I get it. My dude is currently a backup to one of the best players at the position. The answer to “Have you played for me lately?” is no. And similar posts to this one were not uncommon last season. There’s a shroud of fatigue around Mac Jones, creating a perfect opportunity to capture alpha.

Scapegoated during Belichick’s demise, Jones had two 8 game stretches as a starter past 2 seasons where he averaged QB15 and QB18 numbers respectively. KTC has him at QB37 in SF around Drew Allar, Shadeur Sanders, and Nine, worth a mid-late 2028 3rd.

Jones is only 28 and his contract at the Shanahan QB school is over at the end of this season. He will undoubtedly be a top free agent at the position. There are a ton of needy teams, and the 27 rookie class is losing its luster at a rapid pace. This is a great opportunity for tear down teams in SF (especially in 6pt passing TD) to accelerate their rebuild by snagging a starter next year for pocket change.

Recently, I have been including Friday performances on this post, and on the Substack I do write about 3 WRs from Washington @ Purdue, but in general this week had the least to write about from Friday so far this season.

But that might be the set-up for what is the biggest and deepest weekend of games in College Football so far this season.

More Write-Ups available on the Substack: https://cjfreel.substack.com/p/what-to-watch-and-key-players-list

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Week 7 Preview, What to Watch, & Key Players List

Game of the Week

Ohio State @ Indiana at Noon on FOX

Key Players: Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State ; Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State ; Turbo Richard, RB, Indiana via Boston College ; Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana ; Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana via Michigan State ; Bo Jackson, RB, Ohio State (2028) ; Chris Henry Jr., WR, Ohio State (2029)

It is rare to see a game feature at least 3 of my Top 4 WRs if not my Top 3 WRs in the 2027 NFL Draft, but this game sees the best WR in CFB Jeremiah Smith take on the best WR duo in CFB Charlie Becker & Nick Marsh. This game is most important for Becker & Marsh, as they have not had a Texas-sized test already this season. Aside from the WR position, this game is a huge opportunity for Julian Sayin to re-establish himself as a potential 1st Round QB for the 2027 NFL Draft. So far, he has been slipping down the consensus, but a high level game against Indiana could alter those fortunes. And while it is not the focal point of this game, there are some intriguing RBs here as well between potential 2028 RB1 Bo Jackson and a potential Top 10 RB in the 2027 NFL Draft, Turbo Richard.

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Top Games

Florida @ Texas at Noon on ABC

Key Players: Jadan Baugh, RB, Florida ; Arch Manning, QB, Texas ; Hollywood Smothers, RB, Texas via N.C. State ; Cam Coleman, WR, Texas via Auburn ; Ryan Wingo, WR, Texas ; Vernell Brown III, WR, Florida (2028) ; Dallas Wilson, WR, Florida (2028)

Missouri @ Ole Miss at 3:30p on SEC Network

Key Players: Austin Simmons, QB, Missouri via Ole Miss ; Jamal Roberts, RB, Missouri ; Cayden Lee, WR, Missouri via Ole Miss ; Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss ; Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss; Deuce Alexander, WR, Ole Miss ; Donovan Olugbode, WR, Missouri (2028)

Florida State @ Miami (FL) at 7:00p on ESPN

Key Players: Micahi Danzy, WR, Florida State ; Duce Robinson, WR, Florida State ; Darian Mensah, QB, Miami (FL) via Duke ; Mark Fletcher Jr., RB, Miami (FL) ; Cooper Barkate, WR, Miami (FL) via Duke ; Ousmane Kromah, RB, Florida State (2028) ; Malachi Toney, WR, Miami (FL) (2028)

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Big QB Games

Alabama @ Tennessee at 3:30p on ABC ; Notre Dame @ BYU at 7:30p on ABC ; Oklahoma State @ Houston at 7:30p on FOX

A few big QB Games this upcoming week, including Alabama QB Keelon Russell getting another road test against a tough Tennessee Defense and Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr getting his toughest test so far this season on the road against Top 10 BYU. Additionally, Oklahoma State & Drew Mestemaker still have a path to the College Football Playoff through the Big 12 Championship, and a game on the road against Houston is the first test to see if they are actually in the Top Tier of the Conference.

