The Outlook - Week 7 (MIA-NYJ, TB-CAR, CIN-BAL, NYG-HOU)

Hey, folks! We’re back with our second block of games for the Week 7 NFL slate, and we’re staying with the early games here as we’ve got the rest that we didn’t cover in the first block!

We’ve compiled the groupings of games here to make it easier to find the games you want:

• Block 1: NE-CHI, PIT-NO, SF-ATL, CLE-TEN, IND-MIN
• Block 2: MIA-NYJ, TB-CAR, CIN-BAL, NYG-HOU
• Block 3: DEN-ARI, GB-DET, LAR-LV, KC-SEA, DAL-PHI

“The Outlook” will give you details, stats, angles, recommendations and everything else you need to know to help you make your fantasy football decisions. Every fantasy-relevant player on each team playing will be profiled in this article. We want everybody reading this to bring home championships in their fantasy leagues!

I’m incredibly excited to bring this article to all of you this season and hope you all enjoy the ride. If you have any questions, feel free to find me on Bluesky (@ktompkinsii.bsky.social), tag me in a post with any lineup questions you have and I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

Let’s get into it!

All game and implied point totals listed were compiled via DraftKings Sportsbook on Tuesday for MIA-NYJ, TB-CAR, CIN-BAL and NYG-HOU.

Teams on bye in Week 6: Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

• Favorite: Jets −4.5
• Game Total: 39.5
• Implied Point Total: Jets 22, Dolphins 17.5

Dolphins Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

RB Ollie Gordon II

This offense is pretty brutal for fantasy. It’s one of the least talented offenses in the NFL, and the Dolphins are basically holding open tryouts throughout the 2026 season to see which players will join them next season or in the following seasons as pieces to build around. They’ve already lost De’Von Achane for the season, so Gordon has taken over the backfield and is honestly doing a pretty good job given the circumstances. In his three games with a regular workload, including the Week 3 game in which he had to fill in for an injured Achane, Gordon is averaging 5.2 yards per carry and has scored a touchdown in each game.

Perhaps that’s a bit of sun-running, as this Dolphins offense isn’t likely to score much more in 2026, but you’ve got to hand it to Gordon for overachieving a bit. He has a nice role, accounting for at least 50% of the team’s rushing attempts in each of the three games before Miami’s Week 6 bye. There’s really not much of a receiving role, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers!

Fantasy Advice: If you have Gordon on your roster, the Jets are a below-average defense in terms of fantasy points per game allowed to opposing backfields. You can do much worse than slotting Gordon into your flex and hoping he gets into the end zone for the fourth consecutive game.

WR Malik Washington

Of all the receivers here, Washington is the only realistic starting option, averaging 7.2 targets per game and five receptions for 52 yards. He’s the only Dolphins wide receiver who has held a full-time role in every game this season, and he comfortably leads all other pass-catchers in every category except, predictably, touchdowns. Washington certainly isn’t a world-beater, but he’s been a useful flex in PPR formats. He’s on pace for more than 120 targets, so hey, we’ll certainly take that volume wherever we can get it, even in an ugly offensive situation like playing for the Dolphins.

Fantasy Advice: You can do much worse in your flex than Washington. Against the Jets, he should lead the team in targets and at least put up a usable stat line in Week 7.

Jets Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

Jets RBs

There are a lot of “ifs” and contingencies surrounding the Jets, specifically their running backs in Week 7. Braelon Allen has done a commendable job as the workhorse over the last three games, with two top-20 fantasy finishes in the last two. However, the Jets could have Breece Hall back after a quad injury kept him out for the last three weeks. The odds aren’t great that Hall will return, but regardless of who takes the lead among the Jets’ running backs, they have a gift-wrapped matchup at home against Miami, which is allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing backfields.

Fantasy Advice: Whether it’s Allen or Hall, get them into your lineup for this matchup against Miami in Week 7.

WR Garrett Wilson

After a pedestrian Week 6 in which Wilson put up 4-44 on six targets, it would be a little disingenuous to call him a must-start wide receiver. Honestly, however, he’s a locked-in option for me at receiver in fantasy. Wilson is on pace for 133 targets and almost 100 catches through six weeks as the Jets’ offense has been much better than expected with quarterback Geno Smith at the helm, even if Smith hasn’t been that good on the stat sheet. The point is that Wilson is the one guy who consistently has Smith’s laser focus, and that’s worth a lot for a player of Wilson’s talent.

Fantasy Advice: The Jets get a cake matchup at home against the Dolphins, so get Wilson into all your fantasy lineups as a low-end WR1.

WR Omar Cooper Jr.

After playing just five snaps in Week 1 before suffering an ankle injury that required a stint on injured reserve, Cooper returned to the Jets’ lineup in Week 6 and put up a 6-103-1 line on a team-leading seven targets. He also had another touchdown negated by a penalty. The team’s third first-round pick this spring benefited from the finger injury to Adonai Mitchell. While Mitchell should return soon, I can’t imagine many performances will prompt the Jets to replace Cooper’s production with Mitchell’s right away, especially given the draft capital invested in Cooper. That said, the Jets somehow put the toothpaste back in the tube with Kenyon Sadiq when Mason Taylor returned from injury, so anything is possible. Let’s hope the Jets get this one right with Cooper.

