Chargers RB Josh Kelley ran for 75 yards and a TD on a tough offensive day overall in the loss to the Chiefs. Don't read too much into that production, though. Kelley exploited a hole, a stacked box, and poor pursuit by K.C. DBs for a 49-yard TD run in the second quarter. His other 6 carries averaged a just OK 4.3 yards per rush. Even that outpaced Austin Ekeler's 3.2 yards per carry for the game. Those 7 carries marked a rebound from the single attempt Kelley got in Ekeler's return game the week before. Of course, it's also worth noting that Kelley averaged just 2.8 yards per rush across the three contests Ekeler missed and entered this game averaging 3.6 per carry for the season. Kelley's at his best as a complement to Ekeler. We'll see if he garners any more work going forward, but we won't bet on it before we see it or hear about such a plan from coaches.
Rams WR Puka Nacua bounced back in Week 7 vs. the Steelers with 8 catches on 12 targets for a monstrous, team-leading 154 receiving yards. The rookie now leads all NFL WRs with 58 receptions on the year. His teammate Cooper Kupp didn’t see nearly the same level of success on Sunday, hauling just 2 of 7 targets for a disappointing 29 receiving yards. Regardless, both wideouts will be must-start options in Week 8 vs. the Cowboys.
The duo of veteran RBs Darrell Henderson Jr. and Royce Freeman led the way for the Rams’ rushing attack in Week 7 vs. the Steelers with a combined 30 carries between them. Henderson Jr. logged 18 carries for 61 rushing yards and a score in the loss, while Freeman accumulated 66 yards on 12 attempts. Turns out rookie RB Zach Evans was not the correct waiver wire pickup from the Rams’ backfield, as he did not see a single offensive snap in the contest. Fantasy managers who play in leagues where Henderson Jr. or Freeman are still available on waivers this coming week should seek their services ahead of next Sunday’s contest vs. the Cowboys.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford completed 14 of 29 passes for 231 yards with 1 TD and INT apiece in Week 7’s loss vs. the Steelers. The veteran’s 14 fantasy point effort is certainly a disappointing outcome in what was projected to be a softer matchup against a Pittsburgh secondary that has struggled for much of this season to date. He’ll have a solid opportunity to turn things around next week vs. the Cowboys.
Chargers RB Austin Ekeler ran for just 45 yards on 14 carries (3.2 per rush) in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs. He also added just 1 reception for 1 yard among 2 targets. Ekeler's playing time (62%) fell in line with his previous game, and his rushing actually proved more efficient. Ekeler averaged just 1.9 yards per carry in the Week 6 loss to the Cowboys. The Chiefs have played well on defense overall this season, ranking ninth in total DVOA entering the week. But they also ranked just 21st against the run. We're still betting on Ekeler going forward and especially expect much more from his receiving. But we'll be watching closely for any signs we need to adjust those expectations. A Week 8 matchup with a weak Bears defense looks like a potential blowup spot -- or possibly a signal to really worry about Ekeler if he doesn't deliver.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin posted a team-high 6 catches and 90 yards against the Giants. That includes a team-high 21.4% target share. The veteran made a couple of impressive downfield grabs in tight coverage, including one where he took a hard shot. Following a slow start, McLaurin's now hit 80+ yards in three of his past four matchups. Keep him in lineups as a top-30 option next week against Philly.
Steelers WR George Pickens hauled 5 of 8 targets for a team-leading 107 receiving yards in Week 7 vs. the Rams. Sunday also saw the return of veteran wideout Diontae Johnson after missing the last four games due to a hamstring injury. Johnson recorded 5 catches for 79 receiving yards in the contest. Though the Steelers’ passing game hasn’t been potent in 2023, the 65.2% target share that this duo received confirms where fantasy managers can look for points on this roster in Week 8 vs. the Jaguars, even if TE Pat Freiermuth returns from his hamstring injury.
For the first time in 2023, Steelers RB Najee Harris out-scored his teammate Jaylen Warren in PPR scoring. Harris ended Week 7 vs. the Rams with 53 rushing yards and a TD on 14 carries to go along with 3 catches and 15 yards as a receiver. Warren also scored on a 13-yard rush in the contest, though he only saw 2 targets on Sunday. His lack of pass-catching involvement hurt him and was rather surprising considering he’d seen at least 4 targets in four of five games prior to their Week 6 bye. Next Sunday, the Steelers will face off against the Jaguars.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett completed 17 of 25 passes for 230 yards with 0 TDs or INTs in Week 7 vs. the Rams. The second-year starter also punched in a rushing TD in the third quarter of the contest. Despite not registering a passing score, Pickett’s 15.2 fantasy points are his second-highest total this season. He’ll be in the low-end QB2 discussion next week vs. the Jaguars.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson said after Sunday's game vs. the Colts that the coaching staff decided to pull him because he was having trouble with his previously injured right shoulder. "I’m praying it’s not anything worse," Watson added. HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed that Watson remains the starter going forward. We'll see if the shoulder allows him to play vs. the Seahawks next weekend, but Watson owners should not be planning on using him in Week 8 lineups.
