Mon Oct 20 9:32am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer
McCaffrey comes up huge again
This was one of the highest scoring fantasy weeks of the season. There were several huge performances in Week 7, seeing seven players top 30 fantasy points. And three of those players topped 35 points. We had five more players get 28-plus fantasy points, including three tight ends. The scoring was high at several positions - not just quarterbacks. Hopefully, you were on the positive side of the scoring this week, taking advantage of some of these big performances.
Bengals 33, Steelers 31
Fantasy Stud: Ja’Marr Chase. Chase had a game-winning performance for fantasy teams, catching 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. He scored 38.1 fantasy points. He has 25-plus fantasy points three straight games and is staking his claim as the top fantasy receiver in the game once again. This was his third game this season with double-digit receptions. Chase has quickly formed a top rapport with new quarterback Joe Flacco, having 26 receptions his last two games
Fantasy Dud: DK Metcalf. Metcalf had a rare down performance in a game the Steelers threw for 249 yards and four touchdowns. Metcalf had just three receptions for 50 yards. He scored a season-low eight fantasy points. This was his first game all season with fewer than double-digit fantasy points.
Game Notes: Chase Brown hit the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. He had 11 carries for 108 yards. This was his list game with more than 50-rushing yards.
Pat Freiermuth had five receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns. He did not have more than 35 yards in a game all season before this huge performance.
Rams 35, Jaguars 7
Fantasy Stud: Davante Adams. Adams had just 35 yards but managed to score three touchdowns. He had five receptions for 35 yards and three touchdowns. Adams screed 26.5 fantasy points, giving him 20-plus points two games this season. He has six touchdowns on the season.
Fantasy Dud: Travis Etienne. Etienne ran eight times for 44 yards and caught a pass for 11 yards. He scored a season-worst 6.5 fantasy points. Etienne started the season great but now has fewer than double-digit fantasy points three straight games. He has really cooled lately.
Game Notes: Matthew Stafford was near flawless, going 21-of-33 for 182 yards and five touchdowns without a turnover. Stafford has three-plus touchdowns three of four games.
Travis Hunter had his best game as a pro. He had eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. Hunter was targeted 14 times.
Chiefs 31, Raiders 0
Fantasy Stud: Rashee Rice. Rice returned from his suspension and made an immediate impact. He had seven receptions for 42 yards and two touchdowns. And he did this without playing a full game because the Chiefs were up big. Rice had 23.2 fantasy points on 10 targets. He is going to be a huge part of this offense the rest of the way
Fantasy Dud: Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty had a terrible game, rushing six times for just 21 yards. And he caught just a pass for 13 yards. Jeanty scored just 4.4 fantasy points, his worst fantasy game of the season. He just isn’t having quite the rookie season fantasy owners hoped.
Game Notes: Patrick Mahomes had his second straight three-touchdown game and third in four games. He was 26-of-35 for 286 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.
Isiah Pacheco scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. He ran 15 times for 57 yards and a touchdown. His attempts and rushing yards were both season highs.
Patriots 31, Titans 13
Fantasy Stud: Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson took advantage of a favorable matchup and had his best game the season. He ran 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown against a terrible Dolphins rush defense. He also caught two passes. Stevenson scored 16.8 fantasy points. He has 15-plus points two of three games
Fantasy Dud: TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson couldn’t even get any touches in a blowout victory for the Patriots. He ran two times for five yards and didn’t catch a single pass. Henderson is unusable right now. He just isn’t getting enough weekly chances to help fantasy teams.
Game Notes: Drake Maye missed on just two passes, going 21-of-23 for 222 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.
Chimere Dike led the Titans in receiving, catching four passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. He set season highs across the board.
Browns 31, Dolphins 6
Fantasy Stud: Quinshon Judkins. Judkins ran 25 times for 84 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t catch a pass but still managed 26.4 fantasy points. He has double-digit fantasy points all but a game in his young career. He is off to a great start and should continue to be the focal point of this offense
Fantasy Dud: Jaylen Waddle. There were a lot of duds in this game, but Waddle gets the top honors, catching just a pass for 15 yards. It was an unexpected performance from Waddle, who has been posting big numbers as the No. 1 receiver in this offense once Tyreek Hill was injured.
