Pickups: Vidal steps up; Dart, Darnold being underrated

The sixth Sunday of the NFL season featured another fantastic performance from Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle, another touchdown from Dallas Cowboys WR George Pickens, and continued development from precocious New England Patriots QB Drake Maye as a top-10 fantasy option. Oh, there were injuries, too, with excellent wide receivers Puka Nacua (ankle), Emeka Egbuka (hamstring) and Marvin Harrison Jr. (concussion) leaving games prematurely. Fantasy managers must monitor their status for the upcoming week.

Each Monday, before the current NFL week ends, we will identify players available in at least 50% of ESPN standard leagues worthy of your attention, from standard formats to deeper options. The NFL is a weekly league, and player valuation and roles seldom remain stagnant. It does not matter how you acquire players for your fantasy rosters, just that you get them.

Quarterback

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (34.4% rostered): This is not the first time we have discussed Dart in this space, though fantasy managers remained rather tepid with interest. Dart was active in fewer than 10% of ESPN standard leagues in Week 6. That must change after Dart scored 23.6 points in a stunning win over the beleaguered Philadelphia Eagles. Although Dart remains an unfinished product as a passer, he has notably rushed for more than 50 yards in each of his three starts, scoring touchdowns in two of them. That is enough to make him relevant in fantasy. A road game in Denver this week might not be as much fun as facing Philly, but Dart boasts undeniable QB1 potential in fantasy this season and should be rostered in many more leagues.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (23.1%): Some fantasy managers just refuse to believe in Darnold despite his solid numbers. Darnold scored 20.0 points on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and after a rough Week 1 outing, he is averaging nearly 20 PPG over his past five games. He and the Seahawks face the Houston Texans in Week 7. Given his numbers, it is hard to suggest anything but Darnold being underrated in fantasy. He showed us his ability last season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he is performing similarly this season.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

• Although there is no shortage of veteran quarterbacks available for streaming in Week 7, the Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence (vs. LAR) and the Panthers' Bryce Young (at NYJ) do not have great matchups. So it is that we must recommend Pittsburgh Steelers starter Aaron Rodgers (13.7%) for a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have not played great defense this season. Rodgers scored 17.5 points in Sunday's win over the Cleveland Browns, his best game since Week 1.

• The Arizona Cardinals ruled out Kyler Murray (foot) and started longtime backup Jacoby Brissett versus the Colts. Brissett (0.5%) scored 20.7 points, more than Murray has in any of his five games this season. We've seen Brissett fill in before with occasional success, but if Murray is out this week, there are surely better options since the Cardinals face the Green Bay Packers this week. If one is that desperate, note that new Bengals starter Joe Flacco scored 18.76 points in his debut. He faces the Steelers this week.

Running back

Kimani Vidal, Los Angeles Chargers (27.1%): Someone had to pick up the running back duties with starter Omarion Hampton (ankle) shelved, and we had a good idea it would be some combination of Vidal and Hassan Haskins. Most sided with Haskins (49.7%), since he played at Michigan for Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. Wrong choice! These coaches just keep everyone guessing! Vidal enjoyed a far greater performance, turning 21 touches into 138 yards and 22.8 points. Haskins had seven touches. Add Vidal for Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts, while noting Hampton might miss more time than originally expected.

Tyjae Spears, Tennessee Titans (23.6%): Spears (ankle) made his season debut in Week 5 with little statistical consequence. In Week 6, he turned nine touches into 50 yards and 9.0 points, outpacing starter Tony Pollard, who scored 6.7 points on 12 touches. The elusive Spears does his best work catching passes, and perhaps the Titans will use him even more in Week 7 against the Patriots. For now, Pollard investors have little to worry about.

Bam Knight, Cardinals (5.6%): We featured Michael Carter in this space last week, as he appeared to be the Arizona running back of choice with James Conner and Trey Benson sidelined. On Saturday, a day before facing the Colts, rather surprising word came that the Cardinals intended to give Knight, with his third NFL organization before his 25th birthday, a chance at first-team volume. Knight scored a touchdown and notched 12.4 points on his 12 touches Sunday, but he didn't differentiate himself much from Carter, who scored 8.4 points on 11 touches. Knight is likely to be a bit overrated this week for the game against a tough Packers team.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Steelers starter Jaylen Warren (knee) returned from a few weeks off and scored 8.3 points against the Browns. Meanwhile, Kenneth Gainwell (56.8%) caught six passes (though for only 14 yards), but his overall output was 9.6 points. This remains a timeshare, with Warren clearly the preferred choice. Although Gainwell has reached double-digit points in only one game, he continues to matter at a weak position in fantasy.

The Vikings and Texans enjoyed the bye in Week 6, and all four of the running backs for these teams relevant to fantasy remain rostered in more than 50% of leagues. Still, check your league for Texans Nick Chubb (68.2%) and Woody Marks (59.7%), as they face the Seahawks this week. They still come preferred to Browns backups Jerome Ford (24.9%) and Dylan Sampson (14.3%), who combined for 12.4 points in Sunday's loss.

Wide receiver

Kayshon Boutte, Patriots (7.0%): Boutte was featured in this space after his solid Week 1 outing, in which he caught six passes for 103 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders. Then Boutte caught a measly seven passes for 105 yards over the next four games, making his opening-week output look mighty aberrant. Well, the rather inconsistent Boutte returned to relevance Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, catching all five of his targets for 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Does any of this mean Boutte will have a big Week 7 game against the Titans? Nope, but QB Drake Maye is terrific, and the Titans, well, are not. Pats teammate DeMario Douglas (6.7%) scored 16.1 points Sunday, and he also gets to face the Titans!

