As we close in on mid-season, it's probably become apparent if your team is a "have" or a "have not." As always, I'll do my best to mention as many quality free agent acquisitions as possible this week (without repeating old analysis) for those teams hurting due to injuries. Let's see what comes to the surface this week...

It looks like veteran QB Joe Flacco has brought new life to the Cincinnati Bengals since his recent trade to them. Flacco shockingly completed 31 of 47 passes for 342 yards and three scores with no picks in the Bengals' 33-31 win over the Steelers last Thursday night. Flacco was sharp throughout the contest and displayed elite chemistry with WR Ja'Marr Chase, who he smartly turned the bulk of his attention towards. The duo combined for 16 completions, 161 yards, and a score, and Flacco also connected with WR Tee Higgins (29 yards) and TE Noah Fant (five yards) for his other scoring throws. Flacco now has thrown for five scores and no picks in his first two games in a Cincinnati uniform. Bottom Line: Flacco is now a legit decent fantasy free-agent pickup for owners in need playing for the Bengals with elite talent around him. In other words, if you need help at QB, you could do a lot worse than grabbing Flacco and starting him!

There is nothing wrong with QB Justin Herbert. He was just being knocked around in the pocket and too many penalties were calling back his good plays. Things change on Sunday. Well, the Los Angeles Chargers still lost, but Hebert got his mojo back, completing 37 of 55 passes for 420 yards and three scores with two picks in Sunday's 38-24 loss to the Colts. He added 31 rushing yards in the game too. The 420 yards were a career high for Herbert, exceeding the 405 yards he racked up in 2023 during a Week #3 game against the Vikings, and his 37 completions were a franchise single-game record. Unfortunately, the Chargers trailed the entire game, causing Herbert to constantly throw the football. Herbert threw his three scores in the second half, all in the red zone. Through seven starts, Hebert has 13 TD passes and 6 picks, but is still a very dangerous fantasy producer. They play host to the Minnesota Vikings this week on Thursday night, a team that just got burned by Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. In other words, this game could be high-scoring, keeping Herbert once again a solid QB1 for fantasy!

Entering the 4^th quarter on Sunday afternoon, the Denver Broncos were down 19-0 to the New York Giants. QB Bo Nix managed to wake up, throwing for to scores and running in for two more to nip the Giants at the end. Overall, Nix completed 27 of 50 passes for 279 yards and two scores, while adding 48 rushing yards and two more scores in Sunday's 33-32 win. Nix threw a season-high 50 passes in the thrilling comeback victory, but it was his rushing production (5-48-2) that truly made his fantasy score stand out this week. Nix had scored just one rushing touchdown, while averaging only 21 rushing yards over his previous six starts. While things changed in this game, fantasy owners should not expect that kind of production on the ground moving forward. Of course, the Broncos play host to the Dallas Cowboys this week, so anything is possible, while a high-scoring contest is more than likely. That will keep Nix solidly in play for fantasy owners this week!

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers showed he's not done for fantasy this past week. Rodgers completed 23 of 34 passes for 249 yards and four scores with two picks in the Steelers' 33-31 loss to the Bengals last Thursday night. Rodgers was outshined by fellow veteran QB Joe Flacco, but he still tied a season high in touchdown passes with four. Rodgers connected with TE Pat Freiermuth twice for scores, from 19 and 68 yards out, while his other two TD strikes went to TE Jonnu Smith (10 yards) and TE Darnell Washington (two yards). Rodgers made several impressive throws throughout the night, including the second touchdown to Freiermuth and his game-ending Hail Mary attempt, a solid 70-yard throw that fell incomplete. Bottom Line: Rodgers may no longer be a solid weekly fantasy producer, but is key situations, he can still turn up the heat and produce 25+ points or fantasy. That makes him a decent quick fix for fantasy during these critical BYE weeks!

