Rather than let any speculation linger, Kubiak was quick to shut down any idea of a switch at quarterback heading into Week 8’s game against the Jets. Kubiak said, “There is no controversy” at quarterback at this time, while also adding that “Fernando [Mendoza] is going to play football” at some point this season. Kubiak said the team does not have a timeline for when Mendoza could eventually make a start, and said Cousins continues to play well despite the team’s recent struggles. Cousins will be firmly on the streaming radar this week against a Jets team that just allowed 28 points to the Dolphins.

St. Brown is dealing with what sounds like a minor ankle injury after Week 7’s win over the Packers. Campbell said he could likely be held out of practice on Wednesday before the team begins ramping him up on Thursday, but tempered any optimism by adding, “We’ll see when we get there.” The 4-2 Lions are playing host to the undefeated Vikings in a game that could end up deciding the winners of the NFC North later in the season. Unless this injury is more serious than Campbell is letting on, we would expect St. Brown to be on the field and operating as a high-end WR1.

This comes just over 24 hours after it was reported that Jackson would play in Week 8 against the Bills. Speaking with the media on Monday, Minter played coy with his remarks about his QB1 while adding that the team will know more about his status when they take the practice field on Wednesday. Jackson was reportedly close to suiting up for Week 7 against the Browns, but we heard similar reports three weeks ago when the Ravens faced the Falcons. While Jackson missing another game would be a bit surprising at this point, it’s hard to be surprised by any games he misses at this stage in his career, as they often seem to linger longer than expected.

Jones’ status will be one to watch this week as the Vikings prepare for their Week 8 matchup against the Lions. While the team calling him day-to-day is encouraging, Jones was already dealing with a knee injury entering Week 7, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the Vikings opted to sit him this week to give him some additional time to recover. Jordan Mason, who rushed 15 times for 68 yards in Sunday’s win over the Colts could be in line for a busy day against the Lions if Jones is unable to go.

Garafolo pointed out that Barkley isn’t a guarantee to play on Monday, but said “everything is looking good” for Barkley to make his return. Barkley was updated to a full participant in practice on Saturday but still carries a questionable tag into Monday night’s game against the Cowboys. While it’s always good to have a backup plan in case Barkley can’t go, we would be surprised if he doesn’t suit up, given his practice status all week and this latest report from Garafolo.

Is there anyone in the league doing it better than Smith-Njigba at the moment? The reigning receiving leader put on an absolute show in this one, making two nearly identical bread basket catches down the left sideline in the second quarter, the first of which he snuck inside the pylon for his touchdown. He was forced out at the two on the second, resulting in an end zone interception from Sam Darnold two plays later. Those two long receptions before the break helped push Smith-Njigba to 126 yards and a touchdown before halftime, and he added an additional 24 yards on three more receptions in the final two frames as the Seahawks transitioned to a more ground-heavy attack while playing with the lead. Fantasy’s early-season cheat code has now gone over 100 yards in six of seven games while notching a league-leading eight receiving touchdowns. It goes without saying, but Smith-Njigba remains the overall WR1 in a solid matchup against the Bears in Week 8.

The Chiefs suffered their first defeat of the season as they struggled to move the football against the tenacious Seattle defense. Their offense lacked any downfield threat in the absence of their top two receivers, while Xavier Worthy drew primary coverage. Much of Kelce’s aerial work remains tethered to the short areas of the field in his age-37 season, lacking the burst and YAC ability that once defined his game. Kelce moved into sole possession of the No. 5 spot on the NFL’s all-time receptions list, and achieving such a lofty accomplishment is a testament to his standout career. That said, fantasy managers are sure to be disappointed with his early-season production, as the veteran tight end has surpassed a modest four receptions just once through six games. He gets another difficult matchup on the interior against the swarming Broncos defense in Week 8.

Walker was held to below 4.9 yards per carry for only the second time this season while also failing to find the end zone for the second time through six games, with his longest rush going for a meager seven yards. Seattle had all the answers on the defensive side of the ball as they held the Chiefs to just 213 yards of total offense. One of fantasy’s breakout stars in the early going of the 2026 season will face another difficult matchup on the road against the Broncos in Week 8, where he remains an elite RB1.

The three points tied the fewest scored in a start in Mahomes’ career as the Chiefs suffered their first defeat of the season. Mahomes faced consistent pressure and a shrinking pocket as the Seahawks held the Chiefs to just 213 yards of total offense. Mahomes also had an ill-advised turnover as he tried to escape pressure, over-throwing his intended receiver on the run. The Chiefs fall to 5-1 with the defeat, leaving only the Vikings as the lone unbeaten team through seven weeks. Mahomes gets little time to lick his wounds with the division rival Broncos on the horizon in Week 8, where he’ll be a low end QB1 in another difficult matchup.

Shaheed was involved in a collision with teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone on an interception in the waning moments of the first half and did not retake the field out of the break. Tory Horton received the kickoff to begin the second half, after which Shaheed was deemed questionable to return with a knee injury. Expect Cooper Kupp and Horton to see a small bump in opportunity behind Smith-Njigba for the remainder of the game. Shaheed caught 2-of-3 targets for one yard prior to departing.