Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Tre Tucker, Jaylin Noel, Aaron Rodgers

Start em or sit em? Fantasy football start or sit decisions can be excruciating. While it feels great to make the right call and cruise to fantasy glory, it hurts just as much when you have someone erupt while on your bench. You can use our Who Should I Start? tool to gauge advice from fantasy football experts as you make your lineup decisions. And you can also sync your fantasy football league for free using our My Playbook tool for custom advice, rankings and analysis.

Let’s dive into our start/sit lineup advice and outlook for a few of the top fantasy football waiver wire pickups of the week. And here is all of our Week 7 fantasy football waiver wire advice.

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Fantasy Football Start’em, Sit’em Lineup Advice: Tre Tucker, Jaylin Noel, Aaron Rodgers

Here’s Pat Fitzmaurice’s fantasy football Week 7 outlook for a few players to help with lineup decisions.

Tre Tucker (WR – LV)

Tre Tucker will draw waiver attention this week after putting up 5-97-2 on seven targets against the Bills in Week 6.

Tucker has had a couple of splashy games, including a 5-119-1 performance against the Chargers in Week 2. But his floor has been surprisingly sturdy. Tucker has caught at least four passes and has topped 40 receiving yards in five consecutive games.

The Rams present a tough matchup in Week 7, but Tucker is nevertheless playable in a four-team bye week.

Jaylin Noel (WR – HOU)

Second-year WR Jaylin Noel had the first 100-yard game of his career on Sunday, catching 4-of-4 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars in London. Noel had a 13-yard touchdown on Sunday and has scored a TD in each of his last two games.

The arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. via trade complicates the target outlook for Noel. Harrison played with Texans QB C.J. Stroud at Ohio State, so they have some chemistry. The Texans’ Nico Collins is often a target hog, of course. Xavier Hutchinson is also involved, and Tank Dell could return this week from the catastrophic knee injury he sustained in December 2024.

But Noel figures to remain the Texans’ primary slot receiver even after Dell comes back. A third-round pick out of Iowa State in 2025, Noel is an exceptional athlete who clocked a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and had a vertical jump of 41 1/2 inches.

Over his last three games, Noel has caught 12-of-12 targets for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He would have to grow his target share to become consistently fantasy-relevant, but Noel is an ascending player worth rostering in case he’s on the verge of a breakthrough.

Aaron Rodgers (QB – PIT)

Aaron Rodgers has thrown multiple passes in four straight games, and he’s thrown for 235 or more yards in four straight games. The 42-year-old QB has averaged 38.5 pass attempts per game over that stretch.

The old man is dealing.

Rodgers faces a mediocre Saints defense this week, then gets a rematch with the Browns. In Week 4, Rodgers was 22-of-40 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in Pittsburgh’s 27-24 road loss in Cleveland.

Rodgers is a fine streaming option for the next two weeks.

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Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings & Waiver Wire Pickups (Week 7)

If you noticed your fantasy league scoring was down from the previous week, you are not imagining it — it was down 4.8 points per game from Week 5, nearly a 10% decrease.

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Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings & Waiver Wire Pickups

NFL offenses’ struggles benefited fantasy kickers, with 11 players topping double-digit points and six posting 15+ points in leagues that give distance bonuses for kicks over 40 and 50 yards.

Chad Ryland nearly went all Rob Bironas on the Rams, with six field goals for 19 fantasy points. He came within two kicks of tying Bironas’ NFL record of eight set back in 2007.

Joey Slay also got into the monster game with 18 points of his own, including four made field goals and two extra points, in Tennessee’s 26-20 road win over the struggling Colts

Andre Szmyt overcame his first miss in over 20 tries with a game-winning kick as time expired to beat the visiting Ravens.

On a negative note, Eddy Pineiro was one of the 6-0 Niners’ glaring low spots in their home win over the Commanders. The veteran kicker missed another extra point, his third of the season, in a closer-than-expected game.

Kyle Shanahan is not afraid to pull the plug on struggling kickers, and Pineiro is going to be given his pink slip soon if he doesn’t get his act together

Widely Available Kickers with Strong Week 6 Performances

Chris Boswell (K – PIT) @ Tampa Bay: 23% Rostered on Yahoo

Chris Boswell is back on the list this week with another monster performance for fantasy managers. His 17 points last week followed a 13-point explosion in Week 5 against the Colts, for 30 points in his last two weeks combined. By comparison, Brandon Aubrey, the former undisputed top fantasy kicker, has just 48 points on the season.

