San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said on Monday that wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) is getting "closer and closer" to returning to practice following his ACL and MCL tears in his right knee in Week 7 of last year. While the Niners aren't giving any specific date for a potential return to the practice field for Aiyuk, Shanahan mentioned Week 10 as a rough estimate, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. Despite the Niners also dealing with injuries to receivers Jauan Jennings (ribs) and Ricky Pearsall and tight end George Kittle (hamstring), Aiyuk isn't going to be rushed back. And even if Aiyuk does return to practice ahead of the team's Week 10 game against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams, it doesn't mean the former first-rounder would be active for his season debut that week. Once Aiyuk's practice window is open, the 49ers will have 21 days to officially activate him from the Physically Unable to Perform list. Fantasy managers who are stashing Aiyuk must remain patient.

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In Sunday's London game, which few would consider an instant classic, Denver tight end Evan Engram led all Broncos pass catchers with five receptions for 42 yards. Both marks also represented season highs for the veteran tight end, who has now seen at least five targets and four receptions in three straight games. While none of these numbers justify the brief offseason hype stemming from head coach Sean Payton's talk of using him in the Joker role, Engram has provided a reliable floor at a position where that's hard to come by. If he can mix in the occasional touchdown, as he did in Week 5, he should continue to be in play in most formats as injuries and bye weeks mount.

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In Week 4, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren was a late inactive with a knee injury, and backup Kenneth Gainwell took full advantage of an expanded role, turning his 25 opportunities into 134 yards and two touchdowns. Following a Week 5 bye, Jaylen Warren was back in the lineup for the Steelers' Week 6 win over the Browns, pushing Gainwell back into a supporting role. Warren saw 31 snaps to Gainwell's 20, and out-touched him 13-12. The silver lining for Gainwell is that he caught all six of his targets, but turned that into only 14 yards. In a game that the Steelers led from start to finish and ran only 58 plays to the Browns' 74, it's entirely possible that Warren could have seen more work if not for it being his first game back. Warren is still the Steelers' starting back, but even if the team employs both players in a closer split, Gainwell lacks the explosiveness to turn his limited touches into anything that can be reliably trusted for fantasy.

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Through six weeks, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens leads the NFL with six touchdown receptions, while his 525 yards trail only Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua. Asked on Tuesday about a potential contract extension, Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones touched upon Pickens' fit within the locker room before saying the team would need to think about "having some room available if [they] are gonna pay a second receiver at that level." The Cowboys acquired Pickens in an offseason trade, and as he plays out the final season of his rookie contract, he currently represents the gem of the 2026 free agency class at the position. It remains to be seen if he can keep up his torrid pace when CeeDee Lamb (ankle) returns from injury, but wherever he ends up next season, he'll likely see a deal in excess of $30 million per year. He should be viewed as a fringe WR1 in both redraft and dynasty formats.

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Just before the Los Angeles Chargers' Week 6 contest against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, it was announced that running back Hassan Haskins would start for the Bolts in the first game without rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton (ankle), who is on Injured Reserve. Haskins got the start, but he quickly gave way to Kimani Vidal, who dominated backfield work with 18 carries for 124 rushing yards while playing 67% of the offensive snaps. Meanwhile, Haskins only played 31% of the snaps and saw six carries for 14 yards while catching his only target for a gain of nine yards. The Chargers could use more of a split backfield going into a Week 7 meeting against the Indianapolis Colts. Still, Vidal definitely was the more explosive back in the first game without Hampton. The 25-year-old still deserves to be rostered in deep leagues for RB depth with Hampton out, but he won't be a recommended flex play against Indy.

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Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Josh Downs has seen a more consistent role in the Colts' passing attack over the last few weeks and even managed to find the end zone for the first time this year in the Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Downs hauled in six of his seven targets for 42 yards and a touchdown. It was nice to see Downs score for the first time in 2025, and it came with fellow wideout Alec Pierce making his return from a two-game absence due to a concussion. The 24-year-old has caught six passes in back-to-back weeks now, and he has been targeted 15 times in that span. He has seen at least five targets in each of the last three weeks. Pierce's return will surely make it harder for Downs to maintain that consistency, but it's clear he's a big part of a passing attack in Indy that also includes Michael Pittman Jr. and impressive rookie tight end Tyler Warren. Downs is only rostered in 50% of Yahoo leagues currently. That number should be higher.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton has seen more involvement in the offense over the last two weeks, with the team's receiving corps extremely banged up. Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (leg) were unavailable in Sunday's win over the San Francisco 49ers, and rookie first-rounder Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) also suffered an injury that is expected to cost him time. Otton caught five of a season-high six targets for 51 yards in Week 6 and now has nine grabs on 11 targets for 132 yards in the last two games. The 26-year-old's five catches led the team against San Fran. Even if Evans can make it back for the Monday night game in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions, Otton should be in line for an elevated role once again with both Egbuka and Godwin sidelined. He deserves attention on the waiver wire this week and is rostered in only 12% of Yahoo leagues. Otton will be a TE2 streamer in Week 7.