Once again, New York Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart produced a solid QB1 fantasy number and this time he did it on the road against the Denver Broncos! Dart completed 15 of 33 passes for 283 yards, three scores and a pick, while running for 11 yards and another score in Sunday's 33-32 loss to Denver. While Dart finished with his worst completion percentage (46%) as a pro, he offset the inefficiency with new highs in passing yards (283) and total touchdowns (four). Dart's fourth and final trip to the end zone came as a rusher, which helped offset a season-low five rushing attempts Sunday. Bottom Line: Dart has produced the following fantasy point totals in his first four starts in the NFL: 21 (QB14), 24 (QB14) , 26 (QB6), and 33 (QB3)! During the span of Week #4 through #7, Dart is QB5! That makes Dart a solid candidate to be a QB1 in any given week for fantasy. This week, the Giants revisit the Eagles on the road, so while it won't be easy, Dart remains a top 15 lock at QB and could sneak into the top 12 QBs for the week!

Things has gotten ugly early this season for the Miami Dolphins and QB Tua Tagovailoa. On Sunday, things only got worse. Tagovailoa completed only 12 of 23 passes for 100 yards with no scores and three picks in a blowout loss to the Browns. The Dolphins are 1-6, they've lost WR Tyreek Hill (knee) for the season, WR Jaylen Waddle wasn't utilized (one catch for 15 yards), and Tua himself made critical mistakes during the entire game (before he was benched). Tagovailoa has been a quarterback who has been very effective when healthy with the only real concerns about him being his history of concussions. However, in 2025, Tua has just simply played poorly. In fact, it will be hard to turn things around for the Dolphins without Hill and an injured TE Darren Waller (pec) doesn't help. Bottom Line: Tua can be dropped for other possibilities at QB such as QB Joe Flacco or QB Aaron Rodgers. It's gotten so bad it doesn't matter if it's redrafter or dynasty... Tua is just plain droppable right now!

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable QB performances from last week... Tennessee Titans rookie QB Cam Ward threw for one score on Sunday against the Patriots. New Orleans Saints QB Spencer Rattler threw for two scores on Sunday against the Bears. Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. threw for one score on Sunday night against the 49ers. Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold threw for one score against the Texans on Monday night.

The Carolina Panthers adjusted their running back rotation on Sunday. RB Chuba Hubbard returned to action after missing back-to-back games due to a calf injury. The Panthers opted for a simple rotation by drive. Hubbard started the game and played the first drive, RB Rico Dowdle played the second drive and so on. Some of the drives went for more than seven plays, which, at times, led Carolina to stray from that rotation to give the current running back a break. Carolina didn't stray from this strategy throughout the game. Hubbard will be the player with the most touches in an average week if the Panthers stick with this rotation. That said, it's worth noting that Dowdle outplayed Hubbard on Sunday. Dowdle ran for 79 yards on 17 carries compared to Hubbard's 31 yards on 14 carries. The Panthers may change their rotation as next week, giving Dowdle the start. Carolina plays the Buffalo Bills this week, a team that has allowed a lot of fantasy production to running backs. In other words, both Hubbard and Dowdle could be solid flex options this week when the Panthers host the Bills on Sunday, especially since a whopping six teams are on a BYE.

A change is happening in Jacksonville. Starting RB Travis Etienne hasn't been as effective in recent weeks compared to early in the season. Meanwhile, rookie RB Bhayshul Tuten has been the primary backup on early downs, while RB LeQuint Allen Jr. has been the third-down back. That rotation has been relatively stable in recent weeks, but Etienne's production has declined. Etienne started Sunday's game, but the Jaguars went three-and-out on their first two drives while the Rams scored touchdowns on their first two. This left the Jaguars to abandon the run game relatively early. Tuten started rotating in on the third drive, playing significantly on the third and fourth drives prior to the two-minute drill drive. Etienne wasn't effective the few times he ran the ball, while Tuten averaged more yards per carry for most of the game. The Jaguars were down 28 points in the last five minutes, but made a few unexpected runs. This led to more than half of Etienne's rushing production. Tuten has been the more effective runner the past two weeks, but Etienne has the better numbers on the season. If Tuten keeps outplaying Etienne like he has the past two weeks, you could start to see more from Tuten moving forward. In other words, if you own Tuten, whether you own Etienne or not, you might have yourself a decent flex option when the Jaguars return from their BYE in week #9. Stay tuned!