Tyler Bass (K – BUF) @ Las Vegas: 46% Rostered on Yahoo

Tyler Bass has quietly been a solid fantasy option in 2026 with three double-digit performances in six weeks. He scored 17 points this week, but he’s not someone to add off waivers as the Bills head into their bye week. However, keep an eye on him, as his post-bye matchups against the Ravens, Vikings and Jets all look like decent opportunities for kickers.

Widely Rostered Kickers With Dud Week 6 Performances

Brandon Aubrey (K – DAL) @ Green Bay: 99% Rostered on Yahoo

It doesn’t have quite the same ring as the original line, but… Dallas, we have a problem. Superman has found his Kryptonite — four interceptions in two games while in field goal range by Dak Prescott.

Frankly, the Cowboys stink right now on both sides of the ball, giving Brandon Aubrey negative game scripts that are killing his fantasy value. If Prescott doesn’t pull out of this tailspin soon, we’ll have serious discussions about whether fantasy managers should move on from the kicker GOAT of the past three seasons.

Week 7 Fantasy Football Kicker Rankings

Rank	ECR	Kicker	Team	Matchup	O/U	Spread	OPP RZ D	RZ EFF	OFF RNK	Consistency	Weather	K score
1	1	Will Reichard	MIN	vs. IND	41.5	-6.5	17	11	27	1	0	49.5
2	11	Jason Myers	SEA	vs. KC	42.5	-2.5	2	18	17	1	2	37.5
3	2	Spencer Shrader	IND	at MIN	41.5	6.5	1	22	22	1	0	52.5
4	3	Ka’imi Fairbairn	HOU	vs. NYG	42.5	-9.5	27	17	10	1	0	45.5
5	5	Evan McPherson	CIN	at BAL	50.5	2.5	15	13	14	1	2	47.5
6	6	Chris Boswell	PIT	at NO	44.5	-3.5	18	14	21	4	0	53.5
7	10	Cairo Santos	CHI	vs. NE	50.5	-3.5	7	11	5	5	2	26.5
8	7	Ryan Fitzgerald	CAR	vs. TB	44.5	-3.5	12	24	2	1	2	37.5
9	4	Brandon Aubrey	DAL	at PHI	44.5	-4.5	14	30	13	5	2	59.5
10	8	Tyler Loop	BAL	vs. CIN	50.5	-2.5	4	27	8	4	2	42.5
11	21	Andre Szmyt	CLE	at TEN	38.5	-1.5	16	3	29	1	2	49.5
12	9	Matt Gay	LV	vs. LAR	47.5	3.5	7	12	15	1	0	38.5
13	12	Harrison Butker	KC	at SEA	42.5	2.5	30	17	1	4	2	56.5
14	23	Jason Sanders	NYJ	vs. MIA	39.5	-4.5	20	1	25	1	2	44.5
15	13	Eddy Pineiro	SF	at ATL	49.5	-3.5	21	32	9	5	0	63.5
16	14	Chase McLaughlin	TB	at CAR	44.5	3.5	29	5	24	1	2	64.5
17	15	Jake Bates	DET	vs. GB	53.5	-2.5	27	30	4	1	0	59.5
18	16	Dominic Zvada	NYG	at HOU	42.5	9.5	19	20	16	3	0	67.5
19	17	Chad Ryland	ARI	vs. DEN	43.5	4.5	12	6	23	2	0	47.5
20	18	Andy Borregales	NE	at CHI	50.5	3.5	22	15	7	3	2	52.5
21	19	Nick Folk	ATL	vs. SF	49.5	3.5	7	28	12	5	0	55.5
22	20	Trey Smack	GB	at DET	53.5	2.5	31	11	18	4	0	66.5
23	22	Daniel Carlson	NO	vs. PIT	44.5	3.5	7	31	20	5	0	66.5
24	25	Wil Lutz	DEN	at ARI	43.5	-4.5	25	20	31	5	0	76.5
25	26	Joey Slye	TEN	vs. CLE	38.5	1.5	5	4	32	1	2	45.5
26	24	Jake Elliott	PHI	vs. DAL	44.5	4.5	22	25	30	1	2	84.5
27	27	Riley Patterson	MIA	at NYJ	39.5	4.5	7	3	28	4	2	48.5

*Red Zone Efficiency is based on the inverse of how well a kicker’s offense does in the red zone. For example, a team ranked 30th in red-zone efficiency receives an RZ EFF score of 2. The lower the number, the better for kickers, as playing on a team that struggles to score touchdowns in the red zone leads to more field-goal opportunities.