Fantasy Advice: Mitchell’s status in Week 7 will dictate what we do with Cooper, but the matchup against the Dolphins is just too good to pass up. Consider Cooper a solid flex play at the very least.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers

• Favorite: Panthers −3
• Game Total: 44.5
• Implied Point Total: Panthers 23.75, Buccaneers 20.75

Buccaneers Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: None

RB Bucky Irving

Irving certainly has had better weeks than Week 6 against the Eagles, when he averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per carry and finished with just 47 total yards on 21 touches. That said, his role is fantastic, and he’s put some nice distance between himself and Kenneth Gainwell in the running back hierarchy. Irving has been the lone source of actual “juice” in this Tampa Bay offense, which has been a bit listless overall. Getting Baker Mayfield back should be a net positive for the offense by giving defenses more threats to account for. That will only help Irving in the weeks ahead.

Fantasy Advice: This matchup against Carolina sets up well for Irving, as the Panthers are a big run funnel for opposing offenses and have given up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.

WR Emeka Egbuka

Hey, look, it’s Egbuka, who is honestly the only player in this passing game worth a damn. The inefficiencies are glaring right now with quarterback Jalon Daniels, and they’ve never been more evident than with Egbuka. With a team-leading 16 targets, the second-highest mark in the league in Week 6, Egbuka could bring in only seven of them for 48 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. Inefficiency has been the name of the game for Egbuka for much of his brief NFL career, but with Mayfield’s return imminent, perhaps he can get back to bringing in more of the targets headed his way. This offense has been pretty juiceless for most of the season, aside from Irving, but if any offense needs a return to form and a shot in the arm, it’s this one.

Fantasy Advice: Egbuka’s volume is pretty nice and makes him a solid WR3, but he’s certainly disappointed this season relative to expectations as a third-round fantasy pick. The Panthers are a tough draw, however, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Fantasy managers also need to monitor the injury report this weekend, as Egbuka (foot and concussion) missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday.

Panthers Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Tetairoa McMillan

QB Bryce Young

The Panthers are doing a lot of things we love for fantasy football and, more importantly, fantasy scoring. They’re efficient, ranking seventh in EPA per play, run at a fast pace, ranking fifth in time to snap, and have the fifth-highest neutral pass rate in the NFL at 63.9% through six weeks. Head coach Dave Canales ceded play-calling to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who has worked WONDERS with this Panthers offense and gotten a whole new gear out of Bryce Young. This season, Young has four top-10 fantasy finishes and four multi-touchdown games. His 281 passing yards in Week 6 against the Eagles were actually his LOWEST yardage output of the season. He hasn’t been running much, with just 25 rushing yards in five games, but everything else he’s doing makes him nearly a must-start option each week.

Fantasy Advice: Keep Young fired up as a top-10 fantasy quarterback heading back home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7.

WR Jalen Coker

Picking up where he left off before his quad injury, Coker put up a season-high and team-high 11 targets, finishing with a 6-97-0 line against the Eagles in Week 6. Between Coker and McMillan, they earned 61% of the team’s targets. This is a fun, efficient offense with a consolidated target share at the top. While a few ancillary pieces get in on the touchdown action from time to time, you can set your watch to McMillan and Coker’s fantasy production as long as they’re healthy.

Fantasy Advice: Coker will enter must-start territory with another excellent game. For now, he’s a mid-range WR2 with plenty of upside against Tampa Bay in Week 7.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

• Favorite: Bengals −1.5
• Game Total: 48.5
• Implied Point Total: Bengals 25, Ravens 23.5

Bengals Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: QB Joe Burrow, WR Ja’Marr Chase, WR Tee Higgins

RB Chase Brown

Coming off the Bengals’ Week 6 bye, Brown’s fantasy value takes a slight hit heading into their matchup with the Ravens. In Week 5, he fumbled and then saw Samaje Perine handle more of the rushing work with 14 carries. Both backs touched the ball 16 times, but if you have Brown on your team, that split was less than ideal. Hopefully, it was a one-week issue and things have been ironed out. Perine will likely remain involved regardless, but it’s concerning to see THAT level of involvement.

Fantasy Advice: We’re still very much starting Brown against the Ravens, but Perine’s involvement is problematic if it becomes more than a one-week issue.

Ravens Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: QB Lamar Jackson, RB Derrick Henry, WR Zay Flowers

WR Ja’Kobi Lane

I’m just a man with a fantasy football article who believes in something. Who believes in something with a fervor unseen since Brock Bowers graced the Georgia Bulldogs. That belief is in Lane, who returned in Week 6 following an injured reserve stint with a wrist injury. Lane immediately jumped back into his role like he’d never left, running routes on 58% of dropbacks and posting a 4-40-0 line on five targets from Tyler Huntley. With Rashod Bateman nursing a shoulder injury, Lane could run more routes if Bateman misses this week’s game against the Bengals. Whether Huntley remains the quarterback or Jackson returns, Lane could emerge as Baltimore’s second target for much of the rest of the season.