There has been a big change in the running game plans for the New England Patriots. RB Rhamondre Stevenson has basically become the team's new every-down back. Why? Apparently, rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson is having trouble with his pass blocking, and he's not making any big plays when he does get the football in order to justify his play. As a result, Stevenson played 42 of a possible 45 snaps over the first three quarters on Sunday, while Henderson only played four snaps during that period of time. Stevenson ran the football 16 times compared to Henderson's one run. The Patriots had an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The two players then entered a two-man rotation at the start of the fourth quarter. New England put in its backups at the end of the game, which meant third-string RB Terrell Jennings closed out the game. As long as this plan stands, Stevenson is a solid RB2 for fantasy, while Henderson should be benched, even with six teams on bye this week. Bottom Line: In a redrafted league, Henderson has been nothing but a big disappointment and with the BYEs heating up, do not hesitate to drop Henderson in favor of a play you can start that might actually help you win. The two situations I'd hold Henderson is if I also own Stevenson and also in dynasty leagues. But, yup, the time has finally come where a benching just make good common fantasy sense!

Believe it or not, there has been a significant change in the Bears running game. Rookie RB Kyle Monangai's playing time has been climbing, while RB D'Andre Swift's declines, but the move has benefited both running backs. Swift played 66% of the Bears' offensive snaps over the first four weeks, playing roughly that percentage in all situations, outside of the goal line, where Swift had played 100% of the snaps. Chicago had its bye week in Week 5, giving the team time to make several adjustments to their offense. That included getting Monangai more involved in Week #6. Swift's playing time was down to 56% while Monangai climbed up to 34%. Monangai also played his first goal-line snap, and the two were close to 50-50 on early downs. Swift averaged 7.7 yards per carry and caught two passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in this role, so the plan appeared to be working. Last week, the Bears took things a step further, as Swift played 53% of the snaps while Monangai played 46%. Monangai played the majority of third-down snaps for the first time in his career. Overall, Swift ran 19 times for 124 yards and a score, while Monangai ran 13 times for 81 yards and a score. Remember, HC Ben Johnson had a two-man backfield in Detroit where both running backs were fantasy-relevant, and it's starting to look like this Bears duo could do the same thing. Bottom Line: Monangai is a solid fantasy free-agent waiver wire pickup if available, and now has some standalone value. The Bears play the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals over the next two weeks, the two teams that have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs this season. What's not to like here for fantasy?

Last week, I discussed how New York Giants RB Tyrone Tracy played quite a bit, but did nothing for fantasy. Well, things changed on Sunday in Denver. Rookie RB Cam Skattebo started against the Broncos and played 65% of the offensive snaps, while Tracy played 27% and reserve RB Devin Singletary played 8%. However, in the second half, Skattebo played only 22 snaps compared to Tracy's 18. Skattebo tended to play more in run situations, while Tracy played more in pass situations. Tracy scored on a sweet 31-yard touchdown run, which accounted for most of his fantasy points. Skattebo has yet to have a 24-yard run in his short NFL career. While Skattebo will likely remain the lead running back due to his ability to consistently gain yards, Tracy, right now, is the better big-play runner. Bottom Line: Skattebo remains a solid RB2 for fantasy with RB1 upside in any given game due to his bull-rushing success at the goal, but Tracy now has RB3/flex value in 12+ team leagues. In other words, Tracy should be picked up if available or held onto by fantasy owners, even if you don't own Skattebo!

It happened again in Seattle last night. Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet stole two short rushing scores from RB Kenneth Walker against the Texans. But did he really steal them? Let's take a closer look. Charbonnet has actually played more offensive snaps than Walker this season in games where both players were healthy. Walker has played 57% of the offensive snaps to Charbonnet's 43% on early downs, but Charbonnet has played the majority of third-down and short-yardage snaps, along with more than 90% of the two-minute-drill and goal-line snaps. Walker has averaged 5.3 yards per carry in those five games, compared to Charbonnet's 2.6, but the Seahawks' quality offense has provided Charbonnet with plenty of goal-line work which led directly to scores. Walker also hasn't been involved in the passing game, hurting his value a lot in PPR leagues. On Monday night, the Seahawks trusted Walker to handle an even higher percentage of the early-down snaps. That led to plenty of carries, but he found minimal success in the run game. Charbonnet didn't play as much as usual, in part because of the drop in snaps in early downs. However, Charbonnet got the key touches when he was on the field for short-yardage and goal-line situations, and he scored twice. Bottom Line: Walker may start, but Charbonnet has overtaken him in fantasy value. That said, since they share time, neither is better than a solid RB3, but if I had to own one right now, you can bet it would be Charbonnet! In fact, Walker owners may want to consider SELLING HIGH on Walker the next time he scores!

