Oct 19, 2026, 6:41 PM ET

Fantasy managers may have been dropping New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas going into the team's Week 6 matchup on Sunday against the division-rival New York Jets with star receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) returning from Injured Reserve. Brown struggled with drops in his first game back, and Romeo Doubs suffered a shoulder injury, leading to Douglas having a second straight strong game, catching seven of his eight targets for a team-high 86 yards and his third touchdown of the season in the 26-19 victory. The 25-year-old pass-catcher now has 11 receptions on 13 targets for 151 yards and three touchdowns in the last two weeks. Brown is now back for New England, but Douglas will be a popular waiver-wire target this week in fantasy football now that Doubs has been placed on Injured Reserve. Doubs will miss at least the next four games, opening up a bigger window for Douglas to see consistent targets from young quarterback Drake Maye. At the very least, the slot man should be in play as a WR4/flex option, especially for a potential shootout against the Chicago Bears this Thursday night in Week 7. Douglas is widely available and is currently rostered in only 8% of Yahoo leagues.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com

Oct 19, 2026, 6:34 PM ET

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry could be the perfect solution off the waiver wire for fantasy managers struggling with bye weeks going into Week 7 of the 2026 season. Henry caught four of his five targets for 48 yards and his second touchdown in as many weeks in the 26-19 win over the division-rival New York Jets in Week 6 on Sunday, with his score in the fourth quarter proving to be the difference in the game. The 31-year-old veteran and former second-round pick from Arkansas has found the end zone in each of the last two games after going scoreless in the first four contests of 2026. The Patriots' offense has looked better during their three-game winning streak, and receiver A.J. Brown's return from Injured Reserve should open up more space for Henry to operate underneath, especially in the red zone, where he is a big-bodied target for quarterback Drake Maye. Henry has become more attractive in fantasy after scoring in each of the last two weeks, but he should still be considered more of a touchdown/dependent high-end TE2. He is rostered in just over half of Yahoo leagues and could have a big game this Thursday night on the road against the Chicago Bears to get Week 7 kicked off.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com

Oct 19, 2026, 6:23 PM ET

Baltimore Ravens rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane returned from Injured Reserve in Sunday's Week 6 loss to the division-rival Cleveland Browns and was productive in just his second NFL game while playing 54% of the offensive snaps, which ranked third among Baltimore's receiving corps behind Zay Flowers and Devontez Walker. Lane did not go off by any means in his first game back from a wrist injury, but he was involved, catching four of his five targets for 40 yards. Only Flowers had more targets (11) from backup quarterback Tyler Huntley in the three-point loss to Cleveland. The 22-year-old third-rounder from USC went down with a wrist injury in the season-opening win over the Indianapolis Colts. Lane was a standout during training camp and the preseason and built strong chemistry with both Huntley and starting QB Lamar Jackson, giving the young pass-catcher intriguing fantasy upside. There is a clear path for Lane to take over WR2 duties from Rashod Bateman (shoulder) as the season wears on. Lane will have even more upside once Jackson returns from his ankle injury. He is only rostered in 12% of Yahoo leagues at the moment.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com

Oct 19, 2026, 6:15 PM ET

Los Angeles Rams kicker Blake Grupe (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Week 6 upset loss to the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and is out for the rest of the year, according to Greg Beacham of The Associated Press. The 27-year-old was making his debut with the Rams on Sunday before injuring himself while trying to make a tackle on a special teams kickoff. He was officially placed on Injured Reserve on Monday, so the Rams will have to find their third kicker of the year after starting the season with Harrison Mevis. The Rams signed Grupe off the New York Jets' practice squad after cutting Mevis last week. Before tearing his ACL against Arizona, Grupe made a 44-yard field goal on what will end up being his only kicking attempt of the season. Expect the Rams to work out kickers on Tuesday and decide on an option shortly thereafter as they head into a Week 7 road matchup in Las Vegas against the Raiders. It remains to be seen if Grupe will be fully healthy for the start of next season, but his torn ACL certainly will not help his chances of signing with a new team in 2027.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Associated Press - Greg Beacham

Oct 19, 2026, 6:07 PM ET

Houston Texans second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel has stepped up in the last three weeks as the team's WR2 behind Nico Collins with Jayden Higgins (knee) out for the entire season. Noel had his best game of the season in Sunday's 34-31 win over the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, catching all four of his targets for a team-high 107 yards and his second straight week with a touchdown. The 24-year-old former third-rounder from Iowa State now has 12 catches on 12 targets for 233 yards and two touchdowns in the last three games and is on the rise as a waiver-wire candidate. The one downside to Noel's recent resurgence in the Texans' offense is that they just traded for Marvin Harrison Jr. and appear to be getting Tank Dell (knee) back in Week 7 against the New York Giants for the first time since the 2024 season. Still, Houston's offense is on the rise, and Noel has built strong chemistry with quarterback C.J. Stroud, so he could remain firmly involved in the WR pecking order. Noel is currently rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues, so he is widely available.--Keith Hernandez
Source: ESPN.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:58 PM ET

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (lower body) is trending toward returning to the lineup on Wednesday night against Florida. He practiced on Monday after missing eight games with a lower-body injury. Sanderson's return will be timely for the Senators, as the team just lost Thomas Chabot (upper body) from defense for at least one week. Despite missing 15 games last season, Sanderson was Ottawa's highest-scoring defenseman with 54 points. Since the start of 2024-25, he has scored 25 goals, tied for eighth-most among blue-liners in the league.--Taavi Pailk
Source: NHL.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:48 PM ET

Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot (upper body) will miss 1-2 weeks, head coach Travis Green said Monday. Chabot sustained an upper-body injury in Saturday's loss to Philadelphia and missed the third period. He's been crucial to the team early in the season because of Jake Sanderson's (lower body) absence. Across nine games, Chabot has averaged 25:20 of ice time, recording four points (one goal, three assists), 19 SOG, 24 blocks, and a plus-five rating. Fortunately for the Senators, Sanderson appears ready to return to action on Wednesday against Florida. After missing eight games, Sanderson may need time to find his rhythm, but he should have a major role on the blue line in Chabot's absence.--Taavi Pailk
Source: NHL.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:43 PM ET

The NFL officially activated Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs from the commissioner's exempt list on Monday, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. Head coach Matt LaFleur said that Jacobs will get in a full week of practice as he returns to the team, but the Packers have not decided yet whether he will be available to play in Week 7 on Sunday against the division-rival Detroit Lions. The NFL was expected to activate the 28-year-old to begin this week, but fantasy managers should not consider him a lock yet to make his season debut against Detroit. Jacobs won't count against the active roster for another week, which lessens the demand to bring him back right away after just one week of practice. The veteran running back did not play in the first six weeks of the season due to off-the-field issues involving the league's personal-conduct policy. A suspension from the NFL is a possibility, but the good news for Jacobs' fantasy managers is that his time spent on the exempt list in the first six weeks could count towards any future suspension the league hands down. If Jacobs makes his debut in Week 7, he could face snap-count limitations, making him a much riskier starting RB. The three-time Pro Bowler and former first-rounder has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his seven NFL seasons, and he has a whopping 28 rushing touchdowns in his two years in Green Bay.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman

Oct 19, 2026, 5:41 PM ET

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (illness) missed Monday's morning skate, leaving him questionable for the team's tilt against San Jose. The Maple Leafs will keep their fingers crossed that Nylander can shake off his illness before puck drop. Nine games into the season, Nylander ranks second on his team in scoring, with five goals and seven assists. Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan would benefit from Nylander's absence, especially with John Tavares (lower body) already unavailable. Cowan has been sharper than McKenna in recent games, collecting assists in back-to-back outings.--Taavi Pailk
Source: NHL.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:33 PM ET

Anaheim Ducks center Mikael Granlund (upper body) will return from a one-game absence on Monday against the New York Rangers. Due to an upper-body injury, he wasn't available Friday night when the Ducks hosted Boston. Granlund has been one of Anaheim's best players this season, recording eight points (two goals, six assists) in six games. His return to action will send Nikita Nesterenko to the press box as a healthy scratch. Meanwhile, Cutter Gauthier is expected to drop to the third line. However, Gauthier's line change doesn't affect his fantasy value, and he will still play an important role on offense.--Taavi Pailk
Source: NHL.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:27 PM ET

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Samuel Girard (undisclosed) is a game-time decision on Monday against the Utah Mammoth. Girard was banged up over the weekend against Vegas but could still remain in the lineup. Having Girard would be a huge plus for the Penguins, who have traveled to Salt Lake City as clear underdogs. The 28-year-old has totaled seven points (one goal, six assists) in nine games this season. If Girard isn't ready to play, Ilya Solovyov will make his season debut. While Solovyov found some success in Pittsburgh last season, fantasy managers can't count on him most nights.--Taavi Pailk
Source: NHL.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:19 PM ET

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Egor Chinakhov (lower body) is a game-time decision for Monday's matchup with Utah. He could return from a two-game absence. Chinakhov has had a tough start to the season, registering just one goal and one assist in seven games. If he's cleared to play, Chinakhov will likely bump Ville Koivunen out of the lineup. He should link up with Evgeni Malkin on the second line and will work on the second power-play unit. Chinakhov's lone goal this season came with the man advantage, and the Penguins' power play could make some headlines Monday night as it faces a 73.3 percent penalty kill.--Taavi Pailk
Source: NHL.com

Oct 19, 2026, 5:16 PM ET

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett (upper body) was placed on Injured Reserve and will miss a second consecutive contest on Monday against Colorado, Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He also won't be eligible to play Wednesday night against Buffalo. Tippett has joined Travis Konecny (lower body) on Injured Reserve. On Monday night, the Flyers could also be without Sean Couturier (undisclosed) and Tyson Foerster (hand). As a result, Alex Bump was recalled from the minors and could have a significant role against the Avalanche. Bump has been hot offensively in the minors, amassing eight points (seven goals, one assist) in five games.--Taavi Pailk
Source: Jackie Spiegel

Oct 19, 2026, 5:06 PM ET

Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett (knee) will not practice this week, according to Nate Atkins of The Athletic. Garrett played in the season-opening loss to the division-rival San Francisco 49ers in Australia but then landed on Injured Reserve. He will now miss six straight games with his knee injury and will not suit up this Sunday in Week 7 to face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road. Garrett's next chance to make his return for a struggling Rams team will be on Sunday, Nov. 1, at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. The 30-year-old's knee was not feeling right after debuting in Week 1, so he had surgery, which is why he is currently on IR. Garrett will need to return to practice with the Rams next week to have any chance of facing the winless Chargers. When healthy, Garrett is one of the top pass-rushers in the league. In his final season with the Cleveland Browns in 2025, Garrett was unstoppable, breaking the NFL single-season record with 23 sacks while adding 60 tackles (43 solo), a league-high 33 tackles for loss, 39 QB hits, and three forced fumbles in 17 starts. Getting both Garrett and Aaron Donald on the field together in 2026 has to be a priority for L.A.'s defensive unit.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Nate Atkins