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In the absence of wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee), who is done for the year with a torn ACL, New York Giants wideout Wan'Dale Robinson has become the team's clear No. 1 pass-catcher. Robinson paced the Giants' pass-catchers in their upset victory over the Philadelphia Eagles last Thursday night, catching six of his seven targets for 84 yards and his second touchdown of the season. Most of the 24-year-old's damage came on a 35-yard touchdown hookup with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. In two games without Nabers, Dart has targeted Robinson 14 times, making it clear that he's going to be a primary target for the young signal-caller moving forward. The upcoming matchup on the road against a stingy Denver Broncos defense isn't ideal, but Robinson's increased volume at least makes him a waiver-wire target if he's still available in your league. Robinson is currently rostered in 59% of Yahoo leagues.

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Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was largely held in check by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6. St. Brown still hauled in nine catches on 10 targets, but he recorded just 45 receiving yards and was held out of the end zone. The 25-year-old has logged 44 catches for 452 yards and six touchdowns on 51 targets through six games so far this season. He should have an easier matchup on paper in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rank 24th in the NFL in passing yards allowed (1,520) through six weeks. Despite the mediocre performance in Week 6, St. Brown remains a clear must-start fantasy wide receiver.

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Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said "it remains to be seen" whether cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (hamstring) will be able to play on Sunday in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane. If Mitchell isn't cleared to play this weekend, it will be either Adoree' Jackson or Kelee Ringo starting in the secondary for Philadelphia. An absence from Mitchell would be a clear upgrade for the Vikings' passing attack and for All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson, with Minnesota coming off its bye week. The 24-year-old Mitchell injured his hamstring in last Thursday night's loss to the New York Giants and wasn't able to return to the contest. The former first-rounder took on a big role immediately for the Eagles' defense last year on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

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Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs posted his least efficient game of the season in his team's 30-17 Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Gibbs recorded just 65 rushing yards on 17 carries and zero receiving yards on one catch. He also failed to find the end zone for just the second time in six games so far this season. On the bright side, Gibbs has now recorded at least 15 touches in five out of six games in 2025 after failing to do that in six out of 17 games in 2024. The 23-year-old remains a must-start fantasy running back heading into a Week 7 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. underwhelmed in Monday's 24-14 win over the Bills, catching three of four targets for just 18 yards and no scores. It was easily his lowest fantasyoutput so far this season, but it was somewhat expected against a Buffalo defense that had been one of the toughest units in the NFL for opposing tight ends to produce against thus far in 2025. On the bright side, the 6-foot-6 tight end has 23 catches on 28 targets through the team's first five games, compared to 15 catches on 23 targets through the first five games of 2024, so he's certainly been more involved in the offense. The 25-year-old will look to get back on track in Week 7 against a San Francisco defense that has been middle of the pack against opposing TEs. Worth noting, however, is thathe'll face seven of the most TE-friendly matchups around over his next ten games, so fantasymanagers could see him really take off in the comingweeks.

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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that he would like to get running back David Montgomery a "bigger piece of the pie" in the rushing attack, according to Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News. With a negative game script in the Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Montgomery only saw four carries for 24 yards and caught two passes for 37 yards. It was by far the 28-year-old's smallest role through six weeks of the 2025 season. The Lions offense is at its best when they are dictating the pace of the game and able to mix in plenty of play-action passing. Monty also played a season-low 31% of the offensive snaps in Week 6 after seeing a season-high 53% of the snaps in Week 5. It sounds like Detroit will make it a point to get Montgomery more involved in Week 7 on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making him a more attractive RB3/flex play against a Bucs defense that has been in the middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to RBs this year.