Let's take a look at some of the other more notable RB performances from last week... Pittsburgh Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell saw 5 touches on Thursday against the Bengals. Cincinnati Bengals RB Samaje Perine saw 7 carries on Thursday against the Steelers. Los Angeles Rams RB Blake Corum (ankle) saw 13 touches on Sunday against the Jaguars. Minnesota Vikings RB Zavier Scott saw 5 touches on Sunday, but RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) could be activated and play this week. Tennessee Titans RB Tyjae Spears saw 8 touches on Sunday against the Patriots. Kansas City Chiefs RB Brashard Smith saw 19 touches on Sunday in a blowout win over the Raiders. Miami Dolphins RB Ollie Gordon saw 6 touches on Sunday against the Browns. Dallas Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue saw 7 touches on Sunday against the Commanders. Green Bay Packers RB Emmanuel Wilson saw 7 touches on Sunday against the Cardinals. San Francisco 49ers RB Brian Robinson Jr. saw 9 carries on Sunday night against the Falcons. Finally, Houston Texans rookie RB Woody Marks scored on 13 touches on Monday night against the Seahawks.

With Tennessee Titans WR Calvin Ridley (hamstring) out, the Titans had to adjust for their passing game on Sunday. Ridley has spent this season as the primary Z receiver, while rookie WR Elic Ayomanor played the X-receiver role. WR Van Jefferson has been the primary backup on the outside, while rookie WR Chimere Dike and veteran WR Tyler Lockett have split the slot snaps in 3-WR sets. With Ridley out, the Titans moved Ayomanor to Ridley's spot as the Z receiver, and Jefferson took Ayomanor's spot as the X receiver. However, Dike emerged with four catches for 70 yards and a score in his best game as a pro. He had 26 receiving yards and no scores over the first six games combined. Believe it or not, Dike's role in this game did not change from the previous week where he shared snaps with Lockett. As a result of this game, Lockett asked for and received his release from the Titans on Monday. That likely means Dike will play even more in the slot when the Titans use 3-WR sets. Of course, we are talking about the Titans and when Ridley returns, he will once again be the focal point of the passing game. In other words, Dike is a decent fantasy free-agent waiver wire pickup for this week provided Ridley misses another game, which sounds likely to happen. I just wouldn't put all my marbles into Dike repeating what he did last week this week. In other words, do NOT chase points!

Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice scored twice on Sunday, but the team actually eased him back into the field of play in terms of limiting his snaps. He only played 33 of 65 snaps, but that didn't stop him from being ultra efficient. Rice largely took playing time away from both WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and WR Hollywood Brown, who both had consistently played more than 50% of the offensive snaps but fell below 50% before garbage time. WR Xavier Worthy and WR Tyquan Thornton's playing time was very similar to last week outside of garbage time. Rice played all over the field, like all Chiefs receivers, but played 46% of his snaps out of the slot. While Rice's playing time was relatively low, he was targeted on 47% of his routes, leading to seven catches for 42 yards and two scores. You can expect Rice's playing time to increase moving forward, likely to the 70-80% range. Bottom Line: Rice is now the straw that stirs this drink, so everyone who drafted him and held him now have a solid WR2 with WR1 in any given game. As for Brown, he now slides to a decent WR3/flex play with a fairly low floor for fantasy, while Smith-Schuster is an even bigger risky flex for fantasy. With Worthy healthy, Thornton is likely to be hit/miss most weeks (more miss than hit), making him one Chiefs WR you can safely drop, since when he scores, it will come out of the blue, if it even happens at all.

