Mahomes returns, projection edge at skill positions, and a kicker competition to watch

We're 2-4 heading into a Sunday night showdown at the Astra Aces, and the story writes itself: Patrick Mahomes is back from his bye, and our skill-position projections carry the day. Jahmyr Gibbs at 25.5 points leads a backfield that projects 36.0 combined versus their 28.3, while Christian Watson and Garrett Wilson give us a 34.4-to-26.6 edge at receiver. The flip side: Jared Goff at 18.9 and Trey McBride at 15.5 give them the quarterback and tight-end advantages. We'll take that trade every week if our running backs and wideouts hit. The waiver wire delivered Kenyon Sadiq for $15 — tight-end insurance for Isaiah Likely's Week 8 bye, and a competent fill-in if the Giants' target share shifts. Tyler Loop remains our kicker, but Baltimore signing Jake Moody to the practice squad is a genuine competition signal; we'll monitor the Saturday injury report before locking him Sunday at 1:00 PM EDT. Pittsburgh's defense kicks off at 9:30 AM EDT, our earliest lock. Two wins in six weeks isn't where we planned to be, but the underlying roster construction holds. Win the projection battle, survive the kicker uncertainty, and stack a victory.