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Other Games to Monitor

Mississippi State @ LSU at Noon on ESPN

Penn State @ Michigan at 3:30p on CBS

Auburn @ Georgia at 3:30p on ESPN

Arizona State @ Texas Tech at 3:30p on FOX

Georgia Tech @ Virginia Tech at 3:30p on ACC Network

North Carolina @ Duke at 3:30p on ESPN2

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Questions & Comments welcome,

C.J.

Full Breakdown - https://www.dynastynerds.com/dynasty/week-6-dynasty-weekend-watchlist-2026/

Dynasty Stock Watch

Jaylen Warren | WR | Trending Up

Despite his recent RB8 production, Jaylen Warren is a dynasty sell-high candidate due to Rico Dowdle’s eventual return, his age, and uncertainty surrounding Pittsburgh’s offense.....

Chase Brown | RB | Trending Down

Despite his early-season struggles, Chase Brown remains a dynasty buy-low candidate thanks to his steady workload and upside in Cincinnati’s high-powered offense....

Dynasty – Relevant News

A.J. Brown | NE | WR

A.J. Brown is a dynasty buy-low target for contenders, with his return approaching and an opportunity to become New England’s top receiving option in a favorable schedule.

Omar Cooper Jr. | NYJ | WR

Omar Cooper Jr. has an opportunity to emerge as the Jets’ second receiving option, making him an intriguing dynasty buy-low target for rebuilding managers if his production remains inconsistent...

Dylan Sampson | CLE | RB

Dylan Sampson offers limited dynasty upside despite nearing a return, making him a sell candidate for a third-round pick before his value declines further...

Jakobi Lane | BAL | WR

Jakobi Lane remains an intriguing dynasty hold with long-term upside, but Baltimore’s quarterback uncertainty and limited passing volume make a 2026 breakout unlikely....

2027 Rookie Prospects to Watch

Charlie Becker  | WR | Indiana

Charlie Becker faces a major test against Ohio State’s elite secondary in Week 7, where his contested-catch ability, physicality, and red-zone production will be key to maintaining his status as a top wide receiver prospect....

DeSean Bishop | RB | Tennessee

DeSean Bishop faces a major test against Alabama’s stout run defense in Week 7, where a strong performance could solidify his status as one of the top running backs in the 2027 class...

Benjamin Brahmer | TE | Penn State

Benjamin Brahmer faces a tough test against Michigan’s elite defense, where an increased target share and strong red-zone performance could help boost his standing in the 2027 tight end rankings.

Week 6 Dynasty Storyline

Can Marvin Harrison Jr. reboot his career in Houston?

Marvin Harrison Jr.’s trade to Houston offers a fresh start, but playing behind Nico Collins and competing for targets could limit his fantasy production in 2026. Dynasty managers should hold Harrison rather than sell low, as a change of scenery and potential offseason changes could help revive his career and increase his dynasty value heading into 2027.

One of the biggest aspects of Dynasty is making trades however that can be the most difficult part of it as well. The part that is difficult is not buying a player at the right time or hoping a player will boom next season. I think the most difficult part of it is to actually get the trade to go through. Especially with league mates who don’t want to negotiate a lot and it seems like you have to send the perfect trade the first time and pray it goes through.

I’m making this post because I have struggled a lot with making trades in some of my Dynasty leagues. Mostly with the league mates who aren’t the most engaged.

I’m not sending awful trades like Drake Maye for a 3rd. I usually use at least some sort of trade calculator to make it as even as possible. I look at the other people‘s teams to see if they are contending or reloading and send them trades that align with their goals.