Game Notes: Tua Tagovailoa found his way to the bench in this one, going 12-of-23 for 100 yards with three interceptions. He had an awful showing.
Dillon Gabriel didn’t even throw for 120 yards but led his team to a win. He was 13-of-18 for 116 yards without a touchdown or turnover.
Bears 26, Saints 14
Fantasy Stud: Chris Olave. Olave had five recepotins for 98 yards and two touchdowns. He continues to be a huge bright spot for the Saints offense. Olave topped 20 fantasy points for the first time this year, scoring 26.8 fantasy points. He has double-digit fantasy points every single game. Olave is having a career-best season
Fantasy Dud: Rome Odunze. Odunze caught just two passes for 31 yards. It was his second straight down game, scoring just 5.1 fantasy points. He has fewer than six points two straight games, catching four passes for just 63 yards on 11 targets.
Game Notes: D’Andre Swift was iffy to play because of a groin injury but played and played very well. He ran 19 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. It was his second straight 100-yard rushing game.
Kyle Monangai had the best game of his young career, rushing 13 times for 81 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 13 yards, giving him 94 total yards.
Eagles 28, Vikings 22
Fantasy Stud: A.J. Brown. Brown had a huge game, catching four passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. He scored 28.1 fantasy points, which was his best total of the season. He has three games this year with 14-plus fantasy points. Brown has been inconsistent this year but starting to show some signs of turning things around
Fantasy Dud: Saquon Barkley. Barkley ran just 18 times for 44 yards and caught a pass for negative two yards. It was yet another very disappointing showing for Barkley. He scored just 5.4 fantasy points. This was his worst game of the season. He has fewer than double-digit fantasy points two straight and three of five games.
Game Notes: Dallas Goedert had three receptions for 18 yards. He had touchdowns four straight games before this one. Goedert scored just 4.8 fantasy points.
Jordan Addison reached the 100-yard mark for the second time in three games. He had nine receptions for 128 yards on 12 targets.
Panthers 13, Jets 6
Fantasy Stud: Xavier Legette. Legette led the Panthers in receiving, catching nine passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He has touchdowns two of three games. Legette did not have more than 35-receiving yards in a game before this big showing. He also had a season-high 11 targets
Fantasy Dud: Justin Fields. Fields had another poor showing, which led him to the bench. He was 6-of-12 for just 46 yards and ran four times for 22 yards. Tyrod Taylor wasn’t much better in his place, though, so who knows where the Jets turn to next week? Taylor was 10-of-22 for 126 yards with two interceptions. The Jets continues to search for a franchise quarterback.
Game Notes: Bryce Young was unable to finish the game because of an ankle injury. He was 15-of-25 for 138 yards and a touchdowns without a turnover before getting hurt. Andy Dalton was 4-of-7 for 60 yards in his place.
Chuba Hubbard started but the Panthers pretty much split the work at running back. Rico Dowdle was the more effective runner, rushing 17 times for 79 yards. Hubbard ran 14 times for just 31 yards.
Colts 38, Chargers 24
Fantasy Stud: Jonathan Taylor. Taylor just keeps rolling along, piling up big numbers on a weekly basis. He rushed 16 times for 94 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor also had three receptions for 38 yards. Taylor scored 34.2 fantasy points, which was a season high for him. He has five of seven games with 20-plus fantasy points. He is producing as well as any back in the game right now.
Fantasy Dud: Kimani Vidal. Vidal did not follow his big game last week too well. He was held in check, ruching nine times for just 20 yards. He also caught four passes for 15 yards. He remains the lead back but nothing is certain with this rushing game right now. It has struggled at times this year, making Vidal a risk - even in a starting role.
Game Notes: Oronde Gadsden had seven receptions for 164 yards and a touchdown. He has seven receptions each of his last two games.
Keenan Allen had 11 receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown. He had season highs in receptions and yards, getting targeted 14 times.
Packers 27, Cardinals 23
Fantasy Stud: Trey McBride. McBride had another huge game, catching 10 passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns. He scored 29.4 fantasy points, giving him 20-plus points two straight games. He has been targeted double-digit times three of four games. He is having a monster season as the top target for the Cardinals passing game
Fantasy Dud: Marvin Harrison. Harrison had two receptions for 58 yards. He made a couple big plays but not enough to help fantasy owners. He scored just 7.8 fantasy points. Harrison has been more bad than good much of the year, having fewer than double-digit points four of six games.