**The K Score combines several variables that can influence fantasy kicking success, including Vegas spread, opponent red-zone defense, offensive red-zone efficiency, overall offensive production, kicker consistency and weather. A lower K Score indicates that more of these variables are working in the kicker’s favor.

Kicker rankings are based on the K Score along with matchup analysis, projected game environment and other factors that can impact kicking opportunities. The K Score is intended as a guide rather than a definitive predictor, as game script and other unpredictable variables can significantly impact fantasy kicking performance.

Week 6 Prediction Review

Andy Borregales (K – NE) vs. NY Jets: 5% Rostered on Yahoo

• ECR Rank: K18
• My Rank: K7
• Week 6 Finish: T-K15

The Patriots beat the Jets, and Andy Borregales had a decent game with seven fantasy points on two field goals. Unfortunately, he shanked an extra point and missed out on nine fantasy points.

Ryan Fitzgerald (K – CAR) @ Philadelphia: 1% Rostered on Yahoo

• ECR Rank: K12
• My Rank: K9
• Week 6 Finish: K12

Ryan Fitzgerald got off to a solid start this week with two long field goals and nine fantasy points. Like Andy Borregales, he missed an extra point that would have made him a top-10 play, but he still delivered a strong outing.

Week 7 Upside Plays

Jason Myers (K – SEA) vs. Kansas City: 90% Rostered on Yahoo

Jason Myers returns home this weekend to face a Chiefs defense that will likely confuse and frustrate Sam Darnold. I also expect the Chiefs to struggle to move the ball against Seattle, and Kenneth Walker III will be motivated to play against his old team. With a K Score of 37, Myers is one of the week’s best plays, and I have him as a top-three option.

Andre Szmyt (K – CLE) @ Tennessee: 1% Rostered on Yahoo

At the other end of the roster percentage spectrum is Andre Szmyt, rostered in fewer than 2% of Yahoo leagues, but he has a nice road matchup against a Titans team that has given up the third-most kicker points this season.

Week 7 Waiver Wire Pickups

• Chris Boswell (K – PIT) @ New Orleans: 26% Rostered on Yahoo
• Evan McPherson (K – CIN) @ Baltimore: 32% Rostered on Yahoo

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Let’s Stream Defenses: Week 7 (2026 Fantasy Football

Last week was an unusually quiet one in terms of evolving QB situations, but that cannot last forever in the NFL. Who’s starting at QB has an outsized impact on which streaming defenses are viable, so let’s check in on the team that have news in that area:

• The Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts is the biggest news in football. There is a lot to be said about this and who should or should not lose their job, but the short version is this: Hurts took a cleat to the calf in Week 4, and it was discovered that this produced a blood clot after flying to London for Week 5, which he played. Later it was found that it had spread to his lungs. He’s out for the season, but expected to make a full recovery when he does return. As a result, Tanner McKee is the starter. The offense, and in particular the offensive line, was already struggling significantly, so the Eagles are a very good DST matchup going forward.
• The Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield is slated to return to practice this week, and how that goes will determine whether or not he starts this week. My current guess is that we will see one more week of Jalon Daniels. The Bucs are a good matchup as long as Daniels is starting, even if he’s better than his draft pedigree would suggest. Once Baker is back, the Bucs are not a team worth targeting with most defenses.
• The New York Giants: The Giants benched Jameis Winston in the fourth quarter last week after a couple of interceptions. They brought in their recent trade acquisition, J.J. McCarthy. He also threw an interception, but then proceeded to play great and lead three consecutive scoring drives and almost complete the comeback against the Saints. There’s no news on who will start in Week 7, but I’m assuming they’ll go with the hot hand and play McCarthy. He is sometimes brilliant, but overall he still represents a very good matchup for defenses. The Giants are a good, if risky, matchup with either quarterback.

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Fantasy Football D/ST Streamers & Waiver Wire Targets (Week 7)

We have four teams on bye this week: the Bills, Jaguars, Chargers and Commanders. The pool of good-looking defense plays is shallow, but fortunately a couple of them are available in basically every league. Rostership numbers are from Yahoo. You can find me on Bluesky.