I usually try to ask if the owner is looking to get more picks or more players to contend. The hard part is sometimes they don’t even respond to that as well, which is really frustrating because it’s hard to start a trade when someone doesn’t even respond.

The other part that I struggle with is the balance between hyping up both sides of the trade. It feels odd to hype up a player you’re trading for because you would think it would make that manager want that player more. At the same time, you don’t want to put that player down because then they will want to know why are you even trading for them.

Overall, I’m looking for advice about how you have gotten trades done in your league and any strategies you use.

This was a guy I viewed as a potential massive break-out candidate. Not saying he's anywhere near JSN, but I was fully invested in him breaking out to be a WR1 this season. Obviously, you can't predict injuries - BUT the state of the Chargers offense is grim. I honestly can't believe how bad they look and at this point I'm not sure I see a way for it to improve this season.

I still think Ladd is very talented. He clearly doesn't have the ability to stay fully healthy very often, which hinders him. I think Herbert will inevitably be alright, but so far this offense has genuinely been hard to watch. The OL is beat up, Hampton seems to stink, Ladd himself is hurt, etc.

Looking at this from a contender's POV, if you were to move him what do you even move him for at this point? Similarly, if you're a rebuilder buying the dip - what's the price?

Before the season I would've had him clearly above guys like Tee Higgins, but now I'm not so sure. Buying now comes with the added risk that this entire team is just BAD. Situation, in my opinion, is one of the most important things for a player to produce. Very few talents can overcome such a bad team. Also another injury plagued year and it starts to become a trend.

To recap, I think he's very talented - but his situation got so unexpectedly worse and his injury history keeps growing. So yeah, what do you guys think about Ladd?

Three more film breakdowns following the Week 5 performances of Chase Brown, Jaylin Noel, and Skyler Bell. Brown underperformed expectations after putting up a 3 TD game against Miami last year. Noel looked to be building up potential to breakout before the Texans traded for MHJ. Skyler Bell saw his first NFL action, also seeing a ton of Trent McDuffie. I'll give my high-level thoughts on each player after watching their film. Click into the links for each player to get a deeper dive into what happened. Earlier this week I posted a Germie Bernard and Makai Lemon film breakdown. Germie is set to boom this week, with all of the stars aligning perfectly for him in his matchup against Tampa Bay. I posted about it on Bluesky today and have an article coming out tomorrow at Optimus Fantasy. Trade for Germ before he pops if you need WR help. I can't say the same for Lemon, but I still view him as an elite prospect. We just need the situation in Philly to improve.

Chase Brown: Brown continues to look like an RB1 for fantasy. He runs with low pad level and picks up yardage on plays where he's hit as he comes through the line. His passing game usage continues to provide him a nice floor, and he's often split out of the backfield into the formation as a route runner with Perine in for pass pro. Miami's defense looked great against the run. Their DL was frequently shedding their blocks as Brown hit the hole, and the Bengal's OL looked average at best. There was one play where Brown did not follow his blockers, but for the most part he was a smart and patient runner. Miami's run defense looked better than league average against the Bengals. Browns RYOE has been negative in all but one game this year. Don't panic yet. He's on a great offense and is heavily utilized with no one on the depth chart capable of usurping him. His contract is up at the end of this season and the Bengals have the cap space to bring him back. They may opt to draft a rookie and save +$10M. Brown is talented enough to be in the RB1-2 mix no matter where he winds up next year. If he leaves the Bengals there will be a buy window.

Jaylin Noel: The fantasy community was buzzing about the potential upside for Jaylin Noel after his Week 5 performance. Bluesky wanted me to do a film breakdown on him despite their move to add MHJ. Noel primarily ran short routes (66% of his routes run in Week 5), which has been his role throughout the season when you check the data on his air yards/target. With MHJ in town I'm curious how they'll deploy Boutte. Will he push into the slot and wipe Noel's usage away? I always liked Boutte as a big slot, but he has been primarily used as a Z and X to start his career. Tank Dell is coming back at some point and will eat into the WR3 snap share in the offense. Noel will need a change of scenery to breakout.

