32 receptions for 471 yards and two touchdowns. He has racked up over 50 yards per game in every game this season and has averaged 10 targets per game over his last three contests. So far this season, Flowers has the fourth-highest target share in the NFL this season, behind only studs Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DeVonta Smith, and Puka Nacua. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is finding ways to get Flowers plenty of chances to make plays, and the fourth-year receiver is on the rise, with an even higher ceiling later this season when Jackson is ready to return.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rome Odunze a Fringe WR3 in Potential Shootout
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is a viable fantasy play despite a stiff test against the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. Odunze disappointed owners last week, picking up just three catches and 39 yards (four targets) in the Bears' 31-23 win over the Falcons. The results were undesirable, but Atlanta funneled much of Chicago's passing game to within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, and even more of that to within five, rendering the 24-year-old ineffective. While it's becoming clear the team prioritizes teammate Luther Burden III when he's on the field, Odunze is the clear snap leader of the Bears' wideouts and ranks eleventh in the league with 163 routes run. Even a New England defense that's been stingy against opposing passing attacks hasn't been enough to shut down fantasy receivers completely. Furthermore, the Patriots have ruled out several players across their defensive backfield, and a 50.5-point over/under doesn't portend too poorly. Odunze is RotoBaller's PPR WR35 for Week 7.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
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
Saquon Barkley Expected to Practice Thursday, In Line to Play in Week 7
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (hamstring) is expected to return to practice on Thursday, 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