Game Notes: Josh Jacobs was game-time decision because of a groin injury. He played and found the end zone twice, rushing 13 times for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Tucker Kraft had five receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown. He has scores two straight and four of six games.
Cowboys 44, Commanders 22
Fantasy Stud: CeeDee Lamb. Lamb returned from his ankle injury and didn’t miss a beat. He had five receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown. Lamb looked healthy and explosive. Lamb has 100-yard games in all three he has played this year
Fantasy Dud: Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Croskey-Merritt led the team in rush attempts but wasn’t able to find room to run against a bad Cowboys defense. He ran 13 times for just 33 yards and caught just a pass. Croskey-Merritt has double-digit carries three straight games but has double-digit fantasy points just one of those games.
Game Notes: Jayden Daniels was unable to finish the game because of a hamstring injury. He was 12-of-22 for 156 yards and a touchdown without an interception before feting hurt. He also ran eight times for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Javonte Williams had his second 100-yard rushing game of the season. He ran 19 times for 116 yards and a touchdown.
Broncos 33, Giants 32
Fantasy Stud: Bo Nix. It took Nix a little to get it going but he got it going in a big way, scoring 42.7 fantasy points. He threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. He also ran in two scores, rushing for 48 yards and two touchdowns. Nix has four games with 20-plus fantasy points this season.
Fantasy Dud: JK Dobbins. Dobbins had some success on the ground but didn’t help fantasy teams. He failed to find the end zone and caught just a pass. Dobbins ran 14 times for 81 yards, scoring 9.1 fantasy points. He has fewer than double-digit fantasy points two straight after starting the season with 11-plus fantasy points five straight games.
Game Notes: Jaxson Dart had the best game of his young career against a good Broncos defense. He scored four total touchdowns. Dart was 15-of-33 for 283 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also ran five times for 11 yard and a score.
Theo Johnson scored a touchdown for the third time in four games. He had three receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown on seven targets.
49ers 20, Falcons 10
Fantasy Stud: Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey just keeps posting huge weekly numbers. He ran 24 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the 49ers in receiving, finishing with seven receptions for 72 yards. So he had 201 total yards in the game and two scores. McCaffrey had 39.1 fantasy points, the highest total of a season he has at least 22 fantasy points every single game. McCaffrey is once again the top fantasy back in the game after seven weeks of the season
Fantasy Dud: George Kittle. Kittle returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact, but it was as a blocker and not a receiver. He failed to catch a pass, getting targeted two times. He made a big difference in the running game, though, seeing the 49ers run all over the Falcons in this one. There will be better days ahead for Kittle in the passing game.
Game Notes: Kyle Pitts had seven receptions for 62 yards. He was targeted a season-high 10 times in the game.
Bijan Robinson scored a touchdown for the third straight game. He ran 14 times for 40 yards, and caught six passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.
Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.
New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday and will miss the rest of the year, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It's a tough blow for Miller and for the Saints' backfield depth behind starter Alvin Kamara. The 23-year-old had ascended into the biggest role of his career in his third year in the league as the direct backup to Kamara, carrying the ball 47 times for 193 yards (career-best 4.1 yards per tote) and a touchdown while adding five catches on five targets for 30 yards as a pass-catcher through seven games. Miller has been plagued by the injury bug since entering the NFL as a third-rounder in 2023, as he missed 20 of a possible 34 games in his first two seasons. With Miller now sidelined until next year, rookie Devin Neal becomes the primary handcuff option for Kamara's fantasy managers.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Monday that wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (knee), who is currently on Injured Reserve, will be moved to the active roster, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "He'll be competing to get snaps. Obviously, that wide receiver room has gotten pretty spicy. He's obviously got rare size and speed, and he's a physical player," Jones said. Mingo practiced in full last Friday and was questionable to play in the Week 7 win over the Washington Commanders, but he was held out. It sounds as though the 24-year-old will be activated in time to make his season debut in Week 8 against the Denver Broncos on Sunday after recovering from a PCL sprain in his right knee that he suffered in mid-August. But with both CeeDee Lamb and KaVontae Turpin returning from injuries on Sunday, Mingo will be buried on Dallas' WR depth chart and isn't in play as a waiver-wire pickup.
