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- Fantasy Fallout: Week 7
By: Billy Gabelman (StatATL) and Mike Johnson (Mjohnson86)
Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday.
We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start CeeDee Lamb right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams.
Broncos at Saints
Rookie WR Mason Tipton led the Saints with nine targets, turning the opportunity into 45 yards on six catches. With Rashid Shaheed (knee) out for the season and Chris Olave recently suffering his fourth career concussion, Tipton is an intriguing waiver pickup for those needing WR depth.
Alvin Kamara struggled as the Saints were unable to generate offense without Derek Carr or either of their top two WRs, but he still saw seven targets. Despite the poor outing, Kamara remains a weekly starter but may face an uphill battle until Carr and Olave return.
Javonte Williams scored his first two TDs of the season and saw 17 or more touches for the third time in his last four games. He gets the league’s worst rush defense in the Carolina Panthers next week.
Courtland Sutton wasn’t targeted in the game, which was the first time all season he drew fewer than four targets. Sutton’s upside is going to continue to be capped by rookie Bo Nix, but he gets a friendly matchup next week and can continue to be started as a WR3 in deeper leagues.
Patriots at Jaguars
Drake Maye threw for 276 yards and two TDs as he continues to look like an improvement over veteran Jacoby Brissett. The Patriots have some difficult matchups upcoming, but Maye is a strong pickup in Superflex leagues or as a stash for later in the season.
Hunter Henry led the team with eight catches for 92 yards on nine targets. He’s been involved in both games that Maye started and should continue to operate as the rookie QB’s safety blanket.
Tank Bigsby rushed for 118 yards and two TDs with Travis Eteinne inactive. He looks so much more explosive than last year and has likely earned at least a split backfield even when Etienne returns.
Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. led the pass catchers in yardage for the fourth time this season while recording his fourth TD of the season. With how poor the Jags’ defense is, he’s a trade target.
Evan Engram produced his second straight decent performance after missing four straight games. He remains locked in as a TE1 every week.
Texans at Packers
Joe Mixon resumed his workhorse role, rushing for 115 yards and two TDs in a game where the Texans limited CJ Stroud to just 21 pass attempts. Mixon has produced monster fantasy games in three of his four games this season and should be considered a trade target for those teams needing RB depth.
C.J. Stroud threw for a career-low 86 yards, but I wouldn’t panic here as he just looked uncomfortable all game.
Stefon Diggs led the Texans in receiving for the second straight game with Nico Collins inactive, and despite the fact that he’s only scored one TD the past six games, he should remain an every-week starter for most teams. Tank Dell caught none of his four targets; however, he was targeted twice in the end zone. Dell should remain in your starting lineup as long as Collins remains sidelined.
Josh Jacobs recorded his first receiving TD of his career in this 24-22 win over the Packers. No, that isn’t a typo for the sixth-year back.
Jordan Love threw for 220 and three TDs and has recorded multiple TDs in every start this season. He remains locked in as an every-week starter.
Lions at Vikings
David Montgomery twisted his knee early in the first half, and while he did return, the Lions understandably used him sparingly for the remainder of the game. Jahmyr Gibbs saw 19 touches and converted the increased opportunity into 160 total yards and two TDs. Montgomery’s status is a situation to monitor this week.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (ARSB) went for 112 yards and a TD as the Lions last-second FG propelled them over previously unbeaten Minnesota, 31-29. ARSB has produced 100 receiving yards or a TD in each game this season outside of Week 1. Despite the increased competition for targets, (LaPorta/Jameson Williams/Gibbs/Kalif Raymond), St. Brown remains a consistent fantasy producer.
Aaron Jones produced 116 yards and a TD and once again remained heavily involved in the Vikings’ game plan. He’s seen 15 or more opportunities in five or six games this season.
T.J. Hockenson, who has been recovering from injury, should make his 2024 season debut next week. If he’s available on waivers, he should be a top priority pick-up.
Williams was only targeted once and will remain a volatile WR2/WR3 on your fantasy team, as the Lions average less than 29 pass attempts per game.
Sam LaPorta was held to one catch for 25 yards. He’s produced two or less receptions in four of six games this year, with his season-high production of 4-53 in Week 4. The TE position is thin, but if you can trade LaPorta based on his name value, I would, as the complexion of the Lions’ offense appears to have shifted this season.
