Pass-catchers Rob Gronkowski, Michael Thomas, Dallas Goedert, Jerry Jeudy, Kenny Golladay, and Curtis Samuel could all play in Week 7, and while it's unlikely all will, fantasy football owners are undoubtedly curious about their statuses. Week 7 rankings will also be affected whether they play or not, so let's get into the latest round of injury updates.
For news on banged-up QBs Dak Prescott and Baker Mayfield, click here; for updates on Kareem Hunt, Antonio Gibson, Kadarius Toney, and T.Y. Hilton, go here; for more on ailing RBs Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley, and Damien Williams, click here. For all the latest fantasy news, follow us on Twitter @SN_Fantasy.
MORE WEEK 7: Top waiver pickups | FAAB budget planner | Buy-low, sell-high
Rob Gronkowski injury update
Gronkowski (ribs) might return this week, and all indications seem to be pointing toward him suiting up against Chicago. He was close to playing in Week 6, but with Tampa on a short week, he was a few days away. With a bunch of days in between games, this feels like the right spot for him. Still, nothing is official, so we'll update his status as more news rolls in.
We rank him as our TE8 in PPR and TE5 in standard leagues. He's a top-notch red-zone weapon, but the volume isn't always guaranteed in this crowded Bucs' skill group. Chicago has been tough against tight ends, but Gronk has proven to be able to score against anyone, so get him in your lineups if he's active.
WEEK 7 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Michael Thomas injury update
This is the moment we've all been waiting for, right? Thomas is eligible to return this week after his offseason ankle surgery, but unfortunately, he will not. He's reportedly still a couple of weeks away, so Marquez Callaway remains the No. 1 WR heading into a game with Seattle. We'll know later in the week if Tre'Quan Smith (hamstring) has a chance to play.
WEEK 7 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Dallas Goedert COVID-19 update
Goedert was inactive in Week 6 after being placed on the reserve/COVID list, so we'll just have to wait and see about this week. The assumption is he will be ready to go against Las Vegas, but you never know. What we do know is Zach Ertz has been traded to Arizona, so this is now Goedert's time to shine as the lone primary TE in Philadelphia.
We rank Goedert as the TE8 in standard and TE7 in PPR leagues. However, we could see Goedert emerge as one of the top fantasy tight ends, so his ceiling could be much higher. It's a wait-and-see game heading into a matchup with Las Vegas, who is No. 12 in fantasy points allowed to TEs.
Jerry Jeudy injury update
Jeudy (ankle) has a shot to return this week for Thursday Night Football against the Browns, but Vic Fangio says his chances are "less than 50 percent." We'll update this if things change, but it's certainly not looking good.
Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, and Noah Fant are the only pass-catchers with any real value in this offense. Patrick is still available on a lot of waiver wires, so he's your best bet if you can grab him. It looks like we're another week away from seeing Jeudy in action for the first time since Week 1.
Kenny Golladay injury update
There are no practice reports on Golladay (knee) yet, and since he didn't practice at all last week, we have no guess as to if he'll be ready to go in Week 7. However, his fantasy prospects could depend on if Kadarius Toney (ankle) is healthy. With the way Sterling Shepard and Toney have played this year, Golladay looks like the No. 3 WR -- at least while he's banged up.
If he plays, the bench is probably the best spot for him, as Carolina's defense is still the sixth-best unit against WRs, despite recent struggles.
Curtis Samuel injury update
We don't have new information on Samuel (groin) just yet, so he's another guy to watch moving forward. However, this Washington offense looks out of sorts, and Samuel won't be 100 percent if he does return. Like Golladay, his injury concerns are enough to keep him benched unless you're in a deep league during a tough week of byes.
Terry McLaurin and Ricky Seals-Jones are the only guys with real upside in this passing game with Logan Thomas (hamstring) still out. However, if Samuel and Antonio Gibson (shin) are out, J.D. McKissic could be in line for a heavy workload that would most pay off in PPR leagues.