RADIO
CJ Baxter Faces a Tough Test in Norman
Kentucky running back CJ Baxter needed only the Wildcats' first offensive play to make an impression against LSU, breaking a 77-yard run before finishing with 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. That long gain accounted for most of his yardage, and the second score came in overtime as Kentucky pulled off a 35-34 upset. Baxter has eight rushing touchdowns and 484 yards through six games. Next comes a trip to Oklahoma, whose defense has allowed only 584 rushing yards in five contests and held Texas without a rushing touchdown last Saturday. Baxter handled nearly all the meaningful backfield work against LSU, with Jason Patterson getting just two carries. He still belongs in the RB2 mix, particularly for managers who need touchdown potential, but Oklahoma's front makes his floor less comfortable this week.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
DeSean Bishop's Workload Keeps Him a Strong Start
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop has been doing the heavy lifting lately, with 53 carries for 358 yards and four touchdowns over the last two games. He followed 220 rushing yards against Auburn with 138 yards and the winning touchdown at Arkansas. Alabama will be a tougher test Saturday in Knoxville. The Crimson Tide have allowed 599 rushing yards in six games, an average of just 3.03 yards per carry, although Georgia managed 206 yards against them last week. Tennessee has continued to involve Daune Morris, but Bishop's 34 carries against Auburn and 19 against Arkansas show whose number is being called most often. Bishop has 678 rushing yards and eight scores on the season. RotoBaller ranks him 35th overall for Week 7, and he remains a strong RB2 start even with the difficult opponent.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Wayshawn Parker Is a Must-Start RB1 Against Colorado
Utah running back Wayshawn Parker is RotoBaller's No. 1 overall fantasy player for Week 7, and the numbers make the choice understandable. He ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns at Iowa State, then followed with 171 yards and two more scores against Kansas, including a 90-yard touchdown run. Parker has 499 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in five games, plus 17 catches for 190 yards and four receiving scores. Colorado has allowed only three rushing touchdowns and 3.58 yards per carry through five games, so Saturday's trip to Boulder is not quite the soft matchup the name might suggest. Parker has scored 11 total touchdowns already, though, and his receiving role gives him another route to production. Start him as an RB1 without hesitation.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kenyon Sadiq Still in Concussion Protocol, Not Practicing Wednesday
New York Jets rookie first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq (head) remains in the league's concussion protocol and is not practicing on Wednesday, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Sadiq suffered a head injury in the third quarter of Sunday's Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns and was unable to return after being put in the NFL's concussion protocol. The 21-year-old is now up in the air to play in Week 6 this Sunday on the road against the division-rival New England Patriots. If Sadiq cannot clear the league's concussion protocol by this weekend, second-year TE Mason Taylor would have a higher fantasy ceiling as a TE2 streamer. The 21-year-old Sadiq was a popular waiver-wire pickup after he caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Week 3 loss to the Detroit Lions, but in two games since then, he has two receptions on seven targets for only three yards. The upside is real with the super athletic Sadiq, but consistency has been lacking early on in his first NFL season. Fantasy managers should be preparing to be without the Oregon product this weekend.