From RotoBaller
As expected, Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker led the team in receiving in the Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, with both tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and receiver Jakobi Meyers (knee, toe) out. However, even in a game with plenty of positive game script in a 31-0 blowout loss, Tucker only managed to produce 33 receiving yards on five catches (six targets). The 24-year-old led the Raiders in targets, catches, and receiving yards, but quarterback Geno Smith didn't have much of a chance in obvious pass situations after the Chiefs got out to a big lead early and never looked back. Tucker is going to remain a big part of the Raiders' passing attack the rest of the year, but his opportunities might be harder to come by if both Bowers and Meyers are able to return in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars after their Week 8 bye. In his third NFL season, Tucker has 29 catches on 39 targets for 389 yards and a career-high four touchdowns through seven weeks.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said that both cornerback Sauce Gardner and running back Kene Nwangu are in the league's concussion protocol following Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 7, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Gardner suffered a head injury in the second half of the 13-6 loss on Sunday and was eventually diagnosed with a concussion. The 25-year-old will now need to pass through the league's concussion protocol in order to be cleared to play next Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Gardner's status will very much be up in the air for the Week 8 contest. If he cannot play, it will be more bad news for the winless Jets as they try to slow down All-Pro wideout Ja'Marr Chase, who is coming off a 16-catch, 161-yard, one-touchdown performance on a whopping 23 targets in Thursday night's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
From RotoBaller
New York Jets running back Breece Hall is a little banged up coming out of the Week 7 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, but head coach Aaron Glenn said the RB should be "fine" to play in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. It was another ugly showing for the Jets offense on Sunday in the 13-6 loss to the Panthers, and Hall had only 11 carries for 38 yards while adding two catches on three targets for an additional 14 yards through the air. Opposing defenses have not had to honor the pass at all when facing the Jets this year, which has made things even more difficult for Hall, who still does not have a touchdown through seven weeks of the 2025 campaign. The 24-year-old is averaging 4.5 yards a carry for 448 rushing yards on his 99 rushing attempts, adding 19 catches for 164 yards. Although the Jets have a favorable matchup against Cincy in Week 8, Hall has now been held under 60 total yards in four of seven games.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders second-year wide receiver Luke McCaffrey entered the Week 7 contest against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday with a prime opportunity to break out with both Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel) sidelined. That unfortunately did not happen, though, as McCaffrey finished with no catches on just two targets in the 44-22 loss on the road. It was a disappointing showing after the 24-year-old had three touchdowns in the previous four weeks. McCaffrey also had an injury scare in the blowout loss to Dallas, which could have contributed to his quiet day against a porous secondary. Even if McLaurin and Samuel miss more time, McCaffrey is hard to trust as a boom/bust deep threat for the Commanders, especially with quarterback Jayden Daniels (hamstring) dealing with another injury. McCaffrey hasn't had more than three targets in any of his seven games in 2025.
From RotoBaller
Despite his ball-security issues, the New England Patriots have stuck with running back Rhamondre Stevenson as their clear lead back, as evidenced by his 18 carries in the 31-13 blowout win on Sunday over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. Meanwhile, rookie TreVeyon Henderson only had two carries for five yards. Stevenson averaged 4.9 yards per tote and had 88 rushing yards and a touchdown while also catching both of his targets for no gain. Stevenson's 75% snap share on Sunday was a season high, while Henderson's 14% snap share was a season low. Stevenson's 88 rushing yards were also a season high, while he scored on the ground for the third time this year and the third time in the last three weeks. He hasn't put the ball on the ground in the last two weeks, either, and appears to be separating himself from the struggling Henderson in terms of backfield workload. The Pats aren't just going to mothball Henderson, but the 27-year-old Stevenson has RB2 upside if he continues to be the clear RB1 in an improved Patriots offense.
