The wide receiver position has been decimated by injury early in the 2025 season, and that continued in Week 6 with Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egubka, Puka Nacua, and Marvin Harrison Jr. leaving their games. As of now, we don't expect any of them for Week 7. We also aren't ranking DJ Moore, who spent Monday night in the hospital and is now day-to-day, according to Head Coach Ben Johnson. The only positive news is that none of these injuries are considered season-ending. We should get all four back sooner rather than later, just like we are anticipating getting Rashee Rice, CeeDee Lamb and Mike Evans back in Week 7. You don't need me to tell you but they should move right back into your starting lineup.
One of the ramifications of all these injuries is that it becomes almost impossible to get away from struggling starters, even in bad matchups. That obviously includes A.J. Brown and Keenan Allen, but this week it may also include Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy leads the Browns with a 21.7% target share since Dillon Gabriel took over as QB and the team could be without David Njoku in Week 7. His opponent, the Dolphins, have given up at least one touchdown to a receiver every week. Last week Keenan Allen was the first wide receiver this season to see at least seven targets against the Dolphins and score fewer than 13 PPR Fantasy points.
Tee Higgins probably falls in the same boat after posting a season-high 62 receiving yards against the Packers. The Steelers are giving up 160 yards per game to the position.
29.5% -- Mike Evans had a 29.5% target share the first three weeks of the season. If he is active, you should start him.
15.3% -- George Pickens had a 15.3% target share the first two weeks with CeeDee Lamb. He has seen a 24.3% target share since Lamb went down. We are expecting Lamb back in Week 7.
2.53 -- Amongst wide receivers with at least 30 targets, Tre Tucker's 2.53 Fantasy points per target ranks second only to DK Metcalf.
6.2 -- Kendrick Bourne's 6.2 yards after catch per reception ranks third behind DK Metcalf and Khalil Shakir. This is a product of the Kyle Shanahan system and Bourne is a WR3 at worst until Ricky Pearsall gets back or Jauan Jennings gets healthy.
17.6% -- Van Jefferson led the Titans with a 17.6% target share after Calvin Ridley left early. It was the first time he has seen more than two targets in a game this year.
79.5% -- Josh Reynolds has a 79.5% route share over the last three weeks. He is probably the WR1 in New York until Garrett Wilson gets back.
37 -- The Colts are giving up 37 PPR FPPG to wide receivers this year. Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen are both starts if Quentin Johnston remains out.
It was a slow start to the season for Downs but he has six catches in each of his last two games and leads the Colts with a 20.5% target share since Week 2. I would still prefer to start Pittman, but that gap continues to shrink, and both are worthy of consideration as low-end WR3s. Dows has posted a 76% catch rate this year but has only averaged 8.3 yards per catch, so he is more valuable in full PPR than he is half or non.
Both Elic Ayomanor and Van Jefferson are desperation adds as we expect the Titans to be without Calvin Ridley. Ayomanor is the one who we are more excited about but Jefferson is the one who stepped into the Calvin Ridley role when Ridley went down last week. With a week to prepare I would expect more schemed up touches for Ayomanor.
Both Elic Ayomanor and Van Jefferson are desperation adds as we expect the Titans to be without Calvin Ridley. Ayomanor is the one who we are more excited about but Jefferson is the one who stepped into the Calvin Ridley role when Ridley went down last week. With a week to prepare I would expect more schemed up touches for Ayomanor.
You have to at least consider the number one wide receiver on his own team. Right? Maybe. In deep leagues. I project Reynolds for six targets this week. Since the start of the 2022 season Reynolds has seen at least six targets in 11 games. He has averaged 13.2 PPR FPPG in those 11 games, scoring at least 9.5 points in all but one of them.
It's coming. I am not sure it is coming in Week 7, though if DJ Moore is out it might, but I do believe Burden will eventually become a wide receiver who plays a majority of the snaps in this offense this year. And what he has shown us in short spurts is enough to get excited about. Burden has 16 fewer targets than Olamide Zaccheaus but seven more yards. It is very common for rookie wide receivers to break out and win leagues in the second half. Burden looks like one of the best candidates.
Chris Olave is averaging 10.7 targets per game this year. Wide receivers are averaging 2.21 Fantasy points per target against the Bears this year. Two wide receivers have seen at least nine targets against the Bears. Amon-Ra St. Brown turned 11 targets into 38.5 PPR Fantasy points and George Pickens turned nine targets into 17.8 PPR Fantasy points. Don't be surprised if Olave tops 20 this week.
The Raiders are enormous underdogs against the Chiefs this week and if that happens you should expect a pass-heavy game plan for Las Vegas. What we don't expect is Brock Bowers back, which should mean a target share north of 20% for Tre Tucker. He has been as good as anyone at turning opportunity into Fantasy points and his deep ball ability makes him a fantastic tournament play.
WR Preview
Heath's Projections
My full set of Week 7 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You'll find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 5. Projected stats for all starting wide receivers are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.