Bengals at Browns
Deshaun Watson was carted off after suffering a non-contact injury, which appears to be a torn Achilles. His season is likely over. It’s to be determined if Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Jameis Winston will take over at the helm for CLE.
David Njoku caught 10 of 14 targets for 76 yards and a TD in a 21-14 loss to the Bengals. In the Browns’ first game after trading away Amari Cooper, Njoku became the alpha target-earner. He’s a trade target moving forward for teams needing to improve at TE.
Nick Chubb returned after a 13+ month absence and saw 14 opportunities. Chubb will continue to be eased back in, but he will likely be a RB2/RB3 next week when the Browns face the Ravens.
Chase Brown led the Bengals’ backfield, out-touching Zack Moss,17-9. For the second straight week, he saw a 2:1 opportunity advantage and appears to be the preferred option in that backfield moving forward.
Tee Higgins (4-82-1) and Ja’Marr Chase (5-55-1) both saw a light day against a stingy Cleveland defense. They both remain every-week starters.
Seahawks at Falcons
DK Metcalf injured his knee on his final catch of the game and was carted off. Metcalf had four catches for 99 yards and a touchdown, while narrowly missing out on a second score before exiting. A situation to monitor, as any absence from Metcalf would mean more targets for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett.
Kenneth Walker produced another solid game, totaling 93 yards and two TDs on 16 touches. He has seen 16 or more touches in four of five games this season and is an RB I’d be trying to trade for.
Bijan Robinson had his second straight big game, out-rushing Tyler Allgeier 21 to 5, and seeing most of the red-zone work. He amassed 143 yards and a TD in this one, despite the game getting out of hand.
Drake London continued to be Cousins’ preferred target, grabbing his fifth TD of the season. The second-year wideout has six catches for 50+ yards in his past six games and remains a strong option every week.
Dolphins at Colts
Tyler Huntley was forced from the game early in the third quarter after sustaining an injury to his throwing shoulder. With Tua Tagovailoa still out, both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle remain sketchy WR plays.
Tyreek Hill drew zero targets in the first half and finished the day with one reception for 8 yards in the Dolphins’ 16-10 loss. He remains basically unstartable until Tua returns.
Tyler Goodson out-rushed Trey Sermon, 14-8, and produced 51 yards and a TD. If Jonathan Taylor were to miss again next week, Goodson is an intriguing waiver pickup for teams needing RB depth.
Jonnu Smith produced his best game of the season, with 96 yards and a TD on seven catches. He remains in the TE conversation on what has been a very thin position overall this season
Josh Downs caught one pass for three yards. As ESPN’s Mike Clay pointed out, Downs has yet to exceed six PPR fantasy points in any of Anthony Richardson’s starts. A situation to monitor, as Downs may best be left on the bench if Richardson remains under center.
Titans at Bills
Keon Coleman caught four of seven targets for 125 yards in the Bills’ 34-10 victory over the Titans. This set or tied a season/career best for Coleman for targets, receptions and yards. With Amari Cooper in town to stretch the field, this may open more looks for Coleman.
Speaking of Cooper, he made his Buffalo debut and produced 66 yards and a TD on four catches. His role and chemistry will likely continue to grow as becomes more familiar with the playbook, and like Coleman, would be a potential trade target for teams needing WR depth.
James Cook re-established himself as the primary RB in the Buffalo backfield but was out-produced by rookie Ray Davis. A situation to monitor going forward, as Davis is likely to continue to eat into Cook’s touches.
Tony Pollard saw 22 opportunities but had a hard time getting going as the game got out of hand in the second half. Pollard remains an every-week starter, even when Tyjae Spears returns.
Eagles at Giants
Saquon Barkley exploded for 176 yards and a TD on the ground against his former team. He’s seen 20 or more opportunities in every game but one this season and remains one of the league's few bell-cow backs.
The Tush Push / Brotherly Shove was back this week as Jalen Hurts added two rushing TDs, both from inside the two-yard line.
A.J. Brown’s 5-89-1 line was actually his worst of the season, but he still managed a strong fantasy score despite Hurts only attempting 14 passes in a game the Eagles led throughout.