From RotoBaller
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs continued to maintain a big role in the offense in the 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in Week 7, catching six of his eight targets for a team-high 72 yards. Doubs wasn't able to find the end zone, but he led the team in receiving yards and also had a team-high six receptions. The 25-year-old pass-catcher has had at least five catches and eight targets now in three straight games as one of quarterback Jordan Love's preferred passing-game targets. He has also scored four touchdowns in six games, although he has not found the end zone since scoring thrice in the 40-40 tie with the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 28. Christian Watson (knee) could make his 2025 debut on Sunday night in Week 8 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Doubs should maintain flex appeal with Jayden Reed (collarbone) still sidelined. Doubs is now up to 24 catches, 306 yards, and four TDs on 36 targets through six games.
From RotoBaller
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) is expected to miss his team's matchup with the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 after sustaining a high ankle sprain. Young left Sunday's 13-6 win over the Jets after picking up the injury, and although initial X-rays returned negative, an MRI revealed the sprain. The grade of the injury was not reported, though these issues typically entail a few weeks of recovery and could linger. Veteran Andy Dalton is set to work in the third-year pro's stead while he's shelved. As of now, it's unclear how long that will be. Dalton has shown competence in spot starts before, but he'll have his hands full this Sunday against a Buffalo defense that's allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game (167.2).
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz reeled in 3-of-7 targets for 36 yards and a touchdown in his team's 44-22 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Commanders' offense couldn't get much going against Dallas, and that was true before and after second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels (hamstring) was forced from the game with an injury. Ertz encouragingly led the team in targets and corralled his fourth TD of the campaign, putting him on pace to surpass his figure from a season ago (seven). However, his production will take a hit moving forward if Daniels is again forced to miss time. The 34-year-old could be on the streaming radar in Week 9 when his team squares off with the Kansas City Chiefs. Although, that would largely depend on the status of wide receivers Terry McLaurin (quad) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel). The duo's practice status should be monitored over the week ahead, as should the result of Daniels' MRI.
From RotoBaller
Carolina Panthers veteran backup quarterback Andy Dalton is in line to start in Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills, and possibly beyond, after Bryce Young suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 7 win over the New York Jets, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Young is expected to miss Week 8 against Buffalo, putting Dalton in place to make his first start of 2025. The 37-year-old stepped in for the injured Young in the fourth quarter of Sunday's ugly 13-6 win over New York and went 4-for-7 for 60 yards and no touchdowns. The Red Rifle made five starts for the Panthers last year when Young was benched and completed 66.7% of his pass attempts for 989 yards, seven touchdowns, and six interceptions. Dalton will most likely be asked to be more of a game manager, with the Panthers likely leaning heavily on both running backs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. At best, he'll likely be nothing more than a low-end QB2 streamer for a couple of weeks in superflex leagues with Young sidelined.
From RotoBaller
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco is a strong streaming option ahead of Week 8 with six NFL teams on bye. This coming weekend will feature 2025's largest bye week, with quite a few high-powered offenses taking a game off. While Flacco projects to be a nice fill-in for the diminished slate, he's been excellent either way, posting 561 yards and a 5:0 TD:INT ratio since being traded to the Bengals. Moreover, he's slated for two juicy matchups ahead of the team's Week 10 bye in the New York Jets and Chicago Bears. If he can keep up his recent string of performances, it isn't out of the question that the 40-year-old can become a consistent fantasy starter. For all the flak he's taken over the years, Flacco has performed well when given the weapons to succeed.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer hauled in one of his two targets for 10 yards in Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders were handily out-matched against their division rivals, and have now scored a total of 26 points across the last three contests. Mayer was out there for nearly all of the team's snaps (94%), though they netted just 95 total yards of offense. Las Vegas will head into its bye week at 2-5, sitting at the bottom of the AFC West. However, they figure to get both wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (knee, toe) and tight end Brock Bowers (knee) back in the fold in Week 9, boosting the team's outlook. If that comes to fruition, Mayer should see his role shrink accordingly. If it doesn't, he'll be an intriguing streaming option against a susceptible Jaguars' pass defense.
