Entering Week 7 of the fantasy football season, the landscape is shifting as a heavy set of bye weeks—sidelining players from the Bills, Jaguars, Chargers, and Commanders—forces managers to look for emerging volume leaders. Following a breakout performance by Germie Bernard, who tallied 25.70 PPR points last week, the focus now turns to internal depth chart movements in New Orleans, Arizona, and Washington.
In the New Orleans backfield, a transition appears to be underway. While Alvin Kamara has long been the centerpiece of the Saints’ offense, the last two weeks have seen a significant pivot toward Kendre Miller. After logging 10 touches against the Vikings in Week 5, Miller took a lead role last week against the Giants, rushing 20 times for 70 yards and adding two receptions. Miller has now totaled 100 yards from scrimmage on his last 30 touches. While his efficiency sits at a modest 3.0 yards per touch, the volume is becoming undeniable. Since Week 5, Miller’s 30 touches are more than double the 14 seen by Kamara. More importantly, Miller has dominated high-value opportunities, seeing six touches inside the opponent’s 10-yard line compared to zero for Kamara in that same span. Heading into a Week 7 matchup against the Steelers, Miller has established himself as a volume-driven asset.
Conversely, the situation for the Giants’ backfield has become increasingly unstable. Cam Skattebo, who entered the season with high expectations and significant draft capital, recorded zero touches in the Week 6 loss to the Saints despite being active. The benching follows a critical Week 5 fumble against the Commanders and a general decline in efficiency. Among running backs with at least 80 opportunities this season, Skattebo ranks 12th in yards after contact per attempt (2.91) and 18th in yards per touch (4.1). His missed tackle forced rate has plummeted from 21.8 percent last season to just 16 percent this year. With only one run of 15-plus yards on his resume this season, Skattebo is difficult to trust in a Week 7 clash with the Texans.
In Arizona, the departure of Marvin Harrison to Houston has opened a massive void in the Cardinals’ passing attack, and Kendrick Bourne has stepped in to fill it. Since Week 5, Bourne has run 59 routes, the second-most on the team, and leads all Cardinals players with 16 targets. His 27.1 percent targets per route rate (TPRR) is currently higher than that of Trey McBride (22.6 percent). Bourne’s recent production includes 10 catches for 117 yards, making him the PPR WR26 and WR39 in his last two outings. With Arizona ranking third in early down pass rate at 56.7 percent and Jeremiyah Love expected to remain sidelined with an ankle injury, Bourne is positioned for a productive Week 7 against the Broncos.
The Denver offense remains a concern, particularly regarding Courtland Sutton. Despite being the primary receiver in the system, Sutton has failed to exceed 46 receiving yards in any game this season. Over the last two weeks, he has seen just three targets in each game, totaling four receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown in that period. While the Cardinals defense has allowed significant points to opposing receivers, Sutton’s low floor makes him a risky start until the Denver offense finds consistency.
At the tight end position, the Washington Commanders are facing a major adjustment following a season-ending knee injury to Terry McLaurin. Chig Okonkwo has emerged as a primary beneficiary, catching all seven of his targets for 69 yards last week against the 49ers. Notably, all seven of those targets occurred after McLaurin left the game. Over the last two weeks, Okonkwo has run 65 routes—the ninth-most among tight ends—and ranks fourth at the position in yards after catch per reception (6.3). Although Washington is on bye this week, Okonkwo represents a high-value stash for managers needing tight end stability.
Finally, Harold Fannin’s role in Cleveland has reached a season low. Despite running 188 routes this year, which ranks third among NFL tight ends, Fannin’s 16.0 percent TPRR is the lowest among players at his position with at least 30 targets. After producing elite numbers last season with 107 targets, Fannin has been held to just one catch in each of his last two games. Stuck in a struggling Browns offense that is prioritizing other receiving options, Fannin has become a boom-or-bust TE2 ahead of the team’s Week 7 game against the Titans.