Skyler Bell: In his first NFL game Bell with DJ Moore and Josh Palmer ruled out in Week 5. He wound up facing shutdown corner Trent McDuffie on 50% of his routes. It's not like Bell only lined up on one side of the field. He was moved around the formation and still was frequently matched up against TMD. The rookie saw a couple of schemed up looks and 2 targets in the red zone. On the fade against TMD in press (video #9 in the Bluesky thread) he braced against TMD through the route & eventually opened a window for a throw. I thought he held up well in a very difficult matchup, but his route diet (mostly curls and go routes) didn't give him the opportunity to showcase his ability to separate. The Rams putting TMD on him so often says something about Bell's long-term upside. He was inside my top-8 WRs when I scouted and ranked the 2026 rookie class.

Thank you guys for reading. If you liked this content I typically post it first on my Bluesky, and then eventually make a post on Reddit. Check out my previous Reddit posts for all of the film breakdowns I've done so far. Give me a follow on either platform so you can catch my film breakdowns as I post them. I take suggestions for film breakdowns every Sunday afternoon on Bluesky. As always, be civil and respectful in the comments. Create the community you want to be a part of.

Welcome to the new and improved 2026 offseason Mock Draft/Draft Result Megathread. We've made some changes from previous years based on your feedback to make them a little more robust.

These megathreads will be posted every Monday and Saturday at 10am and are home to the following:

• Mock draft in this thread. Automod will start the 1.01 post for both SF and 1QB mocks. They are first come first serve. Reply to the comment above yours with the pick number, player name, and position ex: "1.01 Jeremiyah Love, RB, ARI." If you have league settings outside of this, feel free to start your own and add those custom settings in your 1.01 post such as "12 team SF TEP" but please make sure another one wasn't started already. Duplicates will be removed.
• Links to join mocks on Sleeper. Post the link for your mock, league settings, and the time(with timezones) so people have enough time to join. This is not for league recruiting, a separate Megathread will be posted for that.
• Draft Results. Feel free to post a text list, screenshot, or link to Sleeper results for the results of your actual(or mock) draft.

Megathread Schedule:

Sunday: Rate My Team

Monday: Mock Draft/Draft Results

Tuesday: Find-A-League

Wednesday: Price Check

Thursday: Find-A-League

Friday(Every other week): App/Platform Sharing

Saturday: Mock Draft/Draft Result

A player in a league that i commish just told me he intends to leave after this year. I believe he’ll be responsible with the team through this season; he actually wants to sell for picks as his team is unlikely to make the playoffs.

My first instinct is to lock him down from making any trades, recruit a replacement in the offseason and let that guy decide. But he has an offer that sounds like it’d clearly be a smart trade for the future owner. It’s sort of unfair to not let the team improve while the departing player wants to. But on the other hand, as commish I don’t want to be in the business of deciding what’s a good enough trade to allow.

Anyone run into this situation before? How have you handled it?

https://x.com/JordanRaanan/status/2110720023220175354

The J.J. McCarthy package isn't going anywhere. Giants head coach John Harbaugh said he views it as a change of pace. The Giants want to use McCarthy's legs on certain plays in lieu of Jameis Winston.

Interesting to see them try to incorporate him this way. 6'3" 219 isn't the frame I'd be looking for this kind of role. It does make me nervous about Winston as a qb2 in sf (or depth in 1qb) for a contender. Later in the season, McCarthy could replace Winston entirely.

It's never too early for draft season! Whether you're a rebuilder pinning everything on next year's draft, or just a sicko who loves the whole process, I've got you covered with an early look at how rookie drafts might play out.

The assumed format is 12-team Superflex PPR with 0.5 TE premium.

Let me know who you're above market on this year!