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Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff posted a solid but unspectacular line in his team's 30-17 Week 6 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 23 of 29 pass attempts for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The 31-year-old is having a highly efficient season so far, leading the NFL in completion percentage (75.9%) and touchdown passes (14) while averaging exactly eight yards per pass attempt. Goff could be a candidate to rejoin the ranks of must-start fantasy quarterbacks in single-QB formats in Week 7. The Lions will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who rank 24th in the NFL in passing yards allowed (1,520) through six weeks.

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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 20 of 32 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown in Monday night's 24-14 win over the Bills, adding two rushes for six yards. The former first-round draft pickhas looked more confident in his last two contests (69 percent completion rate, 3:1 TD:INT) after posting duds in Weeks 2 and3 (54 percent completion rate, 0:2 TD:INT). Still, even thoughhe's recorded one rushing score this season, the 25-year-old has gained just 37 yards on the ground through five games in 2025, so he does not have that weekly floor built into his fantasy value that so many other QBs have these days, currently ranking as the No. 27 QB in fantasy. The University of Washington product will face a 49ers defense in Week 7 that is middle of the pack in termsof allowing fantasy production to opposing QBs, but proactive managers interested in a streaming option might look ahead to the following week, where he'll face a soft Miami defense that has been generous in the passing game, giving up the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

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Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has been the talk of the NFL lately, recording 373 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 60 total touches across his last two games played. Dowdle has been filling in for Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (calf), who could make his return in Week 7 against the New York Jets. However, Panthers head coach Dave Canales has been non-committal about whether Hubbard will remain the starter once he returns. While Hubbard will certainly get his touches, it's hard to imagine that Carolina would completely remove Dowdle from the game plan, given what he has done over the last two weeks. If there are any leagues where Dowdle remains available, he needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats and could be a borderline must-start running back in Week 7, even if Hubbard returns to the lineup.

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Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington has recorded just 10 catches for 112 yards on 13 targets through six games so far this season. However, with star Rams wideout Puka Nacua (ankle) potentially sidelined for the team's Week 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Whittington could see his playing time skyrocket. In the six games that Nacua missed in 2024, Whittington recorded 21 catches for 287 yards on 27 targets. Nacua's injury is not expected to lead to a long-term absence, and the Rams will have their bye week in Week 8. Still, for deep-league managers desperate for a flex option in Week 7, Whittington could be a player to target on the waiver wire.

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New York Jets tight end Mason Taylor failed to make an impact in Sunday's 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos in London, reeling in his lone target for a gain of two yards. New York's offense was non-existent in Week 6, as quarterback Justin Fields failed to net a positive passing figure (-10) in an outing to forget. In turn, Taylor, like the other Jets' skill players, never got a chance to get going. Despite the down week, fantasy managers may not want to give up hope on the rookie just yet. Fourth-year pro wideout Garrett Wilson's (knee) status for the team's meeting with the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 is in doubt due to a hyperextended knee, leaving Taylor with a strong chance to see an increase in usage. The 21-year-old's fantasy floor is alarmingly low, but he should rack up a fair share of the vacant targets if Wilson is inactive next weekend.

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New York Jets wide receiver Josh Reynolds is in line to see a significant increase in usage in Week 7, with fellow wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee) expected to miss time with injury. Wilson hyperextended his knee in Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos, and although he was in and out of the game, it now appears he'll miss at least the team's next outing. The 25-year-old has been one of the Jets' lone bright spots, and it's unlikely that his shoes are filled by one player alone. With that said, Reynolds is the clear-cut WR2 in terms of snap share. Rookie tight end Mason Taylor and running back Breece Hall figure to absorb some of the vacant targets for as long as Wilson is sidelined, but the veteran should be out there most frequently among his position-mates. He carries some low-end PPR appeal depending on Wilson's status.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs recorded five catches for 55 yards on a season-high nine targets in Week 6. Doubs has 18 catches for 234 yards and four touchdowns on 28 targets across five games this season, and 17 of his 28 targets have come in Green Bay's last two games. Most encouragingly for his fantasy outlook, the 25-year-old continues to play the clear WR1 role in his team's offense. Doubs has played at least 85% of the Packers' offensive snaps in each of the team's last three games, and he's the only Packers wideout to play 80% of the snaps in any game this season. Doubs should be rostered in all fantasy leagues with 10 or more teams heading into a Week 7 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.

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