The Carolina Panthers activated WR Jalen Coker from injured reserve on Saturday, and he made his season debut on Sunday. To date, the Panthers have used rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan as their X receiver, WR Xavier Legette as their Z, and a rotation of players, including WR Hunter Renfrow, WR Jimmy Horn Jr. and WR Brycen Tremayne, in the slot. Coker's return meant Renfrow was the odd man out and a healthy inactive. During the game, Coker led the three-man rotation for the first three quarters, playing 10 of a possible 19 snaps in 3-WR sets, while Horn and Tremayne both played five. Carolina became comfortable enough with how Coker was playing in those three quarters to let him play 10 of a possible 13 snaps in 3-WR sets in the fourth quarter. That said, Coker was held without a catch in his return to action. The star of the game was Legette, who was the only wideout who caught more than three passes in the game. Legette finished with an impressive 9-92-1 stat line on 11 targets. Coker only saw two targets in the game. This was actually Legette's best game as a pro. Bottom Line: Legette is playing well and producing, so if he's available on the waiver wire, snatch him up! As for Coker, if you own him, hold him, since it could take him a few games to get going, if he gets going at all. In other words, sit him until he does something that makes you want to start him!

Denver Broncos WR Marvin Mims had a big game on Sunday with a nice 6-85 stat line, but he still barely played more than 50% of the team's offensive snaps (42 of 81 snaps). Mims has been part of an ugly wide receiver rotation in Denver beyond WR Courtland Sutton. That said, Mims' playing time seems to have been consistent since Week #2, playing between 35-45% of the offensive snaps each week. He hasn't played much in 2-WR sets, while splitting time with WR Pat Bryant and WR Trent Sherfield in three-receiver sets. This week, his playing time was more than 50% of the offensive snaps largely due to the game script. They were playing from behind, so they stayed in 3-WR sets more than usual. They were also passing to catch up, so their run blocking wide receiver, Sherfield, wasn't on the field as much as usual. While Mims might seem like an attractive fantasy free-agent waiver-wire pickup, it will be hard to trust him moving forward due to his lack of overall playing time. In other words, pick him up if you need him, but be aware his floor for fantasy is very low, and the odds of him producing in back-to-back games is fairly low.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be forced to play most of the rest of the season without WR Mike Evans due to a broken collarbone and a concussion. As a result, more shuffling will happen. After the injuries happened on Monday, rookie WR Emeka Egbuka moved back to the X receiver spot. Rookie WR Tez Johnson became the second primary receiver, playing more frequently. That matched how the Buccaneers handled Week #6 before Egbuka's hamstring injury. Moving forward, Egbuka will likely be the team's X receiver for the rest of the year or until Evans is back. WR Chris Godwin (fibula) will handle the Z receiver role once he returns from injury, and when WR Jalen McMillan (neck - IR) rejoins the team, he will likely be the Z receiver in 3-WR sets, with Godwin moving into the slot. In the meantime, WR Tez Johnson is a solid fantasy free-agent waiver-wire pickup assuming Godwin sits this week. As for WR Kameron Johnson, he has no real fantasy value unless Egbuka goes down with another injury, then he would have slight value if Godwin also sits out another week. The Buccaneers have their bye in Week #9, making it more likely that they will give Godwin another two weeks to get healthy. Of course, TE Cade Otton will likely continue to be a fantasy factor until the wide receiver room is healthier.

Quick Fantasy Note: The Washington Commanders will likely have at least one of their primary wide receivers back soon from injury. That said, the team has a tough match-up against the Kansas City Chiefs this week, but if WR Terry McLaurin (quad) doesn't play, WR Chris Moore would be a decent fantasy free-agent waiver-wire option, while if WR Deebo Samuel (heel) sits, then WR Jaylin Lane would be a decent waiver wire option.

Quick Fantasy Note: This week, the Houston Texans play the Denver Broncos, who have allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season. You likely won't want any of the Texans receivers starting for your fantasy team if both WR Nico Collins (concussion) and WR Christian Kirk (hamstring) don't play. However, if you're in a larger 12+ team league and have too many players on a bye, you could consider rookie WR Jayden Higgins or WR Xavier Hutchinson off your waive wire. WR Jaylin Noel only saw extended play on Monday night in the 4^th quarter when the Texans were in hurry-up mode. Just keep in mind these players all have a low floor for fantasy!

