Fantasy Football Heat Index: Travis Etienne, Tyler Boyd, Mecole Hardman (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 ?????. Week 7 started with a bang in the high-scoring Thursday night tilt between the Cardinals and Saints that produced three of our players below. It was a strange week for Wide Receivers as well, as most of the Top 10 wideouts for the week weren’t active in many leagues.

Quarterback

Andy Dalton (QB – NO)

Stat-line: 30 of 47 passing for 361 yards with four TDs and three INTs; 21 yards rushing
QB Rank: 2

Analysis: It may have been a good fantasy day for Dalton, driven by his 47 passing attempts, but it wasn’t a great NFL performance given the two pick-sixes he threw in the second quarter. The question is whether the Saints will turn back to Jameis Winston (QB – NO) as their starter. Winston was healthy enough to serve as a backup for the past two weeks, so one has to wonder whether he’ll regain his position. Even if Dalton continues to start, it would be hard to trust him in your lineup, given his track record. However, the Saint’s next three games come against defenses that have struggled against opposing QBs, so if you need a streamer in Weeks 8, 9, or 10, you could do worse.

Heat Index: ??

Wide Receiver

Mecole Hardman (WR – KC)

Stat-line: Four receptions off four targets for 32 yards and a TD; 28 yards rushing with two TDs
WR Rank: 2

Analysis: The Chiefs lit up the Niners’ defense on Sunday, scoring seemingly at will. Hardman and his fellow wideouts, JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR – KC) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR – KC), all had big days. However, Hardman’s game was the most unique, as two of his three TDs came on the ground. Andy Reid must have taken inspiration from facing Deebo Samuel (WR – SF), as Hardman emulated the Niners’ star Wide Receiver. After a slow start, Hardman has been a productive fantasy option the past three games, and the Chiefs’ offense looks as dangerous as ever. His fantasy output figures to be up and down going forward, but anyone playing regular snaps next to Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) is worth a roster spot.

Heat Index: ???

Tyler Boyd (WR – CIN)

Stat-line: Eight receptions off nine targets for 155 yards and a TD
WR Rank: 3

Analysis: Another passing offense that had its way on Sunday was the Bengals, as Joe Burrow (QB – CIN) torched the Falcons for 481 yards. You expect to see Ja’Marr Chase (WR – CIN) atop the leaderboards, but Boyd was right there with him in this game. There’s enough room on this offense for three fantasy-relevant wide receivers, especially as the Bengals have one of the friendliest schedules for pass-catchers in the league the rest of the way. Boyd may not be an every-week starter, but if he’s on your waiver wire, he’s a worthwhile addition to fill in for injuries and bye weeks.

Heat Index: ???

Parris Campbell (WR – IND)

Stat-line: Ten receptions off 12 targets for 70 yards and a TD
WR Rank: 7

Analysis: Marquise Goodwin (WR – SEA) had a better fantasy day than Campbell, but his two long TDs drove it. Campbell’s day is more intriguing as Matt Ryan (QB – IND) targeted him 12 times, one less than Michael Pittman (WR – IND) and Alec Pierce (WR – IND) combined. After doing nothing over the first five weeks of the season, Campbell has been productive the past two games and is on the field more than Pierce. However, the Colts played from behind in both games and would probably still prefer to lean on Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND) over Ryan. Campbell has a great matchup next week against the Commanders, but Indy may not be trailing in this one. If you’re desperate, you could roll with Campbell, but he’s probably not going to deliver very often down the stretch.

Heat Index: ??

Running Back

Eno Benjamin (RB – ARI)

Stat-line: Twelve carries for 92 yards, a TD, and a 2-pt conversion; four receptions off five targets for 21 yards
RB Rank: 5

Analysis: After a disappointing Week 6, Benjamin rebounded with a huge game against the Saints on Thursday night. He looked great and probably cemented himself as the top handcuff to James Conner (RB – ARI). However, Conner almost played on Thursday and figures to be back in Week 8. Benjamin is reduced to a pass-catching role when Conner is active, making him a dicey fantasy proposition. He’s worth holding onto if you can afford the roster spot, as Conner tends to get dinged up, but don’t start him unless you have to when Conner is good to go.

Heat Index: ??

Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAC)

Stat-line: Fourteen carries for 114 yards, a TD, and a 2-pt conversion; one reception off five targets for five yards
RB Rank: 7

Analysis: Gus Edwards (RB – BAL) also deserves a Heat Index shout-out, but Etienne’s day was more interesting, given his efficiency and backfield dominance in Week 7. James Robinson (RB- JAC) looked like he would be the man in the Jags’ backfield again early this year, but Etienne has quietly taken over the role over the past few weeks. Robinson did not have a carry this week, and it sounds like he’s not 100% healthy. In the meantime, Etienne’s YPC over the past three games is 7.1, 8.6, and 8.1. This kid is starting to live up to his draft hype and could explode down the stretch. If you can trade for him, you won’t likely regret it.

Heat Index: ????

Tight End

Juwan Johnson (TE – NO)

Stat-line: Five receptions off five targets for 32 yards and two TDs
TE Rank: 2

Analysis: With so many of the Saints’ pass-catchers out on Thursday and the team playing from behind, Johnson stepped up with two TDs in the fourth quarter to keep things interesting. Make no mistake, though, this was garbage time, even though the Saints cut the final score to eight points. Johnson could have some fantasy relevance if injuries to the likes of Michael Thomas (WR – NO), Jarvis Landry (WR – NO), and Adam Trautman (TE – NO) continue to linger for New Orleans. However, he’d be, at best, a deep-league Tight End streamer against the Raiders or Ravens in Weeks 8 and 9.

Heat Index: ?