Biggest Sleepers at Every Position for Week 7 Fantasy Football 2026

In Week 7, fantasy football managers have to work around bye weeks for Josh Allen, James Cook, Trevor Lawrence, Bhayshul Tuten, Parker Washington and Jayden Daniels. On top of that, wide receiver Davante Adams could miss the rest of the regular season with a hamstring tear. 

So, this week's sleepers list features a mobile quarterback with an appealing rushing matchup, running backs who can make a significant impact in the running and passing games, high-upside rookie wideouts and a tight end who may soak up some of Adams' targets in the Los Angeles Rams offense. 

Unlike previous weeks, Week 7 selections start with a Thursday night pickup, giving fantasy managers a chance to get a quick jump on opponents.

Here are eight sleeper options—all available in at least 50 percent of leagues, according to FantasyPros' roster consensus percentages.

QB Malik Willis at New York Jets (21 Percent Rostered)

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis

If the Miami Dolphins get their first win of the season, it'll be because they ran the ball effectively against the New York Jets' 23rd-ranked run defense, which is 19th in yards allowed per carry.

Miami can lean on running backs Ollie Gordon II and Jaylen Wright, along with quarterback Malik Willis, to get the job done on the ground.

In the Dolphins' last outing before their Week 6 bye, Willis logged eight carries for 74 yards and a touchdown. If that's a sign of what's to come, he could post a similar stat line in a favorable matchup for Miami's run game.

Furthermore, Willis may have Caleb Douglas back in action for the first time since Week 2. The rookie third-round wideout caught five passes for 94 yards in his regular-season debut.

If Willis is part of the Dolphins' ground game plan, he has QB1 upside.

QB Tanner McKee vs. Dallas Cowboys (3 Percent Rostered)

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee

In his third career start—and his first of the season—Tanner McKee threw for 215 yards and a touchdown, which isn't too bad against the Carolina Panthers' 19th-ranked pass defense.

Fantasy managers would want more from him as a starter, and they could see better numbers against the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Remember, two weeks ago, undrafted rookie signal-caller Jalon Daniels had a solid showing against the Cowboys, throwing for 189 yards and a touchdown. McKee isn't as mobile as Daniels, but he has wide receivers to attack Dallas' secondary.

With McKee under center, wideout DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert topped 60 receiving yards. The Eagles' passing game could find a rhythm under the Monday Night Football lights. Dallas has allowed at least one passing touchdown in every game this season.

RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. at Houston Texans (10 Percent Rostered)

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New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr.

Last week, the New York Giants turned their backfield pecking order upside down. None of their running backs handled more than six carries, and Cam Skattebo didn't touch the ball. Najee Harris expressed dissatisfaction with his role, and the Giants released him days later.

Tyrone Tracy Jr. led Big Blue's backfield with eight touches and saw three targets as the Giants tried to mount a comeback from a 24-point deficit. Without Harris in the rotation, Tracy's workload could increase.

Tracy lost his way in the Giants' backfield platoon after a rough preseason in which he fumbled and missed a blocking assignment, but he's at least the No. 2 tailback ahead of Devin Singletary going into Week 7. Given Skattebo's benching last week, the third-year pro could have the biggest workload.

It's worth noting that Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten caught four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns against the Houston Texans last week. Tracy could take on a sizeable role on the ground and in the short passing game.

RB Roschon Johnson vs. New England Patriots (9 Percent Rostered)

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Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson

A rare Thursday night sleeper. Insert Roschon Johnson into your lineup. He's the Bears' No. 2 running back, with Kyle Monangai sidelined by thumb and toe injuries.

Monangai has missed the last two games, and in those contests, Johnson has recorded 18 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 68 yards. Even more encouraging for Johnson's role in the ground attack, he's seen only two fewer goal-line touches (five) than lead running back D'Andre Swift over the last two weeks, per FantasyPros.

The New England Patriots aren't a plus matchup for running backs, but they've given up a fair amount of receiving yards to running backs. In Week 5, the Las Vegas Raiders' trio of tailbacks, Ashton Jeanty, Mike Washington Jr. and Dylan Laube, racked up 71 yards on seven catches.

Johnson is a sneaky RB2 play who can get you an early lead in matchups this week.

WR Ja'Kobi Lane vs. Cincinnati Bengals (24 Percent Rostered)

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Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane

Rookie third-rounder Ja'Kobi Lane returned from wrist surgery and made an immediate impact, catching four passes for 40 yards. He could continue to see more targets than Rashod Bateman, who exited the previous game with a shoulder injury.

Baltimore Ravens head coach Jesse Minter is optimistic that Bateman avoided a major injury, but Lane has more upside, and his productive outing with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley is an encouraging sign for his short-term fantasy value.

The Cincinnati Bengals' pass defense has improved, but the unit is still in the middle of the pack in yards allowed (18th) and yards allowed per pass attempt (16th).

Lane has short-term WR3/flex appeal and could see his role grow as the season progresses. Make sure he's not available in your league, even if you don't plan to start him this week.

WR Ted Hurst III at Carolina Panthers (4 Percent Rostered)

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Ted Hurst III

On Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka popped up on the injury report with a concussion and a foot injury. Even if he passes concussion protocol, the second-year pro may be limited by his foot issue.

Rookie third-rounder Ted Hurst III is an intriguing WR2 or WR3/flex option, pending Egbuka's status. He could see more targets out wide against the Carolina Panthers, who are without their starting cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. In its last two games, Carolina has allowed 75-plus receiving yards to four different wide receivers.

Also, Buccaneers starting quarterback Baker Mayfield could be back from a dislocated thumb. He took part in a full practice on Wednesday. 

Regardless of Egbuka's status, Hurst is in a favorable spot, as the Buccaneers will likely have to score at a high rate to keep pace with the Panthers' fourth-ranked scoring offense.

TE AJ Barner vs. Kansas City Chiefs (12 Percent Rostered)

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Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner

Given that the Seattle Seahawks hired former San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach Brian Fleury, AJ Barner has had a disappointing start to the season.

After catching 52 passes for 519 yards and six touchdowns last year, he hasn't carved out a consistent role in the Seahawks' passing attack.

Yet there's hope Barner can gain momentum this week. He's caught at least three passes in three of his last four outings and has a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, who allow the third-most fantasy points to tight ends. 

The Chiefs will allocate heavy coverage to star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so other pass-catchers will need to win their one-on-one matchups in the passing game.

If Barner doesn't break out against a defense vulnerable in the middle of the field on National Tight Ends Day, it may not happen this season.

TE Colby Parkinson at Las Vegas Raiders (4 Percent Rostered)

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Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson

The Los Angeles Rams must compensate for the loss of wide receiver Davante Adams, who will miss six to 10 weeks with a hamstring tear. Puka Nacua will likely see double-digit targets for the foreseeable future, though the Rams have featured multiple tight ends in their offense with a healthy receiver corps.

Without Adams, the Rams' tight ends should be more involved in the aerial attack. With Terrance Ferguson on injured reserve, you can choose between Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson. Both should be active in two-tight-end sets.

Last week, Parkinson saw six targets, two more than Higbee, catching five passes for 31 yards and a touchdown. Coming off a season with career highs in catches (43), receiving yards (408) and touchdowns (eight), he's likely ahead of Higbee in the pecking order.

Working in Parkinson's favor, the Las Vegas Raiders have struggled to cover tight ends, tying for sixth in fantasy points allowed to players at the position. Las Vegas has given up at least eight catches to a team's tight end group in three of its last four games.

Fantasy points scored against statistics are provided by FantasyPros. 

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.