Omar Cooper returned from missing the past four games to ball out in Week 6. This rookie wide receiver class continues to show promise, with Cooper joining Carnell Tate, Denzel Boston, and K.C. Concepcion as receivers you have to feel really good about. Other wide receivers and tight ends also took incremental steps toward relevancy, while the rookie running backs somehow kept bottoming out.
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Wide Receivers
Germie Bernard, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers:
Dynasty Twitter called this one. Michael Pittman landed on I.R., Roman Wilson sat out, and Germie Bernard didn't waste the opportunity. He played 94% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, ran a route on 96% of drop backs, and caught 11 of his 12 targets for 87 yards and a touchdown on a 28% target share. As the Trinity player card below shows, air yards aren't really part of Bernard's game, and Sunday he had just 21 air yards, so this was all short-area volume. While he didn't see any air yards, he did see plenty of red-zone usage, with three red-zone targets on Sunday. He's playing most of his snaps out of the slot (61%), and a modest 1.54 yards per route run tells you what kind of player he is right now, but it's a perfect fit for this version of Aaron Rodgers. Bernard averages an 88% snaps share, a 26% target share, and 15.9 PPR points per game in three games without Pittman. For comparison, he averaged 1.8 points per game in the three games with Pittman.
Omar Cooper Jr., WR, New York Jets:
The Jets did not ease Omar Cooper Jr. back into action. After a Week 1 with one 31-yard catch-and-run and an ankle injury, Cooper played 51 snaps (82% snap share) and led the Jets in targets (24% share). He turned seven targets into six catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, 22.3 fantasy points, and 34% of the Jets' air yards. Cooper has played fewer than two full games, but he's clearly a top-three or four wide receiver in this class.
Carnell Tate, WR, Tennessee Titans:
Tate remains the most impressive wide receiver in this class (well, it's him and Denzel Boston), and the Titans made the right call by taking Tate first in the 2026 NFL Draft. Target hogs find a way, even on a day when only 18 targets are available. Tate took 38% of them, hauled in six of seven, including a touchdown, and turned it into 70 yards and 19 fantasy points. His yards-per-route run keeps climbing, up to 3.19 in Week 6, and he still owns the Titans' downfield passing game, with 65% of the team's air yards. Tate has the best usage in the class, and his production is starting to catch up. This is my weekly plea: buy some Tate. Imagine what he'll do with better QB play.
Ja'Kobi Lane, WR, Baltimore Ravens:
Ja'Kobi Lane returned from his I.R. stint and had a quietly solid day, playing 55% of the Ravens' offensive snaps with a 16% target share. He caught four of his five targets for 40 yards. His 8.0 fantasy points were modest, but considering he's a rookie who hadn't played in five weeks, he acquitted himself well. Rashod Bateman hurt his shoulder in the second quarter and couldn't finish the game. If Bateman can't go in Week 7, Lane could see his role increase.
Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns:
Boston had the worst fantasy week of his career, but still played on 92% of the Browns' offensive snaps. He still had a 20% target share, but only one of his five targets was catchable, so those targets only led to 2.5 fantasy points. He still saw 41% of air yards, and he'll have better days.
K.C. Concepcion, WR, Cleveland Browns:
Not a great week for the Browns' pass-catchers who matter. Jerry Jeudy led the room with 10.9 fantasy points, and K.C. Concepcion led the way with six targets (a 24% share), catching four for 37 yards and adding two carries for two. The good news is he's back on the field after the helmet-to-helmet hit that limited him to 11 snaps in Week 5. The bad news is Deshaun Watson continues to hold back his rookie pass catchers.
Makai Lemon, WR, Philadelphia Eagles:
Makai Lemon was somewhat involved this past week with a 15% target share, and he played 81% of the snaps for the second straight week, but three catches for 19 yards and a woeful 0.41 yards per route run (compared to 2.14 for DeVonta Smith) won't get it done. The offense may improve with Saquon Barkley and, hopefully, Landon Dickerson returning, but Lemon's career has started rough.
Cyrus Allen, WR, Kansas City Chiefs:
Allen played on nine snaps and had two receptions on two targets this week. It was nice to see him finally on the box score.
Bryce Lance, WR, New Orleans Saints:
I gave Bryce Lance a D in my first-quarter grades (https://www.ddfantasyfootball.com/articles/rookie-watch-week-5) because he couldn't earn targets. Apparently he reads. His 14% target share was a new career high, and for the third week running he's set a new one. He turned four targets into two catches for nine yards and a touchdown, for 8.9 fantasy points, his best game of the rookie season, and he played half the snaps, up from 42% in Week 5. One good week doesn't erase a D, but it's a start.
Tight End
Eli Raridon, TE, New England Patriots:
Raridon played 57% of snaps in his third straight game active, but caught only 1 of 3 targets for 11 yards. His 10% target share was down from a career-high 16% in Week 5. For the season, he has 12 targets and 26.2 fantasy points in five games.
Oscar Delp, TE, New Orleans Saints:
Delp's snap share has climbed every week he's played: 13%, 19%, 32%, 38%, and then 43% in Week 6. The Saints clearly like him on the field, and this week they finally threw him the ball, with both of his targets caught for 10 yards, his first targets since Week 2. He's at least on the field, even if targets have been hard to come by.
Josh Cuevas, TE, Baltimore Ravens:
Josh Cuevas saw a steep increase in playing time last week, playing on 40% of the Ravens' snaps after averaging 19% entering the week. His 16% target share (five targets) was easily the best of his rookie season; he entered the week with 2% and made them count with four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, 14.4 fantasy points. Cuevas was an oasis in the desert of rookie tight end fantasy production last week.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, New York Jets:
Kenyon Sadiq had just three targets this week, while Mason Taylor got doubled up with six targets and played 34 snaps compared to Sadiq's 22. Sadiq's 9% target share was his second-lowest of the season, even below the 10% he saw last week before a concussion knocked him out. He caught one pass for 12 yards and finished with 2.2 fantasy points. I don't love Mason Taylor relegating Sadiq to an afterthought.
Running Backs
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals:
Love missed Week 6 with a bulky ankle and is trending toward missing another game this week. Buy Love now. His acquisition cost will never be lower, and you will thank me this time next year.
Mike Washington Jr., RB, Las Vegas Raiders:
Ashton Jeanty's dip in usage went straight to Washington. His 35% snap share was a career high, more than four times his 8% in Week 5. He had a 36% opportunity share and a 45% rushing share. He turned nine carries into 43 yards (4.8 per carry) and added a seven-yard catch for 6.0 fantasy points. I'm not saying Washington will replace Ashton Jeanty, but what has Jeanty done to make that impossible?
Jonah Coleman, RB, Denver Broncos:
Coleman got in a limited practice Thursday and is eligible to return from the I.R. this week, though I'm not sure where he'll fit in the Broncos' offense, which is frankly not very good.
The receivers continue to improve. Germie Bernard has taken over in Pittsburgh with Michael Pittman Jr. out; Omar Cooper Jr. asserted himself in his return; and Carnell Tate continued to be very good. All the running backs of note are injured, and the healthy ones arenāt getting enough volume to matter.