Josh Downs, Colts (41.5%): Downs has reached double-digit points in three of six games so far. Those are the ones in which he has seven or more targets from resurgent QB Daniel Jones. In the other three games, Downs has not been targeted much, so he has not done much. We can't be sure Jones will target Downs this week against the Chargers, but at this point, fantasy managers need to trust Jones, and Downs feels a bit too available. In addition, the Colts face the Titans in Week 8.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Harrison might not play in Week 7 against the Packers, which means more attention for Michael Wilson (3.9%), Zay Jones (0.1%) and Greg Dortch (0.2%). Yeah, it's not exactly a Hall of Fame crew for a Cardinals QB (to be named later) to throw to without Harrison (though TE Trey McBride might see 20 targets in Week 7). Jones scored 12.9 points in Sunday's loss, but Wilson has been involved in the offense all season, and he feels more likely to matter.

Similarly, we do not know if Buccaneers rookie star Egbuka will be available to play on "Monday Night Football" against the Lions. Tez Johnson (0.0%), a rookie selected in the seventh round from Oregon, made the highlight reels with his 45-yard, fingertip touchdown, but it was his only catch Sunday. Kameron Johnson (0.0%) played more snaps and saw four targets, converting one into a touchdown. We recommend veteran Sterling Shepard (14.8%) first, then Kameron Johnson, but while Bucs head coach Todd Bowles already ruled out Chris Godwin Jr. and RB Bucky Irving out for Week 7, for all we know Egbuka, and Mike Evans (hamstring) could still play. It is early in the week, but make plans in case neither can go.

San Francisco 49ers reserve Kendrick Bourne caught 10 passes for 142 yards while filling in for Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings in Week 5, scoring a cool 24.2 points. He followed that up on Sunday with five catches for another 142 yards and a still-cool 19.2 points. Bourne, 29, has been around for a while and never surpassed 800 receiving yards in a season. At this rate of 142 yards per game, he would get there well before Thanksgiving. It is possible the 49ers QB (to be named later) will ignore Bourne when everyone else becomes healthy (including TE George Kittle), but take a chance for Week 7 against the Falcons.

Texans rookie Jayden Higgins (22.9%) caught five passes on six targets over the first four games of the season prior to the bye week, and then in Week 5 against the Ravens he caught four passes on as many targets. Perhaps star Nico Collins is the lone Texans WR worth relying on, but Higgins was a fantastic college player at Iowa State and a second-round draft pick. He should matter soon.

Tight end

Harold Fannin Jr., Browns (29.1%): This isn't really an emerging passing game to invest in (yet), but Fannin caught 7 of 10 targets from fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel against the Steelers, and some of them came after starting TE David Njoku (knee) left early. Perhaps Njoku will miss some time. Fannin has scored double-digit points in three of six games, and the Browns face the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

Raiders star Brock Bowers (knee) has missed consecutive games, much to the chagrin of fantasy managers who expected another monster season. Backup Michael Mayer (3.1%) caught 5 of 7 targets for 50 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, his 16.0 points eclipsing any performance from Bowers this season. There will not be controversy for the Raiders, for Bowers is the starter when healthy, but Mayer is the only healthy one for this week.

Seahawks starter AJ Barner (10.1%) continues to produce fantasy-relevant numbers, but managers continue to rely on underachievers such as Njoku and the Ravens' Mark Andrews. Barner scored 10.1 points against the Jaguars, the fourth time in five weeks he reached double digits. His is not major volume, and his touchdown rate is a bit high, but you can trust him in Week 7 and drop him for his bye in Week 8.

Bye weeks: Keep these players rostered

Bye weeks continue in Week 7 with the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens taking off. For the Bills, fantasy managers might wish to part with WRs Keon Coleman (75.5%) and Khalil Shakir (76.8%), along with TE Dalton Kincaid (78.7%). In each case, it would be more prudent to keep these players on your bench rather than dumping them for one-week fixes, if you can help it. This remains one of the top offenses in the league. Move on from the Bills D/ST (62.1%), though.

The bye week comes at a good time for the struggling Ravens, who might get QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring) back for Week 8 against the Bears. Fantasy managers must keep RB Derrick Henry and WR Zay Flowers through the bye as well. That is not the case with veteran TE Mark Andrews (84.3%), who scored 6.6 points on Sunday and boasts more than half of his season total from one Week 3 game. Meanwhile, why is the Ravens D/ST (41.0%) still so popular? Only the Cowboys D/ST has been worse for fantasy!

Defense/special teams

Deep-league options/streamers/random thoughts

The Browns continue to struggle to score points, so although the Dolphins don't exactly play awesome defense, the Miami D/ST (2.5%) unit appears to be a useful streamer for Week 7.

The Giants D/ST (18.3%) scored 8.0 points in the victory over the Eagles, and it will face a Denver Broncos offense that scored only one touchdown in Week 6. The Giants have registered three or more sacks in half their games, and they create turnovers. Go with the Giants over the scuffling New York Jets (9.1%), who face the seemingly easier opponent in the Panthers. The Panthers have scored 57 points over the past two games and feature Dowdle and star rookie WR Tetairoa McMillan.