Fantasy Football Heat Index: DJ Moore, Rondale Moore, D’Onta Foreman (2022)

Welcome to The Heat Index!

For those unfamiliar with the column, every Monday during the NFL season, we dig into the players whose performances through Sunday jumped out to us the most. Along with their stats (half-point PPR scoring) and positional rank for the week, we’ll rank their rest-of-season prospects on a scale of ? to ?????. Some of the NFL’s biggest stars came to play in a high-scoring Week 8, but mixed in were some performances that caught our attention from players who have either been struggling or had yet to emerge.

Quarterback

Marcus Mariota (QB – ATL)

Stat-line: 20 of 28 passing for 253 yards with three TDs and two INTs; 43 yards rushing
QB Rank: 4

Analysis: Mariota threw for a season-high 253 yards and three TDs in the overtime thriller against Carolina. You read that right; his 253 yards were a season high. The Falcons don’t like Mariota to throw, but the Panthers pulled them into a shoot-out that took the game to overtime. Mariota’s fantasy relevance comes from his legs, which provide him with a solid floor. However, his ceiling is limited by his arsenal’s lack of passing attempts. Mariota has a good schedule in front of him and is viable as a streamer in the weeks ahead as long as the Falcons keep winning, which keeps the team from taking a look at rookie Desmond Ridder (QB – ATL).

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Wide Receiver

DJ Moore (WR – CAR)

Stat-line: Six receptions off 11 targets for 152 yards and a TD; three yards rushing
WR Rank: 5

Analysis: DJ Moore in the Top Ten wouldn’t have been a surprise before the season, but he struggled through the first six games, primarily with Baker Mayfield (QB – CAR) at quarterback. Moore has been fantasy relevant the last two weeks, though, as the Panthers look like a different team since firing their coach and trading their best player. Will it last, though? Much of Moore’s volume in Week 8 came off his 62-yard TD, which tied the game at the end of regulation. Without that, his day looks much different. Moore won’t turn back into a borderline WR1 this season, but he may be startable most weeks going forward with a pretty good schedule and a team that appears re-energized.

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Rondale Moore (WR – ARI)

Stat-line: Seven receptions off eight targets for 92 yards and a TD; 12 yards rushing
WR Rank: 6

Analysis: Rondale Moore has been up and down since returning from the injured list in Week 4, highlighted by this week’s effort. A few weeks ago, it looked like Moore might be pushed back to a third receiver role, with Marquise Brown (WR – ARI) off to a great start and DeAndre Hopkins (WR – ARI) returning from suspension. However, Brown’s unfortunate injury opened the door for Moore, and he appears locked as the WR2 in the Cardinals’ offense until Brown returns. Outside of a Week 15 matchup with Denver, Arizona’s schedule isn’t daunting for wide receivers. Moore will occasionally throw up a stinker, as he did in Week 7, but he’s worth a spot on your bench and an occasional start due to the opportunity in front of him.

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Running Back

D’Onta Foreman (RB – CAR)

Stat-line: Twenty-six carries for 118 yards, three TDs, and a 2-pt conversion
RB Rank: 5

Analysis: After the trade that sent Christian McCaffrey (RB – SF) west, there was a debate in the fantasy community about which Panthers’ back would be better going forward between Foreman and Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR). In Carolina’s upset win over the Buccaneers in Week 7, both backs played well until Hubbard injured his ankle in the fourth quarter. With Hubbard sidelined this week, the Panthers rode Foreman for 26 carries, and he delivered three TDs. Hubbard’s injury doesn’t appear serious, though, and there’s a good chance he returns next week, which will cut into Foreman’s workload. The other thing working against Foreman is his lack of usage in the passing game. Even so, he should be on your radar as a borderline RB2 who should be solid in weeks when Carolina keeps the game close.

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Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS)

Stat-line: Seven carries for 19 yards; seven receptions off seven targets for 58 yards with a TD
RB Rank: 10

Analysis: Gibson stepped up as a pass-catcher in Week 8 but did little in the running game. He hasn’t run the ball well for most of this season and has ceded much of those duties to Brian Robinson Jr. (RB – WAS). As J.D. McKissic (RB – WAS) is also involved in the offense, Gibson will probably need to score to be useful for fantasy purposes. He’ll have a good game now and then, but it will be hard to predict when they will come.

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Tight End

Tyler Conklin (TE – NYJ)

Stat-line: Six receptions off ten targets for 79 yards and two TDs
TE Rank: 1

Analysis: The Jets’ first game without Breece Hall (RB – NYJ) wasn’t a pretty one for their offense. Conklin was a bright spot, though, as the only player to score a touchdown. The big man got off to a solid start this year before the offense turned into the Breece Hall Show in Week 5, so perhaps he can be relevant at the positions in the second half. There are likely better options, but if you are desperate for a streamer, there are a few weeks in which Conklin might be startable. However, they won’t come for a few weeks as the Jets host the Bills next week and then have their bye.

Heat Index: ??

Isaiah Likely (TE – BAL)

Stat-line: Six receptions off seven targets for 77 yards and a TD
TE Rank: 2

Analysis: Isaiah Likely was one of the stars of the preseason but had done little before last Thursday’s game against the Buccaneers. Mark Andrews (TE – BAL) left the game after only ten snaps, giving the rookie his opportunity, and the player that had fantasy managers buzzing in August finally appeared. Andrews will return, though, and Likely may head back to the bench. The hope is that his performance will lead to more playing time, but that’s hardly a given based on what we saw over the first seven games. While Andrews is out, Likely’s worth starting. However, once Andrews returns, he’s at best a bench stash who you hope will see an increased role down the stretch.

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