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco ran for just 32 yards on 13 carries (2.5 per rush) in Sunday's win over the Chargers. But he scored on a catch from 8 yards out late in the fourth quarter to save his fantasy line. Pacheco totaled 4 receptions for 28 yards on 4 targets, ranking third on the team in catches. His 13 carries marked his lowest point since Week 2, despite Kansas City leading throughout the second half. But Pacheco still got 76.5% of Chiefs RB carries for the game. K.C. just happened to lean pass more than in recent contests. Pacheco gets the league-best RB scoring matchup in the Broncos next and then another positive spot against the Dolphins before the Week 10 bye.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs hauled just 6 of 12 targets for 58 receiving yards and a TD in Week 7’s surprising loss vs. the Patriots. A star player like Diggs catching only half of his passes isn’t super ideal, but fantasy managers can’t be too upset considering he found paydirt in the contest. Buffalo’s leading pass-catcher on Sunday was rookie TE Dalton Kincaid. The first-year player finally broke out, roping in all 8 of his targets for a team-leading 75 receiving yards. He and fellow TE Dawson Knox played on a similar number of offensive snaps (43 and 45, respectively) though Kincaid out-targeted his counterpart by a margin of 5. We’ll be interested to see if this is trend continues on Thursday night’s Week 8 game vs. the Buccaneers.
Bills RB James Cook received 13 carries for 56 yards in Week 7 vs. the Patriots. He also hauled all 3 targets for 46 yards with a receiving TD as a pass-catcher in Sunday’s loss. Veteran back Latavius Murray produced very little as the sole RB2, posting just 28 total yards on 6 touches. With their Week 8 game vs. the Buccaneers coming on Thursday night, it’ll be interesting to see if Buffalo is inclined to more evenly distribute the workload. Regardless, Cook will be a quality RB2 option for lineups.
Bills QB Josh Allen completed 27 of 41 attempts for 265 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT in Sunday’s loss vs. the Patriots. He also added 17 rushing yards and a TD on the ground in the contest. From an objective standpoint, Week 7 was a better showing from the Bills offense than their dysfunctional efforts against the Giants last week. Still, their fourth quarter efforts to battle back weren’t enough to secure the victory. At least Allen’s 24.3 fantasy points were useful for managers. The Bills will play next on Thursday night vs. the Buccaneers.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice delivered 5 receptions for 60 yards and a TD among 6 targets in Sunday's win over the Chargers. He ranked second on the team in targets in a game that saw QB Patrick Mahomes attempt 42 throws. It was Rice's third straight game with at least 4 receptions, as well as Mahomes' third straight game with at least 40 attempts. Rice's 75% catch rate doesn't seem likely to hold up the rest of the way, but his growing role with (arguably?) the league's best QB sets Rice up to continue his strong efficiency. Rice should at least be in your WR4-level consideration going forward and could easily climb into weekly WR3 territory -- especially if Kansas City's passing volume stays up. WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling also scored against the Chargers and ranked second on the team with 84 receiving yards. But he also managed just 3 receptions -- which happens to be his high for the season. MVS remains only a prayer-level fantasy play if you're hard up.
Travis Kelce delivered a second straight big game with his 12-179-1 receiving line in Sunday's win over the Chargers. It tied his career high in receptions, set back in 2018 against the Raiders. The yardage marked Kelce's second-largest total ever, trailing only a 2021 meeting with the Chargers. He has now caught 21 of 22 targets in two games since spraining an ankle against the Vikings. Kelce has clearly been able to shake that off and go about dominating Kansas City targets. He more than doubled Sunday's No. 2 Chiefs target (Rashee Rice, 6) and claimed 42.2% of Patrick Mahomes' passing yards.
Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne hauled 6 of 7 targets for a team-leading 63 receiving yards with a TD in Sunday’s upset win vs. the Bills. Rookie wideout Demario Douglas also contributed solid numbers, roping in 4 of his 6 targets for 54 receiving yards in the contest. Despite seeing the Patriots’ offense turn their fortunes around in Week 7, Bourne is the only pass-catcher worthy of lineup consideration next week vs. the Dolphins. This is still an untrustworthy aerial attack for fantasy purposes.
Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson totaled 9 carries for 34 rushing yards in Week 7’s surprise win vs. the Bills. Though his numbers on the ground weren’t impressive, Stevenson did manage to haul all 6 targets for 51 receiving yards as a pass-catcher in the contest. Those contributions were enough for Stevenson to post a respectable 14.5 PPR points on Sunday. His teammate Ezekiel Elliott logged 11 carries for 31 rushing yards and a score in the upset victory. We’re not about to get too excited about this New England offense after how poorly they’ve played over the course of October, but their resurgent effort today makes Stevenson more appealing for next week’s AFC East showdown vs. the Dolphins.
In a shocking turn of events, Patriots QB Mac Jones played competent football on Sunday vs. the Bills. The third-year starter completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards with 2 TDs in the upset Week 7 victory. While this performance doesn’t erase the abysmal three-game skid Jones has been on of late, he deserves a lot of credit for stepping up to the plate in this divisional contest. We won’t be super excited to roll him out in Week 8 vs. the Dolphins, but this showing at least puts him within the lower-end of the QB2 conversation in superflex leagues.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes racked up 424 yards and 4 TDs on 32-of-42 passing in Sunday's win over the Chargers. It was Mahomes' largest yardage total since Week 9 of last season and 118 more yards than his previous high for this season. It was also Mahomes' third straight game with 40+ pass attempts, despite Kansas City leading for the entire second half. Mahomes did most of his damage before the break, throwing for 321 yards and 3 TDs in the first half. Mahomes benefited from facing a Chargers D that has been the season's best scoring matchup for QBs. But he also gets three more strongly positive scoring matchups in his next three games.
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