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Despite holding a perfect 6-0 record and sitting alone atop the NFL standings, the San Francisco 49ers will have to plug some holes in their lineup for Sunday's matchup in Atlanta. The team's top two wide receivers, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel, have already been ruled out. However, the 49ers have a seasoned pass catcher waiting in the wings: Christian Kirk, who has yet to play this season due to a calf injury, is listed as questionable for Week 7 but is expected to make his 2026 debut against the Falcons.
Other notable players ruled out for this weekend include Kansas City wide receiver Rashee Rice, Tampa Bay wideout Emeka Egbuka, Houston running back David Montgomery, and Indianapolis tight end Tyler Warren. Philadelphia wide receiver DeVonta Smith is considered doubtful. On a brighter note, Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs is expected to return from his suspension related to a domestic violence case.
Fantasy MVPs at the One-Third Mark
With the season a third of the way through, several players have exceeded preseason expectations and are making strong cases for the title of Most Valuable Fantasy Fellow. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, who is on bye this week, has been the clear No. 1 player in both fantasy and the NFL, throwing for nine touchdowns and running for eight more—no other quarterback has more than two rushing scores. Other standout performers include Kansas City running back Kenneth Walker III, who has eight touchdowns and 760 total yards for the unbeaten Chiefs; Carolina running back Chuba Hubbard, who has risen from 36th to top 12 with 511 total yards and six touchdowns; Seattle wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the league in every receiving category with 49 catches for 717 yards and seven touchdowns; Green Bay wide receiver Christian Watson, who has 29 catches for 538 yards and six scores; New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely, who has 39 catches for 383 yards and five touchdowns; San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, who ranks second only to Allen with 13 touchdown passes and nearly 1,200 passing yards; and Carolina quarterback Bryce Young, who has climbed from outside the top 25 to the top 10 with 1,549 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
New England's backfield committee of Corey Kiner, Rhamondre Stevenson, and TreVeyon Henderson makes none of them viable starts against Chicago. Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown should be avoided until he proves he can catch the football consistently. Giants running back Cam Skattebo is in the doghouse and should be benched. Cleveland's defense will limit Tennessee running back Tony Pollard. Minnesota's defense will shut down Indianapolis's entire offense except for running back Jonathan Taylor. Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold and Denver quarterback Bo Nix were both difficult to watch last week and are unlikely to improve against Kansas City and Arizona, respectively.
Minnesota running back Aaron Jones should benefit from a week off and a favorable matchup against the Colts. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love and his top receivers will thrive against Detroit, as will running back Josh Jacobs if he is activated in time. Kansas City running back Kenneth Walker III will look to show up his former Seattle teammates. Houston's passing offense, bolstered by the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr., will continue its hot streak against a Giants defense that was embarrassed by New Orleans last week. Miami running back Ollie Gordon and Cleveland wide receiver K.C. Concepcion could be in line for breakouts against the Jets and Titans, respectively. Carolina wideouts Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker will post strong numbers against Tampa Bay. Chicago tight end Colton Loveland, now that he has awakened, is a fine start against New England.
Injury Watch
The biggest injury news is that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will miss the rest of the season due to blood clots in both lungs—a devastating blow. Philadelphia will hope to get running back Saquon Barkley back to try to salvage the season. Rams wide receiver Davante Adams ruptured his hamstring and will miss at least six weeks. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson and Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield could both return this week. Other notables dealing with injuries include four running backs (Houston's David Montgomery, Cleveland's Quinshon Judkins, Arizona's Jeremiyah Love, and the Jets' Breece Hall) and five pass catchers (Kansas City's Rashee Rice, San Francisco's Deebo Samuel, Baltimore's Rashod Bateman, the Chargers' Ladd McConkey, and Colts tight end Tyler Warren).
The Deepest Sleeper
Remember J.J. McCarthy? The former Vikings savior seemed to vanish a few weeks ago, but he's back. He passed for 243 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter alone of the Giants' loss to New Orleans and is very likely to be New York's quarterback of choice for the rest of the season, as Jameis Winston continues to make Winston-like mistakes. Even if McCarthy has to wait a little longer, he will be a starting quarterback very soon—and possibly a decent one.
Thursday Pick
Patriots at Bears (-2): Pick: Patriots by 3.
Breaking news: The column will be updated with the latest injuries and rumors right up until Sunday's kickoff. Visit TwinCities.com/theloop. Kevin Cusick can be heard on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere's BS Show podcast on iTunes. Follow him on X @theloopnow. He can be reached at [email protected].
Originally reported by yahoo.