Week 7 D/ST Projections

Rank	Team	Vs.	Vs. QB	PA	Sacks	Turnovers	FPTS	Rost%
The Start Them With Confidence Tier
1	HOU	NYG	J.J. McCarthy	16.75	3.0	1.4	7.86	89%
2	MIN	IND	Daniel Jones	17.5	3.0	1.3	7.35	85%
3	CLE	@TEN	Cam Ward	18.5	2.9	1.2	6.81	21%
4	NYJ	MIA	Malik Willis	17.5	2.7	1.2	6.85	1%
The Still a Fine Choice Tier
5	TEN	CLE	Deshaun Watson	20	3.1	1.2	6.81	2%
6	CAR	TB	Jalon Daniels	20.5	2.6	1.5	6.78	28%
7	PIT	@NO	Tyler Shough	20.5	2.7	1.2	6.29	76%
8	DEN	@ARI	Jacoby Brissett	19.5	2.5	1.1	6.02	88%
9	DAL	@PHI	Tanner McKee	20	2.3	1.2	5.84	15%
The Maybe You Can’t Find Something Better Tier
10	MIA	@NYJ	Geno Smith	22	2.3	1.3	5.82	1%
11	LAR	@LV	Kirk Cousins	21.5	2.1	1.3	5.72	99%
The Surely You Can Find Something Better Tier
12	SEA	KC	Patrick Mahomes II	20	2.0	1.2	5.72	96%
13	CHI	NE	Drake Maye	23.75	2.9	1.1	5.72	24%
14	BAL	CIN	Joe Burrow	24.25	2.7	1.2	5.65	56%
15	KC	@SEA	Sam Darnold	22.5	2.1	1.3	5.48	85%
16	TB	@CAR	Bryce Young	24	2.4	1.2	5.30	7%
17	LV	LAR	Matthew Stafford	26	2.4	1.3	5.18	7%
18	IND	@MIN	Kyler Murray	24	2.1	1.2	5.07	2%
19	NO	PIT	Aaron Rodgers	24	2.2	1.2	5.01	10%
20	NE	@CHI	Caleb Williams	26.75	2.7	1.1	4.87	90%
21	PHI	DAL	Dak Prescott	24.5	1.9	1.2	4.78	95%
22	NYG	@HOU	C.J. Stroud	26.25	2.3	1.2	4.70	4%
23	CIN	@BAL	Lamar Jackson	26.75	2.3	1.1	4.56	19%
24	DET	GB	Jordan Love	25.25	1.9	1.2	4.53	14%
25	SF	@ATL	Michael Penix Jr.	23.5	1.7	1.1	4.46	53%
26	ATL	SF	Brock Purdy	27	2.0	1.2	4.46	3%
27	ARI	DEN	Bo Nix	24	1.4	1.2	4.36	1%
28	GB	@DET	Jared Goff	28.25	1.9	1.2	4.09	15%