From RotoBaller
ESPN's Rich Cimini reports that New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn "hasn't decided on his QB" going forward after the team's miserable 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. The Jets are 0-7 on the season and have not scored a touchdown in either of their last two games. Starting quarterback Justin Fields was benched midway through Week 7 and has thrown for 845 yards and four touchdowns across six starts so far this season. Veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor took over for Fields against Carolina and completed 10 of 22 pass attempts for 126 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Jets have a favorable matchup on paper in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals, but could once again be without star wide receiver Garrett Wilson (knee). If he remains the starter, Fields maintains some fantasy appeal due to his rushing ability (257 rushing yards, three touchdowns this season). If the 36-year-old Taylor takes over, he will be tough for fantasy managers to trust, even in two-quarterback formats.
From RotoBaller
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter broke out in Sunday's 35-7 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams, nabbing 8-of-14 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown. The second-overall pick of April's draft finally had his coming-out party in London, setting new career-highs across the board. Hunter was superb, separating at all three levels of the field despite his team getting blown out. With Jacksonville on bye in Week 9, it may give teammate Brian Thomas Jr. (shoulder) the time he needs to heal his ailing shoulder. The exact nature (and severity) of the injury is currently unknown, so if more time is required, Hunter should again operate as the team's No. 1 wideout. Either way, fantasy managers have to be encouraged by the rookie's scoring outburst over the weekend. We're sure to get an update on Thomas Jr. soon.
From RotoBaller
Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Brashard Smith saw by far the heaviest usage of his young NFL career in Week 7, recording 14 carries for 39 yards and five catches for 42 yards in his team's 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. It's worth noting that there was a significant amount of garbage time in this game. Still, veteran Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (ankle) suffered an ankle injury early in the game and had to get taped up in order to return. Even if Hunt does not miss any time due to the injury, Kansas City could lessen his workload in favor of Smith. With Hunt healthy, the Chiefs have still prioritized getting the ball in Smith's hands in the passing game, as he's seen 16 targets over his last four games. There's a possibility Smith takes over as the team's primary passing-downs back, which gives him some deep-league fantasy appeal.
From RotoBaller
Washington Commanders wide receiver Chris Moore recorded two catches for 59 yards on five targets in his team's 44-22 Week 7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. After seeing seven total targets over the first five weeks of the season, Moore has now earned 10 targets in his last two games. Moore's expanded role could continue, given the current injuries to Washington wideouts Deebo Samuel Sr. (heel), Terry McLaurin (quad), and Noah Brown (groin). Brown is on Injured Reserve, but Samuel Sr. and McLaurin could both return in Week 8 when the Commanders take on the Kansas City Chiefs. If Samuel Sr. and McLaurin remain sidelined, Moore should be expected to have a role in his team's passing game and could be a decent deep-league wide receiver/flex option.
From RotoBaller
Chicago Bears rookie running back Kyle Monangai had the best game of his young NFL career in his team's Week 7 win over the New Orleans Saints, recording 94 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 15 total touches. The 23-year-old has been an efficient player so far this season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 5.4 yards per touch. Monangai remains the clear RB2 in Chicago behind D'Andre Swift, who had a similarly stellar game in Week 7 with 138 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 20 total touches. Still, Monangai could slowly steal work away from Swift over the course of the season. At the very least, Monangai is a high-end handcuff option who should be rostered and stashed in deep fantasy leagues. The Bears will travel to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in Week 8.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson was one of the buzziest names in fantasy football after his strong preseason showing. However, the 22-year-old has failed to carve out a consistent role in his team's offense through the first seven games of his career. For the season so far, Henderson has recorded 252 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 59 total touches. He logged just two carries in Week 7 and has failed to reach double-digit touches in four out of seven games in 2025. Henderson appears to be firmly behind veteran Rhamondre Stevenson on the running back depth chart in New England. Henderson maintains significant dynasty appeal, and deep-league redraft fantasy managers should continue to be patient as well. However, in shallow redraft leagues, Henderson might be difficult to roster given his current playing time situation.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings running back Zavier Scott suffered an injury to his right wrist in Week 7's loss to the Eagles. Scott handled four carries for four yards and added a catch for two yards in the game, and appears to have banged up his wrist at some point during the game. Scott has served as the primary backup to Jordan Mason while Aaron Jones (hamstring) is on injured reserve. The severity of Scott's injury is unclear at the moment, but more updates should follow in the coming days.
From RotoBaller