Fantasy Football After Action Report: Week 7
SUMMARY
This was a strange fantasy football week. Consider which of these teams you'd rather have going into week 7: Team A (Matt Ryan, David Johnson, Kerryon Johnson, Will Fuller, Tyler Boyd, and Evan Engram) or Team B (Jacoby Brissett, Chase Edmonds, Latavius Murray, Marvin Jones, Zach Pascal, and Rhett Ellison). Team A, right? Well, that would leave you with a grand total of 16.8 points. Team B? 177.8 points. That's why Janet from marketing is undefeated in your league right now.
Blue chip medal
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Colts- Jacoby Brissett is 2nd in the NFL in passing touchdowns right now. His 14 passing TDs are only one behind the current #1 holders, and he's played one less game than them. This is while playing without TY Hilton for an extended period of time, an insanely high red zone efficiency, and continuing to have balls dropped by Eric Ebron (as is tradition). Brissett is available in around half of leagues right now and is immediately worthy of an add.
Darren Waller, TE, Raiders- Darren Waller went into week 7 as the 7th highest scoring tight end In fantasy football (without a single TD, mind you). He finally broke pay dirt in week 7 and is currently the #2 fantasy tight end. Not bad for a player who was on the Ravens practice squad a year ago. He is Carr's go-to target, and a bright spot in an offense riddled with weak air weapons.
Marvin Jones Jr, WR, Lions- You probably woke up Monday morning with a groan. Maybe you slapped at the snooze button on your iPhone, tricking yourself into eight more minutes of half-assed sleep before you had to drag your lifeless body into the shower and grab a handful of dry Cheerios before your commute to work. Marvin Jones most certainly did not wake up that way Monday morning. The Lions wideout had FOUR touchdowns on Sunday. Hell, he still might be asleep right now. But hey, he earned his rest.
Ezekiel Elliot, RB, Cowboys- Lost in the shuffle of up and coming RBs and electric WR performances is fantasy football's half-decade stalwart, Zeke. He rushed for 111 yards, had 376 receiving yards, and a touchdown. When pressed about Doug Pederson's over-zealous guarantee of a Philly win in Dallas, Zeke said, "We don't give a f*ck what Doug Pederson says."
Loss of rank
Melvin Gordon, RB, Chargers- After perhaps the least successful holdout in recent memory, Gordon, with a whole lot of dough on the line, re-entered the Chargers lineup as a shadow of his former self. His snoozefest of a performance on Sunday was capped with a fumble on the 1-yard line with 19 seconds left. The Chargers were only down by 3. Gordon may have lost much more than just the game.
Evan Engram, TE, Giants- Evan Engram was targeted five times on Sunday. He caught one of those for a measly 5 yards. This was against a mediocre Cardinal secondary, and with (an albeit hobbled) Saquon Barkley to draw defensive attention. Daniel Jones did him no favors, however, as he turned the ball over three times, and was sacked eight times. This does not bode well for the talented tight end moving forward. Consider trading him to a tight end streamer in your league if possible.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons- On the list of "dudes-I-wouldn't-want-to-fight-in-the-NFL" Aaron Donald would be #1 and #2— one for each fist. Devonta Freeman obviously doesn't agree with this sentiment as he tried to toe-up with the behemoth monster Rams tackle, and was promptly saved by the referees from certain death (by being tossed out of the game). In addition, the Falcons continue to lose and play from behind, making Freeman's running opportunities thin at best.
Derek Carr, QB, Raiders- Despite the box score, the Raiders played the Packers pretty close for 28 minutes. They were driving to the goal line for a would-be go-ahead score before halftime, when Carr rolled out to the right and dove for the endzone with a grip on a football that was so delicate that a light breeze in Lambeau would've been enough to knock it into the endzone for a touchback. It was eerily reminiscent of a 2017 incident of the same caliber. The Raiders lost the rock, and the Packers drove and scored before halftime to make it a 14 point swing. Carr is a mediocre fantasy play, and should be dropped in all but deeper 2QB leagues.
Promotion watch
Chase Edmonds, RB, Cardinals- Edmonds dominated the backfield this Sunday in spite of a (shaky) David Johnson return. He put up an insane 35 fantasy points, and is only owned in 17% of leagues. He should be picked up at all costs, especially considering he's in an offense that has been putting up really good numbers at the behest of rookie sensation Kyler Murray.
Auden Tate, WR, Bengals- In the past five games, Auden Tate has a least six targets per game, alongside either a 50+ yard performance or a touchdown. That makes for a fairly reliable flex play for someone who could easily be snatched off the waiver wire this week. With Tyler Boyd playing a bit more quietly lately, and AJ Green not expected to return before November, he could be highly useful.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Vikings- Kirk Cousins hears y'all talking sh*t. Over the last three games, he has thrown for ten touchdowns and over 300 yards in every performance. Next week he plays against a Washington Redskins defense that would give up 30 points to Adam Sandler's team from "The Longest Yard" making him the absolute top quarterback add.
Latavius Murray, RB, Saints- Murray came through for the injured Alvin Kamara in a big way: 119 rushing yards, 2 TDs, and five receptions for 31 yards. The Saints play the Cardinals next week, followed by a bye in week 9, so they will most likely opt to sit Kamara through two weeks to ensure adequate rest for the talented running back—making another full Murray game a more than viable RB option for next week.
Badass hit of the week
Josh Jacobs
The days of bruising running backs seems to be over. Marshawn Lynch was the last living relic of days when Earl Campbell, John Riggins, Mike Alstott, and Jerome Bettis plagued NFL linebackers. That doesn't mean that today's running backs lack some pop every now and then. Take this absolute truck stick from offensive-rookie-of-the-year front runner Josh Jacobs, he takes Adrian Amos to the canvas on his first carry of the day. Pad level, son. Ice up.