Matchups

1. HOU vs NYG: Last week against the Saints, the Giants benched Jameis Winston after his second 4th quarter interception. J.J. McCarthy, who was recently traded from the Vikings, replaced him and immediately threw an interception of his own. But after that, McCarthy went on to lead three consecutive scoring drives, almost completing the comeback. In about 10 minutes of play, he threw for 243 passing yards, which is more than he ever achieved in a full game for the Vikings. It’s not known who will start for the Giants in Week 7, but I’m currently operating on the assumption that it will be McCarthy. The Texans should be a great start either way. We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from McCarthy before, but my expectation for him is still more turnovers than scoring until he proves otherwise. The Texans had a poor fantasy day in a high-scoring win over the Jags last week, but they’re still a good enough defense overall, with a strong enough pass rush, that I’m excited to start them in a matchup this good.
2. MIN vs IND: Things are not going well for the Colts, who fell to 2-4 after handing the Titans their first win last week. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon fired their GM Chris Ballard, while retaining head coach Shane Steichen and his staff. Sometimes this kind of thing lights a fire under the team and they over-perform the next week, but that’s not going to happen against the Vikings. They are the best defense in the league and are fresh off their bye week. And this is a great matchup – Daniel Jones took 6 sacks from a middling Titans defense. This is your reward for dedicating a bench spot to the Vikings through their bye. If you’re in the 15% of leagues where they’re available, go get them, and reserve a bench spot for when they play the Lions and Bills – in the Week 16-17 playoffs they get the Commanders and Jets.
3. CLE @ TEN: The Titans picked up their first win over a spiraling Colts team last week, but that doesn’t mean their offense was amazing. They scored four field goals and one touchdown on offense, and were aided by a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, to take the lead in the 4th quarter. Cam Ward avoided taking any sacks, but he did throw an interception to go with his one touchdown, making it a 4-game interception streak. I don’t expect another zero-sack game this week against the Browns, who are second in the league with 19 sacks. I would be shocked if this wasn’t Cleveland’s 4th consecutive top-10 fantasy DST result.
4. NYJ vs MIA: Ahead of last week’s bye, Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley re-affirmed Malik Willis‘s status as their starter, and that he’s not considering benching him. That needed saying because Willis and the Dolphins have been bad. Willis has thrown just 2 touchdowns to 4 interceptions en route to an 0-5 record for the team. On defense, the Jets have been pretty good. They are part of a 4-way tie for 5th-most sacks in the league with 17, and are second only to the Raiders with 9 forced fumbles. The Jets are a great streaming option this week – they’re rostered in only 1% of Yahoo leagues.
5. TEN vs CLE: Deshaun Watson has outperformed expectations this year, but that doesn’t mean he’s been good in a general sense, as expectations were very low. The Browns’ defense deserves a lot of credit for their 4-2 record. Last week, Watson took 5 sacks en route to a 13-10 win over the Ravens. The Titans were the DST1 last week thanks to 6 sacks and a blocked punt touchdown against the Colts. They aren’t as good as that result suggests, but they are good enough that I do expect them to pick up some sacks against Deshaun Watson. Combine that with what projects to be another low-scoring slog, and you’ve got a good streaming defense that’s available in almost every league.
6. CAR vs TB: Baker Mayfield is set to return to practice this week, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready to start against Carolina. Rookie Jalon Daniels has exceeded some very low expectations in relief, but he still delivered excellent fantasy days for the opposing defense in 2 of his 3 starts. Last week he threw a pair of interceptions and took 5 sacks against the Steelers. The Panthers are the kind of middling defense that I would feel comfortable starting against Daniels. But if Baker is able to return, I’m not interested.
7. PIT @ NO: The Steelers have been a top-5 fantasy defense so far with 8.0 fantasy points per game, and are near the top of the table for both sacks and turnovers. Tyler Shough and the Saints are kind of a boom-bust matchup. Shough has had three games with 3-4 passing touchdowns, and three games with 1 or 0. They got totally wrecked by the Vikings in Week 5, when Shough threw 2 interceptions on the way to just 13 points. The Steelers aren’t on the Vikings’ level, but they are far enough above average to be usable in this matchup.
8. DEN @ ARI: The Cardinals achieved a pretty shocking upset against the Rams, but that was a low-scoring game where they poetically scored all of their points via 6 field goals against a team with no kicker. QB Jacoby Brissett was not impressive – he avoided taking any sacks and threw one interception. The Broncos game could be similarly low scoring, but I think it’s unlikely he gets away with no sacks again.
9. DAL @ PHI: Tanner McKee will make his first start of the season with Jalen Hurts out for the season due to blood clots in his lungs. The Eagles’ offense, and in particular their offensive line, have already been struggling significantly. The Cowboys also suck, so this should be a pleasing rivalry match for two fanbases that care more about the other team losing than their own team winning. The Cowboys have not impressed as a fantasy defense, but this is such a good matchup that they look like a reasonable low-end streamer.

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Top 5 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Priority Pickups (Week 7)

Our analysts combine to provide rankings for weekly fantasy football waiver wire targets. We’ll help you prioritize your bids for the week ahead. Check out our full expert consensus fantasy football waiver wire rankings and all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for the week. Here are our latest fantasy football waiver wire rankings and top fantasy football waiver wire pickups to target for the week.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Rankings & Top Targets: Week 7

Note: Players chosen based upon having early-week consensus roster percent below 50%.

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ECR – Expert Consensus Rankings

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups to Target

Germie Bernard (WR – PIT): 50% Rostered

• Next Opponents: CLE, BYE, @CIN
• True Value: $10
• Desperate Need: $18
• Budget-Minded: $6

Analysis: This article usually doesn’t include players who are rostered in 50% or more of Yahoo leagues, but we’re making an exception for Germie Bernard, who’s rostered in exactly 50% of Yahoo leagues.

If Bernard is unrostered in one of your leagues, there’s a good chance it’s a shallow league with 10 or fewer teams or extremely short benches. Even if it’s that type of a league, Bernard should be rostered.

