Carolina Panthers WR Diontae Johnson (ankle) @ Washington Commanders
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:05 pm Eastern
Carolina Panthers No. 1 wide receiver Diontae Johnson failed to practice on Wednesday and Thursday this week, sidelined by an ankle sprain suffered in Week 4. Johnson practiced in a limited capacity on both Thursday and Friday in Weeks 5 and 6 so his inability to practice in Week 7’s Thursday practice serves as a potential harbinger for his Sunday availability. Wide receiver-needy fantasy managers should consider adding No. 2 wide receiver Xavier Legette and/or No. 3 wide receiver Jalen Coker.
Should Johnson sit out Week 7, the two athletic, big-bodied rookies can return flex value against a Washington Commanders pass defense ranking 26th in yards allowed per coverage snap (6.88), 28th in expected points added (EPA) allowed per play and 31st in explosive pass plays allowed rate (16.8 percent).
Legette has glaring deficiencies in his college prospect profile, effectively failing to produce before his fifth-year, senior season. Legette is third on the team in targets (16) with quarterback Andy Dalton under center in Weeks 3-6.
Coker ascended over the last two weeks, catching 7-of-7 targets for 98 yards while producing team-bests in yards per route run (YPRR, 1.72) and explosive pass plays (four).
San Francisco 49ers RB Jordan Mason (AC joint sprain) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Date/Time: Sunday, 4:25 pm Eastern
San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday and Thursday, sporting a blue, non-contact jersey while nursing an acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain suffered in the team’s Week 6 Thursday Night Football win over the Seattle Seahawks. Fantasy managers needing running back help can roll the dice on backup running back Isaac Guerendo, who played well in Mason’s stead last week. Risk-averse fantasy managers may wish to utilize a different running back, as Guerendo’s involvement is not guaranteed.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has made clear in the past that the nuances of player development are typically reserved for offseason training. Weekly in-season practices and film study focus mostly on the opponent-specific game plan. It remains to be seen whether Guerendo proved himself worthy of earning a fantasy-relevant role in the Week 7 game plan but his 9.9 yards per carry certainly made a strong case. His sterling per-play average led all Week 6 running backs who totaled at least five carries.
Per Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Adam Hutchison’s 2023 Injury Report, AC joint sprains yield the running back position’s highest re-injury rate (20.0 percent), leading the sample by 4.2 percent. The San Francisco training staff has undoubtedly informed coaches of this recurrence rate, so ostensibly Shanahan should see fit to give Guerendo a meaningful rushing share even if Mason is active.
Guerendo is available in at least 75.0 percent of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues.
San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. is also dealing with a wrist injury, which could lead to Shanahan lessening his part-time rushing role this week.
Los Angeles Chargers TE Hayden Hurst (groin) @ Arizona Cardinals
Date/Time: Monday, 9:00 pm Eastern
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hayden Hurst’s groin injury thrusts teammate, tight end Will Dissly into the streaming-TE1 ranks for fantasy managers desperate for a viable starter. Dissly is practicing through his own shoulder injury but his early-week participation bodes positively for his Monday night availability. Should Hurst suit up, Dissly would no longer be a viable streamer.
Dissly remains a trustworthy, surehanded and albeit unathletic safety blanket in his age-28 season. Among 35 NFL tight ends with at least 12 targets, Dissly astonishingly ranks third in YPRR (2.13), ties for second in catch rate (92.9 percent) and ranks second in target rate (26.9 percent).
The Arizona Cardinals’ middling tight end-coverage unit ranks 16th in EPA allowed per play (0.213), 18th in yards allowed per coverage snap (7.71), 24th in success rate (33.3 percent) and 28th in open-target rate (69.4 percent).
Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert (hamstring) @ New York Giants
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 pm Eastern
Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert sat out Week 7’s first two practices due to a hamstring injury. The team’s second-most efficient pass catcher on a per-route basis (2.33 YPRR) is unlikely to suit up against the New York Giants this week. Per DPT Hutchison’s 2023 Injury Report, only 25.0 percent of tight ends who suffer hamstring strains miss zero games. Although this is Goedert’s second recorded hamstring strain, the 29-year-old tight end is unlikely to bounce back quickly, given his age.
Rather than searching for an in-house replacement, fantasy managers should look to Baltimore Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely, who remains available in more than 45.0 percent of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues.
Baltimore is deploying Likely and co-starter Mark Andrews at a near-even rate. Likely finished with 20 receiving snaps and four targets in Week 6 while Andrews logged 19 snaps and matched Likely’s four-target total. The duo has an extremely soft matchup in Week 7, facing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end-coverage unit that ranks bottom five in success rate (29.7 percent), EPA allowed per play (0.420), catch rate allowed (84.9 percent), yards allowed per coverage snap (10.36) and explosive pass plays allowed rate (21.2 percent).
Buffalo Bills RBs James Cook (toe) and Ray Davis (calf) vs. Tennessee Titans
Date/Time: Sunday, 1:00 pm Eastern
Buffalo Bills No. 1 running back James Cook (toe) practiced in full on Thursday, signaling a return to play in Week 7. Talented rookie running back Ray Davis, whose tackle-breaking traits were highlighted in Top five NFL injuries and contingency plans for Week 6, suffered a calf injury in Thursday’s practice. The team has yet to reveal whether Davis suffered a strain or a contusion, though a strain is more likely following a career-high 23-touch workload in Week 6. Running backs average 2.6 games missed due to calf strains, per DPT Hutchison, likely resulting in at least a Week 7 absence.
Fantasy managers desperate for running back production can consider starting Buffalo running back Ty Johnson, whose traits and productivity are described in the aforementioned article. The team could opt to ease Cook back into action, helping Johnson to eight or more touches.
New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy remains available in at least 44.0 percent of ESPN and Yahoo! leagues despite clearing 100-plus yards from scrimmage in consecutive weeks, averaging 5.1 yards per carry and 1.21 YPRR.
Tampa Bay running back Rachaad White (foot) practiced in a limited capacity but the team’s No. 3 running back Sean Tucker provides zero-floor/high-ceiling potential regardless. Tucker averaged 9.7 yards per carry on 14 attempts and 5.09 YPRR on 12 receiving snaps and three targets last week.
The aforementioned Guerendo is likewise widely available.