The following wideouts caught at least two passes or scored this past weekend and deserve fantasy consideration: Cincinnati Bengals WR Andres Iosivas (3-49), Jacksonville Jaguars WR Parker Washington (4-52), New England Patriots WR Kayshon Boutte (2-55-1), Miami Dolphins WR Malik Washington (5-30), New York Jets WR Tyler Johnson (3-60), Indianapolis Colts WR Alec Pierce (5-98), Denver Broncos WR Troy Franklin (3-19-1), and Atlanta Falcons WR Darnell Mooney (3-68).

This is the third time I've mentioned Los Angeles Chargers rookie TE Oronde Gadsden in this feature, but I want to stress this once again. If you need help at the tight end position, make a beeline to grab Gadsden off your waiver wire, if he's still available. Gadsden blew up on Sunday, producing 164 receiving yards on seven catches, which is 40 more receiving yards than any other tight end in a game this season. His playing time increased even further this week, playing 79% of the offensive snaps. He played at least 80% of the snaps in 1-TE sets on early downs, 1-TE sets on third downs and 2-TE sets. The only notable time he was consistently off the field was in 4-WR sets. TE Tucker Fisk was the only other tight end who played significant snaps on Sunday, largely in run formations. Meanwhile, TE Will Dissly played three snaps, while TE Tyler Conklin was active, but didn't play an offensive snap. Just how good is Gadsden playing right now? It wouldn't be surprising if the Chargers either cut or trade Conklin, or at least make him a healthy inactive moving forward.

With Cincinnati Bengals TE Mike Gesicki on IR with a pec injury, TE Noah Fant caught all four targets he saw last Thursday night against the Steelers for 44 yards and a score. Of course, WR Ja'Marr Chase and WR Tee Higgins were the focal points of the passing game, but Fant was an effective complementary option while posting a new season high in receiving yards and scoring his second touchdown of the season via a five-yard catch. Bottom Line: Fant should remain the top pass-catching tight end for the Bengals while Gesicki is sidelined. With QB Joe Flacco playing well, Fant deserves serious fantasy free-agent waiver wire pickup consideration, especially from owners in need in larger leagues!

The Pittsburgh Steelers made some changes in their TE play last Thursday night. TE Darnell Washington remained the Steelers' main tight end in 1-TE sets, as he has been the last two weeks. However, Washington played notably fewer snaps in 2-TE sets, while TE Pat Freiermuth was more involved on Thursday. This led the snap count between the top three tight ends to be much more even this week than the last two. All three TEs, including TE Jonnu Smith, played more than 35 snaps and all three scored. While the Steelers are happy their TEs played well, don't expect this to be an every week occurrence. With the snaps and targets split between the three, don't expect any of them to be ranked higher than as a mid-range TE2 for fantasy. That said, all of them have potential to produce, so owners in need may consider "gambling" and try to guess who will score in any given week. Just keep in mind, it will be a guess, since the TEs are not a normal priority in the Steelers passing game.

Quick Fantasy Note: Chicago Bears rookie TE Colston Loveland saw an increased role a few weeks ago, and on Sunday, TE Cole Kmet injured his back, leading to even more playing time for Loveland. As a result, Loveland caught a career-high three passes for 24 yards against the Saints. If Kmet sits this week, Loveland deserves some fantasy free-agent waiver wire pickup consideration from owners in need!

The following tight ends caught at least two passes this past weekend or scored and deserve fantasy consideration: Tennessee Titans TE Gunnar Helm (4-36), New York Giants TE Theo Johnson (3-66-1), New York Giants TE Daniel Bellinger (3-88-1), Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Cade Otton (7-65), Houston Texans TE Dalton Schultz (9-98), and Seattle Seahawks TE Elijah Arroyo (4-42).

The following is the 7th in-season free agent player rankings list for the 2025 NFL season. If you're looking for a free agent off your leagues' waiver wire to fill a need (maybe depth), these are the players to consider...

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