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
Source: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
Michael Hawkins Jr. Remains a Must-Start Against Cincinnati
West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. barely completed a third of his passes against Arizona, going 11-for-28 for 219 yards without a touchdown. Fantasy managers still got 98 rushing yards and a score from him on 25 carries. It was another heavy rushing workload for Hawkins, who has run for 672 yards and 12 touchdowns through six games. Cincinnati comes to Morgantown on Saturday having allowed 708 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in five games, including 238 yards on the ground against Arizona in its previous outing. The passing inconsistency is real, but it has not stopped Hawkins from putting up major fantasy numbers. He is RotoBaller's QB2 in its current Week 7 projections. There is no reason to move him out of starting lineups because of the completion percentage.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Sam Leavitt Has QB2 Appeal Against Mississippi State
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns on 25-of-34 passing at Kentucky, adding 39 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 35-34 overtime loss. The production was useful, although his eight interceptions through six games are difficult to overlook. Mississippi State visits Baton Rouge on Saturday having surrendered 1,300 passing yards and nine touchdowns in five contests. That is a friendlier matchup than several Leavitt has encountered, and his rushing involvement can make up for some mistakes through the air. There is still a difference between a favorable opponent and a dependable weekly QB1. RotoBaller has Leavitt 139th overall in its October 14 Week 7 rankings, well behind the top fantasy quarterbacks. He is a viable QB2 and a borderline QB1 for managers dealing with bye weeks, rather than an automatic start.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Aaron Flowers Out for Foreseeable Future
Oregon safety Aaron Flowers (undisclosed) is out for the foreseeable future after needing surgery, according to head coach Dan Lanning. Across four games this season, Flowers had 17 combined tackles and a pass defensed. Last season with the Ducks, the safety had 70 combined tackles, an interception, two forced fumbles and three passes defensed. Him missing additional games is a blow to the Ducks' defense, which has allowed 344.4 yards and 22 points per game to this point of the season. Defensive back Koi Perich leads the team with 34 combined tackles through five games, and he and others will need to pick up the slack while Flowers misses more game action.
Source: Rob Moseley - GoDucks
Source: Rob Moseley - GoDucks
Eagles Open the Practice Window for Eli Stowers
The Philadelphia Eagles have opened the 21-day practice window for rookie tight end Eli Stowers (quadriceps, hamstring) on Wednesday, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Stowers has been banged up with a hamstring injury since late in training camp in late August, and he added a quad injury before the Eagles placed him on Injured Reserve before the start of the 2026 regular season. The 23-year-old second-rounder from Vanderbilt will now start mixing back into practice as he looks to make his NFL debut. Stowers is not guaranteed to return in Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers at home, and when he does return, he will merely be a backup to starter Dallas Goedert, limiting his fantasy appeal in the short term. The 6-foot-4, 239-pounder is extremely athletic with plenty of long-term potential, but right now, he is primarily just a stash candidate in dynasty/keeper leagues as he works to become an option in Philly's passing attack.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer - Jeff McLane
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer - Jeff McLane
Tony Pollard Not Present for Wednesday's Practice
Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (foot) is not present at the team's practice on Wednesday, according to Turron Davenport of ESPN. Pollard also missed practice last Wednesday before eventually returning to practice later in the week and playing in the Week 5 loss to the division-rival Houston Texans. The 29-year-old had 14 carries in that game for 52 yards and did not catch his only target in the passing game. Barring a setback with his foot/ankle injury, Pollard should suit up this weekend and continue to share the backfield with Tyjae Spears, who had a notable nine receptions in the loss to Houston. With Spears handling key passing-game work and with Pollard leading a rushing attack that is averaging only 82.6 yards per game on the ground, Pollard will continue to have minimal fantasy upside as a low-end RB2. He has yet to have a 100-yard game on the ground while averaging 4.0 yards per carry on 68 rushing attempts for 273 yards and one touchdown. Pollard has added eight catches for only 24 yards through five games.
Source: ESPN.com - Turron Davenport
Source: ESPN.com - Turron Davenport
Rashee Rice Not Practicing on Wednesday
Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said that wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring) is the lone player who will not practice on Wednesday as the team comes out of their bye week, according to Nate Taylor of ESPN. Rice suffered what was believed to be a minor hamstring injury in the Week 4 win over the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders, but a DNP in the first practice of this week puts him up in the air to return this Sunday at home against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. The 26-year-old still has two more days to return to the practice field, and fantasy managers should be following his status closely through the end of the week. If Rice does not get the green light to face the Chargers on Sunday, receivers Xavier Worthy, Cyrus Allen, and Jalen Royals would be in starting three-wide sets, with veteran tight end Travis Kelce also being more involved in the passing game against the winless Bolts. Through four games this year, Rice has caught 13 of his 17 targets for 190 yards and one touchdown for the undefeated Chiefs.