Fantasy Advice: Lane is a priority stash now that he’s healthy and playing. With a clear void in the Ravens’ passing game, Lane could be an answer for Baltimore this season. Right now, he’s a low-end flex, but he could become more.

New York Giants at Houston Texans

• Favorite: Texans −10.5
• Game Total: 42.5
• Implied Point Total: Texans 26.5, Giants 16

Giants Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Malik Nabers, TE Isaiah Likely

QB J.J. McCarthy

The betting public is so excited about McCarthy getting the starting gig for the Giants that the line has risen to 10.5 in favor of the Texans, while the Giants have the lowest implied point total on the Week 7 slate. He wasn’t TERRIBLE, but he was also playing against soft defenses while trailing 34-10 with fewer than 10 minutes left in the game. I don’t think we can properly judge his 11-for-21 passing performance for 243 yards and a touchdown until we see a normal game script from start to finish. While he has Nabers and Likely, will McCarthy be able to take advantage of those weapons against a very good Houston defense?

Fantasy Advice: McCarthy is a bottom-end superflex QB2 and a non-starter in redraft leagues until he shows enough on the field to warrant a fantasy upgrade.

Giants RBs

HELP WANTED: Inquire Within

The New York Giants are currently looking for one running back to fill their starting position. Must be willing to work Sundays, with the occasional Monday and Thursday.

Does anybody reading this know a guy? Cam Skattebo played six snaps and didn’t get a carry. He was benched. John Harbaugh said he WASN’T benched. Between Tyrone Tracy, Devin Singletary and Najee Harris, the group combined for 14 carries and 34 rushing yards. Yikes. It was so bad that Harris was released on Monday.

Fantasy Advice: You can’t start anybody here until we get some clarity in this backfield.

Texans Fantasy Notes

Must-Start Players: WR Nico Collins

QB C.J. Stroud

Say what you want about Stroud, but he’s been solid over the past three weeks and is coming off his best game of the season in Week 6. Stroud tossed three touchdowns and threw for 312 yards in a win over the Jaguars in London. He spread the ball around to 10 different receivers, making this a true “it takes a village” offense. While Nico Collins remains the offense’s breadwinner and a player you should start each week, Jaylin Noel led the team across the board with four catches for a career-high 107 yards and a touchdown. Keep the train rolling with Stroud as long as he’s performing this well. Honestly, this is his best stretch since his rookie season. How long ago was THAT?

Fantasy Advice: Against the Giants, consider the Texans quarterback a low-end QB1, albeit a volatile one who could turn back into a pumpkin at any time.

RB Woody Marks

With Montgomery sitting out Week 6, Woody Marks had the backfield almost to himself against the Jaguars. He handled 60% of the team’s rushing attempts, ran a route on 69% of dropbacks and played 78% of snaps, but essentially stayed true to form with the third-lowest rush yards over expectation total (−24) among all running backs who played last week. Meanwhile, Jawhar Jordan (6-43-1) scored, posted +15 RYOE and was the more dynamic of the two backs. Montgomery didn’t practice on Wednesday or Thursday, so Marks could get another start against the Giants. The main difference this week is that old reliable Dare Ogunbowale will be around to change the pace after Jordan suffered a quad injury and was placed on the practice squad injured list.

Fantasy Advice: Marks is a volume-dependent RB2 with some receiving involvement, but he’s shown over a fairly large sample that he’s been inefficient as both a runner and a receiver.

Texans WRs

We touched on Noel’s 4-107-1 game earlier, but he’s worked his way into fantasy lineups as a low-end flex play with two straight games with a score. However, Marvin Harrison Jr. played 12 snaps and was targeted four times on nine routes in his Texans debut. That’s a 44% TPRR, which is pretty solid! It’s clear the Texans had a package of plays designed to get Harrison involved.

This receiver room could get messy after Collins, though. Not only do we have Noel and Harrison, but Xavier Hutchinson also runs routes, as does Kayshon Boutte, the Texans’ first trade acquisition at receiver this season. Tank Dell is also expected to return for his first game since December 2024. We’re going to get a LOT of information over the next week or so from this game against the Giants.

Fantasy Advice: Harrison isn’t quite a starting-caliber option yet, but he’s a speculative hold for another couple of weeks. Noel should be a decent flex play against the Giants, but every other non-Collins wide receiver isn’t fantasy-worthy right now.

TE Dalton Schultz

It’s looking more and more like Schultz’s 12-140 eruption against the Bengals in Week 2 was an anomaly. Since that game, Schultz hasn’t topped four receptions or 33 yards, the exact numbers he posted in Week 6 against the Jaguars. Not only that, but Schultz is also losing routes and snaps to fellow tight ends Foster Moreau, who caught two touchdowns in Week 6, Cade Stover and Brevin Jordan. Schultz’s time as a fantasy starter is drawing rapidly to a close unless we see some sort of rebound in his route participation and playing time.

Fantasy Advice: Schultz is close to being droppable, but I’ll leave a candle burning for another week against the Giants. He’s not a recommended start unless you’re desperate.

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: The Outlook – Week 7 (MIA-NYJ, TB-CAR, CIN-BAL, NYG-HOU)

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