The Giants were completely overmatched in the trenches, as the Eagles sacked Daniel Jones seven times. Jones was benched early in the fourth quarter but should remain the starter next week against the Steelers.
Malik Nabers returned from injury and saw eight targets but will have volatility in his fantasy production as he is tied to this weak Giants offensive line.
Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy split the backfield work, but neither was particularly effective in a game the Giants trailed throughout. The matchup won’t be any easier next week in Pittsburgh on MNF.
Raiders at Rams
Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington was active but played only nine snaps mostly as a decoy, indicating his shoulder injury is still an issue. Tutu Atwell was the most involved Rams WR with nine targets, but no one scored or had more than 57 yards receiving. Cooper Kupp should be back next week, leaving scraps for everyone else.
Alexander Mattison has assumed control of the Las Vegas backfield and is a weekly option as an RB2 or Flex.
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers continues to set rookie receiving records and is arguably the TE1 in fantasy right now.
Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell injured his hand in the first half and was replaced by Gardner Minshew. The Raiders’ passing game will have more upside for fantasy points with Minshew at QB going forward.
Chiefs at 49ers
The Chiefs scored 28 points despite JuJu Smith-Schuster leaving in the first half with a hamstring injury and Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy combining for only 41 yards of offense. Go figure.
Kareem Hunt now has opportunity counts of 28 and 24 in his two games as the feature back for Kansas City. He should be started weekly.
The 49ers’ receiving corps is having some issues. Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL in the second quarter and his season is over, while Deebo Samuel played only four snaps due to an illness. Jauan Jennings missed this game with a hip injury but will have a crucial role going forward, and first-round rookie WR Ricky Pearsall, who made his season debut in this game, may also be thrust into a bigger role.
Jordan Mason showed no ill effects from his AC joint sprain and played 86% of the snaps. He should have at least one more game as the lead RB before the 49ers’ Week 9 bye, and then there is a chance CMC returns sometime in November. This may be the time to sell.
George Kittle led the 49ers in targets and receiving. He is a locked-in top-three option at the tight end position, and with Aiyuk’s injury, Kittle has a great chance to finish the season as the TE1.
Panthers at Commanders
Washington QB Jayden Daniels left in the first half with a rib injury and did not return, although reports are that the injury is not serious and the main reason he stayed out was that the game was clearly in hand. Marcus Mariota played well in relief.
Brian Robinson Jr. returned to the feature-back role for the Commanders and played well after missing last week with a knee injury. He is a locked-in starter for fantasy in next week’s matchup against the Bears’ run-funnel defense.
Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz are solid weekly options at their positions, while everyone else in the Commanders receiving corps has volatile roles on a week-to-week basis.
Panthers rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders continued his recent streak of solid play and led the team with six targets. He is a solid option for teams needing tight-end help.
The Panthers’ offense was abysmal and managed only 43 offensive plays as they were unable to get first downs and sustain drives. Chuba Hubbard and Diontae Johnson had a nice run of production but are not the physical talents to be the backbone of an NFL offense for a long stretch of time, and that caught up with Carolina this week.
Carolina travels to Denver next week and Javonte Williams and the Broncos defense should be locked-in starters in all formats.
Jets at Steelers
Breece Hall looked terrific for the second straight week and should have a dynamite stretch of football ahead of him as the Jets’ offense figures things out.
The Jets’ offense looked good in the first half but struggled as the game went on due to the pressure the Steelers were able to apply to their offensive line. The Jets face teams in the bottom 10 in QB pressure rate in three of their next four games and I would expect this passing game to have some big performances during that stretch.
Hall, Garrett Wilson, and Davante Adams combined for 71% of the Jets’ offensive usage (carries + targets). All three are weekly starters, and yes, the offense can support them all. The Steelers’ defense put the clamps on in the second half of this game, but these three will get rolling soon enough.
Russell Wilson sparked the Steelers’ passing game and justified Mike Tomlin’s faith in him. George Pickens is a weekly starter whose production should be less volatile going forward.
Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren had the most even workload split we have seen this season, as both played 50% of the snaps and Harris had 21 carries while Warren had 12 carries and three receptions. Overall production will likely depend on game script with Warren thriving if they fall behind and Najee being the man when they are in control.