Source: ESPN.com - Nate Taylor
Source: ESPN.com - Nate Taylor
Lamar Jackson Not Seen at Wednesday's Practice
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) was not seen at practice on Friday, according to Cordell Woodland of 105.7 The Fan. Jackson injured his left ankle in the Week 4 win over the Tennessee Titans and did not play in Sunday night's overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The 29-year-old has been improving and has a realistic chance to return to the starting role this weekend against the division-rival Cleveland Browns, but a missed practice on Wednesday would not be a great start. Still, head coach Jesse Minter said last week that Jackson could miss the entire week of practice and still suit up. The Ravens will surely play it safe with their star QB, so fantasy managers should not be surprised if Jackson is ultimately held out for a second straight week. We should have a clearer picture of the former MVP's Week 6 status later in the week. If Jackson continues to improve this week and returns on Sunday to face Cleveland, he will be a must-start in starting fantasy lineups. Through four games in 2026, Jackson is averaging 20.8 fantasy points per game, which puts him as the QB9. UPDATE: Head coach Jesse Minter told The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec that Jackson remains "day-to-day."
Source: 105.7 The Fan - Cordell Woodland
Source: 105.7 The Fan - Cordell Woodland
Ashton Jeanty Will Play in Week 6
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak was asked about internal discussions of resting running back Ashton Jeanty in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills, but he ultimately said that Jeanty will play, according to Levi Edwards of the team's official website. Jeanty was banged up last week and was listed as questionable going into the Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots, but he played and had a season-low 10 carries for only 27 yards while catching three of six targets for 50 yards in the 45-17 blowout loss. The former first-rounder is averaging only 3.3 yards per carry on 88 rushing attempts for 291 yards on the ground in his first five games in 2026, but he has made up for it with 22 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns as a pass-catcher. The 22-year-old Jeanty could give way to more of rookie Mike Washington Jr. again this weekend against Buffalo, but as long as he is active, he should be locked into most starting fantasy football lineups. UPDATE: Kubiak said that Jeanty is starting to "feel a lot better" physically.
Source: Raiders.com - Levi Edwards
Source: Raiders.com - Levi Edwards
Jake Ferguson Losing Targets to His Upcoming Teammate
After opening the year with three touchdowns in his first two games, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson has been kept out of the end zone in each of his last two outings, making his lack of involvement all the more pronounced. Ferguson has caught more than three passes only once in 2026, and blossoming wideout Ryan Flournoy appears to have overtaken him as the team's tertiary receiving option. The fifth-year tight end's value is still buoyed by what he can offer fantasy managers if either George Pickens or CeeDee Lamb misses time, particularly of note as the latter is dealing with a quad injury that limited him late in the team's Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers. That said, in most redraft formats, Ferguson should be viewed as little more than a streaming candidate, and he is RotoBaller's TE19 ahead of a Week 6 matchup with the Packers.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jadarian Price Becoming More Difficult to Hold
Seattle Seahawks rookie running back Jadarian Price (chest) is slated to miss at least two more games after being placed on injured reserve with a chest injury, but the running back room he returns to could look very different from the one he led at the start of the season. Zach Charbonnet (knee) had his 21-day practice window opened on October 1 and is reportedly eyeing a Week 7 season debut. Meanwhile, in Price's absence, Emanuel Wilson has averaged 96 total yards over the past two games and scored three touchdowns. In leagues without an IR spot, Price has become a difficult hold and should be viewed as an outright drop candidate for managers in need of immediate wins. The story might be different if Price had dominated early, but he was the RB50 through his first three starts, and he could face an even more pronounced backfield split upon his return.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Courtland Sutton's Struggles Continue Despite the Change of Play-Caller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton caught his first touchdown of the year in a Week 5 win over the Chargers, but with only 18 yards on two receptions, he couldn't crack the top 30 at the position. Sutton's early-season struggles at least came with the caveat of encouraging usage, but he saw a season-low three targets in Sean Payton's first game back as play caller. He has now topped 25 receiving yards only once, and with quarterback Bo Nix struggling mightily to begin his third season, Sutton is no longer a player who needs to be rostered in most redraft formats. The Broncos face the Seahawks Thursday night, and with Seattle representing the third-most difficult fantasy matchup for wide receivers, Sutton is RotoBaller's WR44.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