Injuries to WRs Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson have thrust Bernard into a substantial role, and the second-round rookie appears ready for it. In the Steelers’ 26-19 victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday, Bernard had 11-87-1 on 12 targets. He had a 27.3% target share in that contest.

The second-round rookie is going to be ranked inside the top 25 at receiver this week. If Bernard remains unrostered in your league, fix that.

Kendre Miller (RB – NO): 34% Rostered

• Next Opponents: PIT, BYE, CLE
• True Value: $3
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: Kendre Miller is in a New Orleans backfield committee that also includes Alvin Kamara and CJ Donaldson. Miller plays almost exclusively on early downs, and on Sunday he had a team-high 20 carries for 70 yards. He also had two catches on two targets, but those receptions gained zero yards.

The Saints’ running game has been ineffective, partly due to subpar offensive line play. Miller is averaging 3.1 yards per carry.

But rushing volume is valuable — especially during the bye weeks — and Miller has logged 30 carries over the last two weeks. Kamara is dealing with a back injury. Travis Etienne (hamstring) is eligible to come off IR in Week 9. Until Etienne is back, Miller should continue to get decent, flex-level rushing volume. It helps that Saints head coach and playcaller Kellen Moore runs his offense at a fast pace.

A tricky but playable matchup against the Steelers awaits Miller this week, and then the Saints are on bye in Week 8.

Miller is no backfield savior, but he could be a useful depth piece until Etienne comes back and clogs the New Orleans backfield.

Omar Cooper Jr. (WR – NYJ): 4% Rostered

• Next Opponents: MIA, LV, @KC
• True Value: $3
• Desperate Need: $6
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: In his first NFL game, Omar Cooper Jr. played just five offensive snaps and had a 30-yard catch on his only target before sustaining a high-ankle sprain that landed him on IR.

Cooper came off IR in Week 6 and had 6-103-1 on seven targets. His touchdown came on a 48-yard bomb. Cooper also had another touchdown negated by a dubious offensive pass interference penalty called against Jets WR Tim Patrick.

The 30th overall pick in this year’s draft, Cooper is a hard-nosed gamer who has good hands and is dangerous after the catch. He can also line up either outside or inside. (Cooper played in the slot on Sunday when the Jets used three-receiver sets.)

Cooper probably isn’t going to challenge Garrett Wilson‘s alpha receiver status on the Jets anytime soon, but he can be an effective No. 2 or No. 3.

Although the Jets could Adonai Mitchell back from a finger injury in a week or two, Cooper could be a solution for WR-needy fantasy teams. He has playable matchups against the Dolphins and Raiders the next two weeks.

T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN): 33% Rostered

• Next Opponents: IND, @DET, BUF
• True Value: $2
• Desperate Need: $4
• Budget-Minded: $1

Analysis: T.J. Hockenson sustained a concussion in Week 5, so you’ll want to check his status before bidding on him. But chances are he’ll be ready to go in Week 7 when the Vikings come out of their bye week.

Hockenson has an appealing Week 7 matchup against the Colts, who entered Week 6 having given up the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends. In Week 8, Hockenson gets an even better matchup against the Lions, who have allowed far and away the most fantasy points to TEs this year.

If you’re streaming tight ends, Hockenson should be able to more than adequately cover you at the position for the next two weeks.

Jaylin Noel (WR – HOU): 7% Rostered

• Next Opponents: NYG, BYE, @LAC
• True Value: $1
• Desperate Need: $3
• Budget-Minded: $0

Analysis: Second-year WR Jaylin Noel had the first 100-yard game of his career on Sunday, catching 4-of-4 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars in London. Noel had a 13-yard touchdown on Sunday and has scored a TD in each of his last two games.

The arrival of Marvin Harrison Jr. via trade complicates the target outlook for Noel. Harrison played with Texans QB C.J. Stroud at Ohio State, so they have some chemistry. The Texans’ Nico Collins is often a target hog, of course. Xavier Hutchinson is also involved, and Tank Dell could return this week from the catastrophic knee injury he sustained in December 2024.

But Noel figures to remain the Texans’ primary slot receiver even after Dell comes back. A third-round pick out of Iowa State in 2025, Noel is an exceptional athlete who clocked a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine and had a vertical jump of 41 1/2 inches.

Over his last three games, Noel has caught 12-of-12 targets for 233 yards and two touchdowns. He would have to grow his target share to become consistently fantasy-relevant, but Noel is an ascending player worth rostering in case he’s on the verge